S5E10 | From Fighting to Funding with “Sam” Sarkis Chivitchian
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
“Sam” Sarkis Chivitchian is the founder and CEO of Secured Capital Lending, a direct private lending firm specializing in private money and hard money loan products — including fix and flip, construction loans, DSCR, commercial bridge, land loans, and asset-based financing. With over 20 years of experience in real estate and finance and more than 1,200+ transactions closed, Sam has become a recognized voice in the private lending industry. He frequently shares his expertise as a guest speaker at national conferences, podcasts, and industry events. Beyond lending, Sam is a real estate...
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S5E9 | Wall Street Wisdom: Insights From Charlie Woo
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Charlie Woo, President of Fidelity Bancorp Funding, joins Kevin Kim in this episode of Lender Lounge. With a deep background in investment banking and a pivotal role in past industry-shaping transactions, Charlie shares why he moved from Wall Street to private lending. Fidelity Bridge Loans focuses on small-balance bridge loans for commercial real estate with an emphasis on multifamily and business-purpose residential properties. Charlie discusses the firm’s strategic balance between retail and institutional capital, their selective growth into DSCR and construction lending, and the...
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S5E8 | The (Unofficial) Roast of Kevin Kim
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this special pre-Captivate episode of Lender Lounge, Fortra Law Partners Kevin Kim, Jennifer Young, and Nema Daghbandan trade industry insights, leadership philosophies, and plenty of jabs in a no-holds-barred “roast” of their own. Set against the backdrop of Captivate 2025, this episode blends serious economic forecasting with personal stories from the trio’s time building Fortra Law. From market expansion and DSCR strategies to parenting styles, grumpiness, and what it means to be a good older sibling (or not), the episode gives listeners an unfiltered, funny, and refreshingly...
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Cultivating Success Through Connection with Kendra Rommel
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kendra Rommel, co-founder of Futures Financial, joins Geraci Partner Jen and Geraci Attorney Nichole for a special “She-Shed” takeover episode of Lender Lounge. Kendra shares her unconventional path from retail to mortgage lending, her early operations experience, and the strategic decisions behind launching Futures with her partner David Rosenberg. The conversation explores balancing personal life and business, building a resilient team, lessons in partnership, and the importance of remaining adaptable in an ever-changing private lending market. Kendra’s story reveals the grit,...
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Live from Renovo’s Top Gun
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim hosts a special episode of Lender Lounge on location at Renovo Financial’s Top Gun Event in Los Angeles. Joined by Paul Shaughnessy, a top originator at Renovo, and Kevin Werner, CEO of Renovo Financial, the discussion delves into Renovo's culture of employee investment, relationship-driven lending, and long-term growth strategy. The guests highlight Renovo’s commitment to local market expertise, continuous learning, and a high-performance team culture that drives their success. Insights into client relationships, the importance of local market presence, and future ambitions for...
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When A Cardinal Appears
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Briana Hildt, CEO and Founder of Cardinal Capital Group, joins the show to share her remarkable journey in private lending. From starting in asset management to becoming one of Massachusetts' leading private lenders, Briana discusses how she transitioned from a loan broker to launching and scaling her own lending business. She provides insight into the challenges of breaking into the Northeast market, the importance of relationship-driven lending, and how strategic decision-making fueled Cardinal Capital’s success. Briana’s story highlights...
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A League of Their Own - Guimont Capital
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim interviews Daniel Guimont, CEO of Guimont Capital, and Kirsten Lundell Koester, the company's Chief Legal Officer, at their Bellevue office. Daniel and Kirsten share Guimont Capital's journey from its roots as Las Vegas Loans to becoming a diversified lender focused on high-value, diverse projects across the U.S., from real estate to business acquisitions. They discuss the company’s hands-on approach, unique underwriting process, and commitment to borrower relationships, emphasizing both operational experience and the human element in lending....
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Live At CAPTIVATE
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim hosts a live episode of Lender Lounge from the Captivate Conference at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Joining him are industry veterans Evan Stone, CEO of Champions Funding and Chairman of Community Savings, Dustin Wells, President of Dominion Financial Services Wholesale, and Dave Orloff, CEO of American Heritage Lending. This discussion explores the evolving landscape of private lending, particularly the intersections of consumer and business-purpose lending. The panelists dive into their experiences transitioning from consumer to business-purpose lending, the distinct challenges...
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Don’t Mess with Texas, Michael Hoffman - Longhorn III
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Mike Hoffman, CEO and President of Longhorn Investments, joins Kevin to share his journey into private lending and the growth of Longhorn Investments. Starting from a background in law with no real estate experience, Mike stumbled into the world of hard money lending during the 2008 financial crisis. He shares the origins of Longhorn Investments, its expansion beyond Texas, and the unique challenges of building a successful private lending business. Mike also discusses how the company adapted to market changes, including the decision to start a...
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“Constructive Conversation”- with Ben Fertig, President of Constructive Capital
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim welcomes back Ben Fertig. Ben is the founder and President of Constructive Capital, the leading national capital provider for DSCR Rental Loans and Residential Transitional Loans (RTL or Fix and Flip Loans). Prior to Constructive, Ben led Credit and Asset Management at Finance of America Commercial; and, before that, he served as Chief Operator Officer of Jordan Capital Finance, where he managed originations, credit policy, and capital markets. Ben was instrumental in the sale of the Jordan Capital Finance platform to Blackstone and Finance of...
info_outlineIn this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim interviews Daniel Guimont, CEO of Guimont Capital, and Kirsten Lundell Koester, the company's Chief Legal Officer, at their Bellevue office. Daniel and Kirsten share Guimont Capital's journey from its roots as Las Vegas Loans to becoming a diversified lender focused on high-value, diverse projects across the U.S., from real estate to business acquisitions. They discuss the company’s hands-on approach, unique underwriting process, and commitment to borrower relationships, emphasizing both operational experience and the human element in lending. Daniel reflects on lessons from his previous waste management venture, now applied to Guimont Capital’s approach, while Kirsten explains how her M&A background supports their current deal-making strategies.
This episode offers insights into balancing growth with careful underwriting, maintaining client relationships, and defining long-term goals in the private lending market.
Bullet Points:
[00:01:15] Introduction to Guimont Capital's background and their transformation from Las Vegas Loans.
[00:04:23] Discussing Captivate 2023 sponsorship and its impact on brand visibility.
[00:06:48] Portfolio diversity: from raw land development to resorts and office spaces.
[00:09:25] Unique underwriting process centered on asset and borrower alignment.
[00:13:55] Leveraging past operational experience in lending practices.
[00:18:34] Focus on genuine, transparent borrower relationships.
[00:21:16] Story of Daniel’s early career and growth in waste management.
[00:27:48] The formation of the Guimont family office.
[00:32:53] Strategies for maintaining diversified investments in lending.
[00:37:08] Thoughtful approach to growth and capital sourcing.
[00:43:23] Challenges and benefits of being self-funded.
[00:50:49] The importance of borrower communication in risk management.
[00:55:32] Guimont Capital’s plans to maintain a borrower-centered approach while scaling.
[01:01:18] Long-term vision: patient growth and strong client relationships.
Links:
Learn more about Guimont Capital at https://www.guimontcapital.com/
Learn more about Geraci Law Firm at https://www.geracilawfirm.com
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