Flex Forward

In this episode, host Nic Espanet chats with Duke Vashisht—an aerospace expert, strategic advisor, and global connector. Duke brings a fascinating blend of experience across continents, having worked in aerospace, nuclear, and now space investment. He discusses how growing up in Haryana, India, shaped his engineering curiosity, which led to a career that has spanned Europe, Asia, and now the U.S.

Duke shares insights into aerospace...

In this inspiring episode, Gabriel Griess joins Nic Espanet to share his powerful story of transformation—from a Nebraska farm boy with dreams of flying, to an Air Force veteran, to co-founder of Excel Medical Staffing. Gabriel opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the influence of military values in business, and a deeply personal story of faith and family resilience as his daughter battled life-threatening health...

On this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet chats with Carson Jones, a commercial real estate broker who has shifted from multifamily investments to oil and gas—and is now eyeing opportunities to re-enter the real estate market.

Carson brings sharp economic insights to the table, unpacking complex market shifts and explaining how global factors like job cuts, tariffs, and deportation trends impact housing demand and ca...

Nicholas Miller joins Nic Espanet to share his unique path from growing up on a ranch to becoming a specialized attorney for land and mineral owners in Texas. As a partner at Graves Dougherty, Nicholas brings years of experience and a personal passion to helping legacy landowners make smart decisions about their property—from oil and gas to solar and wind.

In this episode, Nicholas opens up about the deep roots of his ranching fami...

In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, host Nic Espanet sits down with Charles Gills, Executive Director at Platt Richmond, to explore his inspiring journey through the legal industry. Charles began his career with just $100 in his pocket and a job delivering documents to courthouses. Today, he leads operations at a fast-growing law firm.

Charles shares how saying “yes” to every opportunity, recognizing mentorship moments, an...

In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Jonathan Nichols, co-founder of Apogee Capital, to explore his inspiring journey from engineering to real estate. Jonathan reveals how a shared interest in finding a "paying hobby" with his wife Paula led to building a multifamily real estate investment company.

He dives into how their careful approach to financing—favoring fixed-rate debt—set them apart early ...

From the snowy slopes to scaling multifamily portfolios, Dan Brisse’s journey is one of relentless determination and reinvention. In this episode, Dan sits down with Nic Espanet to share how his dreams of becoming a professional snowboarder evolved into a career as a successful multifamily real estate investor and co-founder of Granite Towers Equity Group.

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In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, host Nic Espanet sits down with Zachary Montgomery—an attorney, CPA, fraud examiner, adjunct professor, and founder of Montgomery Legal. Zachary shares how he’s combined his legal and financial backgrounds to serve clients in a more holistic, one-stop-shop manner for tax, estate planning, and business-related legal issues.

He opens up about his unique career path, the challenges of not f...

In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with October Ambrose, Vice President of People Partnerships and Engagement at Central Health in Texas. October shares her inspiring journey through healthcare leadership, from direct patient care to leading HR and operations across the organization. She opens up about her non-traditional career path, her dedication to mentorship, and how authenticity, curiosity, and...

In this conversation, Shauna explains why data isn’t just charts and graphs—it’s storytelling with a human at the center. She walks us through finding co-occurring diagnoses (like diabetes and bipolar disorder), the impact of meds that interact, and how a whole-person view helps care teams treat people, not symptoms. We dig into her “Member 360” initiative, how AI speeds clinical context, and the mindset shift from reporting number...

Nick walks us through his journey from Southern California to the University of Tennessee, UTEP, and a stint playing in Germany. He explains how corporate operations gave him “business 101,” then how he shifted to entrepreneurship—launching Lamaison Holdings and The Lamaison Group in real estate, and now the “Victory Lap” podcast. We dig into mindset: building a healthy relationship with pain, keeping morale high, moving fast with ...

Nic Espanet welcomes Joseph Lopez, an experienced real estate investor and founder of Texas Growth Advisors, to talk about the strategic mindset required to grow in today’s shifting real estate market. Joseph shares how he transitioned from military and law enforcement into multifamily syndication, new construction, and commercial real estate. He discusses how investor mindsets must evolve with market conditions, why passive income...

Scott Hollrah, founder of VENN Technology, joins Nic to talk about building an integration-first consultancy that started in his home office and now operates from Grapevine, Texas. Scott explains why VENN leads with integration projects before CRM work, and how “delighted partners” became their core value and referral engine (featuring their unforgettable mascot, Bjorn the Yeti).

They dig into the human side of technical projects—e...

Nic and Chihiro dive into the leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship, and how “owning your outcomes” brings both freedom and stress. Chihiro explains ZT Corporate’s lower-middle-market focus, why they operate as a fundless sponsor, and what makes them different as direct operators. They unpack hold periods (from 9 months to 12 years), what real relationship-based business looks like, and why monthly, transparent investor upda...

In this episode, Nic Espanet sits down with Amanda Larson, founder of AMAX Equity and an experienced commercial real estate investor with a background in engineering and construction. Amanda shares her transition from corporate to full-time investing, highlighting how she helps people diversify out of the stock market and into passive real estate investments—especially those in the oil and gas industry.

They dive into Amanda’s appr...

Mel Stewart went from Olympic podiums to TV analyst to successful screenwriter—then built SwimSwam into a 24/7 global operation with 100+ contributors and a powerful data business trusted by major networks. He explains the lucky break that rocketed them to #1 in seven weeks, why relentless work ethic matters, and how a painful Olympic loss shaped his decision-making in business. Mel also opens up about building “passive” revenue (l...

In this conversation, Darren Skinner, Talent Acquisition Business Partner at Easy Fiber, unpacks how his team supports rapid growth across multiple markets (Houston, TX; Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM; Kent, WA—with a fourth market in the Midwest on the way). He explains how door-to-door sales sharpened his ability to connect with candidates, why “time kills all deals” in recruiting, and how longer, human pre-screens lead to better...

Nic and Ruben go deep on what really sets a contractor apart: proactive communication, transparency, and doing exactly what you said you’d do. Ruben opens up about his path—from working with his dad in construction to launching his own firm in 2014—plus the detours, doubts, and breakthroughs along the way. They cover networking that turns into real partnerships, habits for self-improvement, and why he continues to invest in multifa...

In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, host Nic Espanet sits down with Cody Payne, Senior VP at Colliers, to talk about his journey in commercial real estate and his expertise in the growing small bay industrial sector. With over 18 years in the business, Cody shares what sets his team apart, the challenges he’s faced, and why persistence is key in a fully commissioned sales career.

Cody also opens up about managing anxiety, ...