Vegas Circle

Wealth Wisdom and Vegas Visions: Rich Robledo on Real Estate and Life Beyond the Strip

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Discover the pulse of Las Vegas real estate and the wisdom behind wealth management with Rich Robledo, a trailblazer in the industry. This episode catapults you into the heart of a city transforming into a tier-one metropolis, as Rich unveils the cultural and medical advancements steering its growth. Amid the glitz of multimillion-dollar deals and a private jet boom, we also confront the stark economic contrasts that shadow such prosperity. Las Vegas stands at a crossroads, and Rich's narrative captures the essence of its evolution, offering a treasure trove of insights for anyone captivated by the magnetic allure of city markets.

Embark on a journey through financial recovery and the steadfast importance of mentorship, as Rich shares the vital lessons etched by the 2008 crisis. Hear firsthand accounts that underscore the resilience needed to flourish post-adversity, and grasp the invaluable advice for navigating future uncertainties. Rich's candid reflections on homeownership, renting, and the psychological anchors they provide, serve as a guiding compass for achieving financial vigilance. This is a masterclass in stepping beyond fear, seizing opportunities in tumultuous times, and the disciplined art of personal finance.

Step into 'Cigars and Conversation,' a unique event crafted by Rich to knit together the fabric of industry leadership and mentorship without the immediate lure of financial gain. This episode peels back the layers of work-life balance, revealing how one can carve out moments that enrich family ties and personal fulfillment. Rich's approach to parenting, his circle of diverse advisors, and the life lessons that emerge in the simplest of daily activities offer a blueprint for a life well-lived. As a parting thought, we tease the possibility of Rich's political aspirations, a potential new chapter where he aims to wield his expertise for the greater good of Las Vegas and beyond.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Vegas Circle podcast with your hosts, paki and Chris. We are people who are passionate about business, success and culture and this is our platform to showcase to people in our city who make it happen. On today's podcast, we're going to be diving into an entrepreneur's wisdom on the real estate market, how he's built amazing relationships and how he's built an exclusive club. Welcome to the Circle. Founder of the Robletto group. In cigars and conversation, we got Mr Rich Robletto, so I got to say it the right way.

Speaker 2:

Welcome. So I'll tell you this day, but I was going to call him Richison before this.

Speaker 1:

So, but thanks for joining the circle, brother. It's good to finally see you, man. Have you in the circle.

Speaker 3:

I appreciate it. I feel honored to be a part of that group list that you guys have that I see on social media, so I feel like I've arrived.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man Rich knows everybody this is the most humble guy, man, everybody that I talk to about Rich man. We'll have him running for president, I think, for this year. Man, he's the man so. So we'll get into that. So, but jump right in, man. So you got an extensive, over 20 years experience in the real estate industry, built your brokerage I know you had a prior company and rebranded, but what inspired the creation of the Robletto group now, which is pretty fresh, right In the last couple of months or so, that rebranded? Yeah, that was just rebranded.

Speaker 3:

I shut my real estate brokerage down that I had for 12 years. Okay, cut the final checks today for that Did you.

Speaker 1:

Okay, congratulations, man. Yeah, so that was another chapter a big step right.

Speaker 3:

Because of the relationships I've had in real estate, golf and in the community, it's provided me a lot more opportunities. So quite a few people didn't know that I sold real estate because I do so many different things that I felt it was the right time for me to shut a claim. I brought over five key members for my team, which has allowed me it was supposed to allow me more free time. However, when you have some free time, people just ask you to do more, so I picked up two additional responsibilities since I shut down.

Speaker 1:

Oh wow, Real estate brokerage. Okay, yeah, that's a big challenge, man. So the real estate has just been absolutely crazy, man. I mean, what's your take on, you know, or what do you think is going to happen right In Las Vegas, let's say, coming up on 2024, just because you've been in, everything you know from 2006, 2008, all the stuff we dealt with but what's your take on and perspective on what do you think is going to happen in Vegas this year?

Speaker 3:

We are going to become Los Angeles. I agree with you. Prices are continuing to increase. It used to be that if you sold a house in Vegas above eight million, it'd make the newspapers right In the last 30 days $25 million, $19 million off market, $12 million home sold.

Speaker 2:

Wow Jesus.

Speaker 1:

That's interesting. Just in January, February, the last 30 days, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Last 20, 30, 45 days Correct.

Speaker 2:

Geez Are these like new builds or the builds that are coming up the second time around, and now you're seeing astronomical increases in value, or is it kind of? How does that?

Speaker 3:

happen. One of them was the Prince of Brunei's home, that was listed by. Ida.

Speaker 1:

Sher, yeah, that was an opportunity by it.

Speaker 3:

Another one was an off market deal in the summit and another one was in Ascaya. So the wealth starting to come to Vegas. We are becoming a tier one city right. So we've got all the major sports we. Elaine Wynne is getting ready to build a world class art studio, art museum in partnership with LA.

Speaker 3:

Oh wow, there's rumors of us getting a children's hospital right so there's a lot of things that we need, the tier one that we're going to get. The issue is is that the disparity between those who can and those who can't is going to get bigger? Right, because the massive amount of wealth is still starting to come. So you have a lot of people that have bought houses in the last five years sub 4% interest rates.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you noticed a lot, right, like during the pandemic, right. I mean, chris and I talked about this a lot. It seemed like talking about LA or you know, the Bay Area. It seemed like everybody and their mom was moving here starting in 2020 because they were home, they were remote, you could work from home, you know these tech jobs and things like that, and you didn't have to report to the office. So it seems like they were buying two and three homes for like a 24 month, 28 month span. Is that what you kind of saw between the Bay Area and the Inland Empire, la?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you're seeing everybody come in and you're seeing how busy McCarran Airport is, yeah, right, and you're housing uptake dramatically. But if you look at other industries the private jet segment- has exploded because people don't want to go through TSA. Now they're seeing that their time is valuable, that they will rent jets or charter jets or buy jets to allow themselves to fly in the Southwest.

Speaker 1:

It's interesting you said it because we had Tom Smith, our member from SetJet that he sells the private jets. So does the private hours, I should say. But I think, if I remember correctly, they're building another airport right Near south of Embersort, if I'm not mistaken or it's been approved from the government, from my understanding.

Speaker 3:

So they've been working on that airport for 20 years, right?

Speaker 3:

Oh, okay, yes, I'm sorry they pulled it back. Okay, yeah, they pulled it back and now, because it is getting so busy, they're talking at like interior harbors, right, so they want to push all of the FedEx delivery stuff to another airport and also make that a place for delivery, when they can remove the stuff from the Long Beach port, bring it into town and then use it as a secondary port in Vegas, and you're kind of seeing like you know they have, like you know in the industry, the new home sales for the higher dollar amounts.

Speaker 2:

I've heard that those have kind of maintained relative to consistency. But in the lower value homes you know entry level homes, you know those have not trading at the same volume. They were two, three years ago obviously because of the interest rates being a lot higher For somebody who owns a brokerage or in the real estate market. You know how does that impact you and the people that you're working with when you just don't see that same volume of those entry level homes that are trading to be able to maintain a lifestyle for a lot of the agents.

Speaker 3:

Work with those who have cash right. It is difficult. Last year, in 2023, new home sales made up 45% of the sales. In a normal market, new homes should only be about 10%.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow, that's interesting you said 45.

Speaker 1:

45. Geez.

Speaker 2:

Is it because, like they always work with you on your new home conversion interest rates right, you can do buy downs and things of that nature that they're really soliciting, that most people don't know about? Yeah, correct.

Speaker 3:

And you figure these new homes that are being finished now. The land was bought two or three years ago and what's happened in the last two or three years? Values have gone up so the builders can offer you keep the same price, but they'd offer you $30,000 towards closing costs. Repay your mortgage so you have a lower interest rate to get in because their profit is based off of numbers, what they were going to sell the houses on two or three years ago.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's not a bad place to be. No, no.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but you'll also see in the new market what you're starting to see in the first development. You know just came out where there's rentals now for a taxed home $7,000.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, did you see that, Like the eight, there's like $7,900 rental market for single family home rentals and I was like what the heck? That's ridiculous.

Speaker 1:

So I mean I mean we are starting to turn it. I mean I lived in LA for about six years and in an empire and went all the way around Orange County and everything, and that's why I'm in Vegas. And now you're starting to see, you know that here which I'm still excited about Vegas, just because it's so small, so intimate, I mean, yeah, so much stuff we can do. I mean we're spoiled here still, if you know, la's still a drive. Are you frustrated with that too? Just because you've been here for a long time, do you do you like the idea of it turning into LA?

Speaker 3:

Is that a pinpoint for you, or I fluctuate, okay Right, because if you look at like I get asked off done. What about F1? I said F1 was incredible. It was yeah, for the casinos along the racetrack. The casinos that were off that strip struggled. The small businesses that were along the track struggled because they made it captive. Everybody was supposed to stay in the green stands. I mean, the food was catered. There was, you know, different groups that were bringing chefs from Austria to cater to their Austrian clients. Yeah, and then you figure the amount of wealth that was there was just ridiculous. But then what happened on Monday that nobody talks about? The human trafficking? 70 men were arrested. I think they found 270 trafficking people. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I didn't hear that as well. No, I did hear about that. Yeah, I did hear about that, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it was. It was the front page of the review journal the Monday after F1.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because Vegas is one of the three triangle. I mean from here Arizona and San Francisco, if I remember correctly. So now I can see that. Yeah, that's crazy.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and the number one sporting event for human trafficking is Super correct. You're going to say that.

Speaker 1:

And then from my understanding, we're going to be extremely way busier than that. I mean, we already started to kick up right now this week. I mean, everything's starting Tuesday, wednesday yeah, it's unreal.

Speaker 2:

So part of you have to kind of be be these Los Angeles, you have to be this next, you know tier one city to your point, or they really be able to generate that, those type of entertainment venues. Right, I was getting the NFL, I was getting baseball and hopefully basketball soon. You know that you really do have to be a tier one city to get that. But then for us locals who've been here for 10, 15 years, that that makes it a little harder to digest a little bit, because you see these nuances where now I'm feeling nervous about my kids attending it, because now we are more of a metropolis versus being just a home, like it's very odd feeling to be in.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, so I don't get upset about it, paki. I see it as an opportunity. Okay, if we don't evolve, then we're going to become extinct. Yeah, I can't complain about it. I can only adapt, and if I don't adapt it's my fault. Right, so you always have to have that student's mindset Where's the opportunity? Because chaos creates stars. So you have to look at it like OK, I can't complain about this, there's an opportunity in this. What is that opportunity? Is it finding development deals? Is it finding outreach to more wealthy people to come out to try to, you know, provide a service for them?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Am I providing more than just showing houses? What can I do for this client who's coming in, whether it's a restaurant reservation, golf, tea times, nightclubs? You know I need to provide a five star experience so that it separates me from somebody who's only been in business for five or 10 years, or somebody who's been in business for 20 years and can't provide that expertise.

Speaker 2:

And you're sure it's important too because the higher it gets right. You know Vegas is different than a lot of other major cities where we have a very finite available amount of land. Right, we're all concentrated in this valley, whereas other places you could spread out pretty rapidly, depress rates a little bit. So here it's almost like in your industry it's perfect. If you find a good land deal, if you find a good real estate value, you know holding it's going to continue to grow because there's no running out of places to build candidly Like there's not a lot of opportunities there. So how do you like position yourself to present yourself in the next five, 10 years of that growth? Or is that something you think about now?

Speaker 3:

I'm thinking about that now, which was the perfect time to rebrand, look for different opportunities, but not just in Vegas, but also in Southern California, Utah and Arizona.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I want to step back just about mindset, because I know you're a big mindset guy. 2006, right, my understanding, you went through a big challenge lost everything, the whole nine. Yeah, how did you deal with all of that and be able to get back to where you are at now? You know what I mean. That's a lot to deal with. To be able to lose everything and then still keep your head. And because I know you went through a lot there a period of loss on people, people committing suicide, dog and I Can you share a little bit about that at any insight?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, 2006,. I lost it all. I had a company specialize in high rise condos, and condos was the first sub market to crash. 2008 was 2007 stock market. 2008 was REO's 2000,.

Speaker 2:

Right, the whole movie.

Speaker 1:

And.

Speaker 3:

I had seven friends commit suicide and I was blessed to have Older mentors who walked me back. It's not your fault, it's a product of circumstances. We've never seen this before. Get up and continue to work Right. It's that routine, but it was, you know, having that older mentorship and say hey, it's not your fault. Yeah, we've never seen something like this. Put one foot in front of the other. Continue to do the right things. What else can you do besides? You know just real estate Like property. That's what I got in the property.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we talked about that, yeah.

Speaker 3:

I had. You know, I had a guy that was in a large condo in Park City and he asked me and I'll never forget it.

Speaker 1:

Park.

Speaker 3:

City Utah, park City, utah, and he goes Are people making money in real estate? And I said I'm not.

Speaker 1:

He goes, I'm not asking if you are.

Speaker 3:

I said Are people still making money? And I said yes, he goes. Why did you get into real estate? I said to help people. He goes, don't bleep and lie. I said I got into real estate to make a lot of money. Yeah, that's what he goes Are people still making a lot of money. I said, yes, he goes. So if the, why is the same? Why would you get out?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's interesting. I have to go away thinking about it.

Speaker 3:

You've got to figure out a different way to get to it. He goes If you give up now, you've got a PhD in what not to do.

Speaker 1:

Love that, yeah, and he also told me.

Speaker 3:

I'll never forget it. I told it to a friend of mine the other day. He goes you were not like your friends. The friends you run with are trying to protect their wealth. You and your family. You need to create the wealth and you cannot create while you're trying to protect, because one is offense and one is defense. Got it? Yeah, so kind of going through that and dealing with those challenges.

Speaker 2:

Now, you know, everybody kind of feels that we may be on a precipice of something similar. Right, there's a lot of sense. You let a lot of things you read. You know people are 50 50 on it. Yeah, but for the some person who is trying to prepare for that same type of situation, you know here now 2000,. Obviously a different type of situation, but we know the economy has been flows. So somebody in your same situation who now looks to the future and sees that there may be something on the horizon that could be similar to what you dealt with 2006. How would you position yourself to be able to prepare for that with the same mentality that your creator? So you're running first into it, but also you want to be mindful that you don't want to deal with that again.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, what is the one thing that we can all control Our expenses? Got it? Not overspending Budget? Reduce your expenses, keep cash to jump on opportunities. What I did in the last downturn was I was full of fear, so I put my head in the sand and all these opportunities went by me and I saw my friends take advantage of the opportunities. So now, reduce expenses, stat cash and keep your head up. Love that Right. It's just like if you're swimming in open water, you're always going to lift your head up just to see where you're kind of going after a couple of strokes. That's interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know I'm curious what your perspective on is Grant Cardone. Obviously he drives a lot of traffic, big guy in the real estate perspective, but he's always talked about Renting. Right, you know, renting a home that you live in and then the house that you might buy is something you would actually rent out. You talk about you know budget and things like that. Do you like that mindset of teaching people that maybe you you know you rent something that you live in and then maybe you know you invest in something that you buy and you actually rent that house out that you buy? You like that concept or I don't?

Speaker 3:

OK, yeah, I think you should own your home. Yeah, right, I've got friends who total opposite. I just rent it, just rent it. I made a million dollars on my house. That says it right there. Yeah, that's huge, it's huge, and mentally I believe I need to go somewhere I own for me to relax. Yeah, got it. Women nest, that's my castle. I get it.

Speaker 1:

I want.

Speaker 3:

I've got a space just to do my meditation, my journal, right. I have that space. That is mine and nobody else's.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I knew you were going to have a different spin on everything. That's why I wanted to ask you that.

Speaker 1:

And then kind of backing up about being different, right, with people coming in, a lot of people moving to Vegas. You're amazing at building relationships, right, and I know that's something huge for you. You know, like you said, building the casinos and golf courses and all of that. What's been something strategic for you on how to build these alliances, like what's your, I guess, your trick? Or because it's not a sales, because you do it very genuine, right, and you're good at building relationships and you've got friends with these folks but what's a tip for maybe a listener that can't do that well, you know what I mean. What would you share with them? It's difficult.

Speaker 3:

It's not so much a trick. I love helping people. That's what it's all about, right, like if I can connect you with somebody to help you, I'm here to help you. Now there's been certain relationships where they've helped and they've done really well together.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Right and I've got friends on the outside. They're like man you need to monetize that.

Speaker 1:

You saw like you have an eye conversation.

Speaker 3:

You just, you, just did this, this and this and that came out of it. And I've always thought like, well, how do I monetize that? But I've really. I believe I went to Pinterest Tacos today. Yeah, I was there last Monday. The Pusola was incredible. I met the owner, javier. We connected Boom Friends on Instagram. I went back today. Right, in order to have a relationship and provide value, you have to show up, and when you show up, you invite others to come.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you've done that extremely well. I'm not just saying that because I know we know a lot of the same group, but I mean, let's talk a little about cigars and conversation. Right, done a hell of a job with that. There's events. I'm not just saying this, I've been to your event before. I want to say it's the elite of the elite, but it's who you invite there and you're strategically placing, you know, people in wide ranges of industries business owners, real estate guys might be political, you know the whole nine and people that are impacting where you might be raising foundations and things like that. I think Nevada Homeless Youth was there at the last time. But what was the point of cigars and conversation? What made you, you know, put this together? You know, for people to be in the same room Started authentically.

Speaker 3:

We have three young kids see me on social media smoke cigars. Yeah, all three of them reached out to me hey, let's smoke a cigar and nice, I don't have time to sit down with people one on one. One of the guys is friends with one of my agents and my agent goes rich. I talk about you all the time. Can we have dinner? I'm like, yeah, he goes. Can I bring a friend of mine? I'm like, for what? He goes? Well, I talk about you and he kind of wants you know to meet you and kind of chop it up and have dinner. And I'm like, sure, whenever that was in November 2022, december two other guys reached out to me because you know my social media, just personal.

Speaker 3:

This is what. I do. I smoke and relax. And then in January I was telling my wife off the cuff hey, these guys want to. You know kind of cool. These guys want to meet me. I want to do something, and she goes well, have you met him? And I'm like, well, I don't have the time. And she goes well, remember when you were younger and you were asking older guys to help you in business, how difficult that was. I said yes, it was insightful.

Speaker 1:

Because the egos kick in.

Speaker 3:

Oh, ego, 100%. Yeah, ego, all of it right. And I said I remember she goes do something. So I went back to the office in February. I told Joel I'm like, hey, when can your guy do it? He works on the strip, so let's do it it's. Could he meet at six Text the other two guys. I'm like, hey, we're going to do this in March, just see what happens. We're just going to have you guys come out when they both work. So that's the reason it's six to eight.

Speaker 1:

Got it.

Speaker 3:

Because the three young kids work and they could make it at six. And then I told them I'm like, listen, if you're going to come. There's some guys that I want to see, that I don't see.

Speaker 1:

Got it.

Speaker 3:

I'm going to just do a flyer and I posted it on Instagram and then it started that evening and everybody's you know people were showing up.

Speaker 1:

I'm like what the hell what are these people here for Right and we wanted to just talk and relax.

Speaker 3:

And some of the young kids were like, hey, we should do a private Facebook group and we need to do this and we need to do that. And I'm like this is it. We're doing it tonight because I told you guys, and this is what I told my wife, I do it once At the end of the evening. I've got a friend of mine who has amazing story. You should probably be on the podcast.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I'm an immigrant.

Speaker 3:

Chief marketing officer for golf digest for a decade oh awesome. Went to Laird Superfood, took it public. Now he's the CMO for Berna, right? So he's like he's. He's spoke at Cornell and these top universities about entrepreneurship.

Speaker 3:

And you've got this table. My buddy is smoking a cigar and you've got six young guys just asking him questions and at that moment I told myself I'm going to do it again. That's awesome. It's a. I felt like I owed it to the guys who want to show up. And now it's grown to where it's from a bathroom attendant to a guy worth nine figures.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

And you don't know who's who. That's the beautiful thing about it, because they're both there to enjoy a cigar and to meet different people and just chat. So it's, it's evolved to where you know it's. It's more time consuming, however, the people that are showing up. I've had people fly in from Fresno, arizona, new port Beach for it.

Speaker 1:

I heard some great people just there, just at the last of it, and for our listeners, it's not for people to just if you don't smoke a cigar, I don't even smoke cigars and I loved it, you know, to be able to just yeah.

Speaker 3:

Cigars in conversation.

Speaker 1:

You don't have to.

Speaker 3:

You don't have to smoke, but if you're there, if you're there and I had to make the rules right what is the?

Speaker 1:

rule. Say the rule, because that's the. That's the funny part. Don't be a dick. Yeah, right, yeah. A lot of times I had a dicky laugh in the background. A lot of times we're not, we're not taught how to you know how to show up, how to network.

Speaker 3:

So a friend of mine, Natalie Young, who owns Eat Down Down, she used to have these fried chicken pop-ups.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I know, Okay, natalie.

Speaker 3:

I know the rules from Natalie and her number one rule was don't be a dick. Yeah, I know, natalie, I know exactly what you're talking about. Yeah, and then rule number two was introduce yourself to somebody you don't know. Yeah, right, if you're going to show up and you want to meet people, don't talk to the same people you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, don't be a salesperson.

Speaker 3:

If it happens, it happens Not here, not tonight. Yeah, be authentic, yeah, right, and then, given those rules, it kind of lets everybody just relax, right. I've had guys that own businesses now but used to work in the service industry. Yeah, and they were like five years ago I would be setting up the tables or I'd be serving the food. Yeah, exactly, okay, thank you for coming, I feel like I've arrived. Like well, you kind of have, but you haven't introduced yourself to nobody.

Speaker 1:

So you've got a kind of but he's in the room. You're in the room, right.

Speaker 3:

So it's been some amazing stories, just from the opportunities. When Governor Lombardo was there, yeah Right, like when he walked in to talk to the group he had, his chief of staff was like listen, he's only gonna be there for three or four minutes and he ended up almost an hour. Yeah. But the guys that were there, three young guys called me afterwards right, this one, you know, kate, was like I call my wife. Right it's, he goes. I went to school here. I never would have thought that the governor would have given me any time. Yeah Right. And you're just like, not that I see him often. But as you grow in life, your experiences change so do your opportunities For sure.

Speaker 3:

Three young guys that called me.

Speaker 2:

they're like man.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, All three called their partners and one dude was like I would have never thought that the governor of Nevada would have shake my hand and spend time with me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, rich knows the folks. And the other piece you're missing too people aren't taking pictures there either. Rich is like Rich shuts all of that down, you there to enjoy yourself, and it's a. You've done a great job, man. It's been almost a year now and you started doing these once a month now, correct, yeah, so is that the goal? We just want 2024,. We just keep it going. We're keeping it going.

Speaker 3:

Next one is next Thursday. Okay, smart, with Super Bowl coming out. Super Bowl, but it's the second Thursday of the month, it's just the easy, oh, second Thursday of the month. Second Thursday of the month is consistent. We're gonna have somebody from La Polina. Cigars talk about different types of cigars. I don't drink wine, okay. Cigars for some people are intimidating.

Speaker 1:

That's me all day I drink wine. But I'm gonna tell you, like Peter Cross, a friend of ours, always talking about smoking cigars I don't like, but eventually I'm gonna end up probably liking it because it smells so much you do the whole diet. It relaxes you, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3:

So cigars is a meditation for me. Yeah, I know I'm gonna sit down and just relax. I'm not in a rush and it allows me a period of time to ponder Right when I get, to go through different scenarios as I smoke the cigar and just think about what's happening.

Speaker 1:

Pivots.

Speaker 3:

Right, like what is this? What is that? Who do I need to reach out to so I know if I'm gonna smoke a cigar, I'm gonna set aside one to three hours.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome, you know you continue to grow this right and it continues to grow. You know it's just gonna continue to get bigger and bigger and more people are gonna want to attend. You know how do you determine the venue space, or how do you determine you know where's the threshold to keep that exclusivity a little bit right, to make it more intimate, or is it just you know you're gonna keep growing and expanding until it does hit three, four, 500 people at an event?

Speaker 3:

So I've got. I think it's gonna grow and it's gonna be different levels. Right Right now I've got some older guys and they're like, hey, man, I really love the cigars, but I don't want some of these young bucks just asking questions. So there's gonna be different levels, I believe by the end of the year, because of the social media posts, and a private winery out of Argentina saw it. You were sharing this over when we talked on the phone and they wanna do an event in May with us, right?

Speaker 3:

So they're like, hey, if we're gonna fly up, we wanna bring some wine for your guests. I'm gonna have a cure ready with cigars to go with the Reds. And then the group is like, can we bring some of our guys out? Can we invite some of our people to sit share and talk about what cigars in conversation is right, and it's just a community of collaboration and collision. So their thing is like we could grow this and I'm like, oh slow down.

Speaker 3:

Let's just take it slow and organically. And we've kind of outgrown the front patio, chris, so we might go downstairs where people get married, right, so you could see the green Red Rock Country Club helps me out tremendously.

Speaker 1:

It's beautiful yeah.

Speaker 3:

Right, so it could grow downstairs to be larger. That's awesome, and I just want people to be good.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's fantastic.

Speaker 3:

I don't want it to be too much of one industry, I don't want it to be heavy in one way and I don't want it to be too political. I don't want it to be too much real estate. I still want that eclectic group of people because my friends are extremely eclectic For them to come relax and kind of chat.

Speaker 1:

I'm so happy we're so aligned on that side because Chris and I we were gonna first start off doing a real estate package. That was what we originally was the original plan, the original business plan. But like us, I mean, we're diverse personalities, diverse interests and we just wanted to have people like yourself that are involved in so many different industries that you don't want to be put in one box Correct, you know what I mean and you could share what's really happening in Vegas and what's really growing Vegas behind the scenes. You know not just the strip.

Speaker 2:

You know how one thing is gonna impact you, right? Just because you're a real estate doesn't mean you can't learn from a tech entrepreneur.

Speaker 3:

Like there's a lot of different avenues.

Speaker 2:

You can learn from, and I think that's what's great about your endeavor and why we started the podcast?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, 100%. What's your perspective about work-like balance? Cause I know you've done a lot right. Your hands are involved in public speaking. I mean you're doing a lot of different things.

Speaker 3:

I believe. In my opinion it's a fallacy. I don't think you can ever have it.

Speaker 3:

I believe, that balance is found in the present and intentionality. My son last week asked me when I had to go work on Sunday he goes, dad, you work a lot. I said I do. I said, but I don't consider what I do work. And my son, who's 10, he was in the courtyard, looks at me. He goes. So that's the secret. I said what's the secret? He goes. If I find a job that I like, I'll never have to work. I said correct, right, and there is this I try to shut the phone off.

Speaker 3:

Right In my calendar 6 to 6 am to 10 am on Saturdays Richie, rich time. That is my time to just relax. I try to schedule as much as possible with my wife, my kids. So when I do my business goals I want you know for the year I take the legal pad and I divide it into four. Awesome, all right. What are my wife and myself doing two times a year? What are we doing with the kids two times a year? What am I doing personally for myself two times a year? Right, I believe you cannot give from a cup that's half empty. I only give what overflows. So if I don't take care of myself, how am I going to be able to do all of the things I do. So I believe that the balance. I'd rather take 20 minutes with my son or my daughter that are focused than spend all day with them and be on the phone.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's powerful. You're similar to myself. Yeah, that's how I do it too. I mean, we pre-plan everything. Dates and the whole nine. It sounds stupid, but I mean I had two phones and the whole nine. I'm putting it on the schedule. You know what we want to do, so I get it. I'm glad you said that.

Speaker 3:

My wife forgot something one day and I didn't attend and my son's in the back seat and she had made a comment about me missing it and Sebastian goes mom, was it in dance calendar?

Speaker 1:

It sounds like my wife's laughing at the background. It sounds like our kids. She goes up.

Speaker 3:

It wasn't right, but it's the same thing when we go to the grocery store. It's the lessons I teach my kids If it's not on the list, it doesn't exist.

Speaker 1:

You sound like we had literally the same family. Yeah, we're going there, we're going into the grocery store to get something and get out, right, and if you go in there and you're- just going to same thing with life.

Speaker 3:

If you don't know what you're going to go after, you're going to get exactly what life is going to give you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 3:

So I'm big on that mindset, the vision. What do I want? What do I want? How could I be helpful? And my kids go, they, my son takes a pinout, just starts crossing it out. Dad, let's go, we got everything Great.

Speaker 1:

Let's go. You talked a little bit about your obviously us being in Vegas Circle, right. We talk about who's in your circle, who's mentoring you the whole nine. You touched a little bit about that right, about when you lost everything in 2006. Who's in your group now? That's speaking into your life and what is it that they're sharing with you to keep you kind of on the right path.

Speaker 3:

So I've got two or three guys that I run stuff by. One guy comes from a private equity global side. Right One comes from just small conversations a food distributor. Right One is a tech guy right? I don't have a lot of people in the real estate world.

Speaker 1:

You know, because they're completely different than you. I love it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I want them thinking completely different and I just need nuggets, right, like, if I go to a conference, if I get one piece that I can add, then it's been valuable, right? So, and it's just different, different thought patterns, right? Being in Vegas for so long we get pigeonholed. And with dealing with the global private equity guy, what I've come to find out is that there's no reason why we can't do anything globally, right? Big vision thinking.

Speaker 3:

Yeah right, it's big vision, Like why, you know, we got our kids' passports last year. Let's go. We're going to go travel. I want you to be in a country where we can't speak the language, where you're going to be uncomfortable, where you're going to have to make adjustments, where you're going to have to talk to somebody and stutter and have a conversation.

Speaker 1:

I absolutely love you talking about this. This is literally what my wife and I did. We got our kids' passports when they were I think my youngest was a baby, not even one years old. We did it on purpose because I remember when we were both young we'd been together almost 20 years. It was a multi-millionaire that taught me 20 years ago. He was like when you have kids, don't buy the material stuff, take them on experiences. I'll never forget him saying that. It was 20 years ago and we do that now. Sometimes it can get expensive, but just getting that experience, like you just said, being in other countries, they grow and you see them come back and they're like talking to their friends about Bahamas. They're talking to them about this, they're talking to them about Mexico, whatever it is, it's awesome. So I'm glad you're teaching people that and brought that up. I don't think anybody's brought that up before on the pod, so you're welcome.

Speaker 2:

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. There's your nugget. There's your nugget. No, I love it. That's a one.

Speaker 3:

No, I love it. Just one. No, I'm great. No, and I'm great, I've got a couple, I think. No, it's a ball.

Speaker 1:

It's not like we're Bradley with Drop of the Bows.

Speaker 3:

I tell you because it's great.

Speaker 1:

You talk about nuggets and I love that and I think that's why we're so aligned, because I look at a lot of your stuff and we go back and forth and I've had this big concept of the shopping kind of the shopping cart right. It's like you go with what's good, what you can take out of it, you take home. You know, just like you go to the grocery store, you don't grab everything in the grocery store, you grab what's good for you and your home and for you and I like that we talk about with the nuggets. So what would you say with us being a business podcast? What's one gym? You leave our listeners with that. They want to get in business for themselves. What would you share with them?

Speaker 3:

Business and life OK Right. I believe that our limiting beliefs is our biggest obstacle. Right so whatever business you're thinking about, I would say make it bigger, don't let your imagination be your limitation in life and in business. Right, and I've had periods where I've set the goals down and I'm like, well, I need to make this, and magically that's exactly what I made. Yeah, when I could attend times that Make yourself uncomfortable. Make yourself uncomfortable. Give yourself permission to be great Right. Give yourself permission to live out loud, have fun.

Speaker 1:

This is something I'm not the one that was for me. I thought I would hit. I thought that way.

Speaker 2:

Chris.

Speaker 3:

I was waiting.

Speaker 1:

We're going to make eye contact. We did, we did. He's only a job of gyms for real. But I want to ask you this because I follow your social media yeah, give us one gym. We always ask somebody about restaurants and I know you know, you know everybody. So I love your big foodie, just like myself. Give us one gym of a restaurant or your favorite restaurant that you recommend, can I give you?

Speaker 3:

several. Let's go. Let's go Several.

Speaker 1:

OK, berries Shot. You know, we know we love them man.

Speaker 3:

Marco, yacine and Barry are awesome, awesome people. Marco.

Speaker 1:

Yacine Piero's. That's another beautiful place. Yeah, Ricky. Matter of fact, your friend Ricky is the one to refer us to Piero's. Yeah, Piero's.

Speaker 3:

Awesome. I love my combina at the Bellagio.

Speaker 1:

OK.

Speaker 3:

Thanks for watching. I'm not super foodie like I'm an outback guy.

Speaker 1:

Okay, but Chris love outback, I love outback. Outback's very good, don't get twisted. Outback's great Right.

Speaker 3:

But that might mean a fine dining experience.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

It was, it's beautiful.

Speaker 1:

And I love Maraki.

Speaker 3:

Maraki, what is it? It's a Greek restaurant.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, They've been Maraki before.

Speaker 2:

They have a few of them. No, they're in the Maraki. Shout out to.

Speaker 3:

Jerry Maraki.

Speaker 1:

I'm okay. I don't think anybody's mentioned Maraki before Bloody that I'm aware of. You have to go.

Speaker 2:

It is the best I've been there.

Speaker 1:

It's good, I don't think I've been to Maraki before.

Speaker 3:

They were down the street over here. Okay, yeah, sahara. No, the first one was Tropicana and Rainbow. Then they did Charleston, fort Apache. Now they have Blue Diamond.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and they have Stephanie, I'm missing out. Okay, I like the food. That is great. Okay, yeah, I know you'll be a Greek Mediterranean guy, it is the best Greek in town.

Speaker 3:

It's my daughter's favorite rice. I love everything Okay, so I'm happy about that food, about the owners, it's just.

Speaker 1:

I believe I'll just adjust. That's what I wanted to know. Yeah, yeah, the berries is awesome. I loved them over there. Yeah, been to the other restaurants, but the one you just mentioned. I've not been there, so I got to check that out for sure he goes to the high end.

Speaker 2:

He's been to berries, he's been to Maraki.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm going to be honest with you, we still love the whole in the wall spots. I mean, we've been to a lot of the high end ones. But I tell you and I'll just say this we can move on. But, koly Bash, if you like African food, it's way different what you think. It's way different what you think. I brought my parents there. They absolutely love it. My dad's over here online Facebook doing the whole yeah, right in the whole. Charleston, charleston, and Forget the.

Speaker 2:

I think I drive by it all the time. I'm horrible, I'm sorry and Oolay.

Speaker 1:

I know the Oolay over the owner from Calibash. I apologize, I forgot what street she's on, but if you guys look up, calibash is awesome. So what I'll see you focused on for 2024. I know you've been doing a lot of public speaking. You did last year. What else you focus on? I know you rebranded. Your hands are a lot of different things regards conversation regards and conversation personal safety.

Speaker 3:

I'm really big into children.

Speaker 1:

Yes, right.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yeah, school, you know schools. I think we've got to fix our school district or businesses won't come. I believe that we as a community need to get involved in our political process. Yeah, right, like it's gonna be real pivotal in the next 10 years as to what's gonna happen and I try to get off my soapbox on on politics and I love both sides Right. I think we need to get back to common sense. I got great friends that are Democrats, I got great friends that are Republicans and yeah, just go Aguilar. You know our secretary say I mean, we just need common sense legislation. You know Joe Rogan interviewed Naval mmm in the ball.

Speaker 3:

You know Joe Rogan asked of all, he goes. How do you model your life in the ball goes? I believe there's four chapters. The first chapter is sacrifice for country, which is why I love countries. That Service is mandatory he goes. The second chapter is for family and business, because that's a period in your life where you are Running your business and you're helping your family grow. The third chapter is politics, where you give back to the community, because you've gotten lessons from sacrificing for your country, building a business and building a family. Then you go into politics and after politics. The fourth chapter in Someone's life should be philosophy. This is where mentorship comes in. This is where you get to give back to the community as a whole, where you're allowing, where you're allowing the new leaders To take the reins. And I've sat back and I've thought about it. I'm like nowadays we have people getting in the politics without ever sacrificing for their country, making politics their family business, while they philosophize Without never having lost or learned anything.

Speaker 1:

Interesting yeah.

Speaker 2:

That's a strong that's hard to end out on that man, this you dropped.

Speaker 1:

I mean absolute pleasure, man, to sit down with you. Man, I think you're gonna be running for president, remember this, remember this interview down the road. But what's your social handles? People can reach out to yet rich underscore Robledo. Okay, you can check us out. The Vegas circuit, our calm. Keep your tabs on rich Robledo man. He's amazing guy and doing some amazing things in Vegas, man. So appreciate you, man. Thanks for sitting down with us, man. I