S2 EP 14: Cracking the Code of Real Estate Growth | The Stash Cast with John Wijtenburg

In this insightful episode of Stash Cast, host Stash sits down with John Wijtenburg to unpack his journey through the financial crisis, commercial real estate, and building scalable businesses.

John shares hard-earned wisdom from scaling an eight-property hotel portfolio to now helping real estate entrepreneurs break past growth ceilings. Whether you're in hospitality or any investment-focused business, John’s approach to systems, strategy, and mindset offers game-changing insights.

✅ Key Takeaways:

💼 How John transitioned from residential real estate to commercial and hotel investing.

📈 What it's like building a hotel portfolio from scratch—while navigating market shifts.

📊 The operational intensity of hotels vs. other real estate asset classes.

🛠️ Why systems, SOPs, and execution frameworks are critical to scaling past 5–8 properties.

🧱 Why most founders need to shift from “being the business” to building the business.

🌎 How John built a 30-person offshore team to manage HR, compliance, legal, and more.

💬 The value of daily huddles and two-week sprints to create engagement in remote teams.

💡 Insights:

🧠 Vision → Strategy → Execution: Success starts with clarity of vision, which drives team alignment and operational decisions.

🔍 Double Diamond Framework: Avoid chasing shiny tools—solve real problems by first identifying root causes, then tailoring solutions.

⚙️ Use content as leverage: Beyond capital and code, content attracts talent, defines culture, and communicates your values.

🏨 Hotels are operating businesses first: Investors often underestimate how fast the cycle time is—and how fast things can go wrong.

📉 Don’t let your underwriting become gospel: Annual strategy resets lead to smarter, more adaptive operations.

🌐 AI, automation, and remote talent can transform productivity—if paired with the right culture and cadence.

🔥 Burnout is common at every level: Even $1B+ portfolios can fail if leaders don’t build systems that reduce decision fatigue.

💬 Whether you're a student, young professional, or someone just starting your wealth journey, John's candid insights and personal stories offer a refreshing and grounded perspective on finance.

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