This week in Dadages, Chad Hagle hosts a new installment of the Entrepreneur’s Corner series, this time with guest Jonathan Orr, not only an entrepreneur but also an alum of Chad’s company, Aventine Development Corporation. The conversation begins with Jonathan sharing some of his background with the Dadages friends and family, including his time at Chapman University in California and what led to his involvement in real estate and his time with Aventine. 


Jonathan grew up in Southern California and played football in college. The fact that his father was a real estate developer inspired Jonathan to get into the business. He had experience working for Hilton Hotels and other real estate firms, which eventually led him to work at Aventine. Chad and Jonathan then discuss the time of Jonathan’s job interview and hiring, and Chad reveals what is important to him when hiring and selecting people to work with him or in his companies. Chad emphasizes the importance of getting past a “me first” attitude to succeed. 


Jonathan also shares some candid stories of his experience working for Chad Hagle, how he discovered a lot about himself during that time, everything he learned that he has applied in his professional life since (like working remotely before it was common), memories about business road trips, as well as some of the challenges that the industry was facing at the time and how they worked to overcome them, using a time of crisis as an opportunity. 


The conversation continues as Jonathan explains what he has been doing professionally since his time with Aventine. He’s built his business as a developer with a focus on flexibility and adaptation, which he believes are key elements in the current environment. He also discusses the importance of time and how to maximize it by surrounding himself with the right people and setting up clear expectations when it comes to time. In addition, Jonathan shares what it has meant to him to work with family members and what challenges and blessings that setting has brought to him and his business. Chad then gives Jonathan the opportunity to pitch his new venture, 356 Development Advisors, what it does in real estate, its unique business model, and its value proposition. 


As part of this series, the tables turn and the guest gets to ask the host questions pertinent to their business. Jonathan asks for Chad’s opinion on what to look for when interviewing and hiring third-party contractors and how to select the right people to work with. Chad also offers his advice on topics like team building, expansion and diversification to new markets in real estate, communicating and connecting with investors and property owners, and balancing and integrating work and family life. Finally, Jonathan shares a classic dad joke to end the interview!

Make sure you tune in to this episode of Entrepreneur's Corner to learn valuable insights about the real estate business from experienced professionals in the field.