Take Action Copy

www.takeactioncopy.com

I write words that make you money.

Founder, Ghostwriter & Copywriter

CRE Digital

Head of Content & Ghostwriter

AllianceBernstein

Team Lead | Assistant Vice President - Regional Consultant

Assistant Vice President - Regional Consultant

Jackson

Sold variable annuities. Yeah. I know. 



Attained Internal Wholesaler Level 3 status -- the highest level available.  

Was named Internal Wholesaler of the Quarter for quarter 3 in 2017 for the Northeast Region, and was awarded "Top Gun", an internal award given to the top performer in a two-day showcase.

Internal Wholesaler

Grand Valley Lanthorn

Assigned and edited stories, wrote up to four pieces a week, and ran the Lanthorn sports Twitter account. Covered beats for GVSU football, men’s basketball, and baseball.

Sports Editor

Wrote and edited stories and briefs while covering a variety of games and athletic events.

Assistant Sports Editor

Local Sports Journal

At this Muskegon prep website, I wrote feature stories profiling high school athletes and teams. My main focus was football, though I branched into soccer, volleyball, and tennis. I also helped with editing, which involved monitoring our WordPress page, reviewing stories, and posting them to www.localsportsjournal.com.

Sportswriter

FOX 17

With FOX 17, I shot video at local sports events, edited the clips for broadcast and wrote scripts. I covered high school basketball, Grand Rapids Griffins hockey, West Michigan Whitecaps baseball, and various Division I and II sports. I also wrote news releases for the FOX 17 website.

Freelancer

Grand Valley State University

More than 4,000 incoming students went through freshman orientation during summer 2014, and 
I assisted every one. Over the course of 40 orientation dates, I worked closely with faculty members, professional advisers and other student assistants to help freshmen choose courses and ease into college life.

Orientation Assistant

During my time as a staff writer, I covered golf, lacrosse and cross country, as well as club sports like hockey and rowing. I wrote two stories a week, either features or game recaps.

Staff Sportswriter

Getting financial advisors millions of dollars & impressions | $20+ million in capital & AUM raised from LinkedIn | 100+ million client impressions | 400+ meetings booked | $1+ million in client courses sold

If you work in finance or real estate and want to add clients or capital through LinkedIn, send me a DM.

If you want to write a memoir or lead-gen book, send me a DM.

Adam Knorr

Last Wednesday, I knocked on 11 doors and invited 11 strangers to dinner. But the story doesn’t start there. 

In October, I was on a flight from Houston to Austin. 

When I’m on a flight, I like to honor the miracle of air travel by becoming the least approachable human I can be. Hood up, laptop out, headphones over the ears. I’m Simon Cowell with a toothache, Gordon Ramsay judging a toddler bake-off. I’m the Grinch — stuck in economy. 

But on this particular flight, I was sabotaged. 

Her name was Kay, and she was in her 70s. 

Kay caught me with my headphones down and started chatting me up. 

After a few minutes of small talk, Kay looked at me:

“This is nice,” she said. “No one talks on airplanes anymore.”

“Tell me about it,” I beamed. “A travesty.”

Kay went on to tell me how she puts on social events for her friends back home in New Mexico. She talked about how community is dying. How we're all in our phones to stay in touch, forgetting that those phones just keep us out of touch.

Six months before this flight, I had been invited to a dinner in Toronto by Tony Albrecht. 

Tony got some people from LinkedIn together and treated us all to a family-style dinner. 

I told Kay about this — and about how cool it was — and she asked me:

“Do you have anyone you could do that with?”

“Well,” I said. “I have 11 neighbors on my apartment floor, but I never see any of them. I guess I could put together a dinner and knock on their doors.”

So Kay made me promise that I would. She even gave me her personal card — the one she started carrying after she retired and no longer needed a business card — so I could tell her when I did it.

And that’s how, last night, I hosted a dinner with nine new friends. 

Turns out, knocking on doors gives you what tapping on screens promises you.

Gratitude post for all writers who continue to use the em-dash in the face of libelous AI allegations.

We will rightfully protect what's ours.

Do not surrender ground.

I stand with you.

My profile appeared 87,495 times across LinkedIn from Nov. 11-18. 41,018 of those appearances were from comments.

Every week, someone sends me a DM saying:

"How do I get more engagement on my posts?"

And I respond saying:

"How often do you comment? DM? Engage with other people?"

And then, 9 times out of 10, they don't respond.

The irony.

Goodness, gracious.

The irony.

Elementary schools should be teaching personal branding, not biology.

Everyone laughs at Gen Z/Gen Alpha for wanting to be influencers.

Do you realize how much of a cheat code having an audience is?

I made my first post on LinkedIn in October 2022.

Since then, I have:

• Made more than $500,000 from writing.
• Created 5 different income streams.
• Been hired to write books. 
• Charged $400/hour for consulting calls.
• Worked with founders, CEOs, and celebrities.

And most importantly, I have built a distribution network for my future work.

When you build distribution, you create optionality and flexibility for yourself.

If every single one of my clients fired me tomorrow, I'd create a new offer and push it on all 15,259 of you so fast you'd think I was Pablo Escobar at a Korn concert. 

I imagine in 2035, I'll be making money online in a way I never considered in 2025.

And that's a heck of a lot more valuable than learning about peas and some guy named Gregor.

I edited 75 posts from financial advisors.

Here are the 5 most common mistakes: 

1. You're burying your hook. 

So many people bury their best content in paragraph 3. 

I'm constantly telling people to move their most compelling line to the front. 

Most common hook fixes:

• Replace vague statements with specific dollar amounts
• Kill the setup — get straight to the point
• Lead with emotion, not explanation

2. You're posting Google-able content

No one goes to LinkedIn to learn that the 2025 401k limit is $23,500.

Instead, write about the emotional reality of money decisions. 

The client who had $2MM and still couldn′t sleep at night. 
The couple fighting about a $400 purchase.
The specific mistakes you've prevented. 

3. You're not being specific enough. 

Instead of: "I saved a client a lot of money" 

Write: "I saved a client $34,317 in taxes with one phone call in August."

Specific numbers stop the scroll. 

4. You're writing white papers. Stop doing that. 

Most advisor content reads like a braided leather belt gained sentience.

If I ever see you write "strategic plan" again, I am kicking you out of my cohort.

5. You're mixing Impression Content and Lead Content 

Trying to make every post convert kills your reach and makes you sound salesy.

You don't need to shoehorn every personal storytelling post into, "Here's what watching the Ryder Cup with my toddler taught me about Roth Conversions."

It comes off as reallllllllly disingenuous. 

You need to give your audience credit. They're not dumb. They can tell when they're being rope-a-doped into a pitch and when you're sharing a genuine story or thought. 

--

P.S. When's the last time you added an unrelated photo to a hyper-specific post to try to game the system and rack up impressions?

I sold this truck for $2,500 yesterday.

It marks the second business I've failed.

Three years ago, I was a brand new freelance writer.

More accurately, I was calling myself a writer, but I barely had any work. 

So, to sleep better at night, I decided to hedge my bets.

And I started a second business.

I opened an LLC — 616 Event Rentals. I bought a truck, a trailer, tables, chairs, and a dance floor, and started taking calls and emails.

I figured it my writing business failed, I could fall back on this.

Luckily, my writing business didn't fail.

(Knock on wood.)

I started getting more and more business as a writer, so the idea of hauling a 4,000-LB trailer across Grand Rapids at 6 AM to set up 8 tables and 40 chairs by hand all of a sudden didn't appeal like it once did.

So I stopped doing it.

When I stopped, I was $20,420 in the hole.

I had made $434 in revenue.

And I started selling everything.

Took a bath on all of it. And not like the kind of bath you give your newborn in the sink. This was a cannonball into the Roman Baths — during Nero's reign.

And, as of yesterday, 616 Event Rentals is officially dead.

This is the second business I've "failed."

I also once launched a writing service called The Emergency Editor that I made a grand total of $0.00 from.

I also once sunk a couple thousand into potentially buying a landscaping business before bailing. 

This cockamamie writing business thing where I write LinkedIn posts for people happened to work, but  this is the first business venture I've had any success with since I illegally sold candy marked "not for individual sale" in 5th grade. 

I've launched just as many things that have failed as things that have succeeded.

And if I have any sense in me...

I'll keep trying to fail as often as I can.

You should be DMing 10 prospects a day.

But not to get leads.

You should be DMing 10 prospects a day just to start conversations.

Because when you have a conversation with someone in the DMs, LinkedIn makes it more likely that they'll see your content.

And when they see your content, they're more likely to convert. 

I mean, that assumes your content is good, which, well, it's usually not because most of you are just using stock ChatGPT and deluding yourselves into thinking people don't notice because you're the anointed one who can get results with no effort.

But you get where I'm coming from. 

DMing people doesn't have to lead to a booked call immediately to be valuable.

--

P.S. I'm Adam.

I help financial advisors grow & add clients on LinkedIn.
DM me to learn more.

Every year, I work from my dad's office over the holidays. It's a good reminder that I've had more advantages than 99% of freelance writers.

I've been writing professionally three years. I'm finally sort of comfortable claiming I've had a little bit of success — but if I want to claim success, I have to tell the truth about where it came from.

And the truth is, I have had every single advantage.

My dad was a freelance copywriter. It was the first job I knew you could do. Before I ever dreamed about playing shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, I saw myself alone in a quiet office, armed with a red pen and an AP Stylebook.

My parents were both entrepreneurs — my mom in real estate — so I grew up watching early mornings, stress, sacrifice. But because it was all I saw, I didn't realize it was remarkable. It just was. That's how everyone works, right?

As a kid, I wrote a lot. Since the guy who determined my bedtime was also a professional writer, I had access to high-quality feedback. I charge $900/month for that now, but he did it for free.

I'm good at writing. It's what I'm supposed to do with my life. But it certainly doesn't hurt that I got professional guidance before I ever put down a Junie B. Jones book for the last time.

I studied journalism, but took a job in finance. It hurt my heart to stop writing, but it helped my bank account.

Six years later, when I finally walked away to try freelancing, I had the thing most new writers never get: time. Runway. Margin for error.

I knew I could go a full calendar year without making any money and still be OK.

Most people trying to make it as a writer don't have this breathing room. Turns out, it's easier to score goals when you aren't white-knuckling the stick. Yeah, I was still tightrope walking, but my safety net was so close it was scraping the rubber off my soles.

For my first 20 gigs, my dad edited everything before I sent it. He introduced me to his contacts in the industry. 

The first time I charged more than $2,000 for a project came when my sister-in-law put in a good word for me at her company.

Yeah, I've worked hard. But I never had to work scared.

My family wanted to see me win, friends wanted to see me win, and strangers wanted to see me win. And instead of just golf-clapping from the sidelines, they each got in the game and dished me some assists.

So, yeah.

When you're comparing yourself to other people, remember that you're not seeing the invisible advantages baked into someone's default assumptions.

Anthropic (the company that created Claude) is hiring two writers for $255,000-$320,000. 

The ultimate irony:

AI is making the best writers *more* valuable.

The more people lean on AI for writing, the fewer talented writers exist.

The fewer talented writers exist, the more valuable they are. 

The more valuable they are, the more they get paid.

AI is making writing a high-income skillset.

I suggest you learn how to do it.

I have been paid $30,000 in a single day for a writing project, but nothing will ever beat closing my first client for $500.

It was October 2022, and I was living in Basecamp — a one-story, tarp-covered house on the bottom of a Kona coffee farm.

There were eight of us living in the house. At 28 years old, I was the Old Man By the Mango Tree, nearly a decade older than all my roommates. 

Often, I would wake up at 4:00 AM to start my day, fist-bumping a couple of roommates I passed in the hallway on their way to go to bed for the night. 

Between the eight of us, the farm provided two vehicles. I figured if I was going to be living in Hawaii, I didn't want my adventures to be constrained based on vehicle availability, so I found a guy with a car rental business.

I also figured if I was going to wear Hawaiian shirts and sport a mustache, I owed it to Tom Selleck to drive something better than a Hyundai Sonata, so I signed up for a long-term rental on a silver Dodge Challenger.

I met the owner of the rental business in the parking lot of a Shell station in Kealakekua, Hawaii.

When he handed me the keys, I pounced:

"Hey man. I respect what you're doing with your own business. I'm actually self-employed, too. I'm a copywriter — I write websites and things like that. I noticed your website still needs to be written. Would you be down with me sending you a proposal for what I would charge to write it?"

His website existed, but it was full of Lorem Ipsum placeholders. He agreed to take a look at my proposal, so I cruised back to the shack and fired it off.

A day later, my phone rang.

"Hey Adam. Let's do it."

I was breathing like I had just done a Polar Plunge into the Pacific, but I managed to choke out:

"Sounds good. I'll send you the invoice."

Then, I hung up, sprinted out to the living room, and high-fived every 19-year-old roommate I could find.

Since then, the numbers have gotten bigger and the projects more exciting, but I have never felt the same high as that first client — and I don't ever expect to again.

Not everything you post on LinkedIn has to be shoehorned into a fake lesson about what you learned. 

You can just tell good stories because it's fun to tell good stories.

And as a bonus, people won't want to vomit you when they read your content.

If you want to learn how to consistently break 10,000 impressions on LinkedIn, read this:

I’m sending out an email tomorrow to 828 people that breaks down the easiest way to create viral content on LinkedIn.

It’s too long for LinkedIn, so I can’t post it here. 

DM me your email address if you want to be added before it goes out at 9:00 AM EST tomorrow.

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

What would 21,018,197 views do for you?

What about a measly 3,546,825?

These are some screenshots from content performance for myself + clients.

(Note that the ones around 3.5 million are less than a year into working together.)

These are all folks in commercial real estate and finance (and me). 

And before you ask...

Yes, this does lead to results.

-> 500+ booked calls
-> $20+ million invested
-> $1+ million in paid transactions

I'm going to tell you something that risks cannibalizing my business:

This stuff isn't hard.

Writing great LinkedIn content is literally:

• Applying hook formulas
• Understanding topic selection
• Telling stories and sharing controversial opinions

I can teach you how to do all of this in just 30 days.

As of today, enrollment is open for the Q1 2026 cohort of The Advisor GPS starting in January.

If you're a financial advisor who wants to learn how to do this stuff yourself, send me a DM today.

Spots are limited.

--

P.S. From current Advisor GPS students:

"I loved it!!! I thought it was great. Super useful stuff in there and I want to go back through a few times to really sink in a lot of these new ideas about writing content. My only regret is not working with you sooner"

"I thought the program was great! Definitely a lot of information that I will be revisiting."

"Seriously though this course and community is awesome. I am learning so much and stretching my comfort zone more than I thought possible."

Always makes me laugh when people get mad that hooks matter on LinkedIn. No — having “educational insights” isn’t enough. 

Who are you? 
Why should anybody care? 
Why do your ideas deserve to stand out?

(Nobody.)
(They shouldn’t.)
(They don’t.)

You could be Einstein mixed with Ghandi with a touch of Marie Curie thrown in and no one will care what you have to say until you either:

1) Do something that gives you enough clout/fame for your reputation to precede you 

Or 

2) Write great hooks that make them care. 

You are not owed attention. 

You have to earn it.

I've helped people land 1,000+ clients on LinkedIn.

3 simple DMs will book you the most calls:

I'm breaking them down in my newsletter at 9:00 AM EST tomorrow.

Join 821 subscribers here:

(And get a free gift!)

https://lnkd.in/gM87JAVf

Yesterday I taught a session inside Mando Sallavanti III, CFP®'s LinkedIn community — 83 financial advisors who are already investing in their growth on LinkedIn.

If you were there, you got a preview of the system I use to help advisors generate leads and smash impressions in 30–60 days.

If you want to go deeper, I’m opening up 5 new spots for my 30-Day LinkedIn Accelerator in January.

This includes:

• the complete Advisor GPS LinkedIn system
• weekly live coaching with me
• access to our private community
• templates, scripts, and growth frameworks
• and full support for 30 days

DM me "GPS" and I'll send you the details.

Stuff My Clients Say

I've written 4,100+ hooks. One mistake kills engagement more than any other: 

Assuming your audience knows who you are. 

Most creators have a "World Revolves Around Me" mindset.

You think people are paying attention. You think people have been following along. You think people have been reading your stuff, connecting the dots, building a mental map of your expertise, your offer, your point of view.

They haven't.

Most people skim. 
They catch a post here and there. 
They don't remember what you wrote yesterday.

So every single post, you should be starting from scratch.

When you write a hook that skips the authority, skips the context, skips the problem-naming — because you assume your audience already knows — it has zero chance at getting inbound leads.

Yeah, it's going to get comments from the same 15 people who show up every day...

But they were going to be there regardless. It doesn't mean the content was actually good — it just means you successfully clicked "post."

It's an inconvenient truth for 99% of creators, but you actually have to be good at copywriting if you want inbound leads.

You have to understand:

• Audience awareness levels
• Problem awareness levels
• Solution awareness levels 

This is why persuasive writing was destined to become a high-income skillset since Johannes Gutenberg started monkeying with his tiles in the 1440s. 

And this is why most people are deluding themselves into thinking ChatGPT can "write" content well enough to get inbound leads.

If you understand this stuff? 

Sure.

If not? 

You're going to keep showing up for another year wondering why no one is DMing you "financial freedom."

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

I dropped out of University of North Dakota with 12 credits left and $2,500 to start MAK Construction.

Now UND is one of our best partners.

Back in 2010, I walked away from a college degree to bet on myself. No diploma. No Plan B. No money.

Just a concrete guy from North Dakota who believed he could build something.

Fast forward 15 years:

→ MAK Construction LLC and MAK Capital are developing projects on the UND campus
→ UND grads are joining our team
→ The same university I left now trusts us to help build its future

And it says a lot about UND.

When most parents think of top schools in the US...North Dakota usually isn't the first place they think.

While many students chases brand-name schools on the coasts, UND just quietly broke its all-time enrollment record: 15,844 students. Up 825 from last year.

President Andy Armacost is expanding programs the state actually needs:

• Top-ranked nursing school in North Dakota
• First university in the U.S. Space Force Partnership Program
• Aviation program with global reputation
• Degrees that lead to jobs—not just debt

And now they’ve earned Carnegie R1 status—putting them in the same research class as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.

UND isn’t trying to be flashy. They’re just doing the work.

The kind of work that builds a great future workforce with necessity-based jobs that quietly run the country.

We’ve hired UND grads who show up early, solve problems, and outwork the resume chasers. That matters in our business.

We also build for the school, support the football team, and see them as one of our best long-term partners.

Everybody wins when a local institution like UND plays the long game with local businesses.

Sometimes coming full circle isn’t about going back to finish what you started.
It’s about building something strong enough that the place you left wants you back at the table.

We’re proud to help UND expand its campus while it invests in real careers, real programs, and real people.

Go Fighting Hawks!

What schools in your area are doing the unsexy but important work of preparing students for actual jobs?

Marc Kuhn

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

I burned out building a $30M construction company.

But without my wife...I would've stayed stuck at $1M.

In my 20s, I thought grinding 100-hour weeks made me successful.

I hit $250K in income and felt like a failure because I was drowning in a business I didn’t know how to run.

I was good at construction.
Terrible at running a company.

Chelsie brought what I didn’t have:

→ Organization where I had chaos
→ Strategy where I had hustle
→ Structure where I had gut feel
→ Brand clarity where I had zero clue

She runs our EOS meetings. Keeps the team aligned. Takes my messy ideas and turns them into actual systems that scale.

She’s the reason I get to focus on what I do best—growing MAK Construction and MAK Capital.

Here’s what nobody tells you about building a business with your spouse:

It’s not about finding someone who thinks like you.
It’s about finding someone who balances you.

I see the vision. She maps the path.
I chase the deal. She helps the team deliver.
I go fast. She makes sure we go smart.

The best business decision I ever made wasn’t a real estate deal. It was marrying someone who made me better without trying to change me.

We’ve got 3 kids, multiple companies doing $30M+ a year, a 50+ person team, and $60M real estate portfolio.

None of it works without systems. And none of those systems exist without Chelsie Kuhn.

If you’re building solo, you’re capping your growth.

Every entrepreneur I know who scaled past $10M?

They didn’t just grind harder. They found someone—partner, co-founder, spouse—who filled their gaps.

Your job isn’t to do it all. Your job is to do your part and find people who crush the rest.

What’s the best partnership decision you’ve made in your business or career?

Marc Kuhn

We skipped the 529 plan for our 3 kids' college.

Bought an 8-plex they'll own in 10 years instead.

I've written about it before on LinkedIn and Substack, so here's a fun update.

In 2021, we bought a small, low-income 8-unit property in a rural North Dakota town near us. 

Nothing fancy. Nothing shiny.

Just solid cash flow and a lesson in ownership.

• Bought it in 2021 for $450,000.
• Spits off ~20% a year cash flow.
• Kids used birthday money and loan from Mom & Dad.
• Over 10 years, it’ll return $300,000+.

They've owned it for a few years with our help, and have already been paying Mom and Dad back with cash flow.

By the time they need the money, the equity and cash flow will be more than enough for them to:

• Go to college
• Start a business
• Buy a decent car
• Hopefully not blow it on Legos or Sephora

Right now they’re 5, 10, and 11.

They get the cash flow, see the checks, help "manage" the property, and learn the ownership game early.

I’ll help them learn so hopefully they can financially support themselves and learn to invest and make money by 18.

Not because I’m harsh...because I want them to be capable and prepared for the real world.

I love Kevin O’Leary’s mindset:

“My kids don’t get my money. 
They get my lessons.”

Here's the best part.

When we talked about the latest distribution, they were excited about junk food and toys…

Then my oldest asked “Can we buy more of these?”

That’s the whole game right there.

• Teach 'em young. 
• Let them own something. 
• Show them what it means to earn.

My job isn’t to carry them after 18.

It’s to make sure they’re strong enough to carry themselves.

What are you doing today that your kids will thank you for in 10 years?

--

P.S. I broke down this 8-plex purchase for parents who want to do something similar.

Check out the guide: https://lnkd.in/g-qJ3X-N

$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?

If I were 18 today graduating in today's economy...

I’m not sure I’d go to college.

Not because I hate learning. But because I hate debt that doesn’t cash flow.

Let’s say I take the traditional route:

→ 4 years of school
→ $150,000 in loans
→ Maybe a $60K job if I’m lucky
→ No assets, no equity, no ownership

You're telling me this is still the “safe” path?

Now compare it to an alternative path to success that is totally doable for an 18 year old in 2025:

→ Buy pressure washing equipment: ~$2,000
→ Knock on 1,000 doors in 3 zip codes
→ Sell driveway cleans at $250 a pop
→ Land 10 jobs a week = $2,500
→ Work 40 weeks = $100,000/year

No debt.
No resume.
No waiting.

You can have a 6-figure pressure washing business before most of your peers take their freshman finals.

And here's what you learn while doing it:

• How to sell and handle rejection
• How to schedule, invoice, and manage time
• How to scale from a solo hustle into hiring a team
• How to build skills transferrable to any business

You learn ownership—the one thing school rarely teaches.

I know this because I did something similar.

Dropped out 12 credits short of a degree, probably should've done it earlier for my situation.

Started pouring concrete and taking odd jobs around town with the skills I learned as a kid working in my Dad's construction business.

Taught myself the basics of business, sales, client relationships, and leading a team one job at a time.

The skills I learned became the foundation that I'd use to grow my companies to $30M/year revenue and CRE portfolio to $60M+.

Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. 
College isn't either.

If I could go back, I’d tell 18-year-old Marc:

→ Forget status.
→ Get cash flow.
→ Learn high-value skills.
→ And pick a path that puts you in control.

For some it's a 4-year degree. For others, it's starting your first "boring" business and learning on the job.

What path would you choose in today's economy:

Would you spend $150,000 and four years in college?

Or start a boring, cash-flowing business?

In my 20s, I traded time for money.

In my 30s, I’m trading money for health.

Running multiple companies and having a family taught me something important in 2024:

My most important investment isn’t in real estate.
It’s in my body, health, and energy.

When I’m healthy, I make better decisions. I lead better. I show up better.

I have more energy—for my team, my investors, and my family.

In 2025, I made a commitment:
Invest $10,000–$20,000 per year into my health.

Here’s my plan for how I'll invest:

• Bloodwork: $300
• Genetic testing: $600
• High-quality supplements: $1,500
• Peptides: $5,000–$10,000
• Gym memberships and trainers: $3,000+

Some people think it’s excessive.
But for me, it’s a non-negotiable.

When your body is optimized, your business follows.

If you’re in a leadership role—CEO, investor, operator—this is a category worth over-investing in.

Are you investing in your health and energy in 2025?

I was stuck for 5 years in my business in my 20s.

The change that 10X'd my success?

I was trying to figure everything out alone.

The shift happened when I found operators who’d already solved the problems I was facing:

Guys running $10M+ construction companies who showed me their systems.

Investors doing deals I thought were impossible with my capital.

Entrepreneurs who’d scaled past the bottleneck I was trapped in.

Turns out, the fastest way to build wealth isn’t working harder in isolation. It’s learning from people who are 5 steps ahead of you.

That’s what today’s live Q&A event is about.

You’re not just getting my playbook for going from chaos to $30M in revenue.

You’re getting the frameworks, mistakes, and shortcuts I learned from being around the right people.

We go live in 3 hours. Still time to join.

11 AM CST | 12 PM EST

$25 for advice and community from entrepreneurs who've been where you are today.

This is your chance to get unstuck in 2026 instead of grinding and staying in the same place for another 5 years.

Last call to join: 

https://lnkd.in/gKGtHzhD

See you at 11 am CST!

JSESSIONID

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Talks about #investing, #realestate, #construction, #personalfinance, and #apartmentinvesting

10 years ago, I thought this life was impossible.

Let me paint a picture of 27-year-old Marc:

Just had my second kid.
Running a concrete business that was barely holding together.
Working 100-hour weeks because I didn’t know how to delegate.
Drinking a gallon of coffee and 4–5 Monsters a day just to survive.

Then one bad pour almost ended everything.

A $30K concrete project cracked. The client threatened to sue. We didn’t have the cash reserves to fix it and stay afloat.

I remember lying awake at 3am thinking:
“This is it. I’m going to lose everything.”

The business was fragile because I was fragile.
I was the bottleneck.
If I wasn’t on-site, nothing happened.

Fast forward to today at 37:

3 kids who actually see their dad.
A construction company doing $30M+ annually.
A $60M real estate portfolio.
A team of 50 that runs the business without me.

The difference wasn’t working harder.
It was learning the systems, strategies, and mindset shifts that compound wealth instead of burning you out.

I’m hosting a live Q&A this Wednesday to walk you through exactly how I made that shift.

• Wednesday, November 26 at 11 AM CST
• $25 to join for $100,000+ of advice if you act on it

Most people will spend 2026 the same way I spent 2014—grinding harder, not smarter.
A few will figure out how to scale, build equity, and actually enjoy the life they’re working for.

I’ll share the exact frameworks that took me from chaos to $30M in revenue—and how you can apply them to your business or real estate portfolio in 2026.

Your questions.
Real answers.
No BS.

2026 can be your breakthrough year…or another year of “I’ll figure it out later.”

DM me "scale" if you want an invite to tomorrow's live event.

Having a $5,000,000 net worth won’t save you if you have ZERO monthly cash flow.

I've coached a few people from LinkedIn, most of them in their 20s.

They all want the same thing:

• Financial freedom
• Quit their soul-sucking 9-5 job
• Buy back their time with investments

First I ask them "What is financial freedom to you?"

And they're usually focused on the wrong metric.

"I want a $5,000,000 net worth."

That's great. 

But net worth won't:

• Pay your monthly bills
• Replace your 9-5 job salary
• Allow you to use money for Time Freedom

Cash flow is the answer. 

And most of my coaching students are surprised when we break down the math.

You don't need a $5M net worth to be free.

Most people would be happy and comfortable with $10,000-$20,000 in monthly cash flow from assets.

Which takes less time than an 8-figure net worth.

For financial freedom, monthly cash flow is a better metric than net worth 365 days a year.

Agree or disagree?

In 1989, Brian Scudamore spotted a beat-up junk truck while sitting in a McDonald's drive-thru.

That moment sparked his empire.

Here's what Scudamore did next:

→ Took $700 in savings 
→ Bought a used pickup truck 
→ Started "The Rubbish Boys" 
→ Painted the truck himself 
→ Created a simple tagline: "We'll stash your trash in a flash!"

While his surgeon father wasn't thrilled...

Brian dropped out of college to go all-in.

His secret weapon?

Making an "ugly" business look professional:

→ Clean trucks
→ Sharp uniforms
→ On-time service
→ Fanatical customer focus

In 1994, he made the hardest call, firing his entire staff to rebuild with people who shared his vision.

And today?

His company 1-800-GOT-JUNK is estimated to be around $600 million in annual revenue. 

The lesson is simple:

Sometimes the "ugliest" businesses create the biggest opportunities.

You just have to be willing to think differently.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 "𝘂𝗴𝗹𝘆" 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁?


♻️ Repost to share this story with others.
👷 Follow me Marc Kuhn for more.

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 2025, 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 2025

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

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. We're launching new luxury storage projects to our exclusive investor list.
 
If you're accredited and want to learn about these opportunities, DM me "storage" to connect.

Barry Sternlicht had ZERO hotel experience when he bought his first failing property in 1991.

But he did something most people wouldn’t.

He ignored the “experts” who said hotels had to be either luxury or budget.

Instead, he spotted what everyone else missed: the middle.

At the time, Four Seasons was charging $500 a night for marble bathrooms. Holiday Inn was racing to the bottom at $89 a night.

Barry asked a better question:

“What if people just want a place that doesn’t suck?”

So he built it.

→ Cool design that didn’t feel corporate.
→ Local vibe instead of chain sterile.
→ Quality without the luxury pretension.

That simple idead turned into W Hotels.

W became Starwood.
Starwood grew to 1,200+ locations.
Marriott bought it for $13 billion.

Today, Barry oversees over $100 billion in real estate.

All because he followed a simple playbook:

→ Find the gap everyone else ignores
→ Build what people actually want
→ Systematize it
→ Scale it

That’s the same reason I’m going all-in on luxury storage.

It’s not flashy. 
It’s not trendy. 
It’s not on CNBC.

But it's simple, repeatable, and prints cash flow.

While everyone’s chasing the next crypto, AI, or whatever “next big thing,” I’m focused on boring businesses with demand.

My customers are contractors, e-comm store owners, local blue collar entrepreneurs.

They’re not impressed by Public Storage’s tiny boxes.

They want clean, secure, premium space...and they’ll pay for it.

And guess what?

There’s almost no competition 'cus everyone’s busy chasing shiny objects.

Here’s what most people get wrong about boring businesses:

They think boring means low upside, but they’re wrong.

• Boring means predictable cash flow.
• Boring means less competition.
• Boring means higher margins.
• Boring builds wealth.

The flashy stuff gets the headlines.
The boring stuff builds the balance sheet.

If you’re serious about building something that lasts, stop following the herd.

Start looking for the gaps no one else sees.

That’s where the real money is hiding.

What outdated industry would you redesign if you had the chance?

--

♻️ Repost if stories like Barry's inspire you
🤝 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

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?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonated with you.
📌 Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily content.

Most will spend 2026 overthinking their next move.

A few will actually scale their wealth.

I’m hosting a live Q&A on Wednesday, November 26 at 11 AM CST to help you be in that second group.

What we’ll cover:

→ How I grew my company to $30M in revenue
→ How I built a $60M real estate portfolio
→ The boring strategies that scale wealth
→ Your specific questions answered live

I’ll walk you through the exact strategies, systems, and mindset shifts that took me from pouring concrete at 26 to running an 8-figure business and real estate portfolio.

The mistakes I made so you don’t have to.
The frameworks I wish I had earlier.
The unsexy stuff that actually moves the needle.

It’s $25 to join. 

If you’re serious about scaling your business or real estate portfolio in 2026 without guesswork, this is for you.

Grab your spot:
https://lnkd.in/gKGtHzhD

Wednesday, November 26
11 AM CST | 12 PM EST

Will I see you there?

Most people think investing is complicated.

So they do nothing.

Here's what that looks like:

•Park money in a savings account earning 0.5%
•Watch inflation eat 3-4% of your wealth every year
•Wait for the "perfect moment" that never comes
•Let fear keep you on the sidelines for decades
•Retire with less purchasing power than you started with

Meanwhile, the wealthy do the opposite.

They put their money to work.

They understand:
•Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world
•Time in the market beats timing the market
•Diversification protects, concentration builds wealth
•Passive income > trading hours for dollars

Here's the truth nobody tells you:

You don't need to be rich to start investing.
You need to start investing to become rich.

The difference between someone who invests $500/month starting at 25 vs. 35?

Over $500,000 by retirement.

That's the cost of waiting.

I'm not saying quit your job tomorrow or bet everything on one asset.

I'm saying:

Start small. Stay consistent. Think long term.
Pick your vehicle. Build your portfolio. Create your freedom.

If you're interested in learning more about luxury storage, DM me "luxury" to join our investor list.

The best time to start was 10 years ago.

The second best time is today.

Agree or disagree?

Multifamily real estate put money in my pocket.

Luxury storage bought my time back.

I’ve built apartments. I still do, and have a ground up development project under construction now.

But when I compare the two, one asset class consistently delivers better margins, less management, and fewer headaches...and it’s not multifamily.

When I first got into development, I followed the crowd into apartments. 

• The numbers penciled. 
• Demand was there. 
• Everyone understood the model.

But I also learned the reality:

• High turnover
• More maintenance calls
• Bigger staff to manage
• Tenant laws that can change overnight

Multifamily development is still a solid business. But it’s a grind.

Then came the Grand Forks project.

The lot didn’t work for apartments, so I tried something different: heated vs. unheated storage units. 

The heated units leased faster, stayed full, and rented for $100 more per month…with only $20 in extra utility cost.

That test turned into my first “luxury storage” facility.

Since then, here’s what I’ve seen:

Operational Advantages of Luxury Storage

→ No toilets, no appliances, no carpet to replace
→ Few people can oversee hundreds of units
→ Longer term tenants—often years, not months
→ B2B customers who want premium units

Investor Outcomes

→ Recession resilience
→ Stable NOI with fewer expense swings
→ Premium rent for premium product
→ Strong risk-adjusted returns

Multifamily has built some of my wealth.

But the "boring" asset class of luxury storage will compound my net worth and buy back my time.

In 2025, we’re developing over 500,000 sq ft of it. And as long as the numbers and demand hold, I’ll keep building more.

What asset class are you betting on that others are sleeping on over the next 5 years?

--

DM me "luxury storage" if you want to learn more about this asset class and connect with the MAK Capital team.

Marc Kuhn

We raised $1.9M for our Fargo Luxury Storage.

Now we're raising $2.5M for the next one...

Many investors are on the sidelines right now.

Afraid to make moves because of:

• Interest rates
• Slowing deal flow
• Uncertainty around an election

Meanwhile, our development team at MAK is looking to do even more storage deals in 2025.
 
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁: 
 
• Our tenants love 
• Our LP investors love 
• Our development company loves 
 
Self-storage is known for being a recession-friendly, cash-flowing asset. 
 
But these aren't your average self-storage. 
 
We've got boats and RVs. 
We've got luxury car owners. 
We've got contractor shop owners. 
We've got Amazon, Shopify biz owners. 
 
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: 
 
• Two lights, one outlet 
• Garage door and opener 
• Heated and AC controlled 
• 20 by 50 self-storage units 
 
We've tested this in North Dakota and decided to expand across the U.S. 
 
What's our expertise at MAK? 
 
We find the land.
We secure the financing.
We build the storage facilities. 
We find renters and operate them.

Fully vertically integrated.
 
Our LP investors love that.
 
If you want to learn more about this asset class, DM me "Luxury Storage" 
 
I'll share our upcoming projects. 
 
𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 2025 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧?

You don’t need a ton of clients to achieve your dreams.

You just need to:

-> 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿𝘀. 

If you focus on transactional clients…
You’re just spinning your wheels.

But if you focus on long-term relationships…
You harness the value of compound interest.

The longer you work with someone, the greater the opportunities to grow together are.

If you genuinely place more emphasis on helping your clients achieve their dreams than you do on getting as much money from them as possible…

You’ll end up with more money than you know what to do with.

I could write a book of “Things I Wish I Knew When I Started” 14 years ago.

But this would be the first chapter.

Help others achieve their dreams.

And watch as you achieve yours. 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭 𝗼𝗳 "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗜 𝗞𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱"?

--

P.S. If you want to passively invest in real estate (and build a long-term relationship)
 
DM me "storage" to invest with me.

If you’re in real estate, you know Sam Zell.

Before he passed away in 2023... 

Zell was one of the most successful real estate investors of all time. 

His specialty was acquiring distressed assets. 

It earned Zel the nickname, “The Grave Dancer.”

And The Grave Dancer had a few legendary quotes for investors:

1. “All the opportunity in the world means nothing if you don’t actually pull the trigger.”

2. “Reputation is your most important asset. Everything you do, everything you say, is a part of the permanent record.”

3. “Where there is scarcity, price is no object. This basic tenet of supply and demand would later become a governing principle of my investment philosophy.”

In Unfollow the Herd newsletter, I’m breaking down the best wealth-building lessons I’ve absorbed from:

-> Sam Zell
-> Ray Dalio
-> Ryan Pineda
-> Brandon Turner
-> Robert Kiyosaki

Join 4,500 readers who get it for free here: marckuhn.substack.com

--

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts on real estate, entrepreneurship, and financial freedom.

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