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Show Summary
In this conversation, Reagan Rodriguez, a futurist and advisor to global legacy families, discusses his unique approach to impact investing, focusing on humanitarian projects and alternative energy solutions. He shares insights on building relationships with wealth legacy families, the importance of learning from mistakes, and creative ways to connect with potential investors. The discussion highlights the significance of calculated risks in investment and the value of preserving wealth through meaningful projects.
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Investor Fuel Show Transcript:
Reagan (00:00)
I’d like people to think maybe a little bit differently and maybe don’t refer to the word as real estate. And instead of the refer to it as profitability, even before you’ve gotten started, wouldn’t that be better versus having to wait for something to go up? Wouldn’t that be better than being involved in a business or in an industry?that goes up and down. We know real estate does, it’s not as up and down, but it does. Whatever goes up, goes down. Same with the stock market. So we are not risk takers. We’re calculated risk takers.
Dylan Silver (02:12)
Hey folks, welcome back to the show. Today’s guest, Reagan Rodriguez is a futurist who advises global legacy families on how to become impact investors. Reagan, welcome to the show.Reagan (02:25)
Welcome. Yes, I’m glad to be here.Dylan Silver (02:28)
It’s great to have you on here, Reagan. And we were talking a little bit before hopping on here about all the different ⁓ segments of real estate that you’re involved in and your work today. before we get to that, I want to go back to the early days and I want to ask you how you got started in real estate.Reagan (02:48)
I’ve never been involved in real estate and have never gotten started. However, some of the projects that we fund, some of the humanitarian causes happen to have land. So I guess you could consider that real estate.Dylan Silver (03:05)
Let me back up here then because I want to make sure that I’m getting the right story out here for you. with.Reagan (03:11)
I wantyou to, I kind of did a little shock therapy by saying that.
Dylan Silver (03:16)
That’s okay. That’s okay. We’re the Real Estate Pro Show, but let’s talk about some of the ways where you’re able to deploy capital. Give me an idea of the scope of some of these humanitarian projects. And I know each one is going to be different and some of them may have a real estate component, some of them not. But for me and our audience, give an idea of some of the project that you’ve worked on.Reagan (03:20)
Yeah.They do because there’s land,
I’d like people to think maybe a little bit differently and maybe don’t refer to the word as real estate. And instead of the refer to it as profitability, even before you’ve gotten started, wouldn’t that be better versus having to wait for something to go up? Wouldn’t that be better than being involved in a business or in an industry?
that goes up and down. We know real estate does, it’s not as up and down, but it does. Whatever goes up, goes down. Same with the stock market. So we are not risk takers. We’re calculated risk
So to answer your question, I remember getting a call from the, ⁓ the minister of finance in Uganda, because I had a connection with the president in Uganda.
And don’t know if you know this, I didn’t, but 90 % of the people in the country don’t have electric or power. Now the White House does. So when I’m on Zoom, I cut out a little bit and they’ll say, and I’ll say, it’s me and Miami, infrastructure is just horrible in America. But not with them because they’ve got generators, they got all of that kind of stuff.
So it only costs 50 million to have 50 megawatts for the entire country to be
100 % alternative energy. So there’s no risk there. And the other thing, no risk for me because, or I charge a 2 % management fee. So what’s 2 % of 50 million? One mil. I walked away with one million before we’ve even broken ground. So yes, there is land because solar’s there. Now from there, the president of Uganda referred me to the president of Tanzania. And in Tanzania, corn grows like wheat.
So what did we do? We built an ethanol plant there. Same thing, most of the people don’t have power or electric. We kind of have a monopoly. From there, I was referred to the president of South Africa and trash is an issue and so is power. So what did we do? We did a waste to energy project, taking trash and converting that into energy. Most of the projects I do are waste to energy. So yes, there is real estate involved.
But the money is made.
whether we sell the land or not, which we don’t ever.
Dylan Silver (06:54)
I want to ask you about getting into this space. So humanitarian projects and working with ⁓ both wealthy individuals, but then also finding ⁓ humanitarian uses for wealth. How did you get into this space? Walk me through the origin story, if you will.Reagan (06:59)
Sure.It happens from when you make mistakes. You’ve got to be willing to fail and to then learn from that. Pain plus reflection equals progress.
We talked before we got on the show that you, I mentioned to you that although I live in Miami, I like that other coast more, Naples. And.
I made mistakes there. I then have made some errors in Miami, but from that, I then got a connection to Palm beach. And then I got invited to, I’m now getting to the, to answer your question. I then got invited to an equestrian competition in ⁓ Wellington where Bill Gates’ daughter competes, Steve Jobs’ daughter competes.
So what do I do when I go to events like that?
I listen. I am cautious on what I say. The reason why I said I’m cautious on what I say, I just got a referral that came in late last night. It showed up at one in the morning, so I saw it this morning.
And it came from somebody I was invited from one of the other families within the foundation that I manage. And it was a memorial service at a funeral. And there was a very well-known person. I won’t mention his name, but everybody would know who this guy is. And he kind of made a comment that was maybe not appropriate to make.
at a memorial service and he thought he was whispering and he wasn’t. So the widow, right, the wife then said afterwards, there was only room for 10 people in their yacht after this. And I was the least successful person in the room. And gosh, if I can be really transparent, I didn’t feel so great about myself. I’m standing over in the back, I’m seeing people, I’m seeing another guy that ran for president and I’m thinking.
I am officially the least successful person in the room. So about an hour after I made that comment, I’m in this hundred million dollar yacht
and I say to the wife, why did you invite me? And she said, because it was one other we were going to invite, but he needs a filter at a memorial service. But we invited you because you don’t need a filter.
at a memorial service. So with that being said, I’d watch our words. I’d be conscious. I would rehearse mentally before you perform.
Dylan Silver (10:40)
So I’m imagining. ⁓moving into these spaces where you’re networking with folks who are very established, successful, they’re at the pinnacle of their career. ⁓ And talking with them to get through not just one conversation, but multiple conversations, and then developing a brand for yourself as someone who can assist them in being impact investors. For other folks who are listening and for myself, walk me through what it’s like
and what these conversations are like with ⁓ successful people at the pinnacle of their career and then also with families who are looking to get involved in humanitarian conversations. I’m sure every conversation is different, but walk me through it.
Reagan (11:25)
couple,it’s not as different as you’d think, just like the projects are not in all different categories, right? We do like things in alternative energy. What we really want is something that we know has a 10 year power purchase agreement. But now let me get to your question. No, I don’t work with people that are at the peak of their success, you know, or at their pinnacle, I think was the word you use. No.
A lot of them are kind of wealth legacy families. They might be third, one of them is a sixth generation family. One of them is one of the wealthiest people in Ghana. They own a gold mine. Others own diamond mines in Africa. So they’re spread out leg throughout the world. And they’re not about wealth creation, but rather wealth preservation.
So the conversations is what you asked, what they talk a lot about.
Interesting a recent one I had was that when they went to college This person went to this Ivy League in New Hampshire ⁓
He mentioned that they had this My mind’s going a lot of different places the point is that the people that are
in his words broke millionaires, had nice suitcases. What they had was, my mind’s blank, what are those things called? It’s like a big kind of something that had been handed down. Nah, some other thing that’s like a big kind of box thing and you open and put stuff in it. Forget the name of it. But it had been passed down from generations, from families. So they’re not into bragging.
Dylan Silver (12:55)
Briefcase. Yeah.Okay.
Reagan (13:13)
They’re not into ⁓ maybe buying fancy cars either. And they’re big into the principles they’ve been taught by their grandparents.and things like hand-me-downs, ⁓ things that have been handed down from generations are ⁓ appreciated or valued.
Dylan Silver (13:38)
I got it. I got it. So it’s it’s the new versus the old money, right? The the old adage, right?Reagan (13:46)
Yes, correct. And that’s where they learn a lot of ⁓ their principles on wealth. They might have gone to Ivy Leagues, but their wealth is more ⁓ what had been taught by their grandparents.Dylan Silver (14:03)
Now, when we’re talking about international families, right?This is a different conversation, right? Are many of these conversations happening over Zoom ⁓ or over some type of ⁓ internet connectivity, or are these conversations always face to face because people are wanting to be able to literally look into your eyes when you’re talking about
Reagan (14:55)
Yes.Dylan Silver (15:13)
projects at this scale.Reagan (15:15)
when it involves business, moving money. No, they don’t want to waste the time of meeting somebody face to face. That’s what, that’s, I don’t want, that’s what, I don’t know people like that, but yes, they do like to fly on their jets, come to Miami and meet with me. But just as long as we don’t talk about boring things like business. So yes.I mentioned one of the wealthiest families in Ghana, great friend of mine, she’s become Nellie. So she now lives in the South of France as one of her homes. And when I have Zoom meetings with her, it’s funny, I say, Nellie, how are you doing? She’ll say, come on, Reagan, did you really have to ask me that question? Just look at it, I’m overlooking the French Riviera. Yes, I’m doing great. We say that as a joke every time I say, look at you overlooking the French Riviera.
And when she does fly over here, we do get together for a cup of coffee. We will get together at the Biltmore, but make no mistake about it. We do not discuss the topic that they don’t like to talk about nor I, which is business or anything related to making money.
Dylan Silver (16:33)
So for folks who may be not necessarily dealing with ⁓ legacy families, but who are looking atinvesting in a totally different segment. ⁓ I’m curious to get your feedback for what the best way to build rapport is with ⁓ potential investors. mean, again, two totally different segments, but we’re the Real Estate Pro Show. I’d love to get your feedback on what folks who may be networking and speaking with investors, what would be your advice ⁓ to them if they’re looking at, you know, potentially raising capital?
Reagan (17:10)
Find a creative gift. So for example, I go to the bank about once a month, the actual branch, and I will order the $2 bills. Did you know that you can order them? So just go to the bank and say, pull out $100 out of my account. I want $52 bills.And I will give them as a gift to that person. I’ll mail in the card and say, thought of you, and I’ll send the $2. I remember a very wealthy widow, also a woman, I had sent her the $2. She gets back to me and she said, I didn’t know you could get ahold of them. She said, when I opened it up and I saw it, my grandkids were there.
two of the grandkids and she said, and they were kind of fighting over who gets one. Could you send me another one? So what do I do? I mailed a card and I said, I sent her two. So you know, right? Another one for her and for the other child. I know someone else that did the same thing I did. And this guy is more of a fundraiser with a nonprofit.
And I told him about the $2 thing. So he was wanting to get in the door with the Orlando owner of Orlando magic, rich Davos. He was also the founder of Amway and he gave him, I think he had it in his bike and said, here you go. $2 bill. So what does it mean? It doesn’t mean that rich Davos wired millions of dollars the next day.
But similar to the story I said that I got to meet people at the Equestrian when I go to these events. again, horses is something that everybody in the ultra wealthy teach their children. I’ll later get into why. But well, they get it because they learn that you can’t get nervous. You’ve to be calm. And those are principles that we can use in business.
⁓ about the rich to boss thing, sends the $2 bill. A week or two later, his assistant
mails them ⁓ tickets and they say here’s tickets to the Orlando Magic box seats thanks for the two dollar bill. Now when he went in that box seat can you imagine the people he met? Who are you? Why did you get invited? So something as little as a two dollar bill.
That’s why I said be creative, come up with something else that might be like that, that might be a little gift.
Dylan Silver (20:04)
We are coming up on time here, Reagan. ⁓ Thank you for coming on the show today. ⁓ I know you’re involved in so much. If our audience would like to learn more about you or your team, how can our folks, our audience maybe reach out to you or find you online?Reagan (20:08)
Yes.Probably the best way is through LinkedIn. So if you go to LinkedIn and type in my first and last name, Reagan Rodriguez, and then put a comma, futurist, I’m actually the only futurist with my name. So you’ll find me that way.
Dylan Silver (20:39)
Reagan, thank you so much for coming on the show here today.
