Meet Sam Beznos, the dynamic CEO behind Beztak Properties, which is a commercial real estate company that has been in business more than 60 years. Today, Beztak employs more than 1,300 people across 14 states with more than 35,000 apartment units within its portfolio. Sam is responsible for overseeing all aspects of asset management, development, construction, and rehabilitation of existing apartment and retail portfolios throughout the country as well as new acquisitions and development opportunities. Sam's expertise lies in land development, property rezoning, and finance. He is known for his strategic planning abilities and skill in evaluating risks. With a background in financial modeling and valuation analysis, Sam brings a comprehensive understanding of the real estate industry into his role. Sam holds a Master of Science in Real Estate with Distinction from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Michigan. His commitment to excellence and ongoing education underscores his dedication to the field. As part of Beztak Properties, a family-owned and operated business, Sam continues to drive success and growth. I’ve known Sam for more than 30 years and in this episode we talk about: * The importance of a good network: “A pretty good secret tool you need is to have a good network around you to rely on because when you're running a company it's difficult to maneuver at times and there's certainly headwinds.” * Taking time to visit properties: “I walk the properties for many reasons but understanding what’s going on with the properties, what's going on with the markets we use for market data and what type of improvements we need to make.” * How to implement growth opportunities for your business: “We always went against the grain - a big part of our culture is to be innovative. And we've always gone against the grain, and we took (successful) aspects from other industries and incorporated them into our business.”