Nick Stromwall

Principal Fund Manager @ Oak and Vine Upstream Energy Fund | Real Estate Investing, Syndications

What if we lived on 10% and gave 90% away?

I’m an entrepreneur at heart and an alternative asset fund manager who loves educating faith-driven investors on how to invest in alternative assets like real estate and energy.

Can you multiply money and impact with your current investing strategy?

I’m on a mission to build a thriving business that propels generosity—helping investors multiply their income so they can multiply their impact.

I spent 15 years in ministry developing leaders and building systems that empowered people to thrive. Now, I help people invest, train leaders, and build scalable systems that create lasting impact.

… And I help leaders get the #TripleWin:

✅ Winning at Work – Building scalable, high-impact businesses
✅ Winning with Family – Creating financial freedom for the people they love
✅ Winning in Community – Investing in opportunities that serve a greater purpose

As the VP of Efficiency and Innovation at Rise48, I focus on:
→ Streamlining systems to help our investors and team operate at peak efficiency
→ Developing scalable processes to support growth and maximize returns
→ Optimizing investor experience so they can confidently invest in high-quality, cash-flowing multifamily real estate

As the founder of Oak and Vine Capital, I focus on partnering with world-class operators in the best asset classes. I’ve served as a General Partner and Managing Partner in multiple real estate and energy syndications. 

My mission is clear:
→ To invest in businesses that create Kingdom Impact and empower investors to do the same.

Let’s multiply your resources for greater Kingdom impact.

Principal Owner

I help people multiply their money and impact through passive real estate investing in commercial real estate and alternative asset syndications.

We closed out the year together in Phoenix at the Rise48 Christmas Party  a western-themed evening that brought our teams from Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina into the same room.

Not for meetings.
Not for metrics.
But for connection.

It was a night of conversations, shared stories, and time with the people who put in the work every day behind the scenes. The kind of environment where relationships deepen, trust strengthens, and culture is reinforced in real time.

Because great execution doesn’t start in spreadsheets.
It starts with alignment.
With shared values.
With teams who believe in the mission and in one another.

I left the event reminded of how far we’ve come as an organization and how much opportunity is ahead as we continue building, growing, and serving together in the new year.

Grateful for our teams, our leaders, and every person who plays a role in the work we’re doing.

What was one meaningful moment you experienced with your team last year?

#Rise48Group #TeamCulture #LeadershipInAction #EndOfYearReflection

I help faith driven leaders multiply their money and impact through investing in alternative assets like real estate

No alternative text description for this image

I was terrified raising money for my first syndication.

Not surface level nerves.
Real fear.

Can I actually do this
What if I mess this up
What if people trust me and I fail

Up to that point, I had proven one thing.

I could buy a duplex.

But a syndication is different.
It’s not just your money anymore.

It’s a responsibility.
Stewardship.
Weight.

The McKinley project forced a new internal question.

Not “is this a good deal?”
But “am I ready to lead?”

Here’s what changed everything.

I stopped trying to do it alone.

I found partners I deeply trusted.
People with track records.
People with shared values.
People who were willing to say no if something felt off.

Then I focused on three fundamentals.

→ A growing market with real demand
→ A conservative business plan
→ Offering investors something better than what they were settling for

But the real work wasn’t underwriting.

It was identity.

I had to move from
“Can I do this?”
to
“I’m responsible to do this well.”

Once that clicked, the fear didn’t disappear.

But it stopped leading.

That first raise wasn’t about scale.
It was about obedience.
Preparation.
Integrity.

Looking back, the hardest part was never raising capital.

It was believing I was ready to carry it.

This week I’m unpacking the goals behind the deals.
And the mental barriers that came before the breakthroughs.

No hype.
No theory.
Just the real progression.

If you’re staring at your next step and asking
“Can I really do this?”

You’re probably closer than you think.

Follow along this week.

And next week
I’m opening a space to go deeper
Fundamentals
Mindset
Execution

More soon.

Would you rather play it safe
Or grow into the weight of responsibility?

(I've raised capital on 17 deals, and who you partner with is most important)

 The picture is from our McKinley project, a 48-unit multifamily apartment in Iowa

My little girl is potty trained after a holiday weekend potty training blitz! We used a secret weapon that I'm happy to share with you today.

The Potty Dance Song.

After successful poops and pees in the potty
we rewarded her with a special song.

we get down low, and sing

the potty dance
the potty dance

number 1
number 2

in the potty
(then we drumroll low to high)

and pick her up while saying
WAHOO

simple, and yet the smile gives it all away.

Should we put this to music?

What were some of your potty training tricks?

The hardest part of raising $1,000,000
Was believing I was allowed to ask.

Before that, I had raised $300,000.
Five investors.

That wasn’t small to me.

That was five families creating margin.
Five people accelerating toward freedom and impact.

So I set a new goal.
Raise my first $1,000,000.

And immediately, the doubts showed up.

I was working in ministry.
Different industry.
Different network.

I kept telling myself:

I haven’t earned the right yet
I need more touchpoints
I should steward the relationship better first

That belief almost stopped everything.

Here’s what finally clicked.

Asking isn’t pressure.
It’s an invitation.

You’re not asking for a yes.
You’re asking for interest.

Yes or no
Both are acceptable.

The real responsibility isn’t the ask.

It’s being prepared if someone says yes.

→ Clear education
→ Simple systems
→ The right team
→ A next step that serves them

Once I reframed that, the fear lost its grip.

God brought the connections.
Old relationships resurfaced.
New conversations opened.

Not because I was perfect.
But because I was willing.

If you’re stuck wondering
“Have I earned the right yet?”

You probably have.

And if you want help building the systems behind the ask
I’m teaching it live on Tuesday.

How to raise your first $1,000,000
And how to think about $10,000,000 next.

Link in the comments.

Yes or no
Is the fear more about rejection
Or believing you’re allowed to ask

I wanted my first real estate deal so badly.

Not because I wanted to be “in real estate.”
Not because I cared about titles or numbers.

I wanted it because my family was growing.
And because we were mentoring students who needed support.
And generosity requires margin.

At the time, I honestly didn’t know if I had what it takes.

I questioned myself constantly.
Am I capable of this
Am I thinking too big
Am I built for this path

That first goal wasn’t syndication.
It wasn’t raising capital.
It was owning our first duplex.

But behind that small step was a much bigger vision.

How do I create more capacity to give
How do I meet the needs around me
How do I steward what God has entrusted to us well

That single duplex changed how I saw myself.
Later came syndicating deals.
Later came raising capital for trusted partners.

But the hardest part was never the deal.

It was the mental question
Do I have what it takes

This week, I’m going to start breaking down my goals
And the mental challenges I had to overcome at each stage
Not theory
Not hype
Just the real progression

If you’re setting goals right now
Start with your vision
Not the tactic

Follow along this week as I share more.

And next week
I’ll be opening up something new
A space to go deeper
A forum built around fundamentals, mindset, and execution

More soon.

𝘗.𝘚 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘧?

Most capital raisers talk about strategy.
The ones who scale focus on results.

That’s why we built the Fundamental Forum, a live working session for capital raisers and fund managers who want real frameworks they can apply immediately.

In recent conversations, we’ve walked through:
→ The blueprint to raise your first $1,000,000 with clarity and structure
→ How to build the systems required to scale toward $10,000,000+
→ Messaging, follow-up cadence, and relationship-driven capital flows
→ Lessons from peers who are actually in the market right now

Our next session is Tuesday, January 13th at 12 PM MST / 2 PM EST.

If you’re ready to move from effort to outcomes, this is the room to be in.

👉 Register here to save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gBU2eNQq

#FundamentalForum #CapitalRaising #FundManagers #ScalingCapital #Rise48Equity

Today we're hosting this month's Fundamental Forum - 

a live conversation for capital raisers who want to scale with intention, structure, and execution.

This session is centered around one theme:
Goal Setting That Works
 

We’ll walk through:

• Building a repeatable, scalable system

• Reverse engineering your capital raise

• Investor conversion funnel

If you’re raising capital, you don’t need more noise.

You need clarity, alignment, and momentum.

We go live today at 12 PM MST / 2 PM EST.

👉 Join the session here: https://lnkd.in/gq2qidYb

#CapitalRaising #FundManagers #InvestorRelations #FundamentalForum #Rise48Equity

Implement this small hack and get more done in your day 👇

mind dump or mind purge all of your open loops into a trusted system.

I like asana.

Block out 30 minutes today and do this.

𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿:
• tasks
• ideas
• projects
• things you've delegated or been delegated
• sticky notes on your desk, fridge, etc.
• notes on your desktop
• emails you've been saving in your inbox
• notes in your notes app
• voice memos
• slack messages
• think personal and work!

→ I feel so free after getting everything down and out ... a trusted system really helps.

This mental space gives me more capacity to win at work, with family, and in my community!

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲?

Comment below 👇

P.S. - Please repost ♻️ if you found this useful

p.s.s. if you are local in Minneapolis and want to learn more I'm teaching my business systems early tomorrow, send me a DM

Closed! Apartments of Westgrove in Raleigh, NC Rebranding as “Rise Westgrove”

To learn how you can invest in multifamily properties like this, set up a call with us on our website.

#multifamilyinvesting #Arizonamultifamily

I do LinkedIn Profile Optimization & Branding for Founder's & Creators + Carousels & Cheatsheets - For Better Leads Conversions

You find deals off-market (after a lot of hassle).

👋🏻 Now, you ask your family, friends, and old investors for capital.

You successfully raise a few thousand dollars... but the deal still isn't closed yet.

You need checks worth hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, but your network is limited.

Here's where you get stuck.

But for one second, imagine this...

You have a list of high net worth individuals, family offices, and investors who trust you and know you well. You find a deal, share the deck with your email list, post it on LinkedIn where hundreds of HNWIs already follow you...

And the capital flows in.

How easily could you raise millions?

Yes, this is possible. A lot of RE firm founders are doing this right now. They're building personal brands, earning trust, and silently filling their investor pipeline.

If you're not doing this, you're missing out on something big.

Here's what we do for our RE clients to help them achieve that:

- Build a trusted LinkedIn profile that positions you as the obvious choice
- Develop a content strategy that speaks directly to accredited investors
- Create weekly LinkedIn content that attracts the right people
- Build and nurture an email list of qualified investors
- Run outbound campaigns to fill your CRM faster

Results in the last 365 days (as of Jan 1, 2025):

- 1+ million impressions
- 100+ inbound investor inquiries
- 350+ investor calls booked

If you're a founder of a real estate investment firm raising capital for deals or private equity funds...

We can help you attract investors through LinkedIn.

Book a call, and our team will work with you to achieve your capital raise goals.

Arpit Sharma

You think LinkedIn is a professional network.

LinkedIn thinks it's TikTok with a salary requirement.

LinkedIn isn't here to help you network.

It's an advertising platform that lets you post for free.

One priority: keep people on the app.

Time on app = ad revenue.

Here's the deal:

You help LinkedIn make money → LinkedIn gives you reach.

How?

Keep people scrolling.

Content that keeps people on the platform → Algorithm rewards you.

Content that makes people swipe away in seconds → Algorithm buries you.

If you get likes and comments from your 1st-degree connections right after posting, the algorithm pushes it further.

Most syndicators post content that helps investors, not content that helps LinkedIn.

That's why their reach is dead.

You can't control the algorithm. But you control this:

1. Post helpful content with different visual styles
- Text posts. Carousels. Images. Native Videos

2. Consistency matters
- Post 5x per week minimum.

3. Be the first to reach out to investors
- If you don't reach out first, you'll lose them.

Bonus trick:

Pull your last 90 days of LinkedIn analytics.

Find your top 5 posts.

See what worked → Improve it → Replicate it.

That's your LinkedIn blueprint.

Founder @ GoRise Media - Helping Real Estate Investment Firms consistently book accredited investor calls via the Capital Magnet System in 90 days | 300+ Investor Calls Booked

You don't need another $500 LinkedIn course.

You need 60 posts and your analytics.

That's it.

Most people spend 3 months planning their content strategy.

Meanwhile, their competitor posted 50 times and already knows exactly what works.

Strategy without data = expensive guessing.

You can't strategize with 5 posts.

You don't know how LinkedIn works for YOUR profile yet.

You don't know what YOUR audience responds to.

You're just guessing based on what some guru said works.

And guessing costs you months of zero traction.

Here's what nobody tells you:

99% of LinkedIn creators never open their analytics.

They're sitting on a goldmine. Walking right past it. Complaining they're broke.

For some accounts, selfies get 5,000 views. 

Carousels designed by pros? 100 views.

For others, it's the complete opposite.

You won't know until you have the data.

But here's the problem:

You're planning. Your competitor is testing.

You're perfecting. They're learning.

You're thinking. They're booking calls.

Months 1-3: Post. Test. Connect. Repeat.

Month 4: Open analytics. See what won. Do more of that.

Revolutionary, I know.

Stop planning. Start posting.

Week 1-8: Post 5x per week

What to post:

- Deal insight
- Personal story
- Investor Education
- Market observation
- Question to your network

That's your whole strategy. For now.

Daily: Connect with 20-30 investors

Your content needs eyeballs. Preferably ones with checkbooks.

Week 9: Open your analytics

Profile → Analytics → Posts

Find your top 5 by views + engagement.

Look for patterns:

- What format killed? (Text? Carousel? Selfie?)
- What topic resonated?
- What hook stopped the scroll?

Week 10+: Do more of what worked

Your data just built your strategy.

For free.

Without a course.

Without a guru.

Just 60 posts and some attention.

Data first. Strategy second.

Your competitor already figured this out.

"LinkedIn is saturated. Too late to start."

I heard this from a syndicator last week.

Their empty pipeline made them feel defeated.

Here's the truth about LinkedIn for capital raising:

- 70% of syndicators post inconsistently or not at all

- The ones booking 15-20 investor calls monthly have been at it for less than 6 months

- You only need 280-320 qualified connections to build a real pipeline

- Most "competition" is posting motivational quotes, not investor-focused content

Let me say that again.

You're not starting from zero.

The playbook that works:

→ Optimize your profile to attract accredited investors 
→ Use Sales Navigator to find 200 investors weekly 
→ Post 3-5x per week with trust-building content 
→ DM investors daily with value, not pitches

The problem isn't LinkedIn saturation.

The problem is believing what everyone says about LinkedIn saturation.

The best investor pipelines are built on consistency and positioning.

And you've got plenty of runway to claim that space.

What's stopping you from posting this week?

taplio

The Battle

Nick Stromwall

Arpit Sharma

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreNick Stromwall's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreArpit Sharma's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Nick Stromwall

Arpit Sharma

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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

Performance ScoreArpit Sharma's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNick Stromwall's LinkedIn Performance