Send us a text

In this episode of Beyond the Leap, host Brenda Jones sits down with Stella Han, CEO of Fractional, to unpack her remarkable evolution from software engineer to real estate investor to VC-backed tech founder. Stella shares how childhood weekends spent painting Bay Area flips with her parents unknowingly laid the foundation for a platform that’s now helping thousands co-own property—and increasingly, businesses. From losing her first deal and EMD to raising $15M from investors like Will Smith and Kevin Durant, Stella walks us through the tactical pivots, product market fit wins, and leadership lessons powering her startup’s momentum.

Together, Brenda and Stella unpack:

• From Flips to Fractional – Stella’s path from out-of-state investing rookie to building a platform that helps everyday people co-own real estate and business assets.
• Capital Raising Chaos – Losing her first deal, rallying 40+ friends for $1M+, and learning how storytelling—not spreadsheets—wins trust.
• Startup Speed & Storytelling – How Y Combinator shaped Fractional’s DNA and why founders must craft a narrative that earns both dollars and devotion.
• B2B2C Pivot – Why Stella shifted focus to operators with built-in networks and how that change unlocked scale, compliance, and impact.
• Bold CEO Moves – Team-building through off-sites, managing motivation across a remote team, and bringing on the former SEC counsel to safeguard trust.
• Beyond Real Estate – From real estate to candy stores to planes—how Fractional is enabling the co-ownership generation.

If you're a founder, investor, or operator wondering how to build with speed, soul, and scale—this is your blueprint. Hit play and take notes.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/brenda-jones/

Send us a text

In this episode of Beyond the Leap, host Brenda Jones talks with Bo DePaoli, CEO of D3 Enterprises and host of the Raw and Relentless podcast. A third-generation entrepreneur with companies spanning fitness, real estate, and industrial construction, Bo reveals how buying a bankrupt gym—and discovering the books were cooked—forced him to rebuild everything with grit, speed, and systems.

Together, Brenda and Bo unpack:

• Grit Over Glamour – surviving a near-bankruptcy gym acquisition with just an IRA and a pricing pivot that added 1,000 members in 30 days.
• Systems Save Businesses – from SOPs to ERP upgrades, how Bo used structure and core values to scale across high-turnover industries.
• Speed > Perfection – making rifle-shot decisions, navigating burnout, and why “money loves speed” is more than a mantra—it’s strategy.
• Mentorship & Mindset – the Canadian gym mogul who helped him pivot fast, and how imposter syndrome and comparison still show up at every level.
• AI & the Future – automating payroll in construction and deploying AI sales agents to boost gym conversions in real time.

If you're stuck overthinking your next move or bogged down by burnout, Bo’s no-fluff journey will push you to act boldly, scale smarter, and bet on grit over glamor.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/brenda-jones/

Send us a text

In this episode of Beyond the Leap, host Brenda Jones talks with Darrin Yee, Chief Investment Officer at EverBridge Capital and co-founder of the Orange County JV real-estate community. Darrin traces his path from “Dudes & Dogs” college dog-sitting to buying, scaling, and exiting physical-therapy clinics—before pivoting into funding Main-Street acquisitions. He explains why trust, but verify guides every loan he underwrites and how the coming “silver tsunami” of retiring baby-boomer owners is the biggest wealth-transfer opportunity of our era.

Together, Brenda and Darrin unpack:

• Dog-Sitter to Deal-Maker – turning a side hustle into two profitable clinics and a private-equity exit—then being fired and finding freedom in business lending.
• Buying the Boomers’ Businesses – 10–12 k owners retire daily; here’s how to spot, fund, and 3-4× sleepy cash-flow businesses.
• Trust-But-Verify Toolkit – credit/background screens, three-year financials, DSCR math, and why restaurants & Amazon FBAs rarely pass the test.
• Bridge-to-SBA Playbook – using short-term bridge loans, seller finance, and creative structures when a company’s books are a mess.
• Mindset & Mentorship – leveraging Pace Morby’s community, building OC JV to pay wisdom forward, and why “grit” beats pedigree every time.

If you’re ready to turn disciplined due diligence into generational wealth—and use capital to buy freedom, not just assets—hit play, take notes, and start trusting and verifying today.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/brenda-jones/