What if you could invest in boutique hotels without running the hotel?

In this episode of The Hotel Investor Playbook, host Michael Russell sits down with Curt Marker—private jet captain, real estate investor, and CEO of Captain Capital—to break down how Curt became a co-GP on a $10M, 130-room boutique hotel in the Smoky Mountains without managing staff or daily operations.

They walk through the real mechanics of Curt’s role in the deal, including how he raised $1.5M in capital, evaluated operating partners, and helped guide investors through an unexpected 8-month USDA loan delay using consistent, transparent communication.

In this episode, they discuss:

• How to add value in hotel deals without being the operator
• Why most of Curt’s capital came from people he already knew
• What to look for when vetting an operating partner
• How a loan delay tested the partnership—and investor confidence
• Why honest monthly updates matter more than perfect timelines

This conversation is a grounded look at hotel investing for professionals who want exposure to hospitality real estate without taking on operational complexity—and a reminder that trust and communication are just as important as the numbers.

🎧 Original Podcast: The Hotel Investor Playbook
🌐 Learn more: https://www.hotelinvestorplaybook.com/

Timestamps
02:05 – Curt’s Background: From Pilot to Real Estate Investor
05:06 – Shifting Focus: Family, Charity, and Long-Term Purpose
08:37 – Staying Flexible Across Asset Classes
11:25 – Why Commercial Real Estate Changed the Game
15:20 – Comparing Short-Term Rentals vs Hotels
18:43 – Breaking Down the Boutique Hotel Deal Structure
22:21 – Adding Value Without Managing Daily Operations
26:16 – The USDA Loan Delay and What Went Wrong
29:14 – Communicating Bad News Without Losing Investor Trust
38:01 – Building a Personal Brand That Raises Capital
45:54 – Where Capital Actually Comes From
52:47 – Advice for First-Time Real Estate Investors

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL RUSSELL:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reachmichael
Website: https://www.malama-capital.com/

CONNECT WITH US:
Instagram: @thecaptaincurt
TikTok: @thecaptaincurt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecaptaincurt_
Website: www.captaincapital.com
Invest With Curt: Start Here: https://www.captaincapital.com/invest

P.S. If you're enjoying the show, do us a favor—leave a review and give us a 5-star rating. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and helps us reach more listeners who need this kind of no-fluff insight.

What if the hardest part of real estate wasn’t finding deals — but raising the money?

In this episode, Stella Han (@hellastellah) explains why traditional capital raising is fundamentally broken for small operators — and how a new model is quietly reshaping how founders, creators, and real estate investors raise capital.

After losing $55,000 on her first raise, Stella built a platform designed to remove legal friction, unlock unaccredited capital, and let operators market freely — without risking jail time.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why syndications and funds fail first-time operators
• The difference between 506B, 506C, and investment clubs
• How to legally market and raise capital at the same time
• Why “soft commitments” without money are useless
• The psychology behind requiring deposits from investors
• How creators outperform traditional finance at fundraising
• Why capital raising should be treated like sales
• How trust and storytelling now beat spreadsheets

This episode lays out the new rules of capital raising — and why operators who adapt early will have a massive edge.

Timestamps
2:43 - How Stella lost $55K trying to raise $1M on her first deal
6:02 - Why 506B and 506C are broken for small operators
10:08 - Investment clubs explained: why they're not securities under SEC rules
14:20 - The hardest part of building Fractional: compliance, tech, or education?
19:39 - What surprised Stella most: operators don't build investor lists proactively
24:20 - The 3% deposit strategy that eliminates flaky verbal commitments
28:45 - Why creators raise more capital than traditional finance people
38:57 - Following up 5-6 times before an investor commits: the sales process of capital raising
43:10 - Product-market fit: 2,000 signups for a fake website that didn't exist yet
54:21 - Being a woman founder in a male-dominated space: advantage or obstacle?
1:02:56 - Is traditional capital raising outdated? Where Fractional fits in the ecosystem
1:07:27 - The Power of Habit: how mental habits shape entrepreneurial resilience

CONNECT WITH STELLA HAN:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellastellah/
Website: https://www.fractional.app/

CONNECT WITH US:
Instagram: @thecaptaincurt
TikTok: @thecaptaincurt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecaptaincurt_
Website: www.captaincapital.com
Invest With Curt: Start Here: https://www.captaincapital.com/invest

P.S. If you're enjoying the show, do us a favor—leave a review and give us a 5-star rating. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and helps us reach more listeners who need this kind of no-fluff insight.

What if you could build a $20 million real estate development business without quitting your W2 job?

Gaurang Gala did exactly that—working full-time as a commercial banker while raising capital, rezoning land, and developing over $92 million in assets across seven projects.

His story proves that strategic patience and understanding the math can turn dirt into generational wealth. He took a deal stuck in zoning hell for 18 months, went door-to-door in 90-degree heat wearing a suit to get neighbor signatures, turned a unanimous rejection into unanimous approval, and flipped the land for double what he paid—without ever putting a shovel in the ground.

What you'll learn:

• How Gaurang time-blocked his banking job into 2-3 hours a day to build his development company
• Why land development creates 70% of real estate profit before the building goes vertical
• The strategy behind holding land under contract for 2+ years without closing until rezoning approval
• Why you should never bank at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or Truist—and how community banks give you leverage
• How to structure deals so investor money is last in, first out—and why developers take all the risk
• The council member strategy: showing up in person, building relationships, and proving you're local
• Why Raleigh-Durham is "the new Austin" and the Bay Area of the East Coast

Gaurang isn't here to sell you a course. He's here to show you how patience, relationships, and understanding the financials can help you transition from W2 income into real estate development without betting the farm.

If you've ever wondered how to raise millions from your community, make seven figures on land deals, or build wealth through entitlements instead of construction, this episode is your roadmap.

Timestamps
4:02 - Time blocking strategy: how to work a W2 and build a $20M business simultaneously
7:37 - The first deal: from 1031 exchange to 4-year rezoning nightmare
10:00 - Door-to-door in the heat: flipping zero council votes to unanimous approval
18:19 - Why you should never bank at big banks—loan-to-deposit ratio explained
22:46 - $3.5M profit on dirt: buying land, holding it 2 years, flipping it without construction
27:55 - Developer risk: why you're always first money in, last money out
34:22 - Why 70% of profit happens before vertical construction
42:06 - Raleigh-Durham: the new Austin and the Bay Area of the East Coast
47:03 - Hiring consultants who ghosted: what going door-to-door taught about doing it yourself
51:20 - What makes land development the hardest thing Gaurang has ever done
59:40 - Ray Dalio's book on empires and the debt cycle: macroeconomic concerns keeping him up at night
1:01:38 - How Gaurang wants to be remembered: great dad, community builder, giving back to immigrant kids

CONNECT WITH GAURANG GALA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrandgala/
Website: https://www.galainvestments.io/

CONNECT WITH US:
Instagram: @thecaptaincurt
TikTok: @thecaptaincurt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecaptaincurt_
Website: www.captaincapital.com
Invest With Curt: Start Here: https://www.captaincapital.com/invest

P.S. If you're enjoying the show, do us a favor—leave a review and give us a 5-star rating. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and helps us reach more listeners who need this kind of no-fluff insight.