Expedition Equity

Dreaming of financial freedom that lets you live life on your terms? 🌟

I help professionals like you unlock passive income opportunities in real estate, making financial freedom more attainable than ever.

Whether it’s gaining independence from your W2 job or setting up a financial legacy for your loved ones, investing in apartments can make it happen.

Founder, CEO

Acworth Family Eyecare

Optometrist

Eye on Growth

Reach Family Foundation

Executive Director

Strive Health and Fitness

Owner

Success isn’t just about wealth—it’s about fulfillment, family, and giving back.

I’m Dr. Dylan Reach, an optometrist, investor, and business coach based in Georgia.  My passion lies in helping others grow, thrive, and achieve freedom in their ventures.

Here’s how it all started:

After graduating Cum Laude from Southern College of Optometry, I completed an internship at Charleston Air Force Base, specializing in ocular disease and contact lenses. Shortly after, I acquired my first optometry practice and grew it into multiple locations. I now coach fellow optometrists to do the same—helping them implement proven strategies for growth and sustainability. 

But my journey didn’t stop there.

My love for investing, travel, and adventure inspired me to launch Expedition Equity, an investment firm that treats wealth-building as an expedition—navigating uncharted paths to achieve long-term freedom. 
What began with a single rental property grew into a diverse real estate portfolio, including commercial properties, short-term rentals, and syndications across asset classes.

Through Expedition Equity, I connect high-achieving professionals with unique, high-return opportunities while negotiating better terms through collective investing. 🏢

Are you ready to:
✅ Build wealth for yourself and future generations?
✅ Gain access to high-yield investments?
✅ Take control of your financial destiny?

I believe success isn’t just about financial gain; it’s about balance—finding joy in family, friends, and giving back.

I live in Woodstock, Georgia with my amazing wife and four children. Whether guiding optometrists, mentoring investors, or connecting with my community, I aim to inspire others to achieve independence, fulfillment, and a life they love.

Let’s chart your course to success together.

💰 Website
https://www.ExpeditionEquity.com

Dylan Reach

Thanksgiving is a reminder of something I never take lightly...
your trust.

To our investors, partners, and the entire community around us, thank you for allowing us to play a role in your financial journey this year.

You have choices. You have competing priorities. You have a hundred directions you could allocate your capital. Yet you chose to place your confidence in our team, our strategy, and our ability to steward your investments with care and discipline.

For that, I’m deeply grateful.

This year brought growth, learning, new opportunities, and a reaffirmation of why we do this work:
to help investors create stable, meaningful, long-term wealth through real assets and proven strategies.

As we head into the holiday season, I want you to know how much we value:
• Your trust in our process
• Your commitment to long-term thinking
• Your belief in what we’re building together
• Your partnership as we continue to expand new opportunities

Wishing you and your family a healthy, restful, meaningful Thanksgiving.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

And thank you for letting us help build your wealth with purpose.

Warm regards,
Dylan Reach

Founder at Expedition Equity | Optometrist | Fund Manager | Investor | Business Consultant

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Ever wonder why the wealthiest investors don’t talk much about the stock market?

It’s because they’re busy investing in private markets.

Private equity, private credit, real estate, and energy projects make up a significant portion of their portfolios.

These investments offer control, tax advantages, and consistent cash flow that public markets can’t match.

The ultra-wealthy understand a key truth: diversification isn’t about owning more stocks. It’s about owning assets that move independently of Wall Street.

Private equity provides exactly that.

For busy professionals, it can be a way to participate in real business growth without adding another job to your schedule.

The opportunity is there for anyone willing to look beyond traditional investing.

Are you still relying on the stock market to build your wealth, or are you exploring what private markets can offer?

Most paving companies are small, family-run operations.

They’re profitable but fragmented.

By bringing multiple operators under one management team, we can increase pricing power, negotiate better materials contracts, and streamline scheduling and logistics.

The result is higher EBITDA, stronger cash flow, and a more valuable company. 📈

For investors, this model offers the stability of infrastructure with the upside of private equity. It’s a rare combination — tangible assets, steady work, and scalable growth.

This is where patient capital meets predictable demand.

Do you think more investors should be looking at “real economy” businesses like paving?

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If you’ve ever wondered why banks own billions of dollars in life insurance, here’s the reason: stability.

Cash value life insurance is one of the most misunderstood financial tools out there.

Most people think of insurance as protection, but the wealthy see it as a powerful financial asset.

Properly structured, it allows investors to grow wealth tax-deferred, access funds tax-free, and earn steady, predictable returns.

Banks, corporations, and family offices use these policies to store capital, earn guaranteed growth, and borrow against them for liquidity.

It’s not about chasing returns, it’s about creating control.

When you understand how the system works, you can start playing the same game institutions have played for decades.

Have you ever looked into how cash value life insurance can work as a financial asset instead of just a policy?

One conversation I keep having over and over again...

Most investors don’t realize they can take control of their retirement funds.

Wall Street wants you to believe your IRA or 401(k) can only hold stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

But that’s not true.

With a Self-Directed IRA, you can invest in private markets — real estate, private equity, energy, even private credit — all inside a tax-advantaged account.

That means you can grow your retirement wealth through the same kinds of assets the ultra-wealthy use, not just the ones the market offers.

The structure is fully IRS-approved and has been around for decades. Most people just never hear about it because traditional brokers can’t profit from it.

If you value control, diversification, and the ability to invest in what you understand, an SDIRA can be a game changer.

Have you ever explored what your retirement could look like off Wall Street?

Paving the Way for Private Market Investors:

Paving isn’t glamorous. It’s essential.

Every city, every logistics hub, every new development depends on it.

When we consolidate paving companies into one platform, we turn a fragmented industry into a scalable business — one that grows through efficiency, reputation, and recurring contracts.

Investors can now participate fractionally in this opportunity without managing crews or equipment.

You get access to real enterprise growth in an industry with permanent demand.

Sometimes the best investments are hiding in plain sight, right under our feet.

Would you consider adding infrastructure-backed businesses to your portfolio?

Tech is evolving faster than ever,
and the smartest investors are finding ways to participate

without taking founder level risk.

A well structured tech fund gives you exposure to innovation
without the pressure of picking individual winners.

Here’s why they continue to stand out:

• Diversification across breakthrough technologies without concentrating risk

• Access to mid and late stage deals most individual investors never see

• Professional due diligence from teams who live in these markets every day

• Exposure to sectors shaping the next decade including AI, infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, and energy tech

• Clear exit paths as institutions acquire proven platforms at scale

• Potential for strong returns with structured downside protection

For investors who want the upside of innovation without taking on early stage risk,
a tech fund can be one of the smartest entry points.

Tech moves quickly. The right fund keeps you out front.

DM "Tech" if you want to hear about our exclusive investment opportunity.

Multifamily real estate has been the darling of investors for a decade, but many are realizing that the returns have compressed and competition is fierce.

That’s why a growing number of savvy investors are turning to marinas.

Like multifamily, marinas generate recurring income through leases and monthly payments. The difference is that marinas come with less competition, lower turnover, and far more limited supply.

Waterfront land isn’t being made anymore, and in many states, permitting new marina construction is nearly impossible.

This scarcity drives pricing power and protects value during downturns. Many marinas also have built-in expansion opportunities through dry storage, service contracts, and membership models.

In short, marinas offer the same steady income investors love about multifamily, but with higher barriers to entry and less market saturation.

Would you ever add a marina to your real estate portfolio if the right opportunity came along?

Most investors focus on where to put their money.
Very few focus on how to make their money work in two places at once.

That is where cash value whole life insurance and the Infinite Banking strategy come in.

These tools are not about selling a policy. They are about building a private, tax-advantaged financial system that you control, independent of Wall Street volatility.

Here is why more high-earning professionals and business owners are using it:
• Your capital keeps compounding inside the policy even when you borrow against it
• You can access liquidity on demand without selling investments or triggering taxes
• Policy loans create a built-in line of credit tied to your own cash value
• Growth is steady, predictable, and protected from market swings
• The structure creates generational wealth through a tax-free benefit to heirs
• It pairs naturally with private real estate, credit funds, and operating businesses

Think of it like this:
A traditional bank lends your money out and earns interest.
Infinite Banking simply lets you become the bank.

You store capital in a contractually protected environment, borrow against it to fund investments, and let your dollars compound in two places at once.

Used correctly, it becomes the liquidity engine that supports your long-term wealth strategy.

This is not a shortcut. It is a system. A disciplined approach used by the ultra-wealthy for decades to create stability, tax efficiency, and access to opportunity.

If you are exploring ways to build a more resilient financial foundation or want to understand how Infinite Banking integrates with private market investing, I am happy to walk you through it.

Your money should work as hard as you do.

Doctors, entrepreneurs, and executives all have something in common:
limited time and the desire to build wealth beyond the market. That’s where SDIRAs come in.

A Self-Directed IRA allows you to invest retirement dollars into private real estate, private equity, or energy projects while maintaining the same tax benefits of a traditional IRA.

The key difference is control.

You choose the deals, not a fund manager.

It’s one of the most powerful ways to align your investments with your expertise.

If you understand real estate, you can own it inside your IRA.

If you see opportunity in private credit or business acquisitions, you can participate there too.

The result is a more diversified, resilient retirement portfolio — one you actually understand.

Have you considered taking your retirement strategy beyond mutual funds?

Private equity isn’t flashy, but that’s part of its power.

It doesn’t rely on headlines or hype cycles. It’s built on disciplined investing in profitable, tangible businesses.

When a private equity firm acquires a company, the goal isn’t speculation.

It’s optimization.

They streamline operations, expand market share, and grow earnings.

That creates real enterprise value, and investors share in the profits.

While the stock market reacts to noise, private equity focuses on fundamentals.

It rewards patience, strategy, and smart partnerships. That’s why so many long-term investors turn to it for steady double-digit returns.

It’s not about timing the market. It’s about owning assets that create value whether markets are up or down.

Have you ever explored how private equity could fit into your portfolio?

When most people hear “life insurance,” they think about death benefits. But infinite banking is really about living benefits, using your money while you’re alive.

This approach allows you to store capital in a safe, compounding environment and access it through policy loans.

You can fund investments, pay off debt, or seize opportunities without interrupting your growth.

It’s one of the few financial tools that offers liquidity, stability, and long-term wealth protection in one place.

The real goal isn’t insurance. It’s control. Control over when and how you use your money, without relying on banks or market swings.

It’s a strategy that takes intention and education, but for those who master it, it becomes a lifelong advantage.

If you could create your own private banking system, what would you use it for first?

Some of the most profitable businesses aren’t flashy. Roofing is one of them.

While everyone chases tech or trendy assets, the roofing industry quietly generates billions each year from recurring demand.

Roofs wear out every 15 to 20 years. Weather doesn’t stop. Commercial and residential projects never really pause.

That’s what makes roofing such a durable, cash-flowing business.

Our roll-up strategy brings multiple roofing companies under one operational umbrella, creating efficiency, scale, and higher margins. Investors participate fractionally, meaning you can own a piece of a growing business without ever running a crew.

This is private equity in its purest form. Tangible work, predictable demand, and professional management driving long-term value.

Would you rather chase the next big trend or own a business that’s been essential for a century?

For years, most investors have accepted the limits of traditional retirement plans.

Stocks, bonds, and maybe a mutual fund or two.

But today, there’s a better way to grow and protect your wealth.

A Self-Directed IRA allows you to invest in private assets while keeping your tax advantages intact.

You can generate income through cash-flowing real estate, business equity, or private lending. All within your IRA.

The benefits are twofold: you’re diversifying your retirement portfolio and potentially reducing your tax burden at the same time.

The best part?

You remain in control of where your money goes and how it grows.

Smart investors are using this strategy to build more predictable, asset-backed retirement income.

If you could redirect even a portion of your IRA into private deals, would you?

The biggest shifts in the economy are happening long before the public sees them.

AI platforms are scaling behind the scenes. New fintech rails are being adopted by major institutions. Cybersecurity breakthroughs are securing global infrastructure. Even energy tech innovation is accelerating beyond headlines.

But most of this growth happens privately.

Tech funds give investors access to these developments while they are still in momentum mode, often years before they are ever available in public markets.

• Early participation in trends shaping the next decade
• Diversification across high-growth private companies
• The ability to benefit from institutional acquisition cycles
• Less volatility than public tech stocks
• A structured way to stay engaged with innovation

Investors who understand the long-term value of private-market exposure know this: innovation compounds. Being early matters.

They provide exposure to the growth curve in a disciplined, risk-managed way.

👉 If you’re curious whether private-market exposure belongs in your portfolio, send me a message and let’s talk through what that could look like for you.

The Premier League is a perfect reminder that the best outcomes are rarely built in public.

Every weekend, we see the scoreline.

But the result was shaped long before kickoff:
•scouting
•training
•tactics
•depth
•discipline

Investing works the same way.

In public markets, everyone sees the price every second. The noise is constant. The emotions are loud.

In private markets, progress is quieter.

You are backing the preparation phase: building, improving, executing, and letting time do its job.

That’s why private investing can be powerful for the right person:

Less distraction from daily headlines.
More focus on fundamentals and operational improvement.
More patience built into the plan, because value creation takes time.

Often, a clearer path to returns that comes from execution, not hype.

Even this week’s Premier League table swing is a reminder: consistency beats chaos.

Teams stretching their lead did not happen in one match. It is the result of systems and repetition.

Same principle in investing.

The goal is not to win the day. It’s to win the season.

If you want access to private market opportunities and a clear way to evaluate them, let’s connect.

When markets get unpredictable, it pays to think like a bank.

Banks don’t rely on market timing. They lend money at a fixed return, collect interest, and protect their position with collateral.

Private credit investors follow the same model.

By providing capital to vetted businesses or real estate projects, you can earn solid returns while reducing exposure to volatility.

In a high-rate environment, this strategy becomes even more compelling.

Businesses still need capital, and investors who can provide it gain leverage, security, and consistent cash flow.

Private credit isn’t about speculation. It’s about being paid for providing something essential: liquidity.

Are you positioned to benefit from being the lender instead of the borrower?

Oil and gas might not be the trendiest headline, but it remains one of the most important pillars of the global economy.

Even with renewables expanding, traditional energy still fuels transportation, manufacturing, logistics, and baseline infrastructure.

This is why disciplined investors are rediscovering energy funds.

They offer something that’s becoming harder to find in modern portfolios.
• Asset-backed stability
• Predictable cash flow
• Long-term demand backed by real consumption
• Clear tax advantages unique to the sector
• Hedge potential during inflation and market volatility

While many sectors move with sentiment, energy moves with the real economy. That’s why it continues to attract capital from institutions and private investors looking for durable returns.

Sometimes the smartest allocation isn’t the flashiest one. It’s the one with fundamentals you can measure and demand you can depend on.

Oil and gas investing isn’t what it used to be. Technology has transformed the sector.

Data modeling, advanced drilling analytics, automated monitoring systems, and improved hedging strategies have redefined how operators manage risk and optimize production.

For investors, that evolution is meaningful.

• More efficient production cycles
• Better downside protection
• Stronger cash flow reliability
• More predictable underwriting
• Clearer exit opportunities

Private energy funds combine real-asset demand with modern operational intelligence, making them a compelling option for business owners and professionals who want durable income and long-term upside.

Energy remains a foundational resource. And the private-market strategies around it continue to improve every year.

For investors looking to add stability, cash flow, and tax efficiency to their portfolio, private energy remains one of the most strategic allocations available.

Most people don’t think of mobile home parks as a “community asset,” but they should.

These aren’t just plots of land. They’re neighborhoods filled with families, retirees, and workers who value stability and community.

From an investor standpoint, that sense of community matters.

Tenants who feel connected stay longer, take care of their homes, and build roots. That stability leads to predictable income and fewer surprises.

The economics are compelling, but the human impact is just as important.

By investing in mobile home parks, you’re not only pursuing strong returns, you’re also helping address one of the biggest challenges in America today: affordable housing.

This is what I call purpose-driven investing. It works financially and makes a difference.

If you could invest in something that’s both profitable and positive, would you?

Crowdvest LLC

At CrowdVest, our focus is simple: cash-flowing assets right out of the gate.

We specialize in NNN lease opportunities and properties that are 90%+ occupied, so investors can start generating income immediately rather than waiting on “potential.”

Every month, we screen 500+ opportunities nationwide, but only a small percentage make it through our vetted acquisition process. 

To give us an edge, we built SPHERE, our proprietary AI software that allows us to:
Analyze deals at scale, faster and with more precision.
Plug in our custom metrics to evaluate risk and return.
Identify opportunities that meet our strict cash flow and stability criteria.

The result: institutional-quality investments, designed for consistent returns and long-term wealth creation.

Partner

Nextavest

NextaVest was built to give investors access to a diversified portfolio of property types that generate passive income and long-term stability. Our platform sources and manages opportunities across:

Multifamily housing

Warehouses & industrial assets

Medical office buildings

Mobile home parks

Golf courses & lifestyle properties

Hotels & hospitality

By widening the investment lens beyond a single asset class, we help investors build resilient portfolios that balance consistent cash flow with appreciation potential.

Every deal is underwritten with discipline, backed by market fundamentals, and selected for its ability to deliver real, dependable returns.

At its core, NextaVest exists to empower professionals — especially physicians and high earners — to turn active income into sustainable passive wealth through institutional-quality real estate.

Co-Founder

Trust Equity Partners

Trust Equity Partners was established  with a clear mission: to identify, develop, and scale opportunities in self-storage and multifamily housing — two of the most resilient and in-demand sectors of real estate.

Unlike firms chasing broad asset classes, we’ve always believed in the power of specialization. Self-storage and multifamily consistently outperform in both strong and uncertain markets, driven by population growth, lifestyle shifts, and the ongoing demand for affordable, accessible housing and storage solutions.

Our strategy is simple but disciplined:

Ground-up development & value-add projects that unlock true equity growth.

Rigorous market analysis to identify high-demand, supply-constrained locations.

Trusted partnerships with seasoned operators and developers who deliver results.

Aligned capital structures designed to maximize investor returns while managing downside risk.

For years, investors have trusted us to take projects from blueprint to stabilized asset, creating real, tangible equity growth in sectors that stand the test of time.

At Trust Equity Partners, our vision is straightforward: Build with discipline. Grow with purpose. Deliver lasting value.

Investor Relations  / Partner

Empire Commercial

As a Partner at Empire Commercial Group, I was instrumental in driving the firm’s growth and success in the commercial real estate sector nationwide.  I  focused on strategic planning, client relations, and project management, helping guide Empire’s expansion and execution across diverse markets.

$2,000,000,000+ in transactions closed

47 states with a proven national footprint

Deep expertise in deal structuring, acquisitions, and dispositions

My work was centered on building lasting partnerships and delivering results for investors, developers, and clients by identifying opportunities, structuring deals, and ensuring execution from start to finish.

Empire’s legacy is built on discipline, scale, and trust — and I’m proud to have played a leading role in shaping that vision since 2004.

Real Estate Broker / Owner / GP / LP

Premium Luxury Storage | Real Estate Investor & Developer | Pro Skee-Ball Player | LP/GP ➡️ "DATA NOT DRAMA"

I grew up around medicine. My parents built one of the largest cancer and OB/GYN research centers in the country, Meridian, which they later sold after years of groundbreaking work. From them, I learned two things early on: the value of relentless dedication to a mission, and the reality that even the most accomplished physicians often struggle to create financial security once they retire.

That gap became my focus. I realized that doctors despite decades of serving patients often lacked access to reliable passive income strategies that could support them beyond their medical careers.

That’s why I founded NextaVest a platform designed to give physicians and professionals the tools to turn active earnings into sustainable, long-term wealth. Through strategic real estate and alternative asset investments, we help doctors protect their financial futures while they continue focusing on patient care.

Today, I’ve partnered with CrowdVest to expand access even further delivering a broader range of institutional-quality assets to investors who want their money working as hard as they do.

At the intersection of medicine and finance, my mission is simple:
➡️ Honor the legacy of healthcare innovators who dedicate their lives to saving others.
➡️ Empower them with financial freedom when it’s time to step back from practice.

Adam Shapiro

We put out an ad to bring on 20 new Investor Relations reps to join our team.

136 people applied.
30 people said “I’m in.”
5 actually showed up and went to work.

I sat with that for a while.
It reminded me of something I’ve learned in real estate, in business, in life:

Everyone loves the idea of opportunity.
Very few love the consistency required to turn it into something real.

Dreams are loud.
Execution is quiet.

And the people who show up  even when it’s not convenient, even when it’s new, even when it’s uncomfortable  those are the ones who end up changing their lives.

We don’t need the 136.
We don’t even need the 30.
We build with the 5.

Because in every deal, every raise, every team…
the ones who actually show up separate themselves without even trying.

More to come. 
The story is just getting started.

Turning income into legacy | Featured across NextaVest, Capstaq & Crowdvest

The world keeps telling us that politics matter.
That religion divides.
That war is inevitable.
That hate is normal.
That jealousy is human nature.

But none of that was ever meant for love.

Somewhere along the way, people forgot how much pain comes from things that were never supposed to define us in the first place.

Families torn apart because someone voted differently.
Friendships ending because someone prayed differently.
Lives lost because someone lived on the wrong side of a line drawn by people who never had to fight on it.
Hearts hardened because hate felt easier than healing.
Dreams crushed because jealousy whispered louder than gratitude.

We weren’t built for that.

We weren’t built to carry the weight of every argument, every headline, every division, every wound someone else created.

We were built for connection.
For empathy.
For seeing ourselves in people who don’t look like us, speak like us, vote like us, worship like us.

We were built to protect each other, not pick each other apart.
To listen, not label.
To lift, not compare.
To love, not weaponize love.

But somewhere along the way, we traded understanding for outrage.
We traded compassion for competition.
We traded humanity for headlines.

And the cost has been enormous —
not in history books,
but in the quiet places nobody talks about:

The mother who won’t speak to her son.
The friends who unfollowed each other over beliefs they never really explained.
The people who go to bed every night feeling alone in a world filled with billions of others.
The hearts that wanted to give more… but learned to give less just to survive.

None of this was meant for love.
None of it.

Love is supposed to soften you.
Not shatter you.
Love is supposed to widen your world.
Not divide it.
Love is supposed to remind you that underneath all the noise,
every human being is carrying something they don’t know how to say out loud.

Maybe the world doesn’t need more opinions.
Maybe it just needs more people willing to look at someone they disagree with
and see a human being instead of an enemy.

Because hate is taught.
Jealousy is triggered.
War is built.
Division is manufactured.

But love?
Love is who we were before the world told us to become something else.

And maybe…
maybe it’s time to find our way back.

A few years ago, I brought lunch to a group of police officers.

Nothing fancy. 
No audience. 
No photos planned.

Just me, a table, and people who had no idea who I was.

I sat there and listened.

For hours.

I didn't pitch. 
I didn't name-drop. 
I didn't talk about my portfolio.

I just showed up.

And something shifted that day.

Most people think credibility comes from scale. More assets. 
More deals. 
More investors.

Bigger stage. 
Louder voice. 
More followers.

But that's not how trust actually works.

Real credibility comes from consistency.

Showing up the same way in the small rooms as you do in the big ones.

Being present when no one is watching.

Treating the first-time investor like you'd treat the institution.

Those officers didn't care about my net worth. They cared that someone took the time to sit with them. 
To listen. 
To actually be there.

And here's what I learned.

The best deals I've ever done didn't start in boardrooms. 
They didn't start on stage. 
They didn't start with a pitch deck or a polished presentation.

They started across a simple table.

With people who valued integrity over headlines.

People who could feel the difference between someone performing success and someone actually living it.

Strong relationships outperform strong returns.

And the operators who understand that are the ones who stay in the game the longest.

If you want to work with an operator who treats every partnership the same way, whether it's a billion-dollar institution or a first-time investor, send me a message.

Happy to walk you through what I'm evaluating next.

I watched a seller lose his own deal once.

Not because the numbers were wrong. Not because the buyer backed out. Not because the asset had issues.

He lost it for one reason: He could not control his pace.

We were days away from signing. Terms were finalized. Financing was aligned. Everyone was ready to move.

And then the seller started pushing.

More calls. More pressure. More last minute demands. More fear disguised as urgency.

He thought speed would protect him. But all it did was expose him.

The buyer slowed down. The trust evaporated. And the deal that was already won slowly unraveled.

It taught me something I never forgot.

Most deals are not lost because of logic. They are lost because one person panics at the wrong time.

In real estate, pace is a language. It communicates confidence. It communicates stability. It communicates that you are thinking, not reacting.

The seller forgot that.

He tried to force motion. He tried to create pressure. He tried to win the moment instead of winning the deal.

And the buyer walked away.

When they met the next week, the seller said, "I just wanted to make sure you were serious."

The buyer replied, "If you were serious, you would have slowed down."

That was the lesson.

Deals are rarely destroyed by the big mistakes. They are destroyed by small moments where ego tries to take control.

If you learn to manage your pacing, you will manage the room. And if you manage the room, you will close far more deals than you lose.

The best investors I know don't rush. They don't panic. They don't force.

They breathe. They think. They let the deal breathe too.

That's how you win.

A message came through yesterday.

It wasn't long.

But it stopped me.

Not because of the compliment.

But because it showed me what consistency actually builds.

I don't post to impress people.

I post to create clarity.

Around risk. Around timing. Around discipline.

In a space where those three things get ignored far too often.

So when someone reaches out and says they trust my thinking.

When they say they come back because I explain the why, not just the numbers.

When they say they want to know what I'm seeing in the market right now.

That's when I know something is working.

People are not looking for hype.

They are looking for somebody who thinks clearly when the market gets loud.

Somebody who explains the why behind the deal, not just the numbers on the page.

Somebody who isn't afraid to say what they're avoiding.

Just as much as what they're buying.

Clarity creates trust.

Trust creates conversations.

And conversations create opportunity.

I've built my entire approach around this.

Looking at more deals than most people see in a lifetime.

Analyzing them. Questioning them. Stress-testing them.

And only moving on the ones where the risk-adjusted returns actually make sense.

Not the ones that look good in a pitch deck.

But the ones that hold up when you dig.

If you are evaluating deals right now.

Or you want to understand what I am raising for next.

Send me a message.

I will walk you through what I am seeing.

What I am avoiding.

And where the strongest risk-adjusted returns actually are today.

We grow up thinking the greatest teachers are the ones we read, follow, or listen to.
But the real teacher?
Experience.

Experience doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
It doesn’t care about your plans.
It doesn’t wait until you’re “ready.”

It teaches you through deals that fall apart at the finish line.
Through partnerships that looked perfect on paper.
Through decisions you thought were right… until they weren’t.

Experience is undefeated because it forces you to confront the truth.
Not the version you wanted — the version you needed.

Books can guide you.
Mentors can help you.
Advice can support you.
But experience transforms you.

Every setback sharpens you.
Every failure rewires you.
Every win reminds you why you kept going.

If you’re in the middle of something hard — pay attention.
That’s the lesson.
That’s the teacher.

And when you finally come out the other side,
you won’t just be smarter —
you’ll be someone who earned their wisdom the only way that lasts.

Through experience.

Most investors tour a property the same way.

They look at the roof. They check the parking lot. They ask about HVAC, rents, and cap rates. All important. All obvious.

But there is one moment in every tour that tells you more about long-term value than every metric on paper.

And almost nobody pays attention to it.

It happens when the operator stops talking.

That ten-second pause.

When they look around the building and you can tell whether they actually understand what the property wants to become.

Not what the pro forma says. Not what the seller told them. Not what the model suggests.

That silence reveals whether you are dealing with someone who sees the asset as a living system or just a spreadsheet.

Early in my career, I ignored that moment.

I thought value lived in numbers, comps, and rent rolls.

Then I toured a center with an operator who barely spoke.

He just walked. Watched. Listened.

And after thirty minutes he pointed at one corner of the property and said, "That is the entire deal. Fix that corner and the rest unlocks."

He was right.

That property doubled in under three years.

Since then, I have learned something critical.

Great operators do not rush to impress you.

They do not dominate the tour.

They let the asset speak.

And the ones who can read that silence build value the rest of the industry never sees.

Because they understand something most investors miss.

The numbers tell you what happened.

The silence tells you what will happen.

If you want to know the exact moment I look for on every tour and why it predicts long-term value better than any metric on the sheet, DM me and I will send you the insight.

People always ask me the same question: 
Adam how do I………

“How do you pick the right people to hire?”
“How much time do you invest into them?”
“How do you know who’s worth betting on?”

I’ve hired hundreds of people across multiple companies…
and my metrics always come back to three things — nothing fancy, nothing complicated:

1. Give everyone a chance.
You never really know who someone is until you put them in a real environment.
Resumes lie. Titles lie. Energy doesn’t.
Some of my best people today were the ones nobody would’ve picked on paper.

2. What you pour into someone from day one determines everything.
Most hires fail because leaders disappear.
If you want people to care, show them you care first.
Teach them. Support them. Walk with them in the beginning, not after they “prove themselves.”
Day one is culture. Day one is trajectory.

3. Never give up on someone who’s trying.
Effort is the real KPI.
I can fix skill. I can fix speed. I can fix process.
I can’t fix someone who doesn’t want it.
But when someone keeps showing up — even imperfectly — that’s the person who usually turns into a leader.

People think hiring is about finding the “perfect person.”
It’s not.
It’s about building people, not sorting them.

That’s how teams grow.
That’s how companies scale.
And honestly, that’s how you change someone’s life.

—Adam Shapiro

This morning, I found myself thinking about the first deal I ever closed.

Not because it was big.
Not because it changed my life.
But because of what happened after the closing call ended.

The investor I worked with pulled me aside and said something I did not fully understand at the time:

“You did a good job, Adam. But I didn’t invest because of the deal. I invested because I believed you would still be here when things went wrong.”

I was young.
Ambitious.
Focused on cap rates, tenants, and the spreadsheet in front of me.

Trust was a word I assumed you earned by performance.

It took me years to learn the truth.

In commercial real estate, trust has very little to do with the purchase price or the pro forma.
It has everything to do with how you show up when the market tests you.

I have seen operators disappear the moment pressure hits.
I have seen deals fall apart because no one wanted to deliver the hard news.
I have seen investors lose more money to ego than to bad timing.

And I have also seen the opposite.

Deals survive because someone stayed calm.
Partnerships grow because someone communicated clearly.
Investors return because someone proved they could be steady long after the excitement faded.

Two decades in this business has taught me something simple:

Anyone can win a good market.
Very few people earn trust in a hard one.

That is why the real test of an operator is not how they speak when everything works.
It is how they think when everything breaks.

If you want to understand the decision frameworks I use to stay consistent through volatility, timing, and uncertainty, send me a message.

I am happy to share how I evaluate operators, build trust with investors, and protect capital long before a deal ever closes.

DM “trust” and I will send you a breakdown of the principles that have kept me steady for twenty years.

I was sitting across from a guy who had just lost $200K on a deal.

Not because the market turned.

Not because the numbers were wrong.

Because the person managing it didn't care about his capital the way he did.

He told me something I'll never forget.

"I would've lost less if I just lost it all at once. At least then I'd know."

So I asked him what he'd do differently next time.

He said, "I'm looking for someone who won't chase the headline. Someone who actually thinks about what could go wrong before they tell me what could go right."

That stuck with me.

Because I realized early on that anyone can show you a spreadsheet.

Anyone can post returns, models, screenshots.

But the real business isn't built on what you say in the room.

It's built on what people say about you when you're not there.

So I made a decision.

I would never oversell a deal just to get it done.

I wouldn't chase excitement to look smart in the short term.

I wouldn't put someone else's capital at risk to prove a point.

Instead, I'd focus on one thing.

Protecting downside first.

Always.

And something interesting happened.

People started talking.

Not about my returns.

About my process.

About the way I think about risk.

About the fact that I won't move until I'm certain.

And those conversations became worth more than any headline number ever could.

Because they came from people who had seen the other side of investing.

The uncertainty. The patience. The discipline.

They weren't responding to charisma.

They were responding to clarity.

To process.

To someone who treats their capital like it's sacred.

Here's what I learned.

Reputation compounds faster than money.

And when you do this business the right way, people feel it.

If you want to understand how I evaluate deals, manage risk, and keep emotions out of decisions, send me a message.

I'm always open to walking serious investors through how we operate and what we're raising for next.

I had a strong deal under contract.

Good tenants. Solid fundamentals. The kind of project every operator wants on their track record.

Then I made a mistake.

I accepted capital that wasn't aligned with how I work. Money that moved fast. Money that panicked fast. Money that wanted the return but not the process that protects it.

At first, everything looked fine.

But the moment the timeline shifted, the calls started. The pressure started. The second-guessing started.

Not because the deal was bad. But because the capital behind it didn't have the temperament to hold it.

So I learned something that day.

The wrong capital can destroy the right deal. Not through numbers. But through fear, urgency, and the pressure to prove something quickly.

Since then, I've been intentional about who I work with.

I don't choose capital based on availability. I choose it based on alignment, patience, and the ability to stay calm when the market doesn't cooperate.

Good deals require steady hands. Good partnerships require clear expectations. And long-term wealth requires investors who understand the difference.

Today, I evaluate investors the same way they evaluate me.

Not on returns. But on rhythm, trust, and whether we see the world through the same lens.

Because here's the truth.

The best deals aren't built on speed. They're built on stability.

If you want to understand what aligned capital really looks like, and how I decide who to partner with on each deal, send me a message.

I'll walk you through the exact principles I use to choose the right investors for the right opportunities.

He sold a company losing $100M a year.
They paid him $4.2B.
Then sued him.
He kept the money.

Kevin O’Leary was 19.
Working at an ice cream shop.
His boss told him to scrape gum off the floor.
A girl was watching.
He said no.
Got fired instantly.

His mom told him, “When you work for someone, you do what they say.”
Kevin decided, “That’s the last day I ever work for anybody.”

Everyone laughed at him.
He didn’t listen.

His mother secretly invested a third of every paycheck.
Dividend stocks.
Bonds.
Quiet wealth.
He only found out after she died.

He wanted to be a photographer.
His stepfather said he’d starve.
He got an MBA instead.

Started SoftKey in a basement with $35,000.
His first big investor backed out the day before signing.
Most people would’ve quit.
He didn’t.

By 1993 SoftKey did $110M in revenue.
And lost $57M.
He didn’t care.
He cared about growth.

He acquired The Learning Company for $606M.
Rebranded.
Kept buying competitors.

By 1998 revenue hit $800M.
Losses hit $1.1B.

Then Mattel called.
They needed a win.
Kevin sold them the whole thing for $4.2B.

Weeks later the truth came out.
Huge losses.
Mattel’s stock collapsed.
$3B in value evaporated.

Kevin got fired.
Collected $11.2M on his way out.

Mattel sold the company a year later for $27M.
One of the worst deals of all time.

Kevin got sued.
Mattel settled.
Kevin kept his millions.

Then came Dragons’ Den.
Then Shark Tank.
Today he’s worth $400M.

All because a 19-year-old refused to scrape gum off a floor.

Here’s the real lesson:
You don’t need a perfect company.
You need a company someone wants to buy.

Mattel wanted growth, brand, market share.
Kevin sold them the story they wanted.

Success isn’t about profit.
It’s about positioning.
It’s about timing.
It’s about knowing what buyers value.

Stop waiting for perfect.
Stop thinking you need flawless numbers.
Build something people want.
Sell it.
Think bigger.

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The Battle

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