Episode notes

Olivia Acton is the owner and lead photographer at Olivia Acton Photography, a premier studio based in Janesville, Wisconsin.

In this episode of Forged in Fire, Olivia shares her journey from nursing to entrepreneurship—starting from scratch, signing her first clients, and growing her business into a thriving luxury photography brand. Originally trained as a nurse with a master’s degree, Olivia spent nearly a decade in healthcare before discovering her passion for photography. What began as a simple desire to capture quality images of her children soon turned into a sought-after skill.

Through strategic business planning, marketing, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Olivia transitioned from a side hustle to full-time entrepreneurship in 2022. She has since expanded from a home-based studio to a dedicated space in downtown Janesville, where she specializes in high-end portraiture and branding photography.

Olivia’s story is one of resilience, calculated risks, and the power of following one’s passion.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for inspiration and practical business tips!

Timestamps:

02:29 Introduction

06:54 Olivia's Future Vision & Goals

11:10 Challenges & Transition from W-2 to Entrepreneurship

13:50 Her Marketing & Client Acquisition strategy

19:00 Olivia's Learning & Adaptation as an Entrepreneur

25:50 How She Measures Success and Tracks Key Metrics

30:48 Hot Seat Fire Round

35:20 Her final advice

35:50 Stay in Touch with Olivia Acton

VISIT OUR WEBSITE https://www.forgereiacademy.com

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Apply here: https://www.forgereiacademy.com/podcast

Episode notes

Today, we’re joined by Rachel Cohen, who takes us through her journey, who transformed her life from being paralyzed to building a thriving real estate career.

Starting as a college athlete, Rachel’s life took unexpected turns, from managing a business with her ex-husband to facing a life-altering injury in 2006. After realizing she had no legacy to leave her children, she pivoted into real estate. Within a year of learning the ropes, Rachel became a co-GP in a 142-door property. Now, she’s focused on her second syndication in Tampa, proving that resilience and hard work can turn even the toughest challenges into opportunities.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for inspiration and practical business tips!

Timestamps:

02:35 Intro to Rachel

03:10 Backstory

12:13 Rachel's Challenges in Raising Capital for Real Estate

14:58 Financing Strategy

17:24 Her qualifications of a capital raiser

20:21 Importance of on-site evaluation

24:08 Risk Management in terms of Investor funds and general deal risk

25:39 Rachel's Business growth vision

29:34 Hot seat round

33:12 New strategy that drives her to success

34:51 Where to find Rachel Cohen

34:58 Rachel's Final Advice

VISIT OUR WEBSITE https://www.forgereiacademy.com

If you're interested in learning more about Real Estate and connecting with us:

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/184CJG3S4w/

Be Our Guest! We are continuously working hard to help our listeners with their journey to real estate & entrepreneurship. If you think you can add value in any way to our listeners who are in the industry, then let's connect.

Apply here: https://www.forgereiacademy.com/podcast

Willie Enriquez, a Dominican-Puerto Rican based in Connecticut, has had an entrepreneurial mindset since childhood, earning his first dollars sweeping barber chairs for his father. In high school, he won an entrepreneurship award and later pursued business management in college while working full-time to support his family.

After spending nearly seven years in the healthcare industry, where he developed a strong emphasis on relationship-building, Willie faced a turning point when he was let go during the pandemic.

In May 2022, his sister introduced him to real estate, and after attending a three-day multifamily event, he was hooked. Investing nearly $40K into mentorship, he has been fully committed to real estate ever since, embracing the journey of building financial freedom through multifamily investing.

Timestamps:

2:56 Willie's Bio and journey

06:59 Willie's strategy in Multifamily investing

08:42 His role since the transition

16:14 How the team was built

20:18 Struggles he had to overcome

22:35 Willie's focus toward growth

27:10 Hotseat round

34:29 Where people can find Willie

34:50 His final advice

VISIT OUR WEBSITE https://www.forgereiacademy.com

If you're interested in learning more about Real Estate and connecting with us:

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/184CJG3S4w/

Be Our Guest! We are continuously working hard to help our listeners with their journey to real estate & entrepreneurship. If you think you can add value in any way to our listeners who are in the industry, then let's connect.

Apply here: https://www.forgereiacademy.com/podcast