Sam Schneider and Dan Glaser trace the arc of their two-decade real estate partnership on Inside Deal, from cold-calling interns to co-founders of Imperium Capital. Dan recounts his early exposure to Manhattan real estate through Rangers games with his father, an internship in office leasing that taught him to canvas relentlessly, and a second internship at City Habitats that introduced him to investment sales. The conversation moves quickly to their meeting at KMG Partners in 2005, the shift to Eastern Consolidated during the financial crisis, and the decision to launch Imperium in 2010 with no salary, no safety net, and desks borrowed from Centurion. They discuss: - Why they structured C-corp acquisitions to avoid double taxation and landed the Apple Store building in SoHo for $75 million - How a cold call on a Chelsea apartment building turned into a same-day flip with a hidden buyer sitting in the closing room - The origin of IG Logistics after discovering truck parking in Atlanta and tripling NOI on a Denver site while still under contract - Why being a broker first builds the deal-sourcing skillset that AI cannot replicate - How problem-solving under pressure across zoning codes and municipalities separates successful operators from everyone else This episode captures the mechanics of off-market dealmaking and the mindset required to build a platform from scratch in a fragmented asset class. (00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:00) - Growing up on Long Island(00:03:31) - First interest in real estate(00:04:12) - Cold calling as an office leasing intern(00:06:25) - City Habitats and learning investment sales(00:10:28) - Meeting at KMG Partners(00:11:52) - The 2006 market shift(00:14:04) - Moving to Eastern Consolidated(00:14:17) - Learning from top brokers at Eastern(00:19:05) - Understanding OPM and capital structures(00:26:05) - Starting Imperium Capital(00:32:45) - First months at Imperium(00:34:21) - Building a sports team culture(00:36:59) - First building on Worcester Street(00:37:42) - The Apple Store building deal(00:40:46) - Soho Square with Larry Gluck(00:45:35) - The Chelsea flip transaction(00:53:24) - Discovering industrial outdoor storage(01:01:34) - COVID and the Nashville deal(01:05:32) - LaPan Street Denver creative structuring(01:09:36) - Birth of IG Logistics platform(01:11:33) - Vision for the future(01:13:22) - Overcoming adversity(01:18:05) - Essential skills for real estate(01:19:59) - Career advice for aspiring operatorsShow Platforms:   Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-deal/id1896846542?uo=4   Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/033poSD8Wsy72Xnb2mKB4Z Speaker Profiles:   Sam Schneider     LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-schneider-11234826/   Dan Glaser     LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-glaser-3bb06445/ Companies:   Imperium Capital — https://www.imperiumcap.com

Sam Schneider and Simon Ziff sit down at Miami Beach's historic Bath Club to explore what it takes to build lasting success in commercial real estate finance. Simon, president of Ackman-Ziff, traces his path from a small Pennsylvania town to leading one of the industry's most respected debt and equity brokerage firms for over three decades. The conversation covers how he built a culture around execution over ego, why internal alignment matters more than star producers, and how cultivating deep client trust has kept the firm thriving through multiple market cycles. They discuss: - Why knowing more than your competition is the foundation of long-term success - How Ackman-Ziff structured teams to avoid internal conflicts and encourage collaboration - The value of staying at one firm versus pivoting early in a career - Why Simon advises his own son to work elsewhere for five years before considering the family business - How AI is being used to improve execution and capital sourcing without replacing human judgment This episode on Inside Deal offers a candid look at relationship-driven deal-making and the discipline required to sustain a competitive edge in institutional real estate finance. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:52) - From Phillipsburg to Penn State (00:03:32) - Moving to New York City (00:05:40) - Joining Ackman Brothers (00:06:12) - Building a competitive advantage (00:09:13) - Focus over money (00:11:20) - Pivoting in capital markets (00:14:06) - Finding money through reputation (00:15:44) - Sam's path to Michigan (00:20:52) - Day trading to real estate (00:22:33) - Cold calling and canvassing (00:23:46) - Starting Imperium Capital (00:24:59) - What you know over who you know (00:25:51) - Building authentic relationships (00:28:27) - Building Ackman Ziff's culture (00:30:07) - Execution over sales (00:33:15) - The trust business (00:38:29) - Team structure and collaboration (00:43:51) - Teaching and mentorship (00:44:35) - Family business lessons (00:46:09) - Next generation entering the business (00:47:36) - Know more than others (00:50:03) - Embracing AI in brokerage (00:53:43) - What excites Simon most Links: Show Platforms:   Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-deal/id1896846542?uo=4   Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/033poSD8Wsy72Xnb2mKB4Z Speaker Profiles:   Sam Schneider     LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-schneider-11234826/   Simon Ziff     LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonziff     Twitter / X — https://x.com/SimonZiff_AZ Companies:   Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group — https://www.ackmanziff.com/   Imperium Capital — https://www.imperiumcap.com

Bill Martin joins Sam Schneider on the Inside Deal Podcast to reflect on a career that spans real estate development, banking, college athletics, and leadership at the Olympic level. Bill shares how a chance job posting at the University of Michigan led him into real estate, eventually building First Martin into a major development firm and founding the Bank of Ann Arbor. The conversation explores the lessons he learned navigating public approvals, scaling organizations, hiring leaders, and managing high-pressure roles simultaneously. Bill also discusses his unexpected path to becoming Athletic Director at the University of Michigan and President of the US Olympic Committee, offering candid insights into leadership, politics, perseverance, and long-term thinking. They discuss: • How Bill accidentally entered the real estate business while earning his MBA at Michigan • Building a real estate company from zero equity and running operations out of car trunks • The 17-year partnership with McDonnell Douglas that transformed First Martin • Why real estate development is fundamentally a “public sector business” • Leading the renovation of Michigan Stadium and navigating intense political opposition • Founding the Bank of Ann Arbor after frustrations with bank consolidation • How Bill managed leadership roles across real estate, banking, Michigan athletics, and the US Olympic Committee simultaneously • The hiring traits Bill values most, including humility, teamwork, and long-term thinking • Advice for young people entering real estate today, including working for experience before compensation • Lessons from Sam Zell and the importance of perseverance in building a career This episode is packed with practical leadership lessons and career insights for anyone interested in real estate, entrepreneurship, sports leadership, or institution building. Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:22) - Getting into real estate through a bulletin board job (00:06:22) - First major deal with McDonnell Douglas (00:09:08) - Navigating public sector approvals and Michigan Stadium renovation (00:12:06) - From real estate to Michigan athletic director (00:25:11) - Starting the Bank of Ann Arbor (00:29:00) - Managing multiple leadership roles simultaneously (00:37:01) - Hiring for team players and delegation (00:41:53) - The key to career success: perseverance and people (00:43:00) - Advice for breaking into real estate today Links: Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-deal/id1896846542?uo=4   Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/033poSD8Wsy72Xnb2mKB4Z Speaker Profiles:   Sam Schneider     LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-schneider-11234826/     Imperium Capital - https://www.imperiumcap.com/  Companies:   Bank of Ann Arbor — https://www.bankofannarbor.com/about-us/help-center/   First Martin — https://www.firstmartin.com/about/ Organizations:   Urban Land Institute — https://uli.org/   US Olympic Committee — https://www.usopc.org/   US Sailing Association — https://ussailing.org/about/our-organization/   Weiser Center for Real Estate — http://studyrealestate.umich.edu/ Books:   Am I Being Too Subtle? — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318899/am-i-being-too-subtle-by-sam-zell/

If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build something extraordinary — not from a textbook, but from the trenches — this is The Inside Deal Podcast. I'm Sam Schneider, Managing Partner at Imperium Capital, and on this show, I sit down with the operators, investors, entrepreneurs, and dealmakers who've built remarkable careers and businesses from the inside out. Real estate is in our DNA, but the conversations go far beyond it — because the principles behind great deals, great companies, and great careers are universal. These aren't surface-level conversations about headlines or hype. They're real stories about risk, resilience, relationships, and the decisions that changed everything. From launching firms in the aftermath of the financial crisis, to building billion-dollar platforms across industries, to navigating massive pivots and coming back stronger after failure — these conversations are candid, tactical, and deeply human. This show is for ambitious people who want to understand how great careers and great businesses are actually built. Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, operator, student, or just fascinated by high-stakes decision making, you'll hear the lessons that rarely make it into conference panels or social media posts. You'll learn how exceptional people think through uncertainty, build trust, raise capital, spot opportunities others miss, and create relationships that compound over decades. And what makes these conversations different is that I'm not interviewing from the outside. I've lived this world myself — so these episodes feel less like interviews and more like sitting in on an honest conversation between people who've spent years navigating the business together. This is The Inside Deal Podcast.