🎙️ The Real Cost of Building a Business (No Shortcuts, No Hype)
Most people think building a business is one big break, one lucky deal, and you’re set.
It’s not.
In this episode of The Middle Class Podcast, Moshe Alpert sits down with Alex Edelman, former Mayor of the Village of Lawrence, NY, for a real and unfiltered look at what building a business actually looks like.
From jewelry sales on commission to a healthcare business empire, a contractor lien crisis, partnership buyouts, and a string of adjacent businesses built almost by accident, Alex breaks down the reality behind decades of building, scaling, and surviving in business.
He shares how he started with no money, no formal business training, and a confidence he can’t fully explain — and how 15 years of perseverance turned into a healthcare facility empire, a school bus company, an ambulette fleet, a payroll firm in 15 states, and four terms as mayor.
This conversation isn’t about hype or shortcuts.
It’s about how the business actually works — and what it really takes to succeed.
⏱️ Episode Breakdown
00:00 — Cold open: regulation vs. competition today
00:45 — Welcome & introducing Alex Edelman
02:09 — Immigrant background: Romania to Baltimore to Lakewood
06:05 — Why confidence (not book smarts) gets you into business
09:03 — The self-analysis everyone skips before choosing a path
12:21 — Early lesson: speaking up to a 30-year manager
17:53 — Jewelry business: competitive market, $75/month rent, 10% commission
22:03 — Walking away from a partnership offer he didn’t want
22:44 — Why he chose healthcare — and the bed-count business model
24:39 — Building a state association from nothing to 90 facilities
26:45 — Scaling from 53 to 120+ beds across three counties
31:06 — 12 partners down to 3: how partnership buyouts actually work
32:39 — The contractor lien crisis: $500K in liens, finishing the build himself
33:05 — Business financing: loan-to-value ratios explained
36:13 — Why asking for advice isn’t embarrassment
37:07 — The Bellport mistake: bad management, bad location
41:34 — “There’s no big magic to business” — perseverance over shortcuts
41:53 — Buying the RivLab school bus company
46:13 — Starting an ambulette company by watching his own parking lot
48:49 — Building a payroll company because he had 1,500 employees
50:32 — Why spousal support isn’t optional
51:31 — The solar energy investment
52:22 — Becoming a trustee, then mayor of Lawrence, four terms
56:41 — Community building: Darchei Torah, TAG, Seach Yitzchok
58:23 — Closing advice: work hard, be honest, say tehillim every day
📌 In This Episode, You’ll Learn
How to know if you’re actually suited for business — or for something else
Why it took 15 years to feel genuinely profitable, and why that’s normal
How to structure and unwind partnerships as your leverage grows
What to do when a contractor crisis threatens to sink your project
How one core business can spin off into several adjacent ones
Why asking for advice isn’t a weakness — it’s how deals get done right
What loan-to-value ratios mean for how much of your own money you need
🧠 Quote from the Episode
“The magic to business is perseverance and hard work.”
👤 About the Guest
Alex Edelman
Former Mayor of the Village of Lawrence, NY. Built and operated healthcare facilities, an ambulette company, a school bus fleet (RivLab), a payroll company, and a solar energy venture over a multi-decade career.
💼 About the Host
Moshe Alpert, CLU®, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, AEP®
Founder & CEO of Ceremian Financial.
Moshe helps families and professionals make clear, values-based financial decisions around income, investing, and long-term stability.
🌐 Website: https://www.ceremian.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moshe-alpert-clu®-cfp®-chfc®-ricp®-aep®-b40401156
🔗 CONNECT & SUBSCRIBE
📧 Questions? Email: middleclassalpert@gmail.com
⭐ Leave a 5-star review to help more people find the show
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/3j5CZsshpbtkil5rS3sVs7?si=ed5065b3ac114cde
🎛️ PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced & Edited by: BIG Productions – Gidon Orman
🎙️ Contact: gi@bigprod.net
