web01.fireside.fm Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:08:08 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Drawing the Blueprint - Episodes Tagged with “Blueprinthcre” https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/tags/blueprinthcre Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500 Hosted by Blueprint CEO & Co-Founder Ben Firestone, Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. From industry pros, Blueprint insiders, and legends from completely different arenas, each episode explores career origin stories and dives deep into the guests’ journey, uncovering how dynamic people grow, lead, and build. Fun, provocative, and always conversational, Ben brings curiosity (and his signature “Fire’s Hot Seat”) to every guest. Whether you’re an insider hungry for insights, an emerging professional looking for mentorship, or simply a culture-curious listener who loves entrepreneurial stories, this is your front-row seat to the mindsets and moments that shape success. Find Ben and the Blueprint Crew on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drawingtheblueprint. en-us episodic Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. Ben Firestone Hosted by Blueprint CEO & Co-Founder Ben Firestone, Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. From industry pros, Blueprint insiders, and legends from completely different arenas, each episode explores career origin stories and dives deep into the guests’ journey, uncovering how dynamic people grow, lead, and build. Fun, provocative, and always conversational, Ben brings curiosity (and his signature “Fire’s Hot Seat”) to every guest. Whether you’re an insider hungry for insights, an emerging professional looking for mentorship, or simply a culture-curious listener who loves entrepreneurial stories, this is your front-row seat to the mindsets and moments that shape success. Find Ben and the Blueprint Crew on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drawingtheblueprint. no Ben Firestone drawingtheblueprintpodcast@gmail.com Episode 9: From Student-Athlete to NIL Trailblazer: Jared Wangler on Building Champions Circle at Michigan https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/9 9465d81c-d3f7-4902-bb02-426f71415a0c Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500 Ben Firestone full Ben Firestone In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective. 54:30 no In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective. Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision. In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes. Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics. Links & Resources: Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/ Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/ University of Michigan, Football, Sports Marketing, NIL In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective.

Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision.

In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes.

Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics.

Links & Resources:
Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/
Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/

]]> In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective.

Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision.

In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes.

Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics.

Links & Resources:
Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/
Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/

]]> Episode 7: The Making of a Dealmaker: A Conversation with Kory Buzin https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/7 0bfc8bf0-5e5c-4640-8a53-6eb4628ad33e Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0500 Ben Firestone full Ben Firestone A law-school grad turned senior housing dealmaker—Kory Buzin joins the show to talk grit, relationships, regional expertise, and the reps it takes to build a career at Blueprint. 22:16 no In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host Ben Firestone sits down with Northeast broker Kory Buzin, a dealmaker known for his grit, charisma, and unshakeable work ethic. From law school and big-firm life to navigating elopements during site tours, Kory’s journey into senior housing brokerage is anything but traditional. Ben and Kory revisit the early days of Blueprint, swap stories about mentors and mischief with Mike Segel, and dig into the inflection point that pushed Kory from the legal world into commercial real estate. Kory shares how his legal training shaped his discipline and thinking, how regional immersion gives brokers a competitive edge, and why relationships not spreadsheets are the heart of senior housing investing. Along the way, Kory offers a hilarious (and heroic) tale of saving an elderly resident mid-Zoom call, reflects on what it takes to make a name in a competitive industry, and breaks down the three things every young originator must learn: sell the value, sell the firm, and sell yourself. With stories of dealmaking, road-warrior travel, leadership at the property level, and the true currency of the industry, information, this episode is a candid, energetic look at what it means to build a career at Blueprint. Senior housing, Deal making, Blueprint HCRE, Career transition, Property operations In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host Ben Firestone sits down with Northeast broker Kory Buzin, a dealmaker known for his grit, charisma, and unshakeable work ethic. From law school and big-firm life to navigating elopements during site tours, Kory’s journey into senior housing brokerage is anything but traditional.

Ben and Kory revisit the early days of Blueprint, swap stories about mentors and mischief with Mike Segel, and dig into the inflection point that pushed Kory from the legal world into commercial real estate. Kory shares how his legal training shaped his discipline and thinking, how regional immersion gives brokers a competitive edge, and why relationships not spreadsheets are the heart of senior housing investing.

Along the way, Kory offers a hilarious (and heroic) tale of saving an elderly resident mid-Zoom call, reflects on what it takes to make a name in a competitive industry, and breaks down the three things every young originator must learn: sell the value, sell the firm, and sell yourself.

With stories of dealmaking, road-warrior travel, leadership at the property level, and the true currency of the industry, information, this episode is a candid, energetic look at what it means to build a career at Blueprint.

]]> In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host Ben Firestone sits down with Northeast broker Kory Buzin, a dealmaker known for his grit, charisma, and unshakeable work ethic. From law school and big-firm life to navigating elopements during site tours, Kory’s journey into senior housing brokerage is anything but traditional.

Ben and Kory revisit the early days of Blueprint, swap stories about mentors and mischief with Mike Segel, and dig into the inflection point that pushed Kory from the legal world into commercial real estate. Kory shares how his legal training shaped his discipline and thinking, how regional immersion gives brokers a competitive edge, and why relationships not spreadsheets are the heart of senior housing investing.

Along the way, Kory offers a hilarious (and heroic) tale of saving an elderly resident mid-Zoom call, reflects on what it takes to make a name in a competitive industry, and breaks down the three things every young originator must learn: sell the value, sell the firm, and sell yourself.

With stories of dealmaking, road-warrior travel, leadership at the property level, and the true currency of the industry, information, this episode is a candid, energetic look at what it means to build a career at Blueprint.

]]> Episode 5: Blueprint’s Behavioral Health Playbook: Dual-Path Deals, Adaptive Reuse & Real Value — with Andrew Sfreddo https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/5 87fc261d-7b31-45d7-a276-38f578984942 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:30:00 -0400 Ben Firestone full Ben Firestone Blueprint’s Andrew Sfreddo joins Ben Firestone to reveal how a bold idea became a thriving behavioral healthcare practice. From adaptive reuse and dual-path dealmaking to a 50% jump in asset value, they unpack how creativity, culture, and execution are redefining healthcare real estate. 30:47 no From a Back-to-the-Future icebreaker to a masterclass in value creation, Ben Firestone sits down with longtime friend and Blueprint partner Andrew Sfreddo to unpack how Blueprint stood up a behavioral healthcare practice that blends vision with rigor. Andrew breaks down the firm’s dual-path process, marketing challenged senior housing assets both to traditional operators and to behavioral health providers to create real optionality and higher outcomes. They dig into adaptive reuse, licensed inpatient focus (psychiatric hospitals, drug & alcohol treatment, eating-disorder centers), and the nuts and bolts of execution: 1,200+ feasibility studies (about 1 in 5 viable), a team of five with provider-side expertise, and 30+ transactions where behavioral conversion outperformed seniors-housing valuations. Don’t miss the Plano, TX case study that jumped from $50K/unit offers to a $115K/unit sale by repositioning to licensed behavioral health, same building, smarter use. If you care about healthcare real estate, behavioral health operations, or how culture and process compound into results, this episode is your playbook for turning “stuck” assets into community-serving, investment-grade solutions. BlueprintHCRE, BehavioralHealth, AlternativeUse, DualPathProcess From a Back-to-the-Future icebreaker to a masterclass in value creation, Ben Firestone sits down with longtime friend and Blueprint partner Andrew Sfreddo to unpack how Blueprint stood up a behavioral healthcare practice that blends vision with rigor. Andrew breaks down the firm’s dual-path process, marketing challenged senior housing assets both to traditional operators and to behavioral health providers to create real optionality and higher outcomes.

They dig into adaptive reuse, licensed inpatient focus (psychiatric hospitals, drug & alcohol treatment, eating-disorder centers), and the nuts and bolts of execution: 1,200+ feasibility studies (about 1 in 5 viable), a team of five with provider-side expertise, and 30+ transactions where behavioral conversion outperformed seniors-housing valuations. Don’t miss the Plano, TX case study that jumped from $50K/unit offers to a $115K/unit sale by repositioning to licensed behavioral health, same building, smarter use.

If you care about healthcare real estate, behavioral health operations, or how culture and process compound into results, this episode is your playbook for turning “stuck” assets into community-serving, investment-grade solutions.

]]> From a Back-to-the-Future icebreaker to a masterclass in value creation, Ben Firestone sits down with longtime friend and Blueprint partner Andrew Sfreddo to unpack how Blueprint stood up a behavioral healthcare practice that blends vision with rigor. Andrew breaks down the firm’s dual-path process, marketing challenged senior housing assets both to traditional operators and to behavioral health providers to create real optionality and higher outcomes.

They dig into adaptive reuse, licensed inpatient focus (psychiatric hospitals, drug & alcohol treatment, eating-disorder centers), and the nuts and bolts of execution: 1,200+ feasibility studies (about 1 in 5 viable), a team of five with provider-side expertise, and 30+ transactions where behavioral conversion outperformed seniors-housing valuations. Don’t miss the Plano, TX case study that jumped from $50K/unit offers to a $115K/unit sale by repositioning to licensed behavioral health, same building, smarter use.

If you care about healthcare real estate, behavioral health operations, or how culture and process compound into results, this episode is your playbook for turning “stuck” assets into community-serving, investment-grade solutions.

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