‘One of the key ingredient to achieving any anything is education’.
Sanjay Hegde is the founder and president of Blue Ring Investors LLC, a North Carolina based
company. As a well-seasoned real estate investment specialist of over 7 years’, he specializes
in establishing customer relationships and overseeing multimillion-dollar corporate accounts for
companies in the U.S. and abroad.
Sanjay is on a mission to build safe communities for people (and their families to live in) who
cannot afford to buy their own homes, while assisting hard-working professionals from
healthcare and other industries to invest and manage their commercial real estates.
Sanjay is a full-time investor and coach who seeks to help investors gain financial freedom in a
span of few years through smart investment opportunities. Blue Ring Investors LLC has
over $62M of assets under management in emerging markets such as the Carolinas, Georgia
Texas etc.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey (personal & professional) and when you got
started on it.
With a formal education in Pharmacy from India, I didn’t have a license to practice in the US. To
top it off, due to personal constraints, I didn’t have the opportunity to apply to American
universities. With that being the root of my obstacle, I had to step out of my comfort zone and
look for jobs unrelated to the pharmaceutical trade. I started working for Saft, a company that manufactured lithium batteries for space, defense, and industrial applications, at $7.50 an hour. With time, I climbed the ladder to a level where I was the designated Director of Sales for America and Asia, overseeing $200M+ in sales. Soon after, I became the VP of sales for a competitor company in 2015. During that time, I was
actively investing in single-family homes and passively in multifamily and self-storage syndication.
However, being immersed in my career had its setbacks as it took away time from my family. I
missed out on my son growing up, and although my wife never complained, she single-handedly
raised our kids when I was focused on my personal growth in my career.
However, that all changed when my son met with an accident while I was on a business trip.
As hard as it was, it was an eye-opener as it got me questioning my priorities.
I realized I needed to make time for my family. In doing so, I realized how crucial it was to create
a safe and nurturing environment for a child.
After all, children are the future and how they are raised is of paramount importance. The idea
inspired me to create Blue Ring Investors LLC where I could help hard working professionals
could passively invest in high return assets to attain time freedom sooner while able to help those who cannot afford to purchase their own homes find a safe and secure space to live in and raise their family. Multifamily real estate investment is compared to alternatives like in the stock or bond market. Furthermore, several passive investments are not publicly traded, meaning they also benefit from a degree of price stability not seen in publicly traded debt and equity markets. A passive investment provides investors with the benefits of multifamily ownership without the hassle of managing the property. This enables them with a passive income and gives them time to pursue other interests.
I think this is a win-win for both our investors and our tenants. Additionally, it provided
opportunities to healthcare professionals as well as to those in other professions who lack the
time and resources to vet opportunities and manage their investment in commercial grade
investment properties.
As an Indian, have you faced any challenges while running a business in the US market?
America certainly is the land of opportunities. I have been very fortunate to grow in my career.
When I started with Blue Ring Investors LLC, I was lucky to partner with Dr. Jeannette Birnbach
who shared the same vision. Despite being a man of color, I wasn’t posed with obstacles in that
area. So much so, we even had a diversified group of investors hailing from different ethnic
backgrounds.
What I’ve noticed is that the people in the United States are welcoming and will give you a fair
chance to make it true with your promises. It is why you will see so many successful Indians in
the US who have put in the work and earned the trust and respect of the people.
Tell us about your company’s product/ services. What is the plan for your company?
We are keen on growing our portfolio for investment grade commercial properties in Multifamily,
Senior Housing and Student housing asset classes. Moreover, we look to educate investors and students who wish to learn how to make passive income from multifamily syndication investments as a way to give back to the community. Regardless of our circumstances such as the pandemic, I want to bring hope by helping them
put forward something unique to the table.
Message to all those Indian entrepreneurs who are working towards making it big in this competitive world.
● I can’t emphasize this enough, ‘dream big‘ and go after it hard. People often decide to
put their dreams aside for a more ‘realistic’ approach.
● Enjoy your work– If it’s a job you hate, then being successful at it might only mean filling
your life with something you hate to do. Focus on doing something you love. When
you’ve found what you’re passionate about, you get the motivation to keep moving forward. Being successful in something you’re passionate about would lead to the fulfillment of your dreams
● ‘Don’t give up‘- It’s the easiest thing in the world to give up from a failure. The only way
to push forward is if you have that burning desire to succeed. Take every failure as
lesson.
● ‘Take action’- One cannot expect to go from point A to point B without moving; just
having the potential is not sufficient. To bring those ideas to life, one must act upon
them.
● ‘Good network of people’– Cultivate good relationships! You’ll never know who will
come to your aid and help you in a big way.
● ‘Have a positive attitude’ – Always maintain a positive state of mind. The key to
achieving success in whatever you want comes down to the way you approach it
mentally.
There is a wave of startups in India, What advice would you offer them if they are planning to go global?
It is crucial to know that business is done between people who are liked and trusted.
Every country has their own culture, pain points and style of conducting business; it is
important that your business addresses these pointers before conducting business in
their country. Try to understand their business ethics and put tools and structure in place to carry out
the business seamlessly.
