Marc Kuhn's Linkedin Analytics

Most 6-year-olds love to play in the dirt. I got paid $1/hr to clean construction trailers. That was my first job. My dad ran a concrete company, and I was the kid organizing wood stakes and 2x12s in the truck bed. One summer I worked 52 hours. (They even docked me an hour for napping.) I got a $52 paycheck and bought a remote control car I’d been eyeing for months. That moment planted a seed: → Work = Money = Freedom. But here’s the twist... During the school year, I lived with my mom. We were broke. Food stamps. A car that started on luck. I learned how to survive. During the summers, I worked with my dad. I learned how to build. Two different lives. One big lesson: I didn’t want to survive. I wanted to own. Own my time. My decisions. My future. By 20, I realized if I kept trading hours for dollars, I’d always be capped. So I made a decision most people never do: I disconnected from the wage mindset. I stopped chasing paychecks and started building assets. Started chasing scale, not comfort. I gave up easy weekends to pour concrete. I gave up complacency to learn about real estate, leverage, and how the wealthy operate. Fast forward: → Made my first million in construction by 30 → Used my income to build a real estate portfolio → Teaching my kids the value of work + leverage Here’s the brutal truth no one tells you: You don’t build wealth by playing it safe. You do it by going all in and betting on yourself. To have more freedom, you use your income to stop trading time and start building things that make money while you sleep. → Buy real estate. → Own equity. → Create cash flow. → Take risks with asymmetric upside. If you’re still playing by everyone else’s rules, don’t be surprised when you get their results. What are you building today that will pay you 10 years from now?

He turned a $10K loan from his mom and a $25K payout into a $400 million net worth. Kevin O’Leary didn’t get lucky and stumble into Shark Tank. He started in his basement in Toronto with no reputation, no traction, and just enough capital to get his company off the ground. In the late 1980s, he used: → A $25K payout from a TV production gig → A $10K loan from his mother → A belief that educational software could scale fast That bootstrapped capital funded SoftKey, which would later become The Learning Company. He didn’t raise VC. He didn’t chase hype. He just went to work. Fast forward: → Acquired for $4.2 billion by Mattel in 1999 → Reinvested into startups, media, ETFs, wine → Built a personal net worth of around $400 million Today he’s known as “Mr. Wonderful” on Shark Tank—but his real gift isn’t the TV persona. It’s the discipline. O’Leary is obsessed with: → Cash flow → Dividends → Businesses that operate without him And that’s why he’s still winning decades after his first big win. Oh, and by the way...he loves the state of North Dakota. You don’t need perfect timing. You need a product people buy, a business model that works, and the guts to make big bets on yourself. Would you reinvest a life-changing exit into cash-flowing assets? Or take a break and enjoy the win? -- ♻️ Repost to inspire an entrepreneur in your network 📌 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

Construction isn't just a job to make quick cash. We see it as a career. The turnover rate at my construction company is very low. It's something I'm proud of... But it's not by mistake. When I was a kid, my dad owned his concrete business. In industries like concrete/construction, most guys expect just to work themselves to the bone. The tradeoff is you can get pretty good pay at a young age. But my dad did things a little differently. We got off early on Fridays. We didn't work weekends. In our industry, that wasn't normal. I've tried to implement that way of thinking in my own business. And the goal is to show our team that construction can become a career — not just a jobs that you churn and burn until your body gives out. That you can move up in the company, that you can participate in our upside, that you're not just a laborer, but someone who knows how your role fits in with our goals — and what that means for you. Every entrepreneur will tell you the same thing: It all comes down to people. So even if things like fewer hours or fewer benefits help your bottom line in the short term, it's almost never worth it in the long term. Find good people and incentivize them to stick around. Pretty simple when you look at it like that. 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?

$32,637/month in NOI. From tin boxes built on empty land... Most real estate investors wouldn’t touch ground-up luxury storage developments. Too much operational work. Too niche. Too misunderstood. But here’s what they’re missing: Luxury storage isn’t about garages and roll-up doors. It’s about giving small business owners what they actually need: • Flexibility over fixed leases • Climate control for valuable inventory • Space to operate and grow — without paying for high-end office buildouts Our first development from 2019/2020: → 63 units → 100% occupancy → $32,637/month in NOI → $13,637 in monthly cash flow after debt That first domino knocked over the next one… And now we’re building and acquiring over 500,000 square feet per year. But here’s the truth: It’s not easy. Luxury storage isn’t passive. It requires: • A high attention to detail • Hands-on operations • Construction expertise, tenants, and systems • Taking risk in a space most people don’t understand That’s exactly why we love it. Doing hard things = our competitive advantage. We're not looking for easy deals with easy comps and plug-and-play property managers. We're willing to build something different to unlock outsized returns in overlooked markets. We’re aiming to double investor capital every 5 years. Not through hype. Not through VC money. Not through outsourcing everything. But through strong underwriting, hands-on operations, and a clear path to institutional exit. Have you ever invested in a real estate deal that others overlooked…and it ended up paying off big? -- DM me “storage” to connect and learn about our upcoming projects.

You don’t need more hustle to get wealthy. You need better mental models. These 10 mindset shifts took me from broke, 26, and pouring concrete... To building an 8-figure construction business and real estate portfolio by 36. 1. Money isn’t evil. It’s a tool. → Money doesn’t change who you are. It amplifies it. Your thinking will either keep you broke or lift you up. 2. Constraints create innovation. → I didn’t have 20% down for my first deal, so I learned seller financing. 3. Not all debt is bad. → My first real estate deal used almost no personal capital. Debt helped me build equity faster than saving ever could. 4. Capital allocation > hoarding cash. → Saving cash won't buy freedom, but investing will. 5. Equity > salary. → Don’t just aim to earn more per hour. Aim to own more equity in assets. 6. Start before you’re ready. → My first deal wasn’t perfect. But it was profitable. Clarity comes from action, not overthinking. 7. Upgrade your identity. → I was a concrete guy from North Dakota. Now I run a $30M company and $60M portfolio. Your story is your ceiling. Rewrite it. 8. Systems scale. Hustle doesn’t. → I nearly burned out doing it all myself. Now I build businesses that run without me. 9. Playing it safe is risky. → A job feels safe—until you get laid off. Real security is ownership. 10. Compounding takes time. Start now. → Your first deal won’t change your life. But your 10th might. Time is your biggest lever. This is the mindset I wish I had in my 20s. But I didn’t. So I’m sharing it now. What would you add? -- ♻️ Repost to share the wealth with your network 📌 Reach out & connect for more Marc Kuhn

8 years ago, I made $250,000 for the first time. It was horrible. On paper, it looked great. I had 10 great employees. I had built and paid for my first home. I had my first kid (and my second in the oven). I was living the debt-free “American Dream.” But I also: • Worked 100 hours a week. • Ran the company every day. • Poured 1,000 yards of concrete. • Had a net worth less than $500K. I didn’t know how to build a business. I didn’t know how to free myself. I didn’t know how to build wealth. The solution? I started getting curious. “How did the wealthy get to where they are?” And I started hiring for my weaknesses. I found coaches and mentors. I discovered real estate. I built a personal brand. And once I had some momentum… I created new companies to vertically integrate I found my niche in luxury storage. I became an expert in the space. In 2024, we developed $36M in projects. In 2025 we’re going to develop over $60M. And now, I have the “American Dream” I thought had 8 years ago. If you’ve built something, allow yourself to be proud about it. But make sure you take a step back… And ask yourself if it’s giving you the life you want. ♻️ Repost this to share with someone who needs to hear it. 💵 Follow me Marc Kuhn for more.

As a luxury storage developer, my business model is based on Alex Hormozi's advice: "Sell to the rich." Money is abundant (if you know where to look). I've learned this as a contractor, developer, and investor with wealthy mentors. Capital is abundant and looking for a place to allocate to high ROI deals. This is why we build "luxury" storage and condos. Storage is already recession-resistant. But the luxury model attracts: • Higher-end buyers • Higher-end investors • Higher-end monthly rents Instead of focusing on: → Can you pay rent? → Can you afford our units? → Can you stay with us long-term? We focus on problems the wealthiest tenants care about with our units. Do you offer a premium product? Do you promise the highest quality? Do you give the buyer peace of mind? Our tenants are online store owners, contractors, and wealthy entrepreneurs. They aren't worried about month to month. They are worried about value. One of the biggest unlocks you will find as a real estate investor: Building a network of wealthy buyers. Have you thought about investing in projects that appeal to the wealthiest 1%? -- P.S. If you're accredited and want to learn about these opportunities, DM me "storage" to connect.

3 expensive mistakes I learned from my 1st real estate syndication: The deal: 22-unit townhome project The goal: Raise capital from investors The reality: Complete chaos 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 #𝟭: Started as a 506(b) offering. Converted to 506(c) thinking social media would bring investors. Cost: $5,000 and lost ability to accept non-accredited investors. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 #𝟮: I only had like 211 LinkedIn followers Turns out it's hard to raise capital on social media when no one is reading your posts. Crickets. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 #𝟯: No proven track record. No established investor network. No clear communication strategy. The solution? I had to: • Take endless meetings. • Dial every contact in my phone. • Build relationships one at a time. Today, things are a little easier. But I had to learn some hard lessons first. -- P.S. If you're interested in potentially investing in our projects in 2025, DM me "passive."

Construction is underway at our newest 78,000 sq ft luxury storage project in Okoboji, Iowa. → 94 premium units → 78,000 square feet → $800K projected annual revenue → $6.8M total development cost → Fully funded with $2M in LP equity + debt This is our fourth ground-up luxury storage development, and our first step into the Iowa Great Lakes region. Here’s why we’re excited about this one: → High-income market with limited premium storage → Seasonal tourism surge + strong local demand → No climate-controlled facilities within 5 miles → Population growth and business-friendly economics It’s another move toward our long-term goal: Build $200M+ of Class-A storage developments across the U.S. over the next 5 years. We’re vertically integrated. We control the build, the brand, and the outcome. We're improving and refining the playbook each time. Thanks to our LP investors, MAK Construction, and MAK Capital teams for bringing the vision to life. Success is 10X better when it's shared with people who work their a** off alongside you. Have any projects you’re excited about this quarter? P.S. This drone shot is what the finished product looks like at our Fargo Mega Mak Storage facility. -- This one’s fully funded. But if you’re interested in how we’re building these projects or want to stay in the loop on future developments—DM me “storage”

The first year I made $250K, I thought I had “made it.” Except for one problem...I was drowning. On the outside, it looked like I had a successful life and construction company in 2017-2018. ✅ A growing team ✅ My first house, paid for ✅ My first child—second on the way ✅ No debt, good income The reality was...my business was burning me out. • I was working 90–100 hours a week • Becoming the bottleneck for growth • Managing every part of the business I wasn’t free. I wasn’t wealthy. I was just exhausted. So I started asking better questions: How do entrepreneurs actually build wealth? How do you scale without working yourself into the ground? First my mind changed, then my actions followed. After about 100 books, a hospital visit, conferences I couldn't afford, and investing heavily in myself. I stopped wearing every hat in the company. I started learning from people ahead of me. I started delegating for my weaknesses. I doubled down on real estate. I started building our brand. And I began to specialize. We focused. We scaled. We bought back our time. Today? → $36M in developments last year → $60M+ on the books for 2025 → More freedom, not just income Here’s what I’ve learned: You don’t build wealth by working harder. You build wealth by building systems that work when you don’t. If you’re grinding at the top of your own business… Pause. Ask yourself: Is this what I really want my life to look like in 5 years? -- ♻️ Share this if it resonated 👉 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

Your 9-5 isn't hard work. It’s the bare minimum. A lot of people think they're working hard because: → They show up every day. → They stay late sometimes. → They take on extra projects. But here's what your 9-5 really is: Trading time for money until you're 70. I started in concrete at age 6. Built an 8-figure construction company by my 30s. Now developing luxury storage across multiple states. The difference? Instead of climbing the corporate ladder… I built my own rungs. Instead of asking for raises... I created my own salary. Instead of waiting for retirement... I built assets that pay me monthly. Your 9-5 isn't the end goal. It's the starting point. Want real freedom? Start building something for yourself. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲? -- P.S. If you want to add passive real estate investing to your portfolio, DM me "passive" to learn more about how you can invest with us in 2025 and beyond.

My dad always told me: “Go to college so you don’t have to work construction your whole life.” So I did what he said. • Took on student debt • Left school 12 credits short of a business degree • Learned Microsoft Excel • Got fired from my job I came out of college with no degree, just a gut feeling that I didn’t want to trade hours for a paycheck the rest of my life. So I went back to what I knew: concrete. I’d been helping my dad pour it since I was 6 years old. But this time, I approached it differently. I wasn’t just trying to make a living—I wanted to build something that lasted. A company where good people could build careers. A business that created opportunity for others, not just myself. My dad was right—I shouldn’t pour concrete for the rest of my life. He just didn’t tell me I could build the kind of company he would’ve wanted to work for. That’s been the goal ever since. What are you building that will outlast you? Marc Kuhn

“Being your own boss” is fake freedom. Most entrepreneurs are lying to themselves. Reality: You’re not an entrepreneur until you make yourself replaceable. When I started MAK Construction, I thought being my own boss meant freedom. Instead, I became everyone's employee: • The guy doing concrete. • The guy managing crews. • The guy handling paperwork. • The guy taking emergency calls at 3am. I worked myself into the hospital from exhaustion. "Want to live long enough to see your kids grow up?” the doctor asked me. “Then make changes NOW." That's when I learned the truth: Real freedom isn't about being your own boss. Real freedom is building a business that can run without you. This means: • Hiring the right people. • Creating solid systems. • Documenting processes. • Delegating responsibility. • Getting out of the way. Most "entrepreneurs" are really just self-employed workers who created their own prison. Don't fall into this trap. Build a business bigger than yourself. That's real freedom. What's holding you back from making yourself replaceable? -- P.S. I recently wrote about how I removed myself from by business to scale to $100K/mo and beyond. Join 4,700+ readers in learning how here: https://lnkd.in/gz_ctdxX

The biggest lie I believed about entrepreneurship at 26: "You have to figure it out yourself." I'm 36 now with 3 companies and a $60M real estate portfolio. But I wouldn't recommend the same path I took... • Dropped out of UND with 12 credits left • Started construction in 2008 (worst timing ever) • Tried to do everything myself for years • Burned out 2x trying to prove I was tough enough It worked for me...but there's a smarter way. Here's what I'd tell my 26-year-old self: Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead of starting from scratch, work for someone who's already built what you want. ✅ That $45K job at a successful company? Take it. ✅ Learn their systems, mistakes, profit margins. ✅ Study how they grow and operate their business. ✅ Build long-term relationships with long-term people That $100K corporate job might boost your ego... But that lower-paying job with a successful operator who's 10 years ahead of where you want to be? That's worth more than an MBA. I spent the early years as an entrepreneur spinning my wheels. You might learn it in 2-3 years working for the right person. Success is proximity-based. I wish I'd understood this earlier: The fastest way to build wealth isn't working harder. It's working closer to people who've already done it. If you could go back, what career advice would you give your 26-year-old self? Should you start a business right away, or apprentice under an operator 5-10 years ahead?

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

I met a future millionaire and he's in college. Meet Matt who asks the $1M questions. He reached out to me several times on LinkedIn, politely and persistently. At first, I didn’t respond. I get a lot of messages. Most people want something but don’t offer much in return. Matt was different. He followed up. He stayed respectful. And he found a way to provide value. He told me he needed to write a five-page paper on an entrepreneur he looks up to, and he chose me. (That paper is coming soon in a future Unfollow the Herd newsletter.) So I gave him 30 minutes to help him with his paper. What impressed me most? He came prepared, asking thoughtful questions: → How did you get started? → Why did you start a business? → How prepared were you? → What happened after the first few months? → What did you learn along the way? Here’s what I told him that he likely didn't expect... 1. I got fired. I had just bought a house. I had bills to pay. I leaned into what I knew: construction. 2. I wasn’t prepared. I had to teach myself Excel, QuickBooks, and Google SketchUp...fast. The only thing I really remembered from college was how to work hard. 3. I went all in. Once I realized my income wasn’t capped by my hours, I stepped on the gas and didn’t look back. 4. I learned the game changes every few years. Years 0–5: Work 100-hour weeks. Keep your head down. Develop your skills. Years 5–10: Build a real business. Create systems. Stop being the only decision-maker. Years 10–15: Build culture. Scale through people. Add verticals. Expand with momentum. Matt didn’t ask how to get rich. He asked how to build something. Smart move. If you're young, hungry, and ready to build something big, start by showing up prepared. That’s how you earn time with people who’ve been where you want to go. No doubt Matt has a bright future. Did you connect with people a few steps ahead when you were in school like Matt did with me? -- Btw if you wanna see his paper published in my newsletter in the coming weeks, subscribe to marckuhn.substack.com

How to 10X your income without being 10X smarter: (the truth about entrepreneurship) If your business is stuck...you're the problem. I learned this the hard way. For years, I was stuck around $1M/year with my construction company. Now, I'm at $25M+/year. Here's what I had to learn: (And why most businesses stay small.) 1. You're the Problem If you’re doing the work, managing the jobs, and making every decision, you’re holding your business back. 2. Small Jobs Keep You Small You’ll never hit $5M or $10M by taking on $30K projects. Scaling requires bigger contracts and larger teams. 3. Fear of Hiring Most owners avoid hiring because they fear losing control. But hiring the right people is the only way to grow. The real lesson I had to learn: Taking bigger swings doesn't mean hustling more and putting in more hours. It means leveraging your expertise smarter, hiring A players, and become a better leader. Have you figure this out in your career yet?

$500 dinners that generate an extra $5M revenue. Luke owns hotels. I build luxury storage. But the lesson I learned applies to every business owner who wants to build something that lasts… We were scouting our next luxury storage development, when I met Luke, an entrepreneur who owns and operates luxury hotels in South Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona. Most people eat at 5-star restaurants for the food. Luke eats at them to build better businesses. We went to one of his favorite Scottsdale restaurants, The Italiano. ✅ Valet is complimentary. ✅ The server knew his name and favorite wine. ✅ My cocktail came branded with the restaurant’s name on the orange peel. The place was buzzing. Packed. Polished. Precise. I asked Luke why he does this. “If I want to deliver a 5-star experience in my hotels, I need to study it everywhere I go. What can I borrow, adapt, or improve?” Hard to beat an entrepreneur who's a student of his craft and thinks like Luke. Most people are looking for shortcuts. The best entrepreneurs obsess over details. That mindset is why his guests come back — and why his brand will still be thriving 20 years from now. Great businesses don’t guess what excellence looks like. They study it, steal it, and systematize it. Whether you’re building hotels, storage facilities, or any other business… The fastest way to stand out is to raise the standard when everyone else is lowering the price. Do you know an entrepreneur like Luke?

Why would I read Rich Dad Poor Dad (teens edition) with my 10-11 year old daughters? Because life isn't going to hand you anything. They need to learn this ASAP. As a parent, you don't need to be a genius on how to get rich. But you should introduce your kids to ideas from the wealthiest people on earth. Ask an 11-year girl what it means to be rich. • Owning a tesla (like Dad) • Own the Kardashian house • Unlimited makeup at Sephora • Closet full of designer clothes Here's what this book teaches them: 99% of these are liabilities. This is how you trap yourself in life. Does it produce income? If not, it's a liability. Schools don’t teach kids the practical truth around money, wealth, and lifestyle. Two things they should know before highschool: 1. Assets vs. Liabilities 2. Looking rich vs being wealthy Talk to your kids about the difference. You might even learn something yourself. What are you teaching your kids about money and wealth? -- I've written about how we're teaching our kids about money and wealth in the past in my newsletter. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g-qJ3X-N

If you didn't come from a wealthy family, here's how to make your first $1M anyway: Surround yourself with the people you want to become in 10 years. Not Elon or Bezos. Real people in your community. • The construction entrepreneur • The small business owner • The real estate investor Find people you admire. Find people you can help. Find people to mentor you. Will it cost you? Damn right. It'll cost you hard work. It'll cost you hours of your time. It'll cost you nights and weekends. This is what I recommend to everyone in their 20s who wants massive success. Don't spend your 20s chasing money. Spend it chasing skills and knowledge. No better way to do this... Than to surround yourself with people who are where you want to be in 10 years. This is the best success "hack" I know. What would you add to this? -- Btw if you want to learn from my path to investor and entrepreneur... Join 4,800+ getting free advice every Saturday morning: https://lnkd.in/gjmEPmYv