Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Ryan Zomorodi of San Diego

Ryan Zomorodi shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ryan, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, what’s been bringing me the most joy is our new dog, Nala. She’s our first dog, and we adopted her when she was just 11 weeks old. I’ve always considered myself a cat person—I grew up with cats my whole life—but my wife really wanted a puppy. I could see how much it meant to her, so I agreed, even though I wasn’t totally sure what to expect.

Now, I’m completely converted. Nala has such a big personality and brings so much happiness to our home. After long or stressful days at the office, she’s always there to greet me with that unconditional excitement that only a dog can give. It’s been a great reminder to slow down, be present, and appreciate the simple things—like that tail-wagging joy waiting for you when you walk through the door.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Ryan Zomorodi, co-founder and COO of Real Estate Skills, an education company that’s helped over 4,000 students across the U.S. learn how to wholesale, flip, and invest in real estate. My journey started in the corporate world at PepsiCo, where I was working long hours, saving what I could, and chasing the traditional version of success—until I realized that path wasn’t going to give me true freedom or fulfillment.

That realization pushed me to buy my first out-of-state rental property. It was a leap of faith, but it completely changed the trajectory of my life. Since then, I’ve completed more than 100 real estate deals—from wholesales and flips to long-term buy-and-hold rentals—and acquired properties in over a dozen states. Today, my rental portfolio spans five states and generates multiple six figures of passive income each year, giving me the freedom to focus on what really matters: helping others do the same.

Through Real Estate Skills, I’ve seen thousands of people transform their lives by learning to invest, but I also noticed a gap. Many people didn’t want to flip houses or wholesale—they simply wanted a safe, proven path to build wealth and passive income through rentals. That’s why I created the Rental Income Club, a new community and concierge service that helps investors turn their savings into steady cash flow, one property at a time. It’s designed for people who want to build freedom and legacy through real estate—without the stress, guesswork, or late-night tenant calls.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment that changed how I see the world was when I realized that working harder at a job wasn’t going to buy me freedom. I was in my early twenties, working in corporate sales at PepsiCo, waking up at 4:30 a.m., driving from store to store, and spending twelve-hour days chasing quotas that didn’t mean much to me. On paper, I had everything I thought I was supposed to want—a good salary, benefits, and “stability.” But inside, I felt trapped.

That’s when it clicked: if I kept trading my time for money, I’d never truly get ahead. I started studying people who had real financial freedom, and every path kept leading back to real estate. Buying my first rental property was the moment everything shifted. It wasn’t just about making money—it was about taking back control of my life. That decision gave me proof that freedom is built through ownership, not employment. Ever since, I’ve seen the world through that lens: wealth isn’t about how much you earn—it’s about how much freedom you can create for yourself and others.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering through my first corporate job taught me the true value of time—and how little money can mean when you’re trading your life for it. Right out of college, I landed what most people would call a dream job at PepsiCo. On paper, it looked perfect: great salary, strong benefits, and a name that stood out on a résumé. But in reality, I was working 60-hour weeks, waking up at 4:30 a.m., and pouring everything I had into a role that left me drained and unfulfilled.

I stayed with it because I’m big on following through with my commitments. I wanted to see it through and prove I could succeed. But through that grind, I learned that no matter how much effort I put in, my income—and my growth—were capped. The skills I was building weren’t transferable beyond that narrow lane, and I realized that wasn’t the kind of life or freedom I wanted to build.

That experience taught me the real value of money: it’s not just about what you earn, it’s about what you exchange to earn it. If I was going to suffer, I wanted it to be in pursuit of something uncapped—something with exponential potential. That’s what drew me to entrepreneurship and real estate. I knew I’d always work hard, but if I could direct that same effort toward building assets instead of someone else’s dream, the results could compound for a lifetime.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Honesty and integrity—without question. In real estate, your word is everything. You’re often dealing with large sums of money, people’s livelihoods, and life-changing decisions, and I’ve learned that how you do one deal is how you do every deal.

From day one, I’ve built my businesses on transparency and doing what’s right—even when no one’s watching. That means being upfront with clients about both the opportunities and the risks, honoring commitments, and never prioritizing short-term gains over long-term trust.

In my experience, integrity compounds just like real estate does. When you do the right thing consistently, doors open, relationships deepen, and opportunities grow in ways you can’t predict. So whether it’s with my team, my students, or my investors, honesty and integrity are non-negotiable. They’re the foundation of everything I do.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think the biggest misunderstanding will be that I’m doing all of this just for the money. From the outside, it might look that way—building companies, growing a portfolio, teaching people how to invest—but for me, it’s never been about chasing dollars. It’s about chasing freedom.

Money is just the vehicle. What truly drives me is creating a life without ceilings—where I can choose how I spend my time, who I spend it with, and what I build next. I’ve lived the corporate 9-to-5 life, and I know what it feels like to be trapped in a system that trades your time for a paycheck. Real estate and entrepreneurship became my way out of that.

Yes, I’m competitive, and I love playing the game of business—it’s the ultimate test of personal growth. But what fulfills me most is knowing that the same systems that set me free can do the same for others. Over time, my goal is to keep using that freedom to work on even more meaningful projects—like helping educate others and supporting causes that tackle homelessness and hunger.

At the surface, people might see success and think it’s about wealth. But underneath it, it’s really about impact, growth, and proving that with the right mindset and systems, anyone can rewrite their future.

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