Deal Forge

About Deal Forge

Join host Dallin Aston as he sits down with the industry’s top developers, investors, and dealmakers to uncover what it really takes to build real estate empires. Discover how meaningful relationships, strategic thinking, and bold innovation shape the future of real estate, one deal at a time.

Publisher

Dallin M. Aston

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Apr 2025

Latest episode

6 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Mar 2026

   #18 - Jeff Flamm (Seeking Opportunity, Investing In Development, & Making An Impact)

   Jeffrey C. Flamm is CEO and Founder of Infinite Mind, L.C. an online software company.  Their primary product, eyeQ Brain and Reading Enhancement, was introduced into the consumer retail market in 2002.  The eyeQ program has been used by over one million people and 1,000 schools and businesses. Jeff has also been active in real estate development and construction since 1992. He is a partner in the following real-estate companies:  RiverPark Business Centre, Enchanted Canyon, Innovation Pointe Business Park. These companies include the management and development of commercial office space and residential buildings.  He is also a partner in Koloa Landing, a Marriott Autograph Resort in Kauai, located on the South shore of Poipu Beach. The resort has 308 condominiums, a convention center, a restaurant, and three beautiful swimming pools. Earlier, Jeff co-founded Health Benefits America (HBA) with his partner, Ronald C. Gunnell.  Founded in 1985, HBA provided benefit management services for many of the Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Flamm shared the offices of Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer until August of 1996, at which time HBA was acquired by Automatic Data Processing (ADP). Currently, he serves on the following boards: UVU Business School, The Living Planet Aquarium, The Millie Princess Foundation, Hale Centre Theatre, and The Flamm Family Foundation. He is married to Nancy Ellsworth Flamm.  They have five sons, one daughter, and twenty six grandchildren.

2. 

   11 Jan 2026

   #17 - Nate Heaps (Getting Reps, Building A Career In Development, & Capitalizing On Opportunities)

   Nate Heaps is the founder and president of Caleta Capital, real estate development, investment, and management company striving to find innovative ways to grow the built environment. With a background in construction management and development, Nate has participated in the development of hundreds of thousands of square feet and has created a reputation of elite performance and expertise. As a budding developer, Nate brings valuable insight into what it really takes to build as a real estate entrepreneur.

3. 

   5 Dec 2025

   #16 - Adam Watts (Being Willing To Look Stupid, Honing In On A Niche, & The Most Important Thing In Real Estate)

   Adam leads all real estate development, investment and acquisition activities for Rigby Watts & Company. Prior to co-founding Rigby Watts & Company, Adam was the Director of Development and Acquisitions for Northstar Builders where he sourced land, underwrote deal flow, structured joint ventures, procured debt/equity, negotiated lease transactions and developed over sixteen medical/office facilities across the Wasatch Front. Before Northstar, Adam was a real estate attorney at Mintz Levin in San Diego, California where he advised domestic clients in joint venture structures, development matters and over $700M in debt financing. Prior to Mintz, Adam was a real estate attorney at Clifford Chance in New York City advising both domestic and international clients in commercial real estate transactions, REIT Roll-ups, real estate mergers and acquisitions and debt financing.Adam received his B.A., summa cum laude, in Economics from the University of Utah, a Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He currently lives in Sugarhouse, a suburb of Salt Lake City, with his 4 boys and gem of a wife Erin.

4. 

   14 Nov 2025

   #15 - Darrin Liddell (Highest / Best Use, Making Decisions, & Specialization)

   Darrin Liddell has spent over 30 years in commercial real estate valuation and consultation, providing services to a variety of commercial, private and government organizations. Darrin specializes in a wide range of property valuations and complex feasibility and cash flow analyses. He is also a member of the Appraisal Institute  and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He has been teaching real estate principles, investment, and appraisal courses in the Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Masters of Real Estate Development (MRED), and undergraduate programs at the University of Utah School of Business for nearly 30 years.

5. 

   31 Oct 2025

   #14 - Andrew Romney (Working Hard, Simple Consistency, & Disciplined Leadership)

   Andrew Romney is the Chief Acquisitions Officer for the General Partner and Investment Advisor and a seasoned real estate professional known for both his performance and his principles. As a three-time recipient of the Realtor 500 award from the Salt Lake Board of Realtors, Andrew ranks among the top 3% of producing agents in Utah and has been repeatedly recognized for his leadership, mentorship, and community impact. In this episode, we move past clichés about hustle and dive into what working hard actually means. Andrew shares how he defines meaningful effort, where focus outperforms frenzy, and why clarity and structure create momentum more reliably than motivation. We explore how discipline and consistency show up in real estate and personal growth. The conversation breaks down the frameworks behind sustained performance: how to build systems that work when you don’t feel like it. It’s a look behind the curtain at how top performers think, operate, and lead; a masterclass in turning hard work into lasting impact.

6. 

   17 Oct 2025

   #13 - Kristin Matthews (Market Analysis, Getting Boots On The Ground, & Filtering Out The Noise)

   Kristin Matthews has built a career that spans more than two decades of market analysis in residential real estate. With a background in mathematics and economics, Kristin has led deep research across condo, single-family, master-planned, build-to-rent, and multifamily sectors; helping developers and investors make informed, strategic decisions. Our conversation explores the Utah housing landscape, what it really means to get boots on the ground, and why true market intelligence requires more than just data. Kristin shares how disciplined feasibility work and strong networks separate successful developers from the rest, and how to filter out the noise to find meaningful signals in an ever-changing market.

7. 

   3 Oct 2025

   #12 - Paul Bringhurst (Raising the Bar, Doing What You Say, & Leaving Ego Behind)

   Paul Bringhurst has spent over 20 years in real estate development, building a career defined by excellence, follow-through, and humility. In this episode, Paul shares how he grew from drafting site plans to leading billion-dollar development platforms, including scaling Reef Private Equity’s development arm and now driving hospitality and community projects at Acumen Development Partners. We dive into the difference between good and great developers — why “raising the bar” starts with doing what you say you’ll do, building authentic relationships, and leaving ego behind. Paul also unpacks the persistent disconnect between cities and developers, how to bridge that gap, and what it really takes to pitch investors, tell a compelling story, and deliver lasting projects. Whether you’re a developer, city leader, or investor, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what excellence looks like in real estate and how to lead with both vision and integrity.

8. 

   19 Sept 2025

   #11 - McCall Judd (Modular Building & Innovating The Construction Process)

   McCall Judd is the founder of mbBILT, a company built on the belief that better building comes from smarter systems. With nearly a decade of experience in real estate development and construction, McCall is emerging as a key innovator in forward-thinking construction approaches, including modular and offsite solutions. Her career began in traditional site-built development, where she delivered over 1 million square feet of building space, developed 150+ acres of land, and deployed over $300 million in capital across a wide range of asset classes. In 2022, McCall pivoted her focus to explore more efficient and flexible construction methods. Today, she leads mbBILT in transforming underutilized spaces with an emphasis on adaptive reuse, attainable housing, and multi-functional, space-maximizing design. She excels in aligning vision with execution, bridging gaps between design, budgeting, and project delivery. You can connect with McCall on LinkedIn

9. 

   5 Sept 2025

   #10 - Sam Castor (Seeing People As People, Secrets of Negotiating Billions, & Faith Fueled Success)

   Sam Castor is a world-class negotiator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the founder of LexTecnica and former EVP of Policy and Deputy General Counsel at Switch. Over the past two decades, he’s negotiated billions over thousands of contracts, fought for intellectual property protections, and built a legal powerhouse that prioritizes serving people and tangible business outcomes. But beneath all the deal-making and innovation is something more powerful: deep intentionality. Sam shares how faith, law, and leadership converge when you treat people like people.

10. 

    22 Aug 2025

    #9 - Patrick Scott (Growing a Real Estate Company, Empowering Leadership, & Principles of Due Diligence)

    Patrick Scott is a seasoned developer who helped transform Brighton from a small semi-custom homebuilder into a vertically integrated powerhouse. In this episode, we unpack the operator mindset it takes to scale a real estate company while protecting quality, culture, and long-term vision. Patrick walks us through his early days in the field, his rise through leadership as the President of Brighton Homes, and the key inflection points that changed the trajectory of the business. We dive deep into due diligence, entitlement, and execution, and explore the systems and strategies that helped Brighton expand into multifamily, build-for-rent, and commercial projects.

11. 

    8 Aug 2025

    #8 - Jared Mansell (Unlocking Subto Deals, Raising a $25M Fund, & The Calling To Build)

    Jared Mansell is the co-founder of Mansell Capital, a fund manager that thrives in creative financing, deep local expertise, and a high-integrity, investor-first structure. In this episode, we unpack how Jared is navigating today’s high-rate environment with subto and seller-finance deals, structuring win-win terms that protect sellers and unlock below-market debt. He also shares his journey of launching Mansell Capital Fund I, a $25 million single-family fund. We break down the current mortgage rate environment, why Utah remains a prime market for long-term investment, and how lease-options are creating a path to homeownership while generating outsized returns. You can find Jared on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-mansell-718a801a3/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jared_mansell/).

12. 

    25 Jul 2025

    #7 - Peter Corroon (Affordable Housing, Working In / With Government, & Doing Good)

    Peter Corroon is a seasoned real estate investor, developer, and former two-term Mayor of Salt Lake County. With a background in engineering, law, and real estate, Peter brings a unique perspective to public service and development. In this episode, we explore Peter’s path in affordable housing development and county leadership, unpacking the lessons he’s learned along the way. He shares tactical insights on navigating the world of affordable housing, earning trust in government circles, and nurturing relationships of trust. Whether you’re working in public office, private real estate, or trying to connect the two, this episode of Deal Forge is a masterclass on prioritizing people, making thoughtful decisions, and doing good.

13. 

    11 Jul 2025

    #6 - Lauren Havens (Tracking Trends & Becoming A Real Estate Entrepreneur)

    Lauren Havens is an accidental real estate entrepreneur with deep expertise in hospitality management and identifying and capitalizing on emerging real estate trends. Over 5 years, she built a personal portfolio of 27 rental doors as well as a 4 million dollar hospitality company which sold in 2022. Lauren has built a reputation for staying just ahead of zoning shifts and city sentiment, using insight and timing to unlock opportunities others miss. She is committed to helping investors develop, buy, sell and trade real estate in 2025 and beyond. You can connect with Lauren on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkelly5/).

14. 

    27 Jun 2025

    #5 - Tanner Webster (Bangers Only: Winning the Game by Doing What No One Else Will)

    Tanner Webster, founder of Webster Real Estate, discusses transitioning from house flipping to vertically integrated development and shares his strategies for industrial and apartment development in this interview.

15. 

    13 Jun 2025

    #4 - Kurt Horn (Annihilating Competition Through Prioritizing Your Audience)

    Kurt Horn of Harmon Brothers discusses how prioritizing your audience and understanding their needs can lead to significant competitive advantages for entrepreneurs in this interview.

16. 

    30 May 2025

    #3 - Wayne Aston (The School of Hard Knocks and Raising Billions)

    Wayne Aston, a real estate entrepreneur, shares his experiences raising capital for development projects and offers insights into navigating today's evolving market in an interview.

17. 

    9 May 2025

    #2 - Josh Green (Market Analysis and BTR Townhome Development)

    Real estate expert Josh Green discusses market analysis and build-to-rent townhome development, leveraging his appraisal background to identify value and maximize underutilized properties in this interview.

18. 

    25 Apr 2025

    #1 - Shane Smoot (Creating Value With Quality Relationships)

    Shane Smoot, founder of NovaSource Development, shares his 35 years of experience in real estate development, highlighting the importance of quality relationships in creating value, in this interview.

Who has been a guest on Deal Forge

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Tanner Webster
• Kurt Horn
• Wayne Aston
• Josh Green
• Shane Smoot

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

30

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.