Ep112: Turning Fear into Financial Freedom: Dr. Elaine Stageberg on Building Passive

In this inspiring episode of Finding Financial Freedom, host Dr. Disha Spath sits down with Dr. Elaine Stageberg, co-owner and principal of Black Swan Real Estate, to explore how she turned one rental property into a half-billion-dollar real estate empire—all while raising five kids and maintaining a career in psychiatry.

Dr. Elaine’s journey from a difficult childhood marked by financial instability to becoming a leading real estate investor is a testament to resilience, intention, and the power of mindset. Together with her husband, she built Black Swan Real Estate, a diversified portfolio with over 2,000 doors and nearly $500 million in assets.

Tune in as Dr. Elaine shares how she overcame scarcity thinking, leaned into fear, and built financial freedom through strategic investing.

Watch the Episode Here:

Listen to the Podcast Here:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Overcoming Adversity and Finding Purpose

• Elaine’s early life shaped by financial scarcity and addiction in her family.

• The role of love and stability in the midst of chaos—and how it formed her values today.

  
  

2. From Medicine to Mindset

• Why Elaine chose psychiatry and how her background influenced her specialty.

• The importance of paying it forward and mentoring others.

  
  

3. The Accidental Landlord Story

• How an underwater mortgage led Elaine and Nick to rent out their first home.

• What she learned about property management, cash flow, and providing housing.

• Discovering the joy and purpose of real estate beyond spreadsheets.

  
  

4. Building Black Swan Real Estate

• Their first intentional investment: turning a vacant, foreclosed home into a thriving rental.

• The philosophy behind building value and creating “sacred work” through housing.

  
  

5. Fear, Mindset, Marriage, and Money

• Why Elaine says there’s never a “perfect time” to start investing—only the courage to begin.

• How facing fear and uncertainty became their superpower for growth.

  
  

6. Introducing the Secure Freedom Fund

• How investors can partner with Black Swan Real Estate through the Secure Freedom Fund.

• Earn a 10% fixed rate of return through institutional-quality real estate investments.

  
  

Listener Takeaways:

• Lean into fear—growth happens outside your comfort zone.

• Real estate can be sacred work that provides both purpose and profit.

• Adversity can be a foundation for resilience and success.

• Start before you’re ready—there’s never a perfect time to invest.

• Financial freedom is not just about money but about designing life on your terms.

Resources Mentioned:

• Black Swan Real Estate

• Secure Freedom Fund

Connect with Us:

• Host: Dr. Disha Spath and Josh Spath, The Frugal Physician

• Guest: Dr. Elaine Stageberg – Co-Owner & Principal, Black Swan Real Estate

This episode is brought to you by:

Black Swan Real Estate, led by physician-investor Dr. Elaine Stageberg.  Dr. Stageberg, a Mayo Clinic–trained physician, together with her husband Nick, has spent years building Black Swan Real Estate into a diversified, large-scale portfolio now approaching half a billion dollars across 2,000 doors. 

Now, through their Secure Freedom Fund, a 10% fixed rate of return offering, you can invest alongside them. The Secure Freedom Fund offers institutional-quality real estate opportunities—designed to deliver strong cash flow, long-term growth, and remarkable tax advantages. 

This fund is uniquely structured so that each investor can tailor it to their own individual goals: a minimum investment of just $25,000, the ability to choose monthly cashflow distributions or to elect the compounding option for higher overall growth, the option to exit the fund on your timing, the flexibility to invest in your personal name, a trust, an LLC, or a retirement account, and so much more. 

If you’re an accredited investor who’s ready to diversify beyond Wall Street and invest with experienced, trust worthy operators who’ve been exactly where you are, visit SecureFreedomFund.com today to learn more. From there, you can review the slides, watch the webinar, and even a book a call directly 1:1 with Dr. Elaine Stageberg. 

That’s SecureFreedomFund.com.