On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast’s Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall sits down with Todd Bowen, a Michigan real estate investor and founder of Trinity Investment Group. Todd shares how a podcast-fueled education and a surprising conversation with his financial advisor led to his first rental in 2017, and how an early wave of evictions pointed him toward partnering with local agencies that house domestic abuse survivors, the chronically homeless, and people reentering society. He opens up about overcoming judgment, hard lessons in trust, raising his sons around the business, and building the time freedom to be present for his family.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Put what you learn into action.
After a year of learning through podcasts, Todd asked the seller at his first closing if he had more properties. That one question led to his second deal, a three-unit.

2. Let early struggles reveal your mission.
Going from zero to five units in two months brought three evictions. Researching agency housing programs turned a unit count into a mission to serve.

3. Partner where the need is greatest.
At one point, 19 of Trinity’s 22 units were leased to organizations serving abuse survivors, the homeless, reentry, mental health, and young adults with disabilities. The demand is nonstop.

4. Protect the asset while serving people.
Working with reentry and substance abuse programs required careful lease language. Most leases run 12 months with the agency, which moves clients in and out as needed.

5. Replace judgment with relationship.
Meeting tenants and hearing their stories showed Todd they want what everyone wants: a clean, safe place to live. As he puts it, “Work is worship.”

6. Get it in writing.
A nonprofit CEO verbally committed to a property, Todd bought it, and the board rejected the deal. Now he requires a signed lease or LOI first.

7. Build systems that protect your time.
Agencies contact Todd’s handyman directly for routine repairs, and management stays within business hours. That frees him to drive his kids to school and be at their games.

8. Keep your why and your lifestyle in check.
Pray about it, get your spouse on board, and expect hard work and persistence. Live below your means and don’t let cash flow fuel lifestyle creep.

LINKS

Website: https://trinityrei.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trinity_reig/
Email: TrinityGroup88@gmail.com

On this session of the On The Rise Podcast’s “Passive Investing Made Simple” series, host Jeremy Dyer, VP of Capital Formation at Rise48 Equity, is joined by Chad Ackerman, a longtime passive investor, educator, founder of Chad Ackerman Real Estate, and co-founder of Left Field Investors, acquired by BiggerPockets. Chad breaks down the capital stack using a simple bucket model, explaining how senior debt, preferred equity, and common equity differ in payment priority, risk, and upside. Jeremy adds how today’s market cycle is reshaping deals and how Rise48 structures its share classes. The session closes with live Q&A on distributions, 1031 exchanges, and investment types. Essential listening for any limited partner who wants to know exactly where their money sits.

1. Every investor sits in a seat.
The moment you invest, you become a layer in the capital stack. That seat decides when you get paid and what happens if the deal struggles.

2. Think of a deal as a bucket.
Cash fills from the bottom up: senior debt first, then preferred equity, then common equity. The bottom looks least important but is first in line and the safest seat.

3. Safety and upside run in opposite directions.
The safest seat is paid first but earns the least; the riskiest is paid last but can earn the most. No seat offers both first pay and the biggest upside.

4. Not every “pref” is the same.
Preferred equity is a separate layer paid ahead of common equity. A preferred return inside common equity pays LPs before the GP. Read the documents to know which one you have.

5. Common equity is high risk, high reward.
It’s paid last and absorbs losses first, but it captures nearly all of a deal’s upside. It can also carry greater tax benefits, such as bonus depreciation.

6. Capital stacks shift with the market.
In 2021–2022, common equity swelled as deals sold at the peak. As rates rose, senior debt swelled, creating financially distressed sellers. Capital calls can even add new layers after you invest.

7. Simpler stacks are easier to evaluate.
Rise48 deals use only senior debt and common equity. Class A earns a 10% preferred return, paid first with no equity upside, while Classes B and C sit on equal footing with a greater profit split.

8. Find the waterfall before you commit.
Every offering states your seat and class. The waterfall section is the seating chart of who gets paid, when, and in what order. Choose the seat that matches your goals, not the “best” one.

On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast’s Faith Driven Leaders series, host Nick Stromwall sits down with Angela Wang, a finance professional with 20 years of experience who now calls herself a “finance missionary.” Angela shares how her family’s faith took root in China, why she resisted God’s call to leave a stable career for two years, and how a series of personal “exoduses” shaped her. She explains how pension consulting and private wealth management led her to bring wealth-level guidance to everyday families, pairing an AI financial steward with human advisors. A grounded conversation on surrender, stewardship, and what money is really for.

Content note: Angela briefly describes grief and a dark period after her mother’s death.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Comfort can hide what’s missing.
Angela had a loving family, a dream job, and a role at church, yet felt a deep unhappiness. Outward success doesn’t mean you’re on the path you’re called to.

2. Fear of financial dependence is a real barrier.
She turned away from God’s call for two years because she didn’t want to give up a stable income. Naming the specific fear is the first step past it.

3. Growth comes through many small exoduses.
Using Exodus-to-Canaan as a framework, Angela describes letting go of education, family, place, prestige, money, and people-pleasing as sources of identity. Each smaller release prepared her for the bigger call.

4. Let go of good things, not just bad ones.
God asks us to release dependence on anything that isn’t Him, including healthy things like a career or a degree. Your value isn’t defined by income, schools, or others’ opinions.

5. Every season prepares you for the next.
Pension consulting taught her that technology can scale personalized advice. Private wealth management showed her how complex every household’s finances are. Both became the foundation for her business.

6. Attention is the scarcest financial resource.
The industry naturally concentrates advisors, tools, and attention on the wealthy. Everyday families still need a trusted go-to for basic questions and spotting fraud, even without large assets.

7. Use AI to scale care, not replace it.
One advisor can typically serve 100 to 200 households. Angela pairs a client app and an AI-powered workspace with human advisors so more families get responsive, personal support.

8. Resources have a shelf life.
Money, time, and health are entrusted to us temporarily and lose their value if hoarded or poorly managed. Steward them generously, and make daily time in Scripture the foundation.

00:00 Welcome & How We Met

02:00 What It Means to Be a "Finance Missionary"

03:50 Resisting the Call to Leave Security

06:21 Surrender and Leaving Her Job

08:38 Exodus to Canaan: Life's Many Egypts

17:20 How Her Career Prepared Her

23:16 Bringing Wealth-Level Attention to Everyday Families

27:10 Technology and Annie, the AI Financial Steward

32:12 Why Everyone Deserves a Financial Steward

37:19 Spend for Souls & Starting Each Day in the Word