Chris Kalian did not become disciplined because he read the right business book.

He became disciplined because his family needed him.

In his early twenties, Chris was working in corporate America when his younger brother was diagnosed with lymphoma. His parents were already struggling to keep their small print shop alive, and his father could not emotionally handle spending long periods beside his son in the hospital.

So Chris stepped in.

He left corporate, worked inside the family business during the day and slept at the hospital beside his brother at night.

That season changed him.

It turned a natural dreamer into someone who believed the job had to get done, regardless of the pressure, exhaustion, or odds against him.

In this episode of the Gold Coast Podcast, Eric Winegard sits down with Chris Kalian, President of Kali Group, and his son Mike Kalian, Associate at Kali Group, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, family responsibility, real estate, faith, and carrying a legacy forward.

Chris explains how he helped stabilize his family’s print shop before launching a legal-services company on the floor above it.

The company started with two copy machines.

Within approximately four years, it had grown into a 150-employee operation with locations in New York, Westchester and Connecticut, operating 24 hours a day and serving major law firms. Chris and his partners eventually sold the company to private equity, allowing multiple members of the family and leadership team to become millionaires.

But selling the business created a new question:

What happens when the goal you spent your entire life chasing is finally achieved?

Chris went on to buy, grow, and sell companies across multiple industries before eventually shifting his focus into real estate.

Today, Kali Group Real Estate Solutions buys, develops, renovates, manages and sells residential and commercial properties across Florida, New York and Connecticut. The company looks for distressed or underutilized properties where disciplined execution can unlock additional value.

The conversation also explores what it means for Mike to enter the family business.

Mike grew up with opportunities his father never had. He openly discusses the pressure of beginning further ahead, losing his identity after stepping away from competitive athletics, and redefining his purpose as a young professional.

Instead of treating the family company as an easy option, Mike wants to build his own reputation within it.

He is currently helping lead Kali Group’s renovation division, managing residential projects, working with subcontractors, and developing the operational experience required to eventually take on larger construction and development opportunities.

This is a conversation about building wealth, but it is also about building people.

Guests: 
Chris Kalian & Mike Kalian
Kali Group Real Estate Solutions

Host: 
Eric Winegard
CEO of Rare Blue Moon Marketing

Thanks for watching the Gold Coast Podcast. Tune in for next time!

Thank you all for listening in on today's episode of The Gold Coast Podcast!