7 Years in Pharma until I Escaped the 9 to 5 | I Help 249+ People Build Financial Freedom ($29.3M+) by Passively Investing in Multifamily Real Estate

Concerned with the sobering reality that you're not on track to provide for your family.

No one to turn to develop a strategy to help. I get it, and that's why I am here for you.

Everywhere you look, people appeared to have mastered their finances, and yet no one talks about money or helps. 

Being in this situation is confusing.

In 2015, I was confused.

I had an average income...

and a high expense lifestyle. 

I viewed it as normal.

I was not on track.

Why do I share this?

Because it's a honest, simple and powerful realization that most people don't reach.

This reality is true for a lot of us, irrespective of income.

I say this backed by anecdotal evidence.

Everyday I help people redefine their relationship with money. 

I've done it for 291+ people. 

Making them $20.2M+ since 2018.

Growing their net worth by $35.2M+.

And the average client has a similar story. 

Looking to make money, but doesn't know where to start.

And no time to figure it out.

And so, I help people build financial security.

Using the tips and tricks that I've done for myself. 

I help people that are: 

- Tired of paying too much in taxes
- Confused with how to manage their investments
- Unsure how to grow their business
- Flustered with the myriad of options   
- Overwhelmed with where to start

Nothing is more important to me than adding value to those around me. This is why I actively work to understand pain points and how to turn them into the foundation for people to scale. 

What I do isn't for everyone. If you think we might be a good fit, contact me:

📞 https://calendly.com/mustafal/15min

📧 ml@velocecapital.com

Disclaimer: Please note that past performance is not indicative of future results and investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. There are no guarantees in any investment. Content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any forward-looking statements or forecasts are based on assumptions and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such statements.

Before investing, carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment product or strategy. Each investor's financial situation and investment objectives are unique, and the information contained herein may not be suitable for all investors. Prospective investors should consult with a financial or legal professional to determine the appropriateness of any investment in light of their individual circumstances.

Mustafa Ladha

If you’re in your 20s or 30s

This is huge

Your biggest asset isn’t your income

It’s your time

And time + leverage is powerful

You don’t need ten properties

You need one

One property bought intelligently

One that cash flows 

This one decision changes your trajectory

Because real estate has a superpower

Something rare

You can use other peoples’ money responsibly

That leverage accelerates ownership

Most people delay this move

They want perfect clarity

Perfect timing

Perfect confidence

But momentum doesn’t come from perfection

It comes from starting

If you looked back 5 years from now

What would you wish you had bought today?

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From 9–5 to Financial Freedom | Helping 291+ People | Generated $20.2M+ in Passive Income & Increased Net Worth by $35.2M+ | Learn How You Can Too

Everyone loves free things

So how do you design life that way?...

I got upgraded to a Mercedes GLE

Paid $50 

Got $275 in value

Fun perk 

But here's why it actually matters for building wealth

After helping 291+ investors deploy $64M+ into real estate 

I've noticed something:

The investors who move fastest don’t just have money 

They have the total stack 

Things like the ‘right’ credit cards

Credit cards aren't about the perks 

They're about what those perks represent:

→ Credit history that gets you approved for better financing terms
→ A profile that signals reliability 
→ The discipline to use debt as a tool, not a trap

One of my clients came to me last year wanting to invest $100K.

Great income 

Weak savings 

He used a line of credit

A high risk strategy that we talked though

We structured a fixed income strategy

It covered the cost of the line of credit

He invested the rest in a high growth opportunity

3 Years Later...

He’s happy he took the risk

He leveraged the bank’s money to make a huge time weighted return

But all investments carry risk

And when it came to investing I had to caution him on the risks associated with this approach 

This move helped him strategically wealth building

The people that build wealth

Look for ways to be efficient 

Ways to build in asymmetric risk 

To get more out of life...

When done right

You look back at life and appreciate the grand design

Here's what's quietly draining your wealth.

It's not inflation.

It's not bad timing.

It's the need to feel certain before you act.

One investor told me 

He'd been ‘waiting for the right time’ for 3 years.

He wasn't lazy.

He wasn't even cautious.

He was protecting himself from the feeling of being wrong.

In the meantime he lost 8%

His $100 is now only worth $92

But he did nothing wrong

In fact 80% of people approach life the same way

They keep their money in the bank

Making 0% a year

That's what most people don't admit.

Waiting isn't about timing.

It's about avoiding regret before it happens.

And along the way we’re losing money 

Without realizing

So the questions loop:

‘What if the market drops?’

‘What if I pick the wrong opportunity?’

‘What if it doesn't work out?’

Each question feels like due diligence.

But really it's just fear dressed up as logic.

And we get caught up in analysis paralysis

Here's the part no one talks about:

The mental cost compounds too.

Every month you wait, 

You're not just losing opportunities.

You're reinforcing the belief that you're not ready.

That story gets heavier over time.

So what's the answer?

Not ‘just take action.’

That's reckless.

The answer is to reduce fragility.

Build a structure where being wrong doesn't break you:

1. Strong reserves 

So surprises don't derail you

2. Conservative assumptions 

So you're not betting on best-case

3. Trusted partners 

So you're not figuring it out alone

When the downside is manageable, 

Fear loses its grip.

And you stop needing certainty to move.

So if you've been telling yourself 

‘I'll start when I feel ready’.

Ask yourself this:

What is that story costing you? 

Not just financially, but mentally?

If you want help building a structure that makes the first step feel safe, 

Comment ‘READY’

It’s really that easy

You just need to take one step

Show me your calendar

And your circle...

80% chance I can tell how the next year will go

Because your results aren’t just about effort

They’re about what your week keeps reinforcing

What you talk about repeatedly

What you tolerate

What gets celebrated

What gets ignored

In a conversation on my podcast

Junaid Ahmed 📹 shared a simple idea worth passing on 

The people you spend time around shape your standards

Often more than your goals do

That’s why two people can want the same thing...

And get completely different outcomes

One person has a room that normalizes progress

The other has a room that normalizes excuses

So here’s the practical move:

Don’t just set a goal

Set a room

A community 

A circle

A space where the behavior you want is already normal

Because when the standard is higher

Consistency stops being a personality trait

It becomes part of the environment

If I looked at your calendar this week, what room are you in most often?

Comment one room that’s helping you (or one you need)

Bonus: tag someone who’s raised your standards just by how they operate.

You’re doing everything right

So are you tense?

You earn

You work hard

You’re responsible

But there’s a quiet tension underneath it all

Because deep down, you know one thing:

If this one income stopped

Life would get hard very fast

That’s not a money problem

That’s a design problem

And design isn’t really about investments

It’s about meaning

A meaningful life needs space

Space to breathe

Space to choose

Space to slow down without fear

That space only exists when your life isn’t dependent on one pillar

Some people rely completely on a paycheck

Some make great money but have zero freedom

Some know they need a plan

But keep delaying it

Different situations

Same root issue

And procrastination is what keeps it in place

Not because people are lazy

Because planning forces decisions

Decisions create responsibility

Responsibility feels heavy

So ‘later’ becomes the strategy

Until time passes anyway

Diversification is how you remove single points of failure from your life

Not to get rich

To create freedom

Because freedom is what gives success its meaning

Be honest with yourself

Where are you right now?

The answer usually tells you what needs to

Adam was fired...

Along with half his team

Replaced by someone that doesn’t need food

Doesn’t need sleep

And can improve efficiency beyond belief

When I read something like Block firing ~50% of their staff

Citing how they’re going to invest in AI instead

It feels like the writing is on the wall

It feels like we all need to take radical accountability

If AI replaces jobs as we know them

We will pivot

We will survive

Life will go on

But there will be pain in the market

When people say 7 streams of income

This is why

Because the market is always in flux

It’s always changing

And yet

Only 50-65% of people invest in the stock market

Only 10-20% of people invest in real estate

The top 20% of people in America are worth $890k+

But people don’t have financial freedom

Realistically most people I work with are aspiring to get to $3-5M

So how do you bridge the gap?

There honestly isn’t a one size fits all answer

You can follow the tried and tested path...

Save more than you earn

But most people don’t get there by saving

They get there by following the path of least resistance

By investing

That’s what I did 

Until I quit at 29

I was offered a promotion ~6 months before I quit

And honestly, this promotion didn’t materially change my financial health 

What was a modest ~6% salary increase going to change

What was a new title going to change

It wasn’t creating the freedom I was looking for

I got that freedom by diligently investing and growing for 7 years

I say this to say that there is only one person that can build you financial freedom

It’s you

Everything else is designed to help build you up

Or knock you down

What steps will you take?

Here’s the truth

A bad market won't kill your portfolio

A broken plan with no backup will

That's what happened on one of our opportunities

We strategically bought the land 

We rezoned the land

We pushed approvals through

Then the city came back with something unexpected

Approved for 11 units instead of 15

Four units gone

Just like that

I remember staring at the numbers

Running the same model three times

Hoping it would somehow change

It didn't

Most people panic here

Or they force the original plan and hope the market saves them

We did neither

We sat with it for a week

Then made the call

Instead of 15 one-bedrooms

We shifted the unit mix

Studios, 1-beds, 2-beds

That pivot protected income

We ended up making about $300 more per unit than expected

Then the second punch landed

Cap rates expanded

The market moved from sub 5% to around 5.5%

Asset value came in about ~$1M less than projected

At this point most operators start ‘explaining’

We focused on outcomes

We sold our equity and returned 65% to investors in 24 months

A 32.5% IRR

Was it the original plan?

No

We targeted a 1.25x refi

For every $100k invested, the investor gets $125k back tax-free

And still owns the asset

That didn't happen

But here's the part most people miss

Real estate isn't about being right

It's about managing risk

And maximizing value

Creating options

And always having a clean way out

Those investors made a 1.65X 

More liquidity in a similar time frame

What's the tightest spot you've navigated in an opportunity?

I'd love to hear how you handled it

80% of people talk about financial freedom like it’s a destination

Here’s why only 20% actually become financially free

Here’s the reality

Financial freedom is a lifestyle built from repeated action

1. How you manage money when nobody is watching

2. How you build income that doesn’t depend on a single paycheck

3. How you stay consistent when life gets busy

Most people don’t fail because they’re lazy

They fail because:

1. They don’t make success inevitable 
2. They don’t have a system
3. They’re trying to build alone

No structure 

No feedback loop 

No one to call out the excuses

They’re stuck in an endless loop:

Plan → Motivation → Stall → Guilt → Reset

The thing that changed everything isn’t finding ‘new information’

It was getting clear on the system

Learn → Apply → Review → Repeat

That’s why we’ve built the MFJ community 

A room for people who want more than inspiration

Inside, we focus on

Practical monetization paths (how skills turn into income)

The foundations that create options (credit, discipline, strategy)

Accountability so you don’t disappear when it gets uncomfortable

If you’re serious about building freedom 

Not just posting about it 

(or reading about it)

Come join us

The view is better on the inside

80% of people won’t click the link in the comment section

20% of people will

And their lives will change

Which are you?

This is crazy...

But I see it all the time

Two people can look at the same opportunity

One feels calm

One feels anxious

Not because the opportunity changed

Because their life is different

Example:

Adam has $250k liquid

Stable income

No big expenses

Omar has $500k liquid

But also a mortgage

And private school tuition

So a chunk of this money is already ‘spoken for’

They both want to invest $75k

On paper, both can afford it

But life doesn’t pay out like it does on paper

One feels relaxed

The other knows he’s taking more risk than he should

Both understand that they need to invest to provide for their families

Both understand that investments carry risk 

That’s why I like asking a simple question before investing:

How much of my liquid cash is going into one opportunity?

Here’s a helpful guideline:

When one investment is 10–20% of your cash...

It usually feels easier to invest

You don’t overthink every update

You don’t need perfection

You give the plan room to work

That’s the quiet benefit of building the right strategic approach 

Investing done right builds wealth…

Without taking over your headspace

I’m curious…

What percent do you invest in one opportunity?

My client made 30.14% 

Here's what he did next

He pulled out all his money

Because of missed expectations

Honestly, I get it

And it's painful to admit I didn't deliver

But the reality is more nuanced

This client wanted more regular touch points

Not a newsletter or a LinkedIn post

1 on 1 interaction

I can't fault him for that

He also wanted a 20% return a year

Not 30.14% over two years

That's a communication gap

I can't legally promise a specific return

He expected something I couldn't deliver, 

Something I can’t imagine committing to

So clearly I messed up when we first spoke

So here's what I did:

-Sent him the steps to cash out.
-Asked for feedback.
-Sent steps I'll take to address it.

I don't usually ask for feedback

I don't like probing and bothering people

It's their money

They can take it back whenever they want

This bias is stopping me from growing

The goal isn't just to ‘get good results’

The goal is alignment between results and expectations

Most frustration in investing doesn't come from the numbers

It comes from unclear expectations:

How often will we talk?

What does ‘good performance’ actually look like over time?

What does this strategy feel like in the slow months?

I normally avoid probing questions

Avoid reaching out uninvited

I like to protect people’s space

But silence doesn't always feel like respect

Sometimes it feels like being left alone with uncertainty

And uncertainty is dangerous

It’s where people start making emotional decisions...

Even when the investment is performing

The ‘miss’ here wasn't effort

It was alignment

And I'd rather learn it now than repeat it 10 times

Have you ever left an investment that was working...

Because it didn't feel right?

If your real estate plan feels ‘comfortable’

You should be nervous

Mohammed Quadri, MD, MBA, SSBB said this on my podcast

‘Leadership isn’t doing what people want

It’s pointing to the direction they don’t want to go’

That’s how I help people too

It’s not my job to push an opportunity

It’s my job to guide 

Even when the answer is:

Not this opportunity

Not this timing

Not this leverage

Not this level of risk

That can sound crazy in a world that rewards transactions

Because sometimes it means I step back

Even when I could push it through

Even when it would be easier for me

Even when it’s a clean ‘yes’

But I sleep better

Because the long game is trust

And peace of mind may feel expensive

But it is really invaluable

What’s the uncomfortable truth you’re avoiding in your real estate plan right now?

I Invest In And Support Healthcare AI From Innovation To Adoption | For Founders, Funders & Physician-Innovators

Hey

This is why you’re stuck

You keep asking:

Should I persevere?

or

Should I pivot?

But that question is almost impossible to answer in real time

Because you’re asking it after you’re tired

Stressed

And in your head

...

On our podcast, Rob Durant pointed out something that just clicks

The real leverage is deciding before you’re emotional

So here’s the habit

Write down why you started 

While you still have perspective.

Then add a few ‘decision rules’

What does success look like in 6–12 months?

What evidence would tell me to keep going?

What evidence would tell me to pivot?

What’s a non-negotiable I won’t trade away?

Later

When things get messy

You don’t have to guess

You can look at what you wrote and say

‘This is still true - I stay’
 
Or

This changed - I pivot

That’s the difference between a strategic pivot 

And a panic move

If you’re deciding between pushing and pivoting right now

What’s the one signal you’re watching most closely?

Like Walt, I’m a bumblebee - bringing together ideas, perspectives, and people.

We don’t learn about money in school

We learn it on LinkedIn

[There’s a lot wrong with this...]

Here's what nobody tells us about investing

Volatility doesn't just change our portfolio

It changes our behavior

[And people don’t talk about this]

We're told to invest for the long term

Don't time the market

But here's what actually happens

People buy when stock are high

[After a big run-up in a bull market

We get hit with fear of missing out

FOMO]

Then sell after a big drop

[Once again

We make decisions based on emotion]

Not because we’re dumb

Because uncertainty is stressful

Crypto is the cleanest example

Bitcoin can make us huge gains and losses over short periods of time

That level of volatility is hard to sit through

So people do the worst possible thing

We turn a long-term plan into a short-term emotional decision

After helping 291+ investors generate $20.2M+ in passive income

I've seen this pattern constantly

Here’s what I mean

One client came to me after panic-selling

He lost $40K 

Not to the market

But to his own reaction

The stock recovered 3 months later

He didn't

The best investors I know don't have nerves of steel

They have a tried and tested strategy

Build by a solid team

A team that they’ve vetted

The core of that strategy is simple

Assets they can actually hold long term

That's the real edge

Not picking the ‘best’ investment

Picking one you won't abandon when things get uncomfortable

Before the next dip

Write your rules

If you can’t explain why you’ll hold it during a drop

You shouldn’t own it

What’s one rule you follow when markets get ugly?

P.S.

I buy when the market is down

It’s my version of black friday

I live for this

[And you would too...]

It’s the reason I get up in the morning

I got a call late one night

Let’s call him ‘Adam’

He has a senior role in tech

With a high income

On paper

Everything looked perfect

But his first sentence wasn't about money

‘My son just asked if I'm coming to his game tomorrow

I told him, 'I'll try.'

He said, 'You always say that’

This line, from a child to a parent, hurts

We do everything for our kids...

Honestly, 

I've heard this story so many times

From executives

Business owners

Founders

‘I'll slow down after this project’

‘Once I hit X, then I'll have more time’

But the target keeps moving

And the people we say we're ‘doing it for’

Get what's left of us

Not the best of us

His story hit close to home

Adam is essentially asking 

‘How do I earn more?’

‘How can I slow down
without everything falling apart?’

The answer was simple

The right real estate strategy that makes Adam enough to retire

So Adam makes money, whether he checks his phone or not

It wasn't overnight

But slowly…

The feeling shifted from ‘If I stop, it all stops’

To ‘I can choose my pace and still be okay’

The real win for Adam wasn't a spreadsheet

It was showing up to his son's midweek game

Phone face down

Fully present

For the first time in years

Same career

Completely different relationship with time

Is your life designed to support the life you want

Or is it structured to starve you of the freedom you crave

We can all be Adam

Book a call to learn more

This is intense, maybe a bit crazy

But there’s an element of wisdom, a bit of value

If you’re not willing to outwork everyone

Don’t ask the world to trust you

Here’s why:

Helping people isn’t a ‘content plan’

It’s a responsibility

And responsibility has a cost

You wake up earlier

You do the extra reps

You take the harder conversations

You keep going when it’s boring

That’s why passion matters

Not because it’s cute

Because passion is the only thing that makes ‘hard’ sustainable

On my podcast, Owen Beiny explained it using credit card points

He basically said:

If you love the craft, 

You stop fearing competition 

Because nobody can outwork obsession

That clicked for me 

Because it’s exactly how I think about money

Most people don’t lose financially because they’re ‘bad with money’

They lose because they never build the habits that require repetition

Tracking spending weekly

Understanding risk (not just returns)

Learning the difference between income and wealth

This is why I’m passionate about what I do

I’m not here to ‘motivate’ you

I’m here to help you get money clarity 

And build a system you can follow for years 

And if passive real estate fits

Use it to compound

Because results don’t come from intensity

They come from consistency you can sustain

If you want help building that system

Message me

Founder and CEO at The Points Partner

80% of people obsess over upside.

The 20% that don’t, 

They protect their future

Making money lures us in

Managing risk enables us to build the foundation

The foundation to exponentially grow

Here are 4 simple steps I use:

1. Assume delays and surprises.

Don’t treat them as bad luck.

Treat them as normal.

Part of the process

2. Stress test the numbers.

Change your assumptions

Assume higher costs and longer timelines.

If it only works in the perfect scenario,

It’s not for me

3. Look at human behavior.

How have the people involved behaved when things went wrong in the past?

Character is part of risk management.

4. Ask: would I still do it if this is how it played out?

If the 'bad' version of the investment

Still leaves you standing,
 
You can breathe easier.


This isn’t about pessimism. 

It’s about protecting your future self.

If you want help pressure-testing the downside

In your current plan,

DM me review

And we can walk through it.

Upside is easy to love

Downside is what decides if you keep the win

Here’s my 4-step check

4 Easy Steps To Protect Downside

Everything has a cost

Especially success...

Everyone chases success

We want to look impressive

We want to be paid well

We want applause

But there’s a version of success that costs too much

And it quietly takes your sleep

Multifamily can do that

Because the work never ends

It just changes form

As you scale It becomes:

1. Refi pressure
2. Capex surprises
3. Insurance spikes
4. Leasing risk
5. Investor expectations
6. A calendar you can’t control
7. And the list goes on

So you adapt

You carry it

You become 'the reliable one'

But reliability turns into identity

And identity turns into a cage

You stop asking the real question:

Is this what freedom is supposed to look like?

Most people don’t burn out from one big problem

They burn out from constant vigilance

Always scanning

Always bracing

Always one step away from 'if this goes wrong...

That’s not wealth

That’s survival with nicer spreadsheets

This is why I’m sharing Freedom Isn’t Free

A live workshop hosted by Faisal Masud Ensaun

It’s for the person who’s growing…

But wants to grow with more clarity, calm, and control

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin

Even while you’re 'winning'

You’re not alone

Details in the first comment

Everyone talks about AI

But nobody explains this part

It feels like a toy

Something ‘smart people are playing with’

Smartphones were like that

In 2004–2005, 

Basically 0% of the world used a smartphone

Today it’s roughly 70–80%

And it didn’t just change communication

It changed every aspect of our lives

Work

Learning

Investing

Generative AI is in that early same early stage 

Only ~10–20% use ChatGPT monthly

Most people ‘try it'

Very few rebuild their lives around it

Here’s the part people miss:

Technology changes how we live

But it doesn’t change the truth of building wealth

Here’s what I mean

Real estate has been creating wealth for generations

Own a physical asset

Let time do the heavy lifting

Let income + appreciation compound

But only about 10–12% of U.S. adults invest directly in real estate.

That’s not because everyone else is broke.

It’s because most people never get clarity

They never learn how to build wealth 

They don’t know where to start

If you’re curious how to build wealth 

Comment below or DM me

I’ve helped 291+ people make $20,200,000+ in real estate

What’s the hardest part of investing in real estate?


1. Finding an opportunity 
2. Figuring out if it’s a good opportunity
3. Actually turning that projection into real money

Real Estate Investor and CEO at MAK Capital | Luxury Storage Developer | 200+ CRE units | Financial Freedom Mentor

I’m Marc Kuhn and in 1994 I started my construction career with my Dad. I started at $1 per hour and got a $1 raise every year as I worked for my dads construction company. 

In 2010, I left my hourly job with $2,500 in my bank account. 

I started my entrepreneurial path and opened MAK Construction, my first business. I’ve grown the construction company to over $25 million a year. We develop commercial projects both 3rd party and investment projects for our investors. 

Since 2018, we have added over 200 units in the Midwest. The benefits of real estate have given me the freedom of time. My goal is to help investors reach financial freedom through real estate. 

Today I own and operate three successful companies that do eight figures a year. 

https://linktr.ee/marckuhn?fbclid=PAAabPuGTp9yBQf1LtvPMccAGv2W9DDPWjJCYvxn3mKnV12VKxsr7s0g8Lc18

2010: MAK Construction: Build and Manage Construction Projects. 
www.makconstructiongf.com

2020: MAK Capital: Let’s passive investors invest in real estate projects beside us! 
Unfollow the herd newsletter: 
www.makcapitalgf.com

2020: CK Agency: Manages Multifamily and Storage properties. 
www.ckagencyllc.com

Marc Kuhn

He built 480 hotels. One a month for 40 years.

He's North Dakota’s first billionaire: 

Meet Gary Tharaldson.

His wealth didn't come from chasing trends or hype. Just one simple "boring" business, repeated relentlessly.

In 1982, he bought a single Super 8 in Valley City

His business philosophy was a simple mix of grit, playing the long-term game, and perfecting his process for acquiring and operating profitable hotels.

Over four decades, he scaled small, no-frills hotels across the country.

In 2006, he sold 130 of them to Goldman Sachs for $1.2B.

Then he took that money and doubled down:

→ Land
→ Ethanol
→ Commercial development

Now he’s the richest man in North Dakota.

People ask why I don’t chase 20 deals a year. Because I’m not playing the volume game.

I want 4–5 real estate projects a year that:

→ Fit our model
→ Hit our returns
→ Scale with our playbook

That’s how we’ve built MAK Capital and Mega MAK Storage:

Boring, repeatable, high-demand luxury storage facilities where demand outpaces supply.

Tharaldson proved you don’t need to be exciting to build real wealth.

You just need a boring play you can run with discipline for the next 20 years.

What’s your "boring" game?

--

♻️ Repost to inspire an entrepreneur in your network
📌 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

I was "dumb" enough to drop out of college at 22.

12 credits short. No backup plan.

Dumb enough to start MAK Construction with $2,500, bidding on jobs I wasn't qualified for.

Everyone around me had an opinion about it.

"You need a degree."
"You need more money saved."
"You need a safer plan."

I ignored all of it.

Instead I built a concrete crew from scratch.
Invested every dollar I made back into the company.
Started multiple businesses along the way.
Started investing and developing real estate.
Asked people smarter than me for help.

And kept betting on myself when nobody else would.

That "dumb" kid built a $65M portfolio, an awesome portfolio of companies with amazing people, and a pretty damn good life.

Reminder for anyone betting on themself:

When people project their fears onto your decisions, don't confuse it for good advice.

Take risks.
Bet on yourself.
Unfollow the Herd.

That's my best advice after 15 years of doing this for myself.

What's a decision you made that people called "dumb" for that ended up paying off?

--

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Unfollow the Herd

📌 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:

• Building wealth
• Investing in real estate
• Entrepreneur lessons

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MAK Capital

📌 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝟰𝟬𝟬+ 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝘂𝘅𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/ilq2Nf6VqqoHiGoYaTl3

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Here's what you'll learn with me:

- How to invest in real estate
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I'm taking on 3 coaching clients in March.

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CEO @ MAK Capital | CRE Developer | Guiding You to Wealth with Passive Investments in Luxury Storage & Multifamily Real Estate

10 years ago, a $200K job felt massive. Today, we do $500K jobs just to stay busy for the month.

That shift didn't happen because I got better at concrete. It happened because I learned to let go.

At 27, I thought I had it figured out.

I was making over $250K a year, building my own house, and finally "successful."

I truly believed that was the peak.

But I was also stuck at $1M in revenue because I was the bottleneck in everything. I had to:

→ Approve every bid
→ Oversee every pour
→ Warm up the skid steer for 10 minutes every morning

Breaking through that $1M ceiling required me to do things that felt completely wrong:

→ Hire foremen, trust them to run jobs without me
→ Pay people who had more experience than I did
→ Let someone else drive the equipment
→ Take on projects I didn't have the track record for yet

At every level, I had to let go of something that got me there. 

That's how it should be.

The version of you that got you here won't get you to the next level.

You have to let that person go.

Have you gotten to this point in your business yet?

A contractor making $120K with 3 rentals is wealthier than a Doctor making $500K with no assets.

The lesson to learn early:

Income stops when you stop working.
Assets don't.

I learned this the hard way.

For the first 5-6 years of building MAK Construction I earned good money and kept almost none of it.

Every dollar went back into equipment, payroll, and materials.

I was funding a business that needed me to show up every day to survive.

The shift happened when I started buying real estate with construction revenue.

Then storage development with real estate cash flow.
Then a drilling company with storage cash flow.

Each asset funded the next.
Each level required me less.

Today MAK Capital manages a $70M portfolio, builds and operates 100k sq ft luxury storage properties, and earns without linearly trading time for dollars.

That progression took 16 years.

But it started with the decision to stop spending what's left and start buying assets first.

How long did it take you to understand the difference between earning money and building wealth?

--

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99.9% of millionaires I meet don't have a podcast.

They own "boring" assets.

A plumbing company in Fargo. An HVAC business that's been running for 20 years. A handful of rental properties they bought when nobody else was buying. A gas station off the interstate that prints money while they sleep.

I cross paths with wealthy people as a construction CEO and developer in the Midwest.

They're not on LinkedIn talking about their morning routine.

They got their hands dirty, built something real, and quietly stacked assets that cash flow, appreciate, and run without them.

That's the blueprint nobody talks about because it's not glamorous enough to go viral.

Build a business that solves a real problem in your market. Use the cash flow to buy assets. Use depreciation on those assets to lower your taxes. Build systems until the assets make money without you.

Then you're not trading time for money anymore.

A 9-5 gives you a paycheck until it doesn't.

Boring cashflow businesses and a real estate portfolio gives you your life back.

The wealthiest people I know in the Midwest didn't follow the herd.

They just never stopped building.

What's the most quietly wealthy blue-collar business you've come across?

--

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I write weekly guides on building wealth with real estate, blue-collar businesses, and high net worth strategies.

Join 5,800 readers: marckuhn.substack.com

A doctor making $500,000 a year can still be broke.

I don't mean cash poor. 
I mean wealth poor.

Here's the difference:

Income is what hits your bank account when you work. Wealth is what hits your bank account when you don't.

The doctor earns $500K.

But if he stops working tomorrow:

- Income stops
- The mortgage still runs
- The car payments still run
- The lifestyle still runs

He's not wealthy. He's leveraged to his own labor.

I grew up without money.

So when I started making real income in construction, the first thing I did was study the people who had actual wealth.

Not high earners. Owners.

What I found:

→ Wealthy people own assets that produce income
→ High earners trade time for money

The gap between the two isn't income level — it's ownership.

You can earn $500K a year and build zero wealth.
You can earn $80K a year and build a $10M portfolio.

The variable isn't the paycheck.
It's what you do with it.

- Are you buying assets or liabilities?
- Are you building equity?
- Does 100% of your income require your time?

Those questions will tell you exactly which path you're on.

I didn't figure this out until my late 20s.

When did it click for you that income and wealth are two completely different games?

--

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At 30, I said Yes to every real estate deal I could.

At 36, I say No to 15-20+ deals a month.

Grew MAK Construction to $30M revenue saying Yes.
Grew MAK Capital to a $60M portfolio saying Yes.

Yes to building houses.
Yes to the random real estate deal.
Yes to anything that would pay the bills.

That’s how most people start: Hustle Mode

But what gets you from $0 to $10M won’t get you to $100M.

At some point, saying yes becomes a liability.

You say yes to too many things, and suddenly:

You’re busy, but not growing.
You’re working harder, but not wealthier.
You’re stuck in the weeds, missing the bigger picture.

In 2026, I’m saying No more than ever.

• No to building 10 homes (eats time, doesn’t scale)
• No to chasing small deals and shiny objects
• No to being everywhere, for everyone

Instead, I’m doubling down on:

→ Luxury storage developments in markets we love
→ Large multifamily projects, strategic acquisitions
→ Scaling what’s working—without spreading thin

Saying No to 10 small projects so I can say Yes to the 1- 2 large opportunities that move the needle.

Great things are built by doing less, better.

Are you in the Yes phase of your career? 
Or are you in the "less is more" season?

--
♻️ Repost if you're saying No more in 2026

📌 Join 5,200+ investors getting real estate, business, and wealth-building insights in my weekly Saturday newsletter: marckuhn.substack.com

I ran a $20/mo experiment on one land parcel.

It leased our storage units 40% faster:

50% of self storage units = no heat.
Other half the units = climate-controlled.

Same location, development, and marketing.

The climate-controlled units leased up 40% faster and commanded a rent premium that held every single month.

For the extra operating cost of about $20/month per unit in utilities.

That was it.

That one test became the proof of concept for what is now a 500,000 sq ft self storage portfolio.

Not a spreadsheet model. Not a mentor's advice.

A real experiment, with real numbers, on real dirt.

Most people chase asset classes based on what's trending on YouTube.

We built our Mega MAK Luxury Storage product around what I could physically test in my own backyard of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

→ Climate-controlled leased faster than standard
→ Better tenant profile came with the better product
→ Higher rents with almost no incremental expense

That's still how I operate today.

Build. Test. Look at the numbers. Scale what works.

What small tests have led to massive results in your career or business?

--

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DM me "storage" to learn more about investing in the luxury storage asset class.

Buy cool sh*t with cash flow. Not your paycheck.

"If you can't buy it twice, don't buy it once"

Here’s the old American Dream:

→ Go to college
→ Work 40 years
→ Max out your 401(k)
→ Retire when your knees hurt

Then maybe…enjoy life.

I chose a different path:

• Dropped out with 12 credits left
• Started pouring concrete
• Built a construction company
• Used the profits to buy real estate

Now I’m 36.

After 15 years of building on the "uncommon path", I run a $30M+ business portfolio and own $60M+ in real estate.

Flexing on social media is not my thing. 

My hope is that people see a North Dakota guy who built freedom to inspire others so they do the same.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1) Job security is a myth.

One boss, bad quarter, or VC can remove your income overnight.

2) Trading time for money is a trap. 

Value your time + ownership > salary.

If your plan is to get 3% inflation raises, buy liabilities, stuff 10% in a 401(k) and that's it...you won't hit freedom until you're 70.

3) Climbing the ladder is a treadmill.

High income ≠ freedom. Especially if you inflate your lifestyle, costs, and buy liabilities like the majority of high-earners who never reach freedom.

If you want REAL freedom, start here:

→ Learn a skill that pays well
→ Live lean and don't buy on credit
→ Buy 1 cash-flowing property
→ Reinvest into another
→ Repeat for 10 years

It’s not sexy.
It’s not fast.
But it works.

In Unfollow the Herd newsletter, I broke down "The Dangers of a 9-5 Career Path" for 5,200 people.

Read it free here:
https://lnkd.in/gXdu2FKZ

I didn't fear losing my paycheck in my 20s.

I feared keeping it for too long.

By the time I was 20, I knew I didn't want to take the “safe path” that I saw ahead of me in life:

• Work 60 hours a week
• Stack liabilities with no assets
• Take a 2% annual raise, maybe a bonus
• Retire when I'm too old to enjoy it

So I made a choice, and it led to starting multiple companies and becoming a commercial developer.

"Do I keep playing the game I was handed? Or learn the game wealthy people actually play?"

Along the way, I figured out that anyone can learn how to build wealth if you knew where to look...

• I found operators. People who owned real businesses. They showed me how to build companies that could run without me grinding 24/7.

• I studied the wealthy. Real estate. Ownership. The tax code. Entity structures. Leverage. The things no one teaches in school, but wealthy families teach at the dinner table.

• I learned by doing. Made mistakes. Lost money. Said yes before I was ready. Every deal, every hire, every tough call made me sharper.

You don’t need to quit tomorrow.
You don’t need the perfect plan.

You just need to start studying the right game.

• Follow the people who own assets
• Learn how they operate, invest in relationships.
• Build or invest for equity—not just a paycheck.

Figuring this out unlocked a whole different part of my brain. When I was a kid, growing up some of the time in a trailer park, you don't think "I can build wealth"

But turns out, it's possible if you reprogram your mind to believe it and put reps over many decades.

What forced you to get serious about building your own path as an entrepreneur or investor?

Fear of being broke is a common one.

Marc Kuhn

Everyone's chasing Austin. Phoenix. Charlotte.

Why are we investing in rural North Dakota?

The numbers make more sense than anything I've seen in a sunbelt market.

Land in the Midwest runs 60-70% cheaper than coastal metros.

Permitting is faster. Local politics are predictable.

And the premium tenant we need for luxury storage are everywhere.

- HVAC contractors who need climate-controlled space
- Electricians and plumbers storing equipment
- Small business owners who can't afford industrial leases
- RV owners who want real security — not a padlock

They're not just in big cities. They're in every mid-sized market in America.

That's where we build.

Not because it's flashy.
Because the math works.

→ Lower land cost means better YOC from day one
→ Less competition means faster lease-up
→ Business-friendly states = fewer regulatory surprises

Everyone piling into the same sunbelt corridors is competing for the same land, the same permits, the same tenants.

We're in markets where we're often the only luxury operator in town.

You stop following the crowd to where the hype is.
And you start going where the numbers are.

What's a market everyone else is ignoring that you think is underrated right now?

--

DM me "storage" to learn more about the Midwest luxury storage opportunity.

A friend called me and asked if I could install a ceiling fan for $300. Saying Yes changed my life.

That night I told my wife: "I think I could actually make some money doing this."

I was 21. Recently fired from my W2.
We'd just sold her car to cover bills.

The next move: ask my future mother-in-law to co-sign a skid steer loan.

She handed me the paperwork and said: "This is the last time you ever ask me."

That was the last time I asked anyone for a handout.

Here's what happened after that $300 fan installation:

- First winter: grinding snow removal
- Chelsie suggested a home show (almost skipped it)
- Walked out with 70+ leads
- Booked out for a full year
- Hit $1M in revenue

Then I started a concrete division.
Then upsells and better clients.
Then real estate investing.
Then luxury storage development.

16 years later, multiple companies, a team of 50+, growing real estate portfolio, and growth ahead for MAK Companies.

→ It all started with a $300 job I wasn't qualified to do
→ The first step was embarrassingly small
→ The compounding took 16 years to show up

You can't build anything great (company, real estate portfolio, wealth) from a standing start.

You build it from wherever you are right now with whatever you have right now.

Even if that's a borrowed truck and a ceiling fan you Googled how to install.

What was your version of the $300 fan installation — the embarrassingly small first step that led to where you are now?

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My first luxury storage build proved the model.

63 units. 56K sq ft. Grand Forks, ND.

• $45,000 gross income every month.
• $13,500 cash flow after debt service.
• 28% expense ratio.
• 90-100% occupancy.

That one facility gave me the confidence to build our next six Mega MAK Luxury Storage properties.

Most people think luxury storage means Porsches and exotic cars.

Our tenants are HVAC contractors, Shopify operators, and small business owners storing $50,000-$75,000 in equipment.

They don't negotiate rent.
They don't default.
They don't leave.

When your equipment is your livelihood, you pay on time every month without being asked.

That insight changed everything.

The right tenant doesn't just improve your collections.

It changes how the asset performs through every part of the cycle — good markets and bad.

We took that same playbook and built it into a $70M portfolio across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and more U.S. locations to come.

It started with one experiment on one parcel in Grand Forks.

Have you ever had one experiment that lead to one of your biggest long-term wins?

--

DM me "storage" to learn our process for building, operating, and investing in this asset class.

The hard truth about financial freedom:

The world wasn't designed for it.

If you want to pay your bills, build wealth, and step off the 9-5 hamster wheel to buy your time back...

You'll first have to understand it the system you were raised by wasn't designed to make you financially free.

Not grade school.
Not high school or college.
Not most well-meaning life advice.

None of them are focused on teaching you how to become free.

It was designed to get you to:

- Trade your time for income
- Spend that income on a lifestyle
- Save whatever's left (if anything)
- Give your best years to a company
- Retire when you're too tired to enjoy it

It's designed so you help build toward's someone else's goals.

Your labor builds someone else's equity.
Your spending builds someone else's revenue.
Your savings sit in instruments someone else manages for a fee.

I grew up in a house that never talked about assets, equity, or leverage.

But I watched people around me spend 40 years doing everything right by conventional standards...and end up with almost nothing they actually owned.

That was enough.

The one thing that changes the math:

Ownership.

Ownership of something that produces value whether you show up or not.

→ A business with systems that run without you
→ Real estate that generates rent while you sleep
→ Equity in assets that appreciate while you work on the next thing

I'm not special.

I didn't have connections, capital, or a college degree.

I just decided that ownership was my goal and said I'd learn whatever skills I needed to in order to achieve it.

Ownership of my time.
Ownership of my future.
Ownership of my work.

Yes, ownernship in assets that paid me and grew in value. But even moreso the ownership of my life and where I wanted it to go.

Was there a moment you decided you were going to own your future — and changed your actions to get there?

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What's the difference between making $10,000 in your 9-5 job and $10,000 from real estate?

$10K paycheck:

• Taxed at 40–50%
• Trades hours for dollars
• Stops when you stop working

$10K from a real estate deal:

• Taxed close to zero with depreciation
• Keeps paying you while you sleep
• Grows equity in a real asset

Most people spend 40 years chasing the paycheck.

But freedom is on the otherside of ownership.

I learned this in my early 20s. Started trading my time pouring concrete, building a construction company.

But the smartest thing I ever did was buy my first office building and lease out the unused space.

"Holy sh*t I didn't know you could do this."

The tax benefits in the first year alone were enough to get me hooked and eventually start MAK Capital in 2020, going all in on multifamily and luxury storage.

Since then, we’ve built and acquired $60M in commercial real estate across the Midwest.

And every time we pay out investors from a property we own...

I’m reminded: 
That $10K from a real estate deal is more than money.

It’s time back with my wife and kids.
It’s leverage for creating generational wealth.
It’s doable to go from $0 to millionaire with time.

Don't get caught in the earn a lot, spend a lot game.

Use a paycheck to buy assets and become an owner. 

That's the game.

What was your first “aha” moment that made you realize real estate was the path to real wealth?

--

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Public Storage doesn’t own 100% of its facilities.

Marriott owns less than 6% of its hotels.

These $50b+ companies see the biggest opportunity in:

• Owning the brand.
• Controlling the operations.
• Licensing and franchising.

This is where we’re taking MAK luxury storage inside our development company.

For years, self-storage was a commodity business.

• Cheap facilities
• Little to no branding
• Premium options were hard to find.

But we saw something different in 2019 when we broke ground on our first luxury storage development.

• Business owners needed contractor shops.
• E-commerce sellers needed fulfillment space.
• People need secure, climate-controlled storage for their boats, RV, and assets.

But the crappy tin can storage units didn't serve their needs.

So we built the Mega MAK Storage brand and started talking about it on podcasts, LinkedIn, and with our investors.

We're not just building a business, we're leveraging a brand and blueprint that lasts for generations.

Our goal is to build 5-10 million square feet of luxury storage by 2035.

My biggest lesson so far?

Don't wait for opportunities to come to you.
You're better off creating them for yourself.

What opportunities are you creating for yourself in 2026?

--

Want to learn how we're expanding the luxury storage space in 2026?

Read today's update in Unfollow the Herd: https://lnkd.in/gwSmVgcm

What percentage of 401k accounts have at least $1,000,000? (I'll tell you): 
 
1.6%. 
 
I recently ran across this number in an article that analyzed 401(k)s at Fidelity 
 
I knew the number of "401(k) millionaires" in the U.S. was low — but I didn't realize it was that low. 
 
And the crazy thing? 
 
The article talks about how that number was "surging"...all the way up to 1.6%. 
 
And then the kicker: 
 
Another Fidelity study showed that workers estimate they'll need ~$1.8M to retire comfortably. 
 
So by those numbers, about 98.4% of Americans won't be able to retire comfortably with their 401(k)s. 
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
 
The number of 401(k) millionaires is so low because wealthy people build it through businesses and real estate. 
 
→ 401(k)s won't give you cash flow 
→ 401(k)s won't give you depreciation 
→ 401(k)s won't give you 1031 exchanges 
 
If you're relying on your 401(k) alone... 
let this be a wake-up call. 
 
It's a tool, not the complete plan. 
 
This is why I diversify with real estate 
(using a self-directed IRA). 
 
So should you. 
 
-- 
 
P.S. Are you an accredited investor? 
 
DM me "storage" and I'll share how our LPs diversify with commercial real estate

He turned $400,000 into a $1 trillion empire.

Stephen Schwarzman didn’t wait for perfect timing.

In 1985, he walked away from his Wall Street job with a mentor, a whiteboard, and $400,000 in seed capital from his own pocket.

No AUM.
No name recognition.
Just conviction.

But two years later, his dream of building the best investment firm in the world was almost destroyed.

Black Monday hit on October 19, 1987.

The Dow Jones fell by 22.6% in a single day—the largest one-day percentage drop in its history.

Markets crashed.
Wall Street panicked.

But Schwarzman raised Blackstone’s first $800 million fund during the chaos.

In 2025, Blackstone is now the largest alternative investment firm in the world—owning real estate, private equity and credit across the globe.

If Schwarzman was like the average investor, turning a market crash into an excuse to stay on the sidelines, Blackstone wouldn't exist today.

→ $1 trillion in assets
→ Dozens of billion-dollar deals
→ A personal net worth of around $43 billion

He didn’t build in the boom. He built through the biggest crash in history at the time.

The lessons for all entrepreneurs:

You don’t need perfect timing. You need a playbook and skills that work in any market conditions.

What skills are you building that can outlast any market downturn?

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♻️ Repost to inspire an entrepreneur in your network
📌 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

I took on debt to grow my company and real estate portfolio in my 20s with a wife and baby.

Some LinkedIn guru would call that reckless.

I call it the best financial decision I ever made.

We've been trained to believe stability comes from employment.

But true stability comes from ownership.

A job is a single point of failure with someone else's finger on the trigger.

Think about what you actually own at a W2:

- Your employer can eliminate your role tomorrow
- Your income stops if your body stops
- Your raises are decided by someone else's budget meeting
- Your retirement depends on a market you don't control

That's not stability. That's outsourced financial control dressed up as a benefits package.

I'm not saying quit your job tomorrow.
I'm saying understand what you're actually trading.

You're trading ownership, upside, and control for the feeling of security.

Meanwhile the people signing the front of your check are compounding equity you'll never see.

→ The risk of building something is real but finite
→ The risk of building nothing compounds forever
→ Playing it safe is the longest path to being broke

I started with $2,500 and a mother-in-law who co-signed one loan and told me never to ask again.

Today MAK Companies and our real estate assets are worth close to 9 figures 16 years later.

The riskiest thing I never did was keep that W2.

At what point did you stop seeing a job as security and start seeing it as a ceiling?

--

♻️ Repost to spread the wealth with your network

Follow Marc Kuhn for daily posts on ownership, real estate, and building real wealth.

When you start buying RE: "How can I afford this?"

When you scale (100+ units): "How can I structure this?"

After my first few rental properties, I realized another duplex wasn't the move. 

I wanted more scale, large multifamily and commercial properties. Ground up developments leveraging our construction company.

But first, I had to make a mindset switch that every new real estate investors goes through (if they want to scale their portfolio).

I stopped asking if I could afford a 20% down payment.

I started asking how I could structure it with seller-financing and other strategies the top 1% of investors were using.

Early in my career I looked at deals the way most people do.

• Do I have the down payment?
• Can I qualify for the loan?
• Is this the right time?

That thinking kept me smaller than I needed to be.

Then I started studying how deals actually get done.

Not how banks want you to do them.
How operators actually do them.

Seller financing, creative loan structures, joint ventures, capital from people sitting on cash earning 3% in a money market.

In 2025, I bought $4,700,000 in real estate for $17,957 out of pocket.

Not because I was lucky.

Because I stopped asking "can I afford this?" and started asking "how do I structure this so I can?"

→ Conventional thinking produces conventional results
→ The right deal structure creates value
→ Creative financing is a skill

The people I know who built real portfolios that pay their bills every month weren't smarter than everyone else in the room.

They just asked different questions.

What's the deal you almost didn't do — and what changed when you looked at it differently?

--

♻️ Repost to spread the wealth

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts on ownership, real estate, and "boring" businesses.

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