Imagine that you’re a new mayor in a big city. From day one, you’ve had to battle against a shadow city government engaging in corporate espionage, sabotage, price-fixing, cut-throat competition, anti-trust activities, organized crime, and wholesale fraud. The banks threaten to upend the city financially, try to push you to sell the cities utilities so that they can raise rates at will, subvert the media, and when they find out they can’t buy you, they try and kill you.
Sounds like a block buster movie, but my first guest, Dennis Kucinich, shares the story of how one man took on government corruption and defended Cleveland citizens. He joins us to discuss the current situation with utilities in America, why utility bills and taxes are so high and who is really making the decisions affecting their social and economic life, and provides a road map showing how a principled approach to everyday life can empower each of us to find the courage to do the right thing.
After a year of canceled vacation plans and weekends spent lounging around at home, travelers are eager to get back out in the world. As they make their summer plans, a significant amount will opt for the privacy, comfort, affordability, and unique experience of a vacation rental, adding to the growth of this highly lucrative and equitable industry and creating a window of opportunity for those looking to invest.
My second guest, Vacation Rental Expert Christina VanDergrift, has released “Vacation Rentals: The Ultimate Guide: My Wealth-Creating Secrets with Little to No Money Down! to help curious newcomers and traditional rental owners better understand this flourishing market. She joins us today to share how vacation rentals are more lucrative than traditional rentals for those that have the latter already and how anyone can own, enjoy, and generate wealth from a vacation rental property regardless of budget, education, or experience.
Dennis Kucinich is former Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio (1977-1979), was in the Ohio Senate representing the 23rd district (1995–1997), spent 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives (1997-2013), and is the author of The Courage to Survive, an autobiographical work.
At age 31, Kucinich was the youngest mayor of a major city in the U.S., earning him the nickname, "the boy mayor of Cleveland." From day one, he had to battle against a shadow city government engaging in corporate espionage, sabotage, price-fixing, cut-throat competition, anti-trust activities, organized crime, and wholesale fraud.
That is, until Kucinich fought back, risking assassination attempts and the destruction of his personal life. One of America’s largest banks threatened to upend the city financially unless the new Mayor Kucinich agreed to sell the city’s publicly owned electric system, Municipal Light (now Cleveland Public Power), to the bank’s utility business partner, handing them a monopoly and the ability to raise electric rates to the sky.
The "powers that be" subverted the media. They tried to buy Kucinich, and when they discovered he could not be bought, they tried to kill him. The Cleveland mafia sought to murder him in a contract killing during the Columbus Day Parade, but these plans fell through when Kucinich was hospitalized and missed the event.
The Cleveland Trust Company suddenly required all of the city's debts to be paid in full, forcing the city into default after Kucinich's refusal to sell the city utility, and the mafia leaders called off the contract killer. For years, these debts were routinely rolled over, pending future payment, until Kucinich's announcement was made public. In 1998, the Cleveland City Council honored him for having had the "courage and foresight" to stand up to the banks, which saved the city an estimated $195 million between 1985-1995.
Vacation Rental Expert, Christina VanDergrift, understands the challenge of having big dreams but little money or experience to take the steps toward attaining them.
Through her work, she strives to use her unwavering motivation and lessons learned to educate, inspire, and empower people who are interested in getting into the vacation rental industry, real estate, or business in general but don’t know where or how to begin.
Starting with only grit, determination, and a willingness to learn and put in the work, Christina is now a real estate broker and entrepreneur with multiple businesses under her belt, including a car wash, vacation rental management company, and settlement company.
Her real estate expertise also includes vacation rental property management and renovating/flipping investment properties. Throughout Christina's career, she has received various awards and recognitions, including North Central Penn Board of Realtor’s “2019 Realtor of the Year” and distinction as one of Pennsylvania Business Central’s “Top 100 People” in January 2020.
To help curious newcomers and traditional rental owners better understand this flourishing market, Christina has released “Vacation Rentals: The Ultimate Guide: My Wealth-Creating Secrets with Little to No Money Down!,” an educational, engaging, and easy-to-read guide that demonstrates that regardless of budget, education, or experience, anyone can own, enjoy, and generate wealth from a vacation rental property.
She has also launched her virtual Vacation Rental Academy to provide educational resources to individuals ready to take the next step in becoming vacation rental owners. For more information, please visit christina-vandergrift.com, or connect with her on Facebook (@MsChristinaVanDergrift), Twitter (@CRCVanDergrift), and Instagram (@christinavandergrift).