In this episode of the Dream Start Own podcast, Edgar “The Connector” Salgado sits down with veteran investor and closer Derby Perez to unpack how mindset, visualization, and the right rooms took him from hustling in real estate since 1985 to 300+ fix and flips, 1,800 home sales, 89 rentals, and big commercial deals—including a historic $11M hotel project.
Derby shares how he used goal-setting, journaling, and mentors like Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, Zig Ziglar, and Pace Morby to completely change his income ceiling, rebuild after losing it all, and design a life where he works from his laptop, travels, and now focuses on cash-flowing real estate, sober living, and VA housing with partners. He also breaks down why “who you hang around” is everything and how to upgrade your environment, not just your tactics.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro & who is Derby Perez
02:00 The $11M historic hotel deal that fell through (and why it was a blessing)
07:30 Using ChatGPT, SBA loans & federal grants to underwrite big projects
11:50 Derby’s real estate journey: 300+ flips, 1,800 homes sold & 89 units
18:00 From real estate burnout to high-ticket phone sales & laptop lifestyle in Brazil
24:00 Vision boards, journaling goals & how he manifested the Rolex, boat & Porsche
30:30 Bankruptcy, “debt free,” and the power of writing things down
33:30 Mindset, mentors & investing in yourself (Tony Robbins, Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant, Landmark)
39:30 Breaking generational patterns & choosing the right friends and rooms
44:30 Sober living, VA living & buying 30–100 single-family homes in the Midwest
49:30 Where Derby’s income comes from today & how to work and partner with him
52:30 Final advice on belief, manifestation & getting back up after setbacks
Connect with Derby:
Facebook: Derby Perez
Instagram: @derbyperez
Buy box & deals: DerbysBuyBox.com (check his socials for the latest link)
Connect with Edgar:
Website: edgartheconnector.com
Instagram: @EdgarTheConnector
Follow Dream Start Own, rate this episode, and share it with someone who needs a mindset reset, wants to break out of the W2 path, or is ready to use belief and better rooms to transform their real estate journey.
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🚧🚧🚧 DISCLAIMER 🚧🚧🚧
We are not a CPA, attorney, insurance, contractor, lender, or financial advisor. The content in these videos shall not be construed as tax, legal, insurance, construction, engineering, health & safety, electrical, financial advice, or other and may be outdated
