Saidur Rahaman Sagor

Appsmove

We turn websites into converting machines. Using innovative ideas and technical skills, we design websites that look great on any device. That's not all! We're like long-term friends who keep your website up-to-date and functioning smoothly.

CEO & Founder

Created websites for B2B and SaaS businesses

Web Application Developer

Developed apps for both the play store and App store

Learned about software design

Learned about software development life cycle

Flutter developer

Klevro

Klevro is the apparel manufacturer that provides the best quality clothing all over the world.

Founder

Developed the website and app

Developed a direct customization system for the website and app without requiring designers

Created a virtual try-on system for increasing sales, decreasing returns, and exciting shopping experiences.

Implemented automatic pricing for clothing based on customization

Automated the ordering process with a chatbot

Technical Lead

Upwork

Worked as a freelance WordPress developer in Upwork and also did some local projects through my personal connections.

Wordpress Developer

Scaling businesses to 6 figure revenue through website design & development | CEO @Appsmove

You have less than 5 seconds.

Let me explain:

—————————————————————

People have shorter attention spans nowadays.

Grab their attention within 5 seconds or lose them. 

Nowadays, converting website visitors into leads is like finding a needle in a haystack :

 👉 No storytelling
 👉 Lack of a lead funnel
 👉 No clear value proposition
 👉 Ineffective call-to-actions
 👉 Bad user experience
 👉 No technical SEO


You've probably tried: 

❌ Redesigning the site 
❌ Adding more call-to-actions 
❌ Using basic lead form to get the leads
❌ Using fundamental SEO techniques
❌ Catchy website copy

But none of that works without the right strategy, especially in today's economy, where everyone's wasting marketing budgets, and no one wants to lose potential customers.

That's why at Appsmove, we provide our customers with comprehensive solutions for turning visitors into leads.

Our team will help you with: 

✅ Clear value proposition
✅ User experience based on user psychology
✅ Optimized CTAs so people can't resist clicking 
✅ Storytelling in copy that engages customers
✅ Implement advanced technical SEO 
✅ Set up a lead funnel that works 

& more strategies that work.

All that's left for you to do is reach out. 

Want to turn your website into a converting machine?

DM me "website" and I'll show you how we can implement this.

Saidur Rahaman

Most websites don't convert. 

But our clients wake up to new leads from their website every day.

I see this happen for our clients all the time.

Here's how you can get there:

- Start with a clear, bold headline above the fold.  
  If people don't get what you do in five seconds, they're gone.

- Use one main call-to-action.  
  Not five—just one. Make it obvious. "Book a call.” "Get a quote.” "Start free trial." Pick one.

- Show real client stories.  
  Photos, names, short results. Proof matters.

- Fix your forms.  
  Only ask for name, email, and one key detail. That's it.

- Make it mobile-friendly.  
  Test it on your phone. Easy to use with one thumb, or not? If not, tweak it.

- Speed matters.  
  Compress images. Cut extra scripts. Every page should load in under two seconds.

I've seen small businesses double their leads with just these changes.

It's not magic - just clear, simple structure.

P.S. Want a quick website review? DM me.

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Talks about #seo, #websitedesign, #websitestrategy, #websitedevelopment, and #websitemaintenance

Richard Stroupe

Cape Fear Ventures

Cape Fear Ventures is a venture capital firm on a mission to back the most transformative early-stage technology companies.  We are committed to helping innovative entrepreneurs by leveraging disruptive technology, providing capital, offering operational support, and delivering mentorship strategies to bridge the gap between groundbreaking ideas and growth capital.

Our Investment Criteria:
→  Large market opportunities ripe for disruption
→  Early-stage technology startups, from seed to Series A
→  Visionary teams solving major challenges with data-driven solutions
→  Capital-efficient business models with clear paths to profitability
→  Founders with the grit and horsepower to build category-defining companies

Whether you're a founder looking for a true partner to help scale your venture, or an investor seeking exposure to the most promising data-driven startups, we'd love to connect.

Founder/Managing Partner

Ohanafy

Ohanafy offers a world-class digital transformation platform purpose-built to optimize supply chain management, democratize and analyze operational data, and improve decision-making at scale.  

The beverage industry is ripe for a technology solution that helps drive business growth, profitability, and efficiency. Ohanafy is the only beverage management software that is built on the world's #1 platform, Salesforce.

https://www.ohanafy.com/

Investor / Board Chairman 

Taos Capital

Taos is a family investment holding company focusing on small to mid-market growth capital investment opportunities, primarily in private equity and real estate investments. We collaborate with innovative entrepreneurs to facilitate growth and create shareholder value by deploying disruptive strategies around technology, capital, operations, and mentorship. 

Our current investments include ID.me, SpaceX, Lavrock Ventures, LeoLabs, Cape Fear Ventures, Graphika, SixGen, Sequoia Solutions (Sequoia Holdings), Sayari Analytics, First Mile Geo (Native), Allvision IO, Geosite, CesiumAstro, Saltwater Holdings, Appalachian State Holdings, Glanz Digital (Corner Media), Sensics, 3CLogic, Emu Solutions, Blue Triangle Technologies, and Senseware, and has made successful exits from LawnStarter, Immuta, FedCap Partners, Social Toaster, Docker, DeepMile Networks, Palantir Technologies, and Loggerhead Holdings.

The Hive - Wilmington

Situated at 505 N. 2nd Street in the heart of downtown Wilmington, NC, The Hive stands as a premier boutique hotel, offering unparalleled proximity to the finest restaurants, bars, and attractions. Each of our meticulously designed suites is a testament to unique style, adorned with original art and chic furniture. The accommodations feature full kitchens, inviting living areas, laptop-friendly workspaces, and spa-like bathrooms complete with 7ft. walk-in showers.

At The Hive, we are dedicated to elevating the guest experience. Our commitment is reflected in thoughtful details, such as complimentary in-room snacks and beverages, luxurious linens, and top-tier mattresses. Technological sophistication is a hallmark of our hotel, evident in smart locks for convenient self-check-in, reverse osmosis taps, smart TVs, high-speed internet, and Pura smart diffusers.

Guests unanimously agree – there's no place quite like The Hive in Wilmington! A visit is a must, making it an ideal destination for weekend getaways, business travelers, and groups seeking a uniquely cool and intimate setting. Experience a stay like no other, where modern luxury meets the charm of downtown Wilmington.

Owner/Managing Director

Saltwater Resort at Topsail Island

Initially constructed in 2022 and expanded in 2024, Saltwater Resort is a 48-room, 84-bed condo-style hotel offering five-star hospitality accommodations. Located just steps from public beach access and a few blocks from downtown Surf City, Saltwater Resort offers breathtaking oceanic views and refined interior design inspired by Wilmington's modern coastal ambiance.

Phase one of our development roadmap included delivering 24 units in 2022.  Phase two, which was completed in 2024 includes the additional 24 units along with a pool and full-service entertainment facility.

Each of our fully furnished condo-style guestrooms offers eight professionally designed room themes to support the needs of families, couples, or remote professionals. Each room offers 700 sq ft of living space with a full kitchen, living area, full bath, washer/dryer, pull-out couch, and a 75-inch smart TV offering cable and Roku streaming services.

From the ground up, Saltwater was engineered and designed to redefine Topsail Island hospitality and to deliver an unparalleled guest experience. We aim to raise the bar for the ultimate Topsail Island resort-style experience while promoting the Wilmington coastal area's unique history, charm, and local offerings.  

For more information or to book your next Topsail Island getaway, please visit us at https://www.saltwatertopsail.com/.

Sequoia Holdings, LLC

I founded/bootstrapped Sequoia in May 2012 and led the organization as CEO / CFO until September 2021.  In 2019, Sequoia shareholders accepted growth investment from Chart National LP and reorganized its ownership under a new parent company, Sequoia Solutions, LLC.  Currently serving as Vice Chairman of the Board for Sequoia Solutions, LLC, and strategic advisor to Chart National LP.  

Since launching in 2012, Sequoia has grown to become a leading provider of innovative technology to the intelligence community and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Sequoia is an employee-owned provider of high-end software development and engineering services centered on improving the analytic, collection, collaboration, and sharing of data.

Vision, execution, assessment, and continuous improvement are the core elements in my leadership work as Vice Chairman. It’s my job to set the vision for the board, lead implementation and execution in line with the vision, assess performance, and then make adjustments to facilitate improvement. Managing relationships with investor partners is also a key aspect of my role, and I work with them to set and manage expectations and ensure goals are met.

Under my leadership, Sequoia has been recognized as a six consecutive year Inc 5000 fastest growing business and also named a best place to work in the DC metro area from 2013 to 2021.  Sequoia has established itself as a leader in assisting the national security sector with strategy, architecture, migration, and development solutions for classified cloud applications.  Our commercial products include Sequoia Combine, an all-inclusive, U.S. Government (USG)-approved emulation platform, and SEQNet, which operates as a blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS), enabling USG agencies and third-party vendors to develop, test, and deploy smart contract applications via application programming interfaces (APIs) in an emulated secure environment.

Founder/Vice Chairman

Blu Venture Investors, LLC

I joined Blu Venture to build experience in the venture capital (VC) space and have the opportunity to work with early-stage entrepreneurs in the mid-Atlantic region, primarily Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Investing Member

Loggerhead Inn and Suites

As part of my real estate investment portfolio, I purchased the Loggerhead Inn in 2017, transformed its operations, and led a fifteen-month renovation project offering more than 25 newly designed guest rooms and nine deluxe suites with kitchenettes where yearly revenues have grown more than 265%.

In 2022, Loggerhead Holdings sold the Inn to Loggerhead Inn, LLC.

Crimson Consulting Group, LLC

Crimson Consulting advises early-stage entrepreneurs on critical start-up activities and situations such as leadership decisions, strategy, operations, mergers and acquisitions, technology, corporate governance, negotiations, and organization.

Managing Principal

George Washington University

Part-time Faculty for the School of Engineering and Applied Science

Courses Taught:  SEAS 6200 - Launching Technical Ventures (LTV), Leadership Best Practices (Clark Scholars)

Part-Time Faculty

Technologist | 3x Entrepreneur | VC Investor | Advisor

You're a visionary tech founder with a powerful idea, but face at least 3 of these 5 challenges:

1. Struggling to nail your product-market fit and business model
2. Lacking the processes and team to scale from seed to Series A
3. Unsure how to craft a compelling pitch and impress top VCs
4. Stalled growth and rapidly burning through your runway
5. Founder overwhelm - trying to do it all yourself

Meanwhile, your competitors are racing ahead and snatching up funding.

I've been in your shoes. I'm a 3x tech entrepreneur who's:

•  Bootstrapped, scaled and exited 2 software companies
•  Invested in 50+ early-stage startups as a VC and Angel
•  Mentored founders like you to launch, scale and exit

I combine decades of operator experience with an investor mindset.

By working with me, you'll gain a trusted advisor to help you:

↗︎ Pressure-test your business model and unlock scalable growth
↗︎ Implement processes and teams to go from seed to Series A
↗︎ Craft a winning pitch deck and nail your fundraising narrative
↗︎ Become a magnet for top-tier investors and A-Player talent
↗︎ Avoid the pitfalls which can make your startup one of the 90% that fail

An experienced guide is no longer optional.

With the right playbook and partner, you can beat the odds and build an enduring company.

Let me help you go from seed to scale to legendary exit. Reach out today!

Constructed in 2022, Saltwater Resort is a 48-room, 84-bed condo-style hotel offering five-star hospitality accommodations. Located just steps from public beach access and a few blocks from downtown Surf City, Saltwater Resort offers breathtaking oceanic views and refined interior design inspired by Wilmington's modern coastal ambiance.

Phase one of our development roadmap included delivering 24 units in 2022.  Phase two includes the additional 24 units along with a pool and full-service entertainment facility, with an expected delivery date of 2024.

Each of our fully furnished condo-style guestrooms offers eight professionally designed room themes to support the needs of families, couples, or remote professionals. Each room offers 700 sq ft of living space with a full kitchen, living area, full bath, washer/dryer, pull-out couch, and a 50-inch smart TV offering cable and Roku streaming services.

From the ground up, Saltwater was engineered and designed to redefine Topsail Island hospitality and to deliver an unparalleled guest experience. We aim to raise the bar for the ultimate Topsail Island resort-style experience while promoting the Wilmington coastal area's unique history, charm, and local offerings.  

For more information or to book your next Topsail Island getaway, please visit us at https://www.saltwatertopsail.com/.

Shoutout to Ohanafy for a huge win this month!

American craft beer icon Sierra Nevada picked Ohanafy’s tech to power a nationwide bonus program for distributors in 2026.

Ohanafy's software will track everything - which distributors are hitting their goals, how much bonus money they've earned, and where Sierra Nevada's beer is being sold.

This is big-league operations:

•⁠ ⁠Hundreds of wholesaler partners
•⁠ ⁠Thousands of field reps using the platform
•⁠ ⁠Multi-state, enterprise-level complexity

That's massive market exposure and a built-in pipeline for future customers who ask, "What platform is Sierra Nevada using?”

It’s also another win for dominating your niche instead of trying to boil the ocean.

Sierra Nevada could use any big-name enterprise software, but they chose a startup instead, because generic software can’t compete with beverage-specific requirements.

This milestone is proof Ohanafy is becoming the category standard. 

Three signals:

•⁠ ⁠The beverage industry is modernizing and ditching legacy systems
•⁠ ⁠Category-specific software beats generic ERP for complex niches
•⁠ ⁠AI + mobile-first + real-time data is becoming essential

When an industry giant bets their commercial strategy on you, it’s way more than “winning customers”.

It shows you’re becoming industry infrastructure.

Congratulations to the whole team at Ohanafy!

___

(Cape Fear Ventures is an investor in Ohanafy and I am the board chairman)

Helping sub $3m tech founders construct their $10m blueprint | 3x Entrepreneur | VC Investor

One of my space tech portfolio companies Samara Aerospace is hitting milestones at a blistering pace:

In recent months:

→ Delivered first flight hardware to Impulse Space
→ Multiple government contracts from the likes of SpaceWERX and NASA
→ Big new manufacturing facility in San Francisco’s Dogpatch
→ Growing engineering team

Government contracts in space tech tell a deeper story than just revenue.

Especially from multiple agencies, it shows the technology has promising applications across different use cases - not just a single narrow problem.

They've also just delivered their first flight hardware to Impulse Space (founded by SpaceX's first employee Tom Mueller) in under 4 months - when the industry standard is 12+ months.

“The milestone was achieved with a lean team, tight budget, and a modest facility, showcasing Samara’s ability to move fast, build precisely, and deliver under pressure” SatNews noted.

What makes Samara special? 

They've invented a way to make solar panels do double duty as steering systems for satellites. 

• Less power wasted on steering
• Better stability for sharper images and data
• Faster movement to track important events
• Simpler, lighter satellites that cost less to launch

"In an industry where long timelines are the norm, we've proven a focused team can deliver flight hardware at startup velocity" says CEO Patrick Haddox

The space industry desperately needs this kind of innovation - satellites that are more capable but less complex and less expensive.

On behalf of Cape Fear Ventures, congratulations to the Samara team on these incredible milestones.

Love to see the team executing at rocket speed.

Multiple contracts, delivered hardware, new facility - all signs are up!!

The problem with traditional corporate retreat venues:

They're optimized for logistics, not breakthrough thinking.

I've sat through dozens of offsites in sterile conference centers, oftentimes near airports and business districts.

Fluorescent lights. Catered sandwiches. Zero breakthroughs.

So when I built The Saltwater Resort in Surf City, North Carolina, I made a different choice: 

Beachfront conference center, not business park.

Here's why your team’s best thinking happens here:

1) Geographic Pattern Interruption

A stuffy conference room keeps your brain on autopilot. 

Ocean views breaks old mental patterns. Your nervous system resets. Your guard drops. 

Suddenly, you're recombining ideas and solutions in fresh ways.

It creates psychological distance from the problems that follow you everywhere else.

2) Nature as Thought Partner

Waves, salt air, ocean views, coastal sunshine: 

Neuroscientists call this "soft fascination."

It's your brain's optimal state for insight generation.

Answers emerge during boardwalk strolls that wouldn't surface in 100 conference room hours.

Your subconscious works differently when you're not fighting fluorescent lights and recycled air.

3) Physical Adventure Forces Digital Detox

Activities like jet skiing, beach volleyball, boat tours and sunset walks don’t only break up the day.

It creates the kind of mental downtime where transformative thinking actually happens.

Most corporate retreats schedule back-to-back sessions.

But the best insights happen between sessions.

4) The Venue Changes The Dialogue.

Conference hotel restaurants feel transactional. 

Ocean-view dinners feel human.

Watching the sun set over the water while sharing a meal, the conversations shift.

Conversations that need to happen, happen here.
____
When I designed Saltwater Resort, I built a clubhouse with dedicated conference space on the ground floor. Shoreline perspectives from the upper levels. 48 luxury suites steps from the beach for post-session rest.

It's a conference center designed for breakthrough thinking.

Saltwater now hosts my Elevate CEO Retreat, as well as corporate groups from across the southeast US who need space for real work.

If you're looking for a corporate retreat venue which actually generates forward momentum, DM me

On Monday, I welcome a group of founders for The Elevate CEO Retreat.

First thing on the agenda?

 A 15-minute founder hotseat, where we X-ray the business publicly.

4 reasons it comes first:

•  Exposes energy-draining activities which don't drive growth
•  Confronts the gap between your capacity and your ambition
•  Eliminates the founder's ability to deflect or delay
•  Creates the honesty needed for real change

The X-ray creates the discomfort where breakthroughs happen. 

When you're forced to articulate your gaps in front of peers, you can't hide behind busyness or optimism. 

•  You face what's broken
•  Commit to fixing it publicly
•  And finish with a clear path forward …
•  Instead of another list of good intentions

Transformation begins at the edge of comfort.

The key to breaking $5M ARR isn't:

•  Hiring more specialists
• Working longer hours
• Launching more features

It's rebuilding your identity from primary doer to system builder.

And identity shifts don’t happen in isolation, but when:

•  The group challenges your self-told stories
•  Your excuses sound hollow when spoken out loud to peers
•  Your "I'm handling it" mask gets stripped away among equals

Most sub-$1M founders intellectually understand delegation but emotionally can't release control. 

Every task they touch gets done right, reinforcing the pattern and deepening their leadership imposter syndrome.

Three conditions the Elevate CEO Retreat creates which lead to the identity shift:

First, isolation ends. 

You've been solving problems alone so long, you've normalized the chaos. But when you hear a group of equals admit the exact same struggles, the fog lifts.

You realize this isn't a personal failing. It's a systemic pattern nearly every early-stage tech founder hits. 

And patterns can be broken.

Second, openness accelerates progress. 

When one founder admits "My business would collapse if I took a week off," the room doesn't judge. Because they're living it too. 

That admission opens permission for everyone else to drop the performance.

Third, growth accelerates under observation

Your internal dialogue will justify dependencies forever

But when another founder who sees the same pattern in their business asks "Why are you still the final decision-maker on that?" you can't avoid the answer anymore.

External mirrors shatter internal lies. 

Solo work can't replicate what happens in that room.

You can read every CEO playbook. Listen to every podcast. Take every course. 

But knowing and becoming are different beasts

The founders who transform fastest put themselves in rooms that demand growth. 

And that identity reconstruction is happening right now.

 From "I'm the best at this" to "I built something better than me.”

Founder Dependency is not a phase you outgrow. It's an addiction you have to deliberately break, or your business will plateau exactly where your calendar maxes out.

Today, I’m welcoming a group of founders to my Saltwater Resort venue for the second Elevate CEO Retreat.

Each one is grinding in early-stage chaos and knows something fundamental needs to change to break their next level.

Here’s how we’re going to kick off first thing tomorrow: The Founder X-ray

•  15 minutes per founder. 
•  5 penetrating questions. 
•  Total transparency in front of equals

It's uncomfortable. It's unavoidable ...

And it creates the foundation for everything that follows.

5 reasons why:

#1 Creates Unavoidable Honesty

When you admit 'I'm answering support tickets at 11pm even though we have a support team' to a group of peers, something shifts.

The group doesn't judge because they're living it too. 

That shared vulnerability breaks the isolation that keeps founders stuck in cycles of micromanagement and stunted team growth.

#2 Makes the Invisible Visible

The X-Ray exposes dependencies only you can see. 

E.g: We map which decisions still require your personal approval.

This exposes where your personal judgment has replaced scalable processes - showing exactly what needs to be systematized.

#3 Converts Feelings into Fixable Problems

"I never have time to think strategically" becomes "I'm sitting in 15 internal meetings weekly that should run without me." 

That's not a time management problem. 

That's a Meeting Protocol Document you can create this week.

The X-Ray transforms vague frustrations into specific, actionable fixes with immediate impact.

#4 Creates Accountability Through Witness
You've publicly declared what you're fixing and why it matters. 

That collective witness creates follow-through stronger than any private intention could generate alone.

#5 Builds Your Transformation Roadmap
Not only does this format expose problems - it prioritizes solutions.

Your answers reveal your starting point. 

The diagnostic results identifies your highest-leverage fixes for the next quarter.

15 minutes of structured rigor saves 15 months of figuring it out alone.

By dinner on Day 1, every founder knows their 2-3 core constraints. They've witnessed the pattern repeat across all of the group. 

The walls are down, and the real work can begin.

From there, we build decision frameworks. Extract the IP from your head. Reconstruct your role from Chief Bottleneck to Strategic CEO.

Excited to dive in with this cohort!

__

P.S: If you are a founder stuck at $250k-$3m and want to unlock your $5-10m blueprint, the waitlist is forming for January's cohort.

Full details here: https://lnkd.in/e77bGiFZ

Juan Carlos Pacheco sees every mistake founders make when raising capital.

He’s a Senior Associate at IDEA Fund Partners, one of the oldest early-stage tech funds in the Southeast. 

Nearly 20 years operating. They've invested in 150+ companies across four funds. 

Pre-seed through Series A. 
First checks between $250K and $500K. 
Follow-ons up to $3.5M.

The firm currently has $100m AUM and 65 active portfolio companies.

In this episode we cover:

• The 2 things VCs actually fund 
• How to approach fundraising with leverage
• The 3 red flags that kill deals in the first five minutes

And much much more.

If you're raising or planning to raise in the comings months, this is a must-listen before you walk into the room.

You'll learn how the best pitch isn't the one with the cleanest slides.

It's the one where you signal you can execute under pressure.

Catch the full  Amplified CEO conversation for your blueprint: 

https://lnkd.in/eMnvZ-J2

For every active VC in Silicon Valley, NY and Boston there's one unicorn. In the Southeast? Four

It’s a major reason IDEA Fund is so concentrated on the Baltimore-Atlanta corridor.

Most VCs chase deals in San Francisco, New York, and Boston. The traditional innovation hubs. The places where everyone assumes you “need to be”

Juan Carlos Pacheco said they ran the numbers. And the numbers told a different story.

Two reasons: talent migration and a 4:1 opportunity gap

First, COVID changed everything.

Juan Carlos explained that COVID triggered a major talent migration from California and New York to the Baltimore-Atlanta corridor, bringing experienced tech executives and capital to the region.

The narrative that you need to be in Silicon Valley to access talent and capital is over.

But here's where it gets really interesting.

The data: 4 unicorns for every 1 active VC

Here's what they found:

Silicon Valley, New York, Boston: 1:1 ratio.

One unicorn for every one active early-stage VC fund.

Silicon Valley is actually *less* than 1:1. There are more VCs than unicorns. More competition chasing the same deals.

Baltimore to Atlanta corridor: 4:1 ratio.

Four unicorn startups for every one active early-stage VC fund.

Juan Carlos defined "active" as making at least two investments per year for the past five years.

Read that again.

The Southeast has 4x the unicorn density relative to active venture capital.

Juan Carlos added: "Those two dynamics coming together — really good talent, a lack of access to capital for a lot of startups in this area, and not much competition on the venture side."

"Underserved" doesn't mean less talent.

It means less capital chasing that talent.

And less competition means:

•  Founders have more leverage
• Valuations are more rational
• Relationships matter more than hype
• Investors have cleaner access to deals

The bottom line:

Geography used to be destiny in venture capital. Not anymore. You don't need to chase coastal hubs. 

Stay, build, and let the 4:1 ratio work in your favor.

Jeff Peterson’s first deal was trading a car for a sewing machine.  His latest? 317 apartments & 47,000 sq ft of retail.

At 21, He upholstered furniture in a spare bedroom.
Turned that into a storefront. 
Reinvested into a fabric retail business.
Rolled that into townhomes, using FHA assumptions and seller finance.
Then bought a run-down warehouse the banks wouldn’t touch, and demoed it himself.

Now?

→ 25+ vacation rentals through Turtle Shell Properties
→ 317 apartments and 47,000 sq ft of commercial retail in Cary
→ Retail, consignment, and rental storefronts across Surf City and Jacksonville

This episode isn’t about getting rich quick. 

It’s about staying in the game long enough to own the outcome.

Over 79 minutes, we cover:

→ Why his first business didn’t scale (but paid for every move after)
→ How Jeff initially built without partners, capital, or institutional help
→ How he went from residential to class-A commercial real estate
→ The tension between doing the work and owning the outcome

This episode is for you if you’re a:

1. Family business successors who want more control
2. Real estate operators stuck at single-family scale
3. Service-based founders looking to transition into asset ownership

Catch it on the Amplified CEO! Link in comments

Ambitious folks in their early-20s face a Donkey/Unicorn crossroads. By 35, the choice is fixed.

They're choosing between:

The Donkey Path: 

$60-85k corporate salary, predictable promotions, golden handcuffs by 35

The Unicorn Path: 

Bet on themselves or join an early-stage startup, earn $30-40k, daily chaos, potential life-changing opportunities

3 reasons to pick the Unicorn Path if your in your 20s.

Reason #1 Asymmetric upside.

The donkey path caps you. Predictable salary, zero equity, narrow learning.

The unicorn path: Your equity will probably go to zero. But you’ll compress 10 years of learning into 2 and build a network that opens doors for decades.

And if it work? That’s a life-changing outcome.

It's an asymmetric bet: limited downside, huge upside.

Reason #2: Risk has the lowest cost in your 20s

At 23, you probably have no mortgage, no kids, no dependents. 

You can live on $2K/month and sprint for 2 years. 

At 35 with a family that is 10x harder. 

Most regrets center on some kind of "wish I'd started 5-10 years earlier"

They spent their 20s "getting ready" for a moment that never came.

Reason #3: Plan Bs hold you back

The safety net you build to protect yourself is the same thing that prevents you from going all in. 

• "Just in case" job applications you refresh weekly
•  The $3K/month side gig that eats 15 hours of your week
• The part-time role you keep for "insurance" that fractures your focus 

When you keep one foot in a backup plan, you're telegraphing to yourself "I'm not sure I can make it work alone".

Backup plans aren't inherently wrong. But when you're young they can steal your competitive edge.

You don't commit fully, so you don't get the results, which validates your initial doubt.

Perhaps most of all: We're living through the AI revolution right now.

You can learn faster, build cheaper, and compete with incumbents in ways that weren't possible five years ago. 

And disruptive times favor the aggressive learner. 

Your 20s give you the time to experiment, fail, learn, and position yourself at the center of the biggest technological shift in decades.

The unicorn path is about betting on yourself during the exact moment when AI is lowering barriers to entry and multiplying what one person can build.

Back yourself.

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