Entrepreneurial Empire
Learn the fundamentals of where you are in business and how to scale with your host Jacqueline. Your business will go through many stages, and every stage will have it's own set of requirements. Let's unravel the journey ahead together and find strategic solutions that will help you conquer it all.
Entrepreneurial Empire
Luxury, Limits, and the Long Game
A heated drawer for towels might seem like a tiny luxury, until you hear how details like that became the spark for a life built on creativity, family, and freedom. We sit down with Adam and Hope Monaco to unpack how a restless rule‑breaker found his lane in custom homebuilding, why European streets and cruise ship suites changed the way he designs, and how a Victorian mansion in Seguin became a living, breathing business that brings people together.
Adam shares candid lessons from decades of building: the joy of turning a vacant lot into a legacy, the hard truth about pricing a hand‑built product, and the emotional toll of projects when boundaries aren’t clear. Hope steps in with the operational backbone, scoping, sequencing, and protecting margin, so creativity can thrive without crushing the bottom line. Together, they reveal a blueprint for entrepreneurs who want both craftsmanship and cash flow.
We explore The Abbott House story, from spotting the right for‑sale sign to opening a venue that hosts weddings, comedy nights, haunted mansion tours, and bachelorette sleepovers. The property isn’t just beautiful; it’s a financial engine that funds upkeep, supports retirement flexibility, and creates jobs for their daughters. We also zoom out to the Texas market: rapid growth, shifting interest rates, and the real estate tailwinds that helped younger buyers “collapse time” on wealth building.
For rental beach house vibes in Port Aransas, Texas click here to make your reservations: Tinyurl.com/monacobeach
For the beautiful event venue space in Seguin, Texas click here: theabbotthouseevents.com
For your next home builders project book time with Adam Monaco at Black & White Homes LLC monacatclaims@yahoo.com
If you care about design that lasts, businesses that serve people, and family enterprises that outlive their founders, this conversation delivers practical wisdom and fresh inspiration. Come for the heated floors, stay for the mindset: live below your means, save with intent, keep learning, and be ready when opportunity knocks.
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Welcome to the Entrepreneurial Empire Podcast. This is the place where you can find business and career strategies, techniques, and real-life success journeys of individuals who have built their businesses to the million-dollar revenue mark and beyond. I'm Jacqueline Hernandez, Life Coach and Business Development Consultant. I have worked with startups, Fortune 100 companies, network marketing, direct sale organizations, churches, nonprofits, and government agencies, all to become the authority experts in their industry. Lead with people and scale their revenue. Let's get started. Hello, entrepreneurs, and welcome back to an episode of Entrepreneurial Empire. Today we have with us our special guests. We have Hope and Adam Monaco. Hi, Hope. Hi. Hi.
SPEAKER_02:Hello.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, let me tell you a little bit about them. They are one of my favorite couples. Um, oh my gosh, every time I think of Hope, I think of Adam. Every time I think of Adam, I think of Hope. They are a dynamic duo and they are just doing amazing things here in the Texas area, the Texas region. Okay. So Adam, a successful home builder. I mean, I got the opportunity to see his work ever since uh what 2000 and oh my god.
SPEAKER_03:2008, 2009? Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Don't say that long ago.
SPEAKER_02:Isn't that crazy?
SPEAKER_00:Yesterday. So yes, I used to come out all the way from San Jose, California to, and I would see Adam. He would take me to his properties and see what they're working on. I mean, it was the first time I had ever seen in 2008 seeing heated floors and heated drawers for your bathroom towels. I was so impressed. It was amazing. Yeah, so I'm like, wow, this is crazy. Uh and so he was just, you know, really invested in the craft of what he was doing as a home builder. So super exciting with that opportunity as well. And then today they're they actually own a property called the Abbott House, and this is where you could do uh wedding venues, uh bachelorette parties, sleepovers, you know, uh it's amazing. And we're gonna talk about that property also and what they're doing in that space. And then also our grandparents, very successful grandparents, amazing parents as well. So, Adam, we're gonna go ahead and kick this off. Tell us a little bit about how you became an entrepreneur. Like what made you say, I don't want to work for somebody else, I want to be an entrepreneur and start my own business.
SPEAKER_03:You know, I basically the idea, the fact that I don't like staying in one place at one time. And then, because I like to move around, staying in just an office just absolutely did not appeal to me in any way, shape, or form. And I was a terrible employee. I, you know, many times I did not comply to the rules. I like breaking the rules a little bit. And unfortunately, we work for other people. What happens? You become fired. You may you and then what happened many times is one person within the organization would love me, would fire, would hire me back, and then sooner or later I get fired again because I didn't want to comply completely. So, you know, entrepreneurial people are those that want to break out, and and I wanted to, I wanted to, I wanted to control my hours, and I wanted to, I like long lunches, you know, things that aren't typically allowed when you're when you're working for someone. I mean, they're they're gonna time that that time, and and justifiably so. So, you know, that was very important to me. And I and I liked working unusual hours sometimes when I felt you know more uh more engaged in the in the opportunity or what I was doing, I felt motivated to work. So you could work during times that maybe a business wouldn't be open, so there's no way to earn income during that during those unique hours and times.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh. Okay, you totally rock that question, seriously, because that is really the essence of entrepreneurship. I feel like it's people that can't be hired because they're unemployed, they're uh what do you call it? They're not good employees, and um, they're rule breakers. I mean, that is really the essence of entrepreneur space as well. They're rule breakers and they're trying to design something that doesn't exist or outside of the framework of what does exist, right? Um and then I love what you said there about the bank, about bankers' hours versus your own hours. I can't even begin to tell you as much uh for me. I'm working at like two in the morning sometimes because that's my creative space. I'm like, oh my gosh, I got an idea, and now I'm pounding out the hours till two in the morning. And it's like if you are working for nine to five, you're not getting paid for those hours. And businesses are very strict at we can't pay you for the hours. Your hours are this. Well, maybe I'm not creative in those hours, you know.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and sometimes, like you said, the your life changes, and so it's it is hard to become tied down to one schedule when you are entrepreneurial in nature, and you know, you we take the headaches. I know, Jacqueline, you know, you're you're accepting a lot more risk in your life, and you're accepting uh, you know, uh more more time, more more time invested more in your business than you probably would working for somebody else. But there's also a lot of reward in that time.
SPEAKER_00:But I feel like that's definitely uh I kind of I have to say it's it's more rewarding though, because you know that what you're doing, the work that you're doing, it's gonna go to something that is your vision and it's something that you're working towards, right? So it's a little bit more powerful at that point, right?
SPEAKER_03:That's correct. That's correct, you know. And you gotta be a little more outgoing. Sometimes uh maybe if you don't work as well with others, sometimes you get to choose exactly who you want to work with when you're on your own your own business.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, amen to that. I cannot tell you how many times I've turned business down and I'm like, not my vibe. All money is not good money, amen.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so you started out. How old were you, uh Adam, when you started out as an entrepreneur after you got fired a few times?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that you know, really got into entrepreneurship about 1990. Really started to branch out. Well, okay, I knew that I knew that I wanted to create and be able to have maybe more opportunities.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Okay, so tell me about home building then. What how did what got you into the space of home building and how did you become so amazing at it? At what point did you become amazing?
SPEAKER_03:You know, I was in the real estate industry. So for my father was a home builder when he was young, and and when he was first getting started, he moved into the appraisal of real estate. So I was visiting homes all the time for different builders, and I was in and out of property, and I started to fall in love with real estate. And uh, having a little bit of an Italian background, I love creativity. So my idea was how can I, if I'm okay at drawing, but no one's gonna buy that. But if I use that creativity to create another object, use a palette with that vacant lot as my palette, and create a structure on there that is beautiful and pleasant to look at. Maybe that might be something I could market. So that was really the the motivation behind it, behind the construction. And I knew it would outlast me. You know, a lot of us want a legacy. We we have our children now, we know what's more important, but at that time I wanted something when when people, when I was gone, they could drive by and say, you know what, that that guy built that that structure is still standing today.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to talk since 2008. I would tell people about the opportunities that I would have to go and see some of the work that you would do and just my experience with that. And it was literally, I mean, people were like amazed when I would tell them about these heated drawers and stuff like that. But it really is about creativity. You uh for me, I didn't see you as just uh somebody that was building homes. I mean, you weren't building like track homes, you were building like experiences in inside of these homes. You were building a luxury experience, and that was something that was very attractive um in that space. But again, it's like what you said as an entrepreneur and leaning into your ethnic background as well. You're like, I want to be creative and I want to uh I want a canvas where I can be creative.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly. And I loved taking somebody's dream, seeing their photographs and pictures, even before Pinterest, asking them to pull the magazine out, show me what you want, a kitchen or what you want to see in your your living room or that fireplace or that one, maybe one particular area that we can concentrate some additional funds into it, and let's recreate that. Let's let's let's do that because a lot of times, like you said, they were buying a home, and maybe they could buy a home that that fit their fit their needs, but really didn't give them passion. So I said, look, let's fit most of your needs, but let's find an area that would truly make this unique. And and I I I would tell people a lot of home builders want to you to fit into their mold. I want to morph and chameleon myself into what you expect.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh, that is literally a conversation I just had this weekend. I was like, I feel like all the homes are not fitting to what you want, you know, it's more of like what they want to deliver and put out there. So I definitely agree with that. Now, on the business perspective, what how did you get the confidence to know that you were actually gonna make money doing this? You know, because that's a big thing when it comes to owning your own business and taking, you know, even investing money into it. You're like crossing your fingers, like, I hope people are gonna like it. I hope people are gonna want this. How did you get the confidence for that?
SPEAKER_03:You know, it was it really came down to the fact of seeing people's reaction to my product when they would look at it. We started off with uh with type used as an office quasi model home for a bit. Started this this this this home, built it, put a lot of ideas that we had together. And when people's reaction, I said, you know what? Well, let's sell off of this. So we use that as a as a base point. And I said, But you know what? I want to know what you want like what you you like what here, but I can redo some of these and we could duplicate, but let's make yours unique because I don't want it to look just like this house. So that was the way that I knew that at least we could attract people to our company, which my wife was very instrumental in helping, meeting with the new people, getting them to you know, a brand new guy saying, Look, I'm gonna build you a home, but at least I had something physical for them to look at. So sometimes you know you have to put out the risk first.
SPEAKER_01:He also built our own home. Our first dream home was built by him. He found a beautiful property by the lake when he was doing an appraisal and said, I'm gonna build us a home. And he literally did it from the ground up with the plans all the way through, and we've gotten so many compliments. We still live in that home today. You've been in that home.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I've stayed the night over there many times, and you know, it's in a beautiful home. I mean, every single detail in that home is just like amazing. It's picture worthy, it's magazine worthy. So definitely, you know, when you walk into your home, it's so it's interesting, right? Because sometimes you get like people that are painters or they're home builders, and then you go to their home and it's like, what happened here? We missed the mark, you know?
SPEAKER_02:And you know, we I have a little bit of that.
SPEAKER_03:My wife said, because you notice I put three or four different architectural styles, like, this one, I like that one. So I changed it up a bit. And people just like, you've you took a lot of chances. I said, I'm very eclectic home, yes, you know, and and that, but it also that helped to convey to other people that they could have some so take some risk in their home. You know, let's do something that doesn't just conform. Maybe we we do we we we place items that aren't always monochromatic through the home. Let's use different colors, you use different textures. If you want to do a different baseboard, let's do it here. Let's let's let's create some expression so that it does become a part of your personal and your being when we build expression.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. I don't you don't hear a lot of home build builders talking about expression and creativity when it comes to the art of what they're doing, right? But I can say this for sure 100%, you did not miss the mark when it came to your home. Everything matters in that house. So, but I do want to highlight on something that that was going on here the dynamic of you and hope, okay. I remember meeting uh you and hope back in 2008, and um just hope is a force, okay? She is a force you do not mess with, you are like she is the gatekeeper right there. And how do you feel about like that dynamics as well? Your wife um being involved in everything. I mean, you guys do everything together, and um, just being involved and her keeping you on your toes.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we we do back when he used to praise, I would drive around his car with him, and um one of the um big excitements about him being an entrepreneur is he could be his own boss. So if he wanted to take me on a vacation, we would go. And um, I got into some rough waters sometimes as a school teacher because I always wanted to take time off, and um, they make you go through hoops for that. But when I did get to retire at 52, um, we've been traveling around the world and he gets very inspired by European um style homes, and um, we've been to lots of different um countries where he's literally taken pictures and duplicated that when he comes home. So it's really a lot of fun. Currently, Adam is building homes for two of his daughters and our daughters, and um, he's gotten to use a lot of the contemporary inspiration he's gotten from going to different beach areas and different um places around the world. And it's so exciting. Like when you drive into the neighborhood we've lived in for 37 years and you see a whole new style in the neighborhood, it's because of his brain going crazy. He just lays awake at night coming up with ideas to do. My daughter called us this morning, as a matter of fact, in tears, saying, My home is so beautiful. I am sitting in my bathroom in tears because he put a giant Roman tub, he he did a wall-mounted toilet, very fancy items that you don't see very often. And he he just wanted her to have his dream, and so he created it, whether she chose it or not.
SPEAKER_02:I'd said these are legacies, you know, at some point and you you want to give back, you start to realize what's important, family, that time, and and if you can, and if you can pour into them, what greater gift can you do than to bring your business, involve your family, and be able to get to create something that is going to be long-lasting, not only for them, but now the grandchildren. Well, be well past the time that both of us are here.
SPEAKER_01:And part of his traveling, when um he was doing appraisal, we also took a trip to the beach, and he stayed in a home that inspired him to ask about some of the lots around it, and he found out about a property that we're sitting in right this moment, and he was able to acquire this property and renovate it and turn it into the prettiest house in the neighborhood, and we use it as a vacation home, but we also open it up to the public for um rentals, and that actually subsidizes his income when he doesn't want to work because he, as an entrepreneur, he doesn't have someone who has a built-in retirement plan for him, so yeah, we um use this home to uh channel that, and we also um decided that he's getting closer to retirement age. He just turned the big 6-0. We had a big party that you came to, and um he uh said that hope, you know, I really want to um find a way that I can comfortably, and he has very expensive taste. You ask him what he likes, he goes, just get me the very finest, and I'm happy. And I always have to tell him, you know, you're just on a beer budget, though.
SPEAKER_02:I love getting a good value, you know.
SPEAKER_03:I think most people do. I I I believe in getting the best value for your money or anything, and that was what I believed in putting the the whole idea of the home building. Anything I did for somebody, I wanted to show them the value of what they were getting.
SPEAKER_01:He he definitely finds the value, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:But not only that, I mean, to Hope's point, is what she's really highlighting is is that you kind of did your own research and you know, research and development with what you're doing in regards to bringing creative models into the space of the San Antonio area, Greater San Antonio, New Bronfels, Austin, all of these areas, right? Um, you're going to these different countries and you're not just there to vacation, you're there to, you know, take in inventory, take a look at different concepts, different ideas, and you know, different ways of doing things, and you're applying them here. You're you're really bringing in new concepts into this area, and your work shows for it. So, I mean thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Well, the architecture that you get from Europe is is is hard to deny how beautiful it is. I mean, obviously, you look at the the home that you talked about originally, the Abbott House. I mean, look at that Victorian style, which is reminiscent of European design of that of a period, and we took it over here, and then you know, with the because of the cost of homes and people wanting to have that quick uh just you know, justification and and excitement of having a home, we've seen homes be dumbed down where they become much more monochromatic and looking and not being able to build like they do in Europe. You know, I I hear that when I hear a European person says, We all want to build a home in in Texas in a few months, and in Europe it takes several years to build a house because they expect it to last centuries, not just to you know, 50, 60 years before it needs a total renovation again.
SPEAKER_00:I could actually see that absolutely. I mean, again, it is like what you said, kind of cookie cutter with everything and not real imagination. Um, I recently went into a home uh what was it last week we went to an event and I was shocked. I mean, I was literally shocked. I'm like, wow, the attention to detail in this house is is not normal. But that but to your your friends in Europe, to their point, it should be normal, right? Because that should be the standard, right?
SPEAKER_03:Uh but like I said, today people have to have so many stresses and they have so many other demands on there for their dollars, you know, it's always choosing that economy, choosing between alternatives. We need a home that fits this need. And like I said, and other people have different priorities, so it's not always the home can be the priority. And and like I said, and there's not a bad thing. That's that's the beauty about it, you know. Not every and you can wait later to do that when maybe the kids are gone. If you you pour more into them, then you can build that home that you truly want because you don't need as much space. Now you can do quality over quantity.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, I love we also um like to take cruises, and one of the inspirations he's had more recently is some of the bigger, finer cruise ships now have some really great designs. And he's actually picked up a lot of the fine things in the suites that are on these ships, and he's tried to reincorporate them into like one of the daughters' homes and in some of his clients, and it is really paying off because it's most of them are very um size conscious, so they teach you how to do things to save space in the home. So when he said he gives you value, he will, you know, make things that are very um space effective because of being in these tiny cruise ship rooms, but yet feeling like you're in a you know, a suite, you know, a penthouse suite, you have to have really good uh space orientation. So he's good at that as well.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I'll send you some photos. I'm going on a cruise and I'm in a suite, so I'll see you.
SPEAKER_03:You know, and and take advantage. They spend millions of dollars on architecture, the specific designers, sometimes multiple designers, the best interior decorators. You know, I tell people today with access to the internet, you get so much that you don't have to pay for. I mean, if you want to glean that, glean the colors, look for the best colors. You you can ask a search engine, this is the good thing, the internet, and and really come back and create something that's unique, that would have years ago cost you many, many professional fees to be able to recreate.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. Now, talking about your business, and what do you think the biggest lesson that you had to learn um that you learn from your own mistakes in business as as in general, you know?
SPEAKER_03:You know, I think one of the biggest mistakes is especially with me is is is it is sometimes not taking care of the business side. You know, it's fun to be creative, it's great. I love the interaction with people, but my biggest problem sometimes was having to difficult deal with the difficult conversations. When you're dealing with a home, you're talking some of the largest investment of people. And if you do not deal with that effectively, you can have a divorce in construction. It's like a marriage. And it's a very because it is, it's one of the most trying, you hear that, right? To build a home, especially a custom home together, can cause so much strife in a relationship. And you see this happening all the time. So that was something always difficult to navigate. And I have a personality that I hate. I'm an Italian, I'm a lover, not a fighter. So I wanted to always, I wanted to do it, and sometimes I would capitulate too much, and hope can tell you that. And so I would sacrifice my family for sometimes just to be able to create what somebody else's dream was, uh and and then would not be as successful as I could have been and should have been, maybe in the business side of home building.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, trouble asking for people to pay for what they purchase, you know. They they would have all these dreams.
SPEAKER_03:He says, Yes, I can do that, I can do that, and then you forget to say, but it all has a cost, you know, and uh people I get invested, I would be invested in that person's dream, and then we get caught up in the dream, and then so sometimes I would we forget that there is a cost for all of this. So I had to rein in a lot of that and get and get a better business. So, you know, you're gonna that's the one of the things I think in almost all businesses is having somebody that truly understands the cost value and what what they have to price things at to be able to actually realize a profit or to be able to compensate themselves for the for what they put into their own business.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh, I think that was the biggest lesson I learned in business. I remember doing this project and I quoted them X amount of money, and then then they did the add-ons and the this and this. By the time I was done with this project, I got paid zero and I actually put in$500 of my own money. I was like, how do you tell me?
SPEAKER_03:And business owners do it all the time. You know, we haven't educated people well enough out there, and they don't realize sometimes the value is. I always talk about home building and what we have today in custom building is a hand-built product. Compare that to a hand-built automobile. What are you gonna pay for a Rolls-Royce versus a Chevrolet? Four, five, six, seven times, maybe ten times more? Because what it's it's and it's gonna have more imperfections, maybe, than that machine built AI built machine. But because you had to put so many hands together, what happens? You have to pay more for it. And that and home build is one of the last frontiers, if you think about it, of a truly hand-built product where there's so much of it is not done by a machine.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, for sure. But I I mean, what you said there, I can't even say it's so true to even any type of industry is knowing your pricing, your packaging, and especially for you. Everything that you just said right now, you're very passionate about the details, you're passionate about your craft and the work and you know, the experience of the customer. And sometimes we forget about we put on the back burner like all the things that aren't the fun conversation, they're not the creative, you know, talking, building someone's dream. It's like the numbers and the budget and all of that stuff. So I can definitely see that being a challenge. It's a challenge for most business owners that are really good at what they do, you know.
SPEAKER_03:It is, it is, and that's what drove me into what you said this this business with my daughters. I have daughters that are having my wife's personality. She coming from uh a business side and and very driven on the numbers. So my oldest daughter has has been in the been in the the restaurant and hospitality business, learned to be very direct, have a very strong spine and backbone. And so taking her abilities and then looking at my children and say, how can I not only invest in them in construction, but how can I be long-term? Can we work together to not only get their help their goals, but them achieve hope and my goals as well?
SPEAKER_00:So I actually want to move into that conversation because you talked a lot about your home building and you talked about you know the sacrifices that you had to make to make that successful as well. And now today you are really existing in a space that is the Abbott House. And when I went to go see you guys, even for your birthday, I mean, obviously it's your birthday, but what the environment that I was exposed to was that this is a family affair here. This is a family like enterprise here. You are really moving into that space and building a family enterprise now, a family um with the Abbott House. You have your daughters that are involved, hope's involved. I mean, hope is just I'm telling you, she is a force to be reckoned with. Um, she is somebody that is very keen on what is gonna work, what's not gonna work, and she has no qualms telling you no.
SPEAKER_03:She does. She tampers me down, and a lot of my creativity, even on the few improvements and changes I wanted to make, she has tampered me down and said we can't do everything overnight. Patience, you know, taking a little more time.
SPEAKER_00:That is the best person to have right side by side with you and and leading in the directions you guys are going because she's gonna keep like sometimes for me, my my dreams are so big in what I want to do, but then I have that reality person that kind of anchors it down and says, Okay, but can this happen that way? And I'm like, Okay.
SPEAKER_01:I'll give you a perfect example of that. My husband and I decided to go shopping for a home that we thought we could do, um, like a bed and breakfast or um, you know, a vacation rental type property. And we we drove to Sagine, Texas, because we know it is going to be booming. It actually has started a huge growth spur here recently. And um, we were looking at a home that my husband found on the internet that had experienced fire damage, and it was an older home, much older, like in the 1890s, and it had um a lot of work that could be done to turn it into a beautiful, beautiful mansion. But while we were there, I turned around and I said, look at that for sale sign right there across the street. I saw the mansion, the Abbott House mansion, um, and I just said, that home is gorgeous, and you would not have to spend two years and six to seven hundred thousand dollars to renovate, and we could start business tomorrow. And we literally told our agent to call the realtor, set up a meeting immediately, and we decided to go with the house. It happened that quickly. And then when we got to the house to see it, we were amazed because in the back of the home was a gorgeous courtyard with what's called a banquet hall. It's in a speakeasy design, and it was perfect for my daughters to run their restaurant. And so we were our venue, and we like just fell in love with the whole concept of the home. And um, the girls got right on board. You know, we called them up and said, come see this place. What do you think? And everybody just wanted to create it as a venue space versus a traditional restaurant. So, what we do is we offer, um, like Jacqueline said, um, a chance for you to have large parties, corporate events, we can do seminars, we can do um retirement parties, graduations. Our favorite is, of course, weddings, and we do all kinds of weddings. We did a gothic wedding a couple months ago. We're we're doing a boho wedding next week. We've got lots of creative staff who can decorate to the hilt any style that you want. And uh my girls are incredible with um coming up with ideas, like because of our mansion's design and and the way it looks from the street, they've decided they're going to do a haunted mansion and ghost tour this month on the 26th, and now they're hiring out makeup artists and and people to create the costumes and things, and they're going to do something like that. So they do lots of kinds of events. They they've started doing a comedy club in which they invite everyone to come and sit under the stars in our courtyard and listen to comedians and you know, have a beverage. And it's just great that everyone in the family gets to use their creative talents in this, like you said, family kind of uh venture. It's it's fun.
SPEAKER_00:No, it really is. I mean, I just even from my own experience being there for Adam's uh birthday party. Uh, immediately I was like, oh my gosh, I have to have an event here. This is like a must. So no matter what it is, I will think and create an event just to have one there. Like, that's that's how beautiful.
SPEAKER_01:We love it. We'd love to have. You in to video and and share that with your audience.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, no, definitely. What were you gonna say?
SPEAKER_03:Go ahead, please.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I was gonna say it's a beautiful property. And like what you said, you went there. I don't know how much uh changes you've done to it or if you've had to do any uh renovation to it at all, but it is a beautiful property, every inch of it is beautiful, and you have so much going on, right? Like you said, you have the courtyard, then you have like more of that speakeasy area, but then you actually have the house, and the house you can actually um house like what is three bedrooms, so people can do four bedrooms, and you can do overnight bachelorette parties. Um, you know, we talked about for our reality TV show doing a uh sleepover with like 25 women and doing a dinner because you can provide. I mean, there's that dinner space there as well, beautiful dinner space in inside the actual home itself and beautiful Victorian home. But the one thing I was like, oh yes, say yes all day long. Your balconies, like you have the most amazing balcony space as well.
SPEAKER_01:There's seven different balconies and porches uh on that home, and they are gorgeous. And the home lends itself for viewing the whole courtyard from the second floor as well as the third floor, and you can also view all of the city's parades from our home because we're right on the parade route, right on Austin in uh downtown um Segin. So it's really, really neat.
SPEAKER_00:Well, my experience there I was like, I never want to leave this place. This is like I felt like Disneyland there.
SPEAKER_03:Well, it takes you back. I don't know about you. Sometimes you sit in an older home, and I always found this when I go into older neighborhoods, you almost feel a sense of history, and then you go back to maybe some of the ideals and morals and founding principles of our country, and it does. You you and you and you start to feel what what people what they did and how much strife they went through to have all the conveniences we have today. So it almost kind of grounds you a bit, it takes you back to those values, and uh and I love feeling I love seeing that. And sometimes I I joke to people when we're in the Abbott House. I said, when this home was built, the only way I would have gotten in was to clean the floors or take out the trash. Then they have those accesses, you know. I said, because you think of the way that I mean what this what the economy has done, and what you said, like entrepreneurs have been able to do in this country with what we offer. People today live so much better, fuller lives that they they they live, they can you can have be in homes like this. You see it all over the United States today, that were reserved for the only the ultra-wealthy at one time, and today so many people can access it.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh, I can't. We were just talking about that on another episode that I was recording. Right now, we're living in an era where the most, this is the first time in history, the youngest millionaires and even billionaires are being produced today. So, I mean, we're we do have a lot of access. Entrepreneurship definitely seems to be paving that way for a lot of people, especially this newer generation. I mean, they have access to technology, AI. So we're in an ever-changing world. And when I when I went to the Abbott House, I mean, it's like what you said, it definitely grounds you, it gives you a different uh respect for where you're at right now, what you're doing in the landscape you're dabbling in, right? Um, and it does give you that that sense of like nostalgic uh groundedness, right? So for sure, I felt that I felt that exactly what you were talking about when I was and it was just and it's even like a aha, like oh wow, that's how I felt the whole time I was there.
SPEAKER_03:It is because you know it's a it's a grand old lady, and just like when we all age, it needs a lot of upkeep and care, you know, a lot of remodeling and facelifting. So, you know, it's a it's an ongoing process. So something like that, sometimes, unless you have tremendous means, homes like that are reserved for need to be shared because you you know you're able to participate just like a cruise ship. The only way they can maintain those vessels because you've done money is what having a lot of people be able to experience that type of environment. And the same thing here, we can experience it, share it with much more people, and because of the events and everything, that helps fund not only our lifestyle, but funds the the upkeep of the of the property and long term with what's happening in Texas, the amount of people I know you're from California, and look how many people are exiting California. I mean, how long before Texas is the number one most populous state in the United States?
SPEAKER_00:No, absolutely. I agree with that. Um, I just interviewed last week um the CEO of chamber of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce here in San Antonio, and he made a statement that was very fitting. 15 years from now, you are not gonna have the same opportunities that you have today as a business owner, as an entrepreneur, um, because there's just too much population that is heading into this area, and things are gonna begin to go up. So I definitely agree with that. Um, and then also, too, I love what you're saying about this space, how you guys are using it. It's very creative. I have to say, I started following you guys on Instagram. So I'm seeing all of these new uh things that you guys are doing. You guys are doing the comedy shows during the evening, you're doing uh, you know, even hope's like come have dinner with us. And it's like this, you know, what was it, murder mystery dinner? And I'm like, what is going on over there?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. We um we have a lot of fun with coming up with new ideas and and reasons to get people out. We're gonna be also part of the holiday home tour in December, where the older homes that are in the in the area are able to show their holiday lights and invite people out maybe for a casual stroll in to look at vendors and things for the holidays. So that'll be a lot of fun. We plan on participating. And you had asked earlier about how the home came to us, you know, what position it was in. It was relatively in great shape for the age. I mean, it's from 1895. I got the wonderful chance to do the interior decorating myself as far as the furnishings and what have you. I did a lot of estate shopping and putting things together, and I was really, really pleased by the time of the birthday party that we had everything in place. And I actually agreed, usually, all four of us, to what was put in there because occasionally my daughters would nap something out of there and make it go away. But usually they loved what I picked, and my husband, the fancier the better, he always loves things that are very ornate and old. And um, we actually ended up shopping some for our other home while we were out there for them because he's always finding something he loves. So it was a lot of fun getting the home ready for um the public to view.
SPEAKER_00:So you guys are amazing. Let me ask you this. So now that you've gone from home building to kind of transitioning into your family business, um, and then you guys also even have Airbnb property that you guys rent out as well. How does it feel to be in this kind of space where it's more of rental space, venue experiences? Because now you're giving a different type of experience. It's actually like interaction experience and um, you know, those elevations for people to come into a you're so smart, you know.
SPEAKER_03:And I I think about just a few years back, and you see a lot of young people, even my own son-in-law, he came to he came, he uh immigrated to Texas from Florida, and during that time he was in the military and he bought a home a couple three years ago before the COVID, so it's about four or five years now, and uh you know, within a couple three years, by we were in COVID, that home shot up in value, a basic modest home in a normal neighborhood had gone where he could literally profit over a hundred thousand dollars. And these are young people, again, young people. And I tried, I cautioned him, I said, You're 30 years of age. I said, in Texas, I was in the appraisal business. I said, for a person to buy a home and profit, that was the 30 to 40 years of appreciation over time with different periods of of transition in the economy, up and down a little bit, but basically on an upward climb to be able to, after expenses, walk away with with six figures in your pocket. I said, as a young person to do that, that's unheard of. And we saw a lot of young people moving into Texas, all these communities, be able to do this. So, yes, a lot of people found real estate. And unfortunately, now those prices have gotten up, the interest rates have gone up. So some of those opportunities that were right here, that were just here a few years back, we were living in some of the greatest opportunities. And I know that you've had somebody on with this AI. And I and I want to listen to some of your podcasts because I know the AI, if done properly, and some of these young people and even the people in our age group take advantage of some of it, where they'll be able to set themselves up so they can have they can have income in those multiple streams, which makes life bearable and affordable.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, no, definitely, definitely. I hear that because this world is changing quickly, and especially with technology, and if you're not staying hip to it and stay getting the relevant information, you can go down a whole rabbit hole and not know exactly what's going on still. So, you know, that's the one thing that I love is being able to provide that information for people here on this podcast and getting amazing guest speakers just like you guys today to be able to give that insight that somebody might not have available information for. So thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Well, you know, the basics, you know, what's happening today is you're seeing young people today understand the value of saving, investing, and things that were never taught to us were not available because we didn't have the internet. There was no, there was no one talking or podcast talking about wealth and how to take care of yourself. Because what did most people do in the generation I'm talking, my grandparents, maybe yours, my parents, they they were relying on Social Security, the government to plan their retirement. So they were basing their entire life on what the government was going to allow them to retain back from what they poured into it. And unfortunately, what kind of lifestyle do you gain from that? Very little in retirement. And some of the best years you want to, you you, you know, that you need to have and and and actually have time again. The most valuable asset you have as a child is and and and through the years and in c in your schooling is that time, that free time, that that time that you can do and you're physically able. Then you have another period of time, maybe if you make some wise decisions when you get into your 50s and 60s, you can use that time again, but you have to have the resources to be able to do it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, absolutely. Adam, right now, as you were saying that, you just gave me the chills because it is so true. A lot of this information, um, when you look at past generations, was not uh readily available for them. And today we have so much information at our fingertips. But also, too, even considering that when we look at the internet and certain avenues of information, it's kind of like uh the bathroom wall at a public uh bathroom, you know, it's like there's a lot of stuff on there and you don't know which is true, and you have to kind of decipher. So that's why it's so important to be able to have these conversations with you and and hope and you know, other guests where they're able to tell us from their true experiences and also what works and what doesn't work for them, you know. Amen.
SPEAKER_03:Because you're right, because it is like you said, the the amount of fraud and and things you have to be aware of on the internet and everything, it is it is dangerous because you can literally lose everything that you've built over a certain time, and that can become so discouraging that it basically causes you to become fearful and then not to and then just to just to dwindle and shrink.
SPEAKER_00:Not only that, being able right now, we have the opportunity with technology and with this type of information to really collapse time, you know, like what you just said. You said that about your son-in-law. This would take 30 years for this to appreciate and have this type of equity, and you're able to do this within three years. He just collapsed time because of what's happening in the market and the movement of this opportunity of people flooding into this area and making it overpopulated, right? So that's that's amazing. Okay, well, I just want to say thank you for jumping on with us today. Now, I do want to ask you a question. What do you see for yourself? You have your rental properties, and I just want to let the audience know too. If you are in the Texas area, San Antonio, the beachfront area of Port A, um, they have rental properties there. If you're looking for a venue, Seguin is the place to have this. I don't care if you have to travel from Dallas, you better be using their property.
SPEAKER_03:And they do. That's funny. We do have people that travel and weddings and events, we're shocked at where we've actually attracted people from. It's amazing. It is amazing. People looking to get away from where they are and have an and go travel somewhere. So it gives them that destination wedding feeling, especially in that location, that property, without having to make everybody get on a plane. And the cost is prohibited sometimes.
SPEAKER_00:So if you're in this area, or even if you're from, you know, say California and you're hearing this podcast and you're looking for a venue, we're gonna have their links uh uh in their social media handles. Um, you can go ahead and click on them, you could follow their journey and then also look at their venue space if you are interested in throwing an event there. Um, if you're looking for a beachfront property and you're like, yes, I want to go to the beach and I need an Airbnb, Hope and Adam, Monaco, their property is the place to be at. As you heard them say earlier, their house, they've invested enough into the upkeep of it that they have the best house on the uh on the block. So I do not doubt that for one moment. I have not yet been to that property, but I have been to their own personal home and also their venue. And I have to say, everything that they do, they it's it's out of labor of love, but it also is attention to detail. Like these guys don't put anything in front of you unless it has been checked, monitored, vetted, and all the detail and attention has been put into it and all the love has been backed with it. Um, they're doing their family business and they are just rocking at life right now. Uh, I know that we're talking about earlier Adam being in retirement mode, but I know Adam since 2008. There is no way he is going into retirement mode, maybe traveling more, but definitely not retirement mode. This is one of the best couples that I know. Uh, total solid individuals. Um, very, very much attention to detail. And again, you know, even my shared moments that I've had with you. Uh, you know, Jake, I I do have to say, Jake, when he met you at your birthday party, it he was just like the whole ride home, he was just wow, he's like, I felt like I just got uh to know another layer about you. You know, that's great.
SPEAKER_03:See, but that but you know, that's the thing, welcoming and being warm. It's it's those interactions. That's what is missing today, is we need more personal interactions. That's why these podcasts are so important. I think people can get a vision and and and get an honest and clear picture of other people and other people's experiences, and through this, navigate, like you said, shorten those times so they can they can go and others, learn from wisdom rather than learning from experience and kill themselves. Oh my gosh, I always tell my kids and just uh metaphorically.
SPEAKER_00:No, I tell my kids all the time smart people learn from their mistakes, smarter people learn from other people's mistakes.
SPEAKER_03:Let's be smarter, be smarter, exactly, exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, Adam Hope, is there anything you want to leave our audience with when it comes to looking at new opportunities, taking advantage of opportunities in the times that we live in, or even just your entrepreneurial space and any advice that you would give to an entrepreneur? And you know, just what would you like to leave our audience with?
SPEAKER_03:I I think being very uh disciplined. If you're an entrepreneur, remain disciplined, make sure that you do focus on what's important in in saving and producing for the future. So you, when opportunities do present themselves, you have the means and the capability and always be learning. Don't sit there and be excited where you are, learn from others, just like this podcast. Continue to listen, and that's what we're needing to do, even more of. I'm I sometimes we're all hypocrites, is listening to others, gaining that knowledge is so valuable and implementing it, but making sure that you do the basic idea, live on less than your means and be able to save it will it will open opportunities. And when they're there, you're gonna be able to be able to take advantage of them and and have and you have better foresight and a clear mind to be able to do it too.
SPEAKER_01:And um, I'd like to say that one of our modos is to travel is to live, and that is truly what we do. And so with the kind of spaces that we have, you can travel, enjoy life, and make memories, and that's all you've got to take with you is your memories. So we don't worry so much about baubles as much as we do on having family close and living life big. So we love it.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much, and thank you for joining us. Entrepreneurs, you guys heard it here, up close and personal with Hope and Adam Monaco. We talked about their Abbott house. So definitely click on the links below, take a look at what they're doing and follow their journey. Thank you so much for your insight. And we're really excited for all of our viewers to take advantage of the advice that you gave here in just your life journey as well. But the most important thing, what he just said right now, when uh preparation meets opportunity, right? Make sure you have the money. You've been working hard and diligently, and even if you're doing that, like you know, in the quiet places, but when the opportunity does come, you'll have the means to take advantage of it. So follow that advantage. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_03:We love you, Jacqueline. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you.