Building a 9-Figure Real Estate CRM from Scratch featuring Stephanie Betters

The Collective Genius Podcast

In this episode of the Collective Genius Podcast, I sit down with the powerhouse herself, Stephanie Betters—an incredible leader, business builder, and trailblazer in both real estate investing and tech. From her early days as a nurse practitioner in cardiothoracic surgery to becoming the co-founder of a thriving real estate investment firm and the CEO of a groundbreaking CRM company, Stephanie’s story is packed with insights, grit, and purpose-driven pivots.

We unpack her transition from medicine to full-time entrepreneurship, how she and her husband turned a side hustle into a scalable business, and the personal challenges she faced along the way. We also dive deep into her creation of Left Main, the Salesforce-powered CRM that has changed the game for real estate investors. If you’re in the weeds of building a business or wondering if you’re doing it right, this episode will feel like a masterclass and a pep talk all in one.

Timeline Summary:

[0:00] – Introduction

[2:00] – Stephanie introduces her two businesses: a real estate investment company and a software company rooted in solving operational challenges.

[3:42] – How her background in nursing and a passion for caring led her unexpectedly into entrepreneurship.

[7:54] – The emotional difficulty of leaving a dream job in cardiothoracic surgery to prioritize her family and business.

[10:06] – A pivotal moment: realizing her children had grown used to her absence—and why that became her wake-up call.

[11:17] – The quote from Mother Teresa that helped her let go of her W-2 identity.

[15:03] – Time-blocking as a tool for work-life balance and family priorities.

[17:10] – How compartmentalizing her life (a skill shaped by childhood trauma and ICU work) helped her stay high-performing.

[20:00] – The influence of her entrepreneurial parents—and how it shaped her own work ethic and leadership style.

[24:36] – Getting serious about real estate investing: from house hacking to a viable business model.

[29:28] – The 5-year grind of reinvesting every dollar and battling inefficiencies before reaching scale.

[31:20] – Stephanie shares how joining a community like CG gave her the benchmarks and support she needed to succeed.

[34:39] – The decision to stop flipping and double down on new construction and wholesaling in 2020.

[37:05] – The difference in scalability and professionalism between new builds and flips.

[43:02] – One of their most expensive lessons: a $100K loss due to hidden fire damage in a flip.

[45:52] – The origin of Left Main CRM—born out of frustration with Podio’s limitations and downtime.

[48:21] – Her disbelief at Salesforce’s $1M quote—and the “that’s cute” comment that lit a fire under her to build it herself.

[50:13] – The 3-month sprint learning to code and launching Left Main internally.

[51:20] – A surprise visit from Salesforce reps that led to an exclusive partnership and product expansion.

[52:57] – Becoming one of only three companies in the world with this type of Salesforce distribution deal.

[54:34] – Why Left Main became the go-to solution for scaling real estate businesses—and how community input shaped it.

[55:01] – Reflections on the power of innovation, clarity, and surrounding yourself with the right people.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Follow the friction – Stephanie’s biggest business ideas came from solving her own problems—like building a CRM after being frustrated with existing tools.

2. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor – Leaving her beloved medical career wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for the wellbeing of her family and herself.

3. Structure creates freedom – Stephanie’s use of time-blocking and intentional scheduling helped her stay balanced while juggling multiple businesses.

4. Community equals clarity – Joining masterminds like CG helped Stephanie understand performance benchmarks and escape the “valley of death” in business.

5. Success takes sacrifice – Reinvesting all their profits and taking no income for five years laid the foundation for the business she leads today.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Left Main: https://leftmainrei.co

• Follow Collective Genius: https://thecgpodcast.com

Final Thoughts:

If Stephanie’s journey lit a fire in you, do me a favor—rate, follow, share, and review the show! Every share helps us reach more investors looking to grow, scale, and thrive. And as always, keep pushing forward and building with purpose.