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EP # 226 Unleashing Potential: Chris MoneyManGreek's Inspiring Journey from Mortgages to Solar Innovation
Ever wondered how a nickname like "Moneyman" is earned? Meet Chris "MoneyManGreek" Sotirakopulos , a powerhouse in both the mortgage and solar industries, who has transformed his life's challenges into a beacon of hope and innovation. From his early days as a college graduate stepping into the unknown world of mortgages to becoming a vice president, Chris's journey is a testament to resilience and a passion for helping others. He shares how his focus on education, rather than mere selling, has made a difference in renewable energy. Chris's commitment to mentoring the next generation, including his sons, showcases his belief in building future leaders who are informed and motivated. His story is filled with insights on the importance of a holistic approach to success, emphasizing health, fitness, and a forward-thinking perspective in financial services.
Chris opens up about his personal battles and triumphs, offering heartfelt reflections on overcoming addiction and embracing a life full of intention and positivity. His narrative doesn't shy away from the tough parts, instead highlighting the transformative power of recovery and faith. With his ties to Marco Island and his spiritual journey at Mission Church in Bloomingdale, Illinois, Chris explores the depth of Christian community and the meaning behind the often-overlooked word "amen." There's a palpable excitement as he looks towards the future with the Money Man Greek venture and the potential of the year 2025, driven by a vision of community, relationships, and faith. Whether it's through parenting or coaching, Chris Greek's story is a compelling reminder of the impact one individual can have on the world around them.
Chris "MoneyManGreek" Sotirakopulos
(630) 561-7500
moneymangreek@gmail.com
Facebook
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MoneyManGreek.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.
Speaker 3:Welcome Good Neighbors to episode number 226 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have Good Neighbor Chris Moneyman greek, being interviewed by Cabo Wabo Jim. This is like a match made in heaven, right being interviewed by Cabo Wabo Jim.
Speaker 2:This is like a match made in heaven right Always baby. So glad to be on here, man. We're both two smiling individuals that appreciate life. It looks like right?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. It's about getting the most out of life and enjoying the people around you, and helping the people around you as well, too. So, without further ado, let's jump right in. And well, first, how'd you get that name?
Speaker 2:Money man Greek and it started number one. Hey, can you say Sotirakopulos ? Look at it. And no one can say it. And I've been in the mortgage industry for 26 years and everyone always called me the Greek and I sell money. And no, everyone butchers my last name, so it's got nothing to do with money. Hey, everyone needs a sense of humor in uh, in the mortgage, uh, business, in the solar industry. And money man Greek just stuck like hey, call money man Greek, he'll figure it out. Money man Greek. You can just google money man Greek, all one, all my stuff comes up and it's just, it's stuck and it's got nothing to do with money. Like I said, it's just, it's everything with that last name. And I got tired of people saying Chris, such such, such, such such such, butchering it. So Money man Greek.
Speaker 3:And you become this larger than life persona as well too.
Speaker 2:I love it Right behind me too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, life persona as well too. It's. I'd love it. Right behind me too. Yeah, exactly, I love it. So let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in the mortgage and solar industry?
Speaker 2:like anything, man. I was out of college, I was confused man trying to figure out a path. I knew nothing about the mortgage industry and someone's like do you know anything about fannie mae? And I'm like fannie mae, the candy company I, literally I was greenest green to be.
Speaker 2:But I was intrigued. I got offered a job and it kicked off. This was in 99, so 2000, I started. They told me it would take about six years to become a salesperson. So I'm like six years, all right. I'm 23.
Speaker 2:At the time I got everything, nothing to lose and everything to gain here. So I learned the business as fast as possible. Within three I think it was three months I became a salesperson, learned the business and, like anything, you're intrigued by money, like something that gravitates you to learn more and you know, just absorb as much in the business. So I did that. I was an account executive for eight years and I was a vice president of a mortgage company. So I've been doing that for 25 years and I love it. I have a passion for it.
Speaker 2:I'm also on the recruiting side. I've teamed up always with the biggest and the best companies. Right now I'm at a phenomenal company called Prefergrate, who's expanding in the Naples market. We 4X'd our business just in the past year, where a lot of people have gone backwards, so I am a vice president of business development for them. I also still originate loans, but I got introduced to solar about two years ago, about two and a half years ago in the gym. I love working out. Health comes first. Without health, you can't truly do anything.
Speaker 2:So I got introduced to this opportunity. I'm like man, we need a face, we need to be vice president of sales. Da, da, da da. I'm like solar. I'm like, wow, I don't know any solar guys. I know hundreds thousands of financial people, realtors, and they all tie together mortgages, realtor solar. I'm like, wow, clean, renewable energy. I'm like it's an untapped market. It is great for the environment.
Speaker 2:It's a bill that's never going to go away and, what's greater, you get to save people money. I truly thought about it. I'm like the two bills that truly are never going to go down, they're going to continue to go up are number one, your insurance bill, and number two is your energy bill. It's going to keep going up. It's simple logistics. It's going to keep going up. And it's simple logistics it's a monopoly the more people that get off the grid, the higher it's going to go. So I'm like, in today's sales world, with anything you need at-bats, you need the more people you talk to, especially when you like talking to people.
Speaker 2:I love talking to people. I love giving back. I looked at what do they call it the Gen, especially when you like talking to people. I love talking to people. I love giving back. I looked at what do they call it? The Gen Zs, these younger generation. I have two boys that are 19 and 21. One's at ASU, the other one's an entrepreneur doing things. But I get along good with that younger generation Number one. I'm 48 years old. I'm like stuck in a 25 year old body. I feel I have a lot of knowledge to give back to that Gen Z, that younger generation to, to help them, you know, find a pathway through life. And that is like my calling through. I truly believe God and the Holy spirit talking through me, saying here's your time to give back. And it's about giving back, educating people on a superior strategy.
Speaker 2:I don't sell solar. I educate people on a second option and truly I believe that, if I could, what I'm trying to create is a standard in a culture in that business where they're not going to be like me but like-minded people Like there's too much in, no matter what line of work you're in. There's no more standard in culture anymore. People just take a body. So I'm trying to take myself to being up here and take a group of young gentlemen. It could be people in their 30s, 40s, 20s. There's no age limit, but my time is very valuable to me. I have a lot to offer and I want to surround myself at people that want to grow in life. And I'm like what two great industries mortgages, all residential, recruiting, and then the solar they all feed.
Speaker 3:I love it, I love it, I love it. So let's talk about challenges. We've all had some type of challenge or obstacle along our journey, whether personally or professionally, that we've come across, and now we can maybe take a breath, take a step back and look and say you know what? I'm in a better place now because of it. Is there something that happened along your journey that you can? Oh?
Speaker 2:yeah, I can. I can go on for days and days on that. I that's something that truly my the way. I I don't know. I I talked to everyone. I come sincere from my heart, like I'm an open book, and I don't think there's a lot of people like that in today's world. I wish there were. But yeah, I've had trials and errors. I've lost things. The biggest thing that I could say is through it all. I keep this smile on my face, I wear my heart on my sleeve and listen, I've battled addiction for 25 years. A whole life like ups and downs, battling man. You go through all these trials and errors and I truly believe to that.
Speaker 2:It was July 12, 2021,. I threw in the towel. I said you know what? Enough is enough. I want to live my life a certain way and strive to be a better person every single day, and that was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made. And people battle addiction. It could be anything from drugs to alcohol. Everything Addiction is addiction and when something controls your life, I don't wish that on my worst enemy. So, giving back with people helping in that I'm an open book. Listen, I've had highs and lows and I've battled it and a lot of people sweep things under the carpet. I dig deep. You've got to have grit and dig deep to become a better, better person, and this is my year 2025, is my year of giving back, taking individuals with me. I'm high energy. Create a standard and a culture of a winning culture of people that just want to win, not only in business.
Speaker 2:like I said, business is 20% culture of people that just want to win, not only in business. Like I said, business is 20%. 80% is life, and that could be from relationships to parenting, to coaching, to God, to their health, like my big pillars are. You know, without health, you truly have nothing. Then you truly you have to have faith, you have to have trust, you have to, you know, always believe in a higher power, something greater than yourself, because you cannot carry the weight of this world on your shoulders. It'll knock you down and it's hard and a lot of people try and hold that weight on their shoulders and it's so tough. So the more I can reach the community this year, that's, that's my goal. I want to give back as much as I possibly can.
Speaker 2:I've been, I've been called and nicknamed in the mortgage industry, literally on 80 of my interviews. I'll go in there and within 15 minutes I get the same thing all the time. You are the Jordan Belford of the mortgage industry. I get it all the time. I'm like, there it is. I'm like, yeah, but you're the guy sitting across the seat making 10 million and I'm over here making this.
Speaker 2:So, now it's my time to give back. I enjoy talking, I enjoy educating and listen. I just I really with that the younger generation and listen. I just I really with that the younger generation, I get along great. And listen I was there once and listen. It's a confusing world right now. We don't always look at the bigger picture but I mean, if I can get back in the mortgage community along with this solar space, it's. They're two great industries. They go hand in hand. I'm passionate about what I do. I love what I do. It's not work, it's what I do. I get to talk to people and educate people on what I do.
Speaker 3:It shows. It shows in your passion, your energy. It's just very contagious as well too. I appreciate that. Are you from southwest florida originally?
Speaker 2:well the story on that crazy. I grew up in chicago western suburbs, uh, outside of chicago, st charles been coming to marco island since a little kid. Since, uh, as far as I can remember, I think the first time we went there second grade my grandparents had the 13th home built on Marco Island Wow. So my parents had their honeymoon there in 67. I have a long family history of Marco Island. I always knew I'd wind up back.
Speaker 2:After high school I went back to Marco Island two weeks before I turned 21. Went back to Chicago. There was no internet then. So I'm like I need to develop work ethic. I need to figure out something, because the beach and my suntan and the smile weren't going to pay the bill. So I'm like I'm not.
Speaker 2:I was doing tile at the time. I'm like I'm not going to do tile the rest of my life. I like talking. I didn't even know what I want to do at the time. I want to do at the time. But you know what? I went back to Chicago, got in the mortgage industry, got married, got a great wife out of it, had my two kids in 2003 and 2000,. 2005, stefan and Tommy. They're phenomenal great kids and like all that happened.
Speaker 2:So it's like one other piece of advice. One thing I stick with too, and I've, like I said, god gives you, god will give you hints in certain things in life. And I always tell people this, because people ask me how I raised my kids so good. Number one, it wasn't just me, it was my ex-wife. It's a 50-50 straight. I talk the talk, but she truly walks the walk with everything. She's the smart one, she's the most smart. I'm the gabber over here, but listen, you'll only have one shot at raising your kids. You don't get a do-over and your kids turn out listen, the way that they are, because, I hate to say it, you didn't do your job right as a parent.
Speaker 2:So I took a great pride at coaching them. I mean coaching all their sports. I I saw a guy calling at Wells Fargo one day I'm working, I'm like what's going on, buddy? He's like oh my God, my kids are off to D1 ball. Da-da-da-da-da. It's just me and the wife. Now I'm so sad. It's like I'm like he's like I coached all their sports. That next day I went out and got a head coach football job. When, when we go there, that's that baseball. That became my life. For a while I thought I was going to become a college coach. I had such passion and I loved coaching these young kids and seeing them develop. It was amazing. You only truly get one shot at raising your kids. That's your creation.
Speaker 3:It's a team effort Between you and the wife. It takes both of you and you know, uh, being involved is the biggest thing. So talk about being involved. I know you're a busy man, but when you get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work, which I love eating, I love going out, I love to travel, I love boating, I love seeing my kids Travel, food and just being around.
Speaker 2:Good people. There you go.
Speaker 3:I love dancing too.
Speaker 2:I listen to music all the time. I wake up first thing after I meditate, pray for my five 10 minutes, be grateful for the day. Thank you, the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit work within my life, praying for the right people to come into my life, remove the wrong people out of my life. I turn on music right after that, so music is what gets me going with my energy Dude. I listen, listened to all, from rap to music keeps you young too. It does. Music will keep you young.
Speaker 3:I'm a kid at heart and I call, I call. I call music the soundtrack of my life because I can take a song and go back to a moment in time where I remember that song and it fit a perfect time in my life. Absolutely, oh, oh, definitely. So so is there one thing that maybe our listeners don't know about Chris the money man. Great that they should know.
Speaker 2:One thing. No, I mean, like I said, I'm an open book. I'm at this point in my life and people have told me for years like I'll go to certain events and certain things. And people are like man, you need to give back to the world. You have so much knowledge and so much to give back and so much people hold a lot of stuff in. I like giving back so truly.
Speaker 2:This is this is my year. You're going to see Andy Elliott and that group is someone that I respect. He's done something and I've met him personally. I've met the Macklin twins. I've been with them that I've respect their line of work. I want to do the same thing in my line of work. So, listen, you're going to tune me in this year. I'm going to have a fun time doing it. I'm going to be dropping wisdom wisdom I pray for every day. Lord, give me wisdom every single day. And without wisdom and confidence, confidence is everything and our world is lacking confidence. With the internet, people are lacking confidence and just, they've been knocked down. They look at everyone's perfect life and it's life isn't perfect, but you know what? The way you perceive your life and the way you go out there and handle your life and we all have a choice. And I put on that smile on my face every day and I have a great time.
Speaker 2:I have have. I had the best time like knowing whatever. I had one of the hardest years of my life in 2024. I mean I had to figure out a new identity and navigate through certain things and no one in this world would have known it. Everyone just sees me as up and up. This is my year. From here on out, I'm going to take a run at this and have some fun. You know what we met at that event, jim, I'm a big believer. I should have prayed that a long time ago. Lord, continue to put the right people in my path and remove the wrong people out of the path that shouldn't be there, because I believe he introduced us.
Speaker 1:We looked at each other.
Speaker 2:He introduced me to Andy Elliott. He introduced me to the Macklin twins. He introduced me to this. Like all these great people come into your life, but a lot of people don't take those as signs. I'm a big believer in signs and I'm running with it and I can go full throttle. Right now. The only one that's holding me back is me and the great Lord above. Like no one holds me back, so it's like I'm excited.
Speaker 3:I'm excited to see where where life takes us in 2025. And I'm here with the journey, with you, and I'm looking forward to it. How would Alyssa's go about contacting you if they want to learn some more?
Speaker 2:Hey, I've had this same cell phone number. I've paid on my own since 15 years old. I had the same cell phone number. I've paid on my own since 15 years old. It's a 630-561-7500. 630-561-7500. You can Google Money man Greek. All one word Money man greek. My IG will come up.
Speaker 2:Hey, let me draw some knowledge too, some knowledge on something that no one knows. And I'm a Christian, I'm Greek, orthodox, but I found the best church called Mission Church in Bloomingdale, illinois. Phenomenal, but no one. I talk to Christians all the time and I asked the pastor and I'm like everyone says amen, amen, and no one knows the definition of amen, what it truly means, and I've asked thousands of people and no one truly knows. I mean, certain people have gotten close. So when you're saying amen, when you're going through everything, lord, give me this, help me through this, help me navigate through this, help me be a better person. Truth be told so. Amen means truth be told, so at the end of it, it's truth be told. So I also have amen. Truth be told so. But now, mmg, money man Greek, it's all going that way. It's just, I see it, I see it on stage. It's going to be a ride, it's going to be fun.
Speaker 3:I'm excited. I'm excited. Chris, it's been a pleasure getting to know you. I look forward to seeing you more in the community and where life is going to take us in 2025. And I hope to see you soon.
Speaker 2:Cheers, Jim, let's have some fun baby. Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpestero. com. That's gnpestero. com