Serial Entrepreneur (2 exits) & Growth Advisor • Founded AllPaws (Sold to PetSmart) • Co-Founded Saturday App & Snap Interactive (100m users & $100m revenue)

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 & $𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 • 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝘄/ 𝟮 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘀 • 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Serial tech entrepreneur, business operator, and strategic advisor with deep experience starting and growing consumer-digital businesses. 

As a growth and product-driven startup founder, I have a proven track record of building and growing innovative products used by millions. I have achieved successful exits while overseeing multiple C-Level executive roles for publicly traded, growth stage, and venture-backed startups. I have a bias for action and a passion for solving big problems. Proven ability to innovate and deliver rapid revenue and user growth. 

At the intersection of my passion for pets and online dating expertise, I co-founded AllPaws. This innovative, online dating-style pet adoption platform quickly gained millions of users and was acquired by the pet industry leader, PetSmart. 

Before that, as co-founder I helped build and lead publicly traded SNAP Interactive from inception to rank as the 36th fastest growing technology company in North America with 4,400% revenue growth over 5 years, $20 million+ in annual revenue, and over 100 million users of our online dating apps and social products. 

Today, I advise businesses and startups on optimizing their digital and product growth strategies. Additionally, I coach entrepreneurs and business leaders on building high-income personal brands, and advise top influencers, models, and creators on growing and monetizing their audiences.

I continue to work on new projects, explore new opportunities, and advise. 

Been featured in ABC News, Bloomberg, Good Morning America, TechCrunch, Fox 5 News,  Huffington Post, Mashable, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and many other top tier publications. 

SPECIALTIES: Growth, Optimization, Digital Strategy, Product Strategy, Personal Branding 

Start-ups | Digital Strategy | General Management | Product Strategy and Development |  Rapid Revenue Growth | Strategic Vision | User Growth & User Acquisition | Marketplaces | Business Strategy | Business Operator | Problem-Solving | Business Operations (CEO, COO, GM) | Product Management | Conversion Optimization | A/B Testing | Web and Mobile Analytics | Mobile Applications | Mobile Growth | iTunes App Store Optimization | e-Commerce | Social Media Marketing & Strategy | M&A Process | Pet Industry | Online Dating Apps

Darrell Lerner

The key to growing a startup in 3 steps.

Test → Learn → Iterate

Then double down on what’s working.

Tight feedback cycles let you gather data and make progress as quickly as possible.

(Quick clip from a podcast I did with Adam Metwally on growth + why virality is harder than people think.)

But here’s the part nobody really wants to admit:

You can’t really “engineer” virality.

Everyone thinks they know what will go viral…

until they post something they’re sure will rip, and it flops.

Then they post something random…

and it takes off...

That’s why “going viral” isn’t a strategy.

The right systems are.

You can’t force outcomes.

But you can run enough reps to find them.

That’s how you win in growth when there’s no formula.

The winners don’t predict virality. They build systems that find it.

What’s the most surprising post you’ve ever had take off?

--

If you found this post helpful:

♻️ Repost to share it with your audience

🔔 Follow me Darrell Lerner for more on entrepreneurship, startups, personal branding, and mindset.

2x Exited Founder & Growth Advisor • Built AllPaws (Acquired by PetSmart) • Co-Founded SNAP Interactive (100m users & $100m revenue)

Helping healthcare professionals to build wealth passively through multifamily real estate investing | CEO at Pheenyx Capital Investment | Join our community of investors

I did everything right. I went to school, became a doctor, and built what I thought was the ultimate career.

But after years in the ER, something clicked:

I was stuck in a system where no matter how much I earned, my time was never mine.

Like so many high-income professionals, I was:
❌ Trading my time for money, shift after shift.
❌ Missing moments with family, holidays, and weekends.
❌ Building a career—but not building wealth.

So, I made a change.

I discovered real estate investing and realized that my paycheck didn’t have to be my only source of income. I could make my money work for me.

The Results Have Been Transformative

→ Built and manage a $120.5M+ real estate portfolio
→ Helped a significant number of investors create passive income
→ Founded Pheenyx Capital Investment to guide professionals toward financial freedom
→ Teaching busy professionals how to invest wisely—without more work

How I Can Help You

If you’re a healthcare professional looking to:
Build passive income through real estate without the stress of managing properties
Gain financial freedom without working more hours
Learn how to create generational wealth while keeping your career

Let’s talk. DM me or book a call (link in my featured section). I’ll walk you through how to get started.

If you’re not ready yet, hit “Follow” and join me on this journey.

Because your career success isn’t your ceiling. It’s your foundation for true wealth.

Let’s build an expansive life—together. 🚀

Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

During the holidays in Nigeria, surrounded by family, I felt the impact of my decision to venture into real estate investing in a way numbers never could.

Not in spreadsheets.

Not in returns.

But in moments I didn’t have to rush through.

Time with family.

Unhurried conversations.

Laughter that didn’t need to be cut short.

I even had the chance to sit with some investors and potential investors back home and talk about everything,and anything. 

My mum, of course, had to know the people I roll with 😂

That season left me deeply grateful, not just for what I’ve built, but for why I built it.

A few years ago, I chose a path that gave me something medicine alone couldn’t guarantee: choice.

Real estate hasn’t just changed my finances.

It’s changed how I experience life.

I didn’t choose this path to escape work.

I chose it to reclaim time, presence, and intentional living.

As I step into this year, a few reflections stay with me:

• Wealth isn’t only what you accumulate, it’s what you get to experience along the way.

• Waiting for the “perfect time” often costs more than starting imperfectly.

• Options create peace. And peace changes how you show up everywhere else.

If you’re contemplating life outside medicine, or outside the one path you’ve always known, remember this:

You don’t have to abandon what you’ve built to expand your life.

You just have to start building options.

That’s what I’ll be unpacking this week

📆 Thursday, January 8th, 2026

🕕 6 PM CST 

“Why 2026 Is a Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

Join us here👇🏿

[ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

This isn’t about hype.

It’s about perspective, timing, and intentional moves that support the life you actually want to live.

This holiday reminded me:

Success isn’t just about what you build.

It’s about the life you get to live while building it.

And that, to me, is real wealth!

Nkem Ezeamama, MD. 🔥

From the Bedside to $120.5MM in Real Estate | ER Doctor Turned Investor | Helping Healthcare Professionals Turn Paychecks into Passive Income | Founder @ Pheenyx Capital | Let’s Build an Expansive Life.

A few years ago, I hit a milestone I had been chasing for a long time. Revenue was up. Opportunities were flowing in faster than I could respond.

From the outside, it looked like everything was finally working.

But something felt off.

I wasn’t unhappy.
I wasn’t failing.
I was just… heavy.

My phone never stopped buzzing.

Every “yes” created three new obligations.
Every win came with an invisible cost.

And one day, the question surfaced, quiet but unsettling:

Why does success feel like it’s shrinking my life instead of expanding it?

That was the moment I realized something no one prepares you for:

Revenue can grow while your peace quietly disappears.

Not all growth is aligned.

Not every opportunity is meant to be accepted.

And not every version of success leads to freedom.

I didn’t need to work harder.

I needed to work differently.

So I started asking better questions:

✔️ What kind of life am I actually building?

✔️ Does this version of success leave room to breathe?

✔️ Can this scale without costing me myself?

That shift changed everything.

It’s also the lens through which I now look at real estate investing.

Because when done right, real estate isn’t about adding more to your plate, it’s about creating space:

Space in your time.

Space in your finances.

Space in your life.

That’s why tonight, I’m hosting a live conversation on:

Why 2026 is a perfect time to invest in real estate not for hustle, but for alignment.

Not hype.

Not shortcuts.

But a framework for building wealth that supports the life you actually want to live.

🕕 6pm CST today

🔗 Join us here: [ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

Because the real goal was never just growth.

It was a life that could hold it!

“As a physician, I’ve disciplined myself to save a significant amount of money… and yet, something still feels missing.”

That’s what a fellow professional shared with me recently.

And it’s more common than people admit.

Saving is good.
It’s responsible.
It’s necessary.
It’s the foundation of financial security.

Most high-income professionals do this well:

✔️ They max retirement accounts.

✔️ Maintain emergency funds.

✔️ Delay gratification.

✔️ Follow the rules.

And yet, many still feel financially stuck.

Because saving alone preserves money.

It protects you.

But it doesn’t create freedom.

It doesn’t solve:

• Dependence on active income

• Trading time for money indefinitely

• Inflation quietly eroding purchasing power

• The inability to step away without anxiety

• The absence of real options

This is the tension many professionals live with:

Financially responsible, yet still financially dependent on working.

True freedom begins when saving is paired with strategy.

When money is intentionally directed toward ownership, leverage, and income-producing assets.

Money that works while you sleep.

While you practice.

While you live.

Discipline without strategy only goes so far!

You can save diligently and still feel the gap between security and freedom.

Closing that gap requires education, intentional action, and alignment,.not reckless risk.

That’s what I’ll be breaking down tomorrow in a live conversation:

📆 Thursday, January 8th

🕕 6:00 PM CST

“Why 2026 Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

[ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

This isn’t hype.

It’s perspective, math, and timing, for high-income professionals who want options, not just income.

Because the real cost of waiting isn’t money.

It’s time, choice, and peace!

The most expensive thing about medicine isn’t student loans. We talk about debt a lot in medicine. Six figures. Sometimes more.

Years of sacrifice tied to a number that feels overwhelming at first.

And yes, student loans matter.

But they’re loud.

They’re not the most expensive thing medicine takes.

What costs more is invisible.

Here’s the simple math:

An ER physician earning ~$300K/year takes home roughly ~$180K after taxes.

Over 10 years, that’s ~$1.8M in net income, before lifestyle creep, inflation, or burnout.

Now here’s what we rarely calculate:

If those same 10 years pass:

❌️ Without ownership,

❌️ Without assets compounding quietly in the background,

❌️ Without leverage working for you,

The real cost isn’t what you spent.

It’s what you never built!

Income is linear.

Ownership compounds.

A single well-structured real estate investment, made early, can grow into seven figures over time, through:

 
✔️ Appreciation, 

✔️ Equity paydown, and 

✔️ Tax advantages, 

without more shifts, more nights, or more holidays missed.

That realization changed everything for me.

I used to believe freedom lived on the other side of:

• Paying off loans
• “One more year” of grinding
• Feeling fully ready

What I learned instead:

Debt ends.

Time doesn’t come back.

Compounding doesn’t wait for permission.
Medicine is meaningful work.

But it was never meant to be the only thing we build.

That’s why I’m hosting a conversation on:

📆 Thursday, January 8th

🕕 6pm CST

“Why 2026 Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

{ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH }

This is about perspective, math, and timing, for high-income professionals who want freedom, not just a paycheck. 

Some truths can’t be unseen!

I recently read a post by a creator who publicly set a goal to hit 100,000 followers by December 2025, but stopped at 13,000.

And instead of forcing it…

She took the goal back.

Why?

Because during a period when impressions dropped (yes, creators complained):

✔️ Revenue increased
✔️ Clients increased
✔️ Impact deepened

She stopped chasing clouds
and started chasing CLARITY.

That’s the shift I wish more professionals would make.

Everyone keeps asking:
“What really drives long-term results on LinkedIn, visibility or engagement?”

Here’s the truth:

Visibility gets people to see you.
Engagement makes people remember you.

But here’s what most people miss, meaningful engagement actually drives visibility too.

Not copy-paste comments.
Not AI-flavored responses.
Not posting just to go viral.

When you focus on clarity:

1️⃣ Speaking directly to your people

2️⃣ Addressing real, lived pain points

3️⃣ Sharing perspective instead of performing for attention

…the algorithm follows you, not the other way around.

Chasing virality creates noise.

Chasing clarity builds trust.

And trust is what leads to conversations, clients, and real influence.

That’s why impressions alone are a weak metric.

Impact is measured by:

• who listens
• who stays
• who reaches out
• who takes action

This is exactly why I created LinkedIn Unlocked; to help professionals stop shouting into the void and start showing up with clarity that compounds into real opportunities.

So if you’ve been posting consistently and wondering, “Why isn’t this turning into opportunities?”

This is for you 👇🏿

🔗 [ https://lnkd.in/eFweBkr2 ]

The goal isn’t to be everywhere.

The goal is to be unmistakable to the right people!

Have a great weekend ahead!

Dear LinkedIn family, I want to personally apologize for today’s webinar experience.

Due to unexpected technical and network issues on my end, I was not able to deliver the session in the way you deserved and I know how valuable your time is. 

Spending part of your day troubleshooting instead of learning was frustrating, and I take full responsibility for that. 

Please know this is not the standard I hold myself to. 

I will be hosting a new webinar very soon, with everything fully tested and dialed in, so we can focus entirely on delivering value, clarity, and an exceptional experience from start to finish. 

You’ll be the first to hear once the new date is confirmed. 

Thank you sincerely for your patience, grace, and for showing up despite the hiccup. 

I truly appreciate you!

taplio

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Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

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taplio

The Battle

Darrell Lerner

Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Darrell Lerner's LinkedIn Performance

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