The Power of Referrals: How a Paper Route Lead to Real Estate Investing Success

Hosted by passionate leader Dan Cantillana, The DanCan Show is where faith, business, and personal growth intersect. With an unwavering belief in living with purpose and running a business rooted in biblical values, Dan empowers listeners to invest wisely—in themselves, in others, and in real estate.
This isn’t just another podcast about success—it’s a journey of self-discovery, intentional living, and building a life you love. Dan shares insights, stories, and strategies designed to help you achieve financial freedom, live with integrity, and make money effortlessly by aligning your work with your faith.
If you believe in loving what you do and doing what you love, you're in the right place.

Protect. Provide. Promote.
Join the movement!

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https://www.dancanspokane.com/
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Welcome to The DanCan Show! In this episode, host Dan Cantillana shares how his first job as a 10-year-old paperboy in Keyport, Washington laid the foundation for his success in real estate. Lessons in hard work, customer service, collections, and referrals helped shape his business values. From grocery store mishaps and funny stories to flipping properties and building a strong referral network, Dan provides insight on how to provide, protect, and promote. If you’re a husband, father, or leader seeking to build passive income through real estate (especially in Spokane), this episode is packed with actionable steps and reminders that trust and relationships are key to wealth.

1. Introduction and Purpose
Dan’s motto: “love what I do and I do what I love”
Using early lessons to build income
Audience: husbands, fathers, leaders
Mission: provide, protect, promote

2. First Job & Referrals
Paper route via friend’s referral
Learned service, collections, reliability
Power of “transfer of trust”

3. Real Estate Application
Referral-based businesses
Working with wholesalers
Closing quickly using private money

4. Market Update
July activity
Trends: luxury slowdown, starter homes rising
Buying at courthouse steps, working with tenants

5. Direct Mail Leads
New campaigns
Why direct mail still works

6. Dan’s Musings
Struggles with produce
Stories about grapes and donut theft

7. Lessons & Relationships
Discipline, kindness from community
Business built on gratitude, strong relationships

8. Final Takeaways
Lead sources: courthouse, mail, wholesalers
Sign-off: “Dan Can listeners love well and do good”

Timestamps:
00:00 First Job
04:29 Referrals
08:13 Eviction Story
11:01 Grocery Lessons
13:59 Donut Theft
17:19 Business by Referral

Discussion Questions:
1. What lessons did Dan learn as a paperboy?
2. How does he define and use referrals?
3. What is “transfer of trust”?
4. How does he maintain his network?
5. What are pros/cons of courthouse deals?
6. Why does he value direct mail?
7. What does the grape story teach?
8. How does he build relationships?
9. How do market trends affect him?
10. What habits led to his success?