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

Marc Kuhn

2025 was a hell of a year. Hit a lot of business goals!

Also lost my Dad to lung cancer at 63.

Here were the highs, the lows, and the perspective changes for me this year to have a strong 2026:

Our teams crushed it this year at MAK Capital + MAK Construction LLC.

Built a $15.4M workforce housing project in a town that hasn't seen new housing in 30+ years.

Started a drilling company from scratch and did nearly $1M in revenue.

Developed $23M in new luxury storage facilities.

Ran $30M through our construction and concrete companies.

Raised $6M from investors and grew to $70M in assets under management.

But losing my Dad overshadows it all. 
It put life into perspective.

I grew up in the concrete business right next to him. We worked together for years. He taught me everything about hard work, grit, and showing up when it's hard.

When he got sick, all the business success didn't matter. 

He told me:

"It's not always about money, Marc. When you're sick, throw money out the window. It doesn't matter anymore. Purpose is what matters—why you do what you do. Lean on God when you need to find it."

Easy to say. Hard to do.

So here's what I'm changing in 2026:

Yeah, I've got business goals: 

• Develop $100M in projects
• Raise $10M for storage
• Hit $100M in assets under management. 

Those are still there.

But I'm being more intentional. Better leader. Better husband. Better father. Better friend.

I'm 37 and my biological age is 33.8 (I wear a Whoop watch and have worn it for 600+ days straight). 

I use 10x Health for blood work every 6 months to catch problems before they start. If you don't know what those are, look them up. Game changers for your health.

You have one body. Take care of it.

I know most people follow me for business content, and I love the game. But this year reminded me there's more to it than that.

I create content for free because if I don't share during the journey, I'll be irrelevant at 60 trying to give advice. I'm in the trenches with you right now.

I'm not here to compete or brag. I'm showing you what's possible when your mindset shifts.

If a kid who grew up poor in North Dakota can build what we've built, you can too.

I appreciate everyone who's been part of this journey—my team, my investors, my family, and everyone following along on here.

Here's to a more purposeful 2026.

Happy New Year!

Marc Kuhn

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

Tony Robbins owns 110 businesses. $10B in revenue.

Guess what his favorite asset class is?

He says private equity returns the highest on anything he's done.

I believe him.

I was listening to him on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast with Graham Stephan when they asked him about his investment strategy.

Private equity.

• Not stocks. 
• Not bonds. 
• Not crypto. 
• Not even real estate funds.

Direct ownership in businesses.

You know what's crazy? He pays fees. Management fees. Carry. All the costs people complain about.

And it still returns more than anything else in his portfolio.

This is what the wealthy have figured out.

Because when you own equity in a real business, you're not hoping the market goes up. You're controlling the asset that generates cash flow.

Public markets: You own a piece of paper that goes up and down based on what other people think it's worth.

Private equity: You own a piece of a business that produces cash flow every month regardless of what CNBC thinks. 

And if you own enough of it, you have a say in who is running the business, what strategies they use, and how to make it more efficient.

Stocks on your Robinhood app are great because they're liquid, you can buy and sell anytime you want. 

But safe and liquid also means you're playing the same game as millions of other people. 

All reacting to the same news. 
All getting the same returns.

Private equity is different:

→ You control the asset
→ You improve operations
→ You increase cash flow
→ You decide when to exit

That's why the wealthy put money into boring businesses nobody else wants.

Construction. Hotels. Drilling companies. Storage facilities. HVAC companies.

Not sexy. But they print cash.

And cash that you control beats a stock portfolio that moves based on Fed announcements.

I've tried it all. 

Built a stock portfolio. Built a real estate portfolio. Operate businesses.

My businesses always outperform.

Because I can control the outcome. I can't control what the S&P does tomorrow.

If you had $100K to invest today, would you put it in the stock market or buy equity in a boring business?

---

♻️ Repost to start the conversation with others

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts on building wealth with real estate, boring businesses, and ownership mindset

AI won't fix your overflowing toilet in 2026.

And it won't show up to mow your lawn.

It won't pressure wash your driveway.
It won't build your local housing development.
It won't lay a slab of concrete or roof your house.

There's a lot of doom and gloom on the internet saying "If you don't bet on AI, you'll lose your job. If you don't bet on AI, you'll never build real wealth."

It's going to transform a lot of jobs and almost every industry.

But if you don't want to bet the farm on AI and robots…and you still want to build wealth…

Choose "boring" ways to make money.

• We'll still need trades.
• We'll still need construction workers.
• We'll still need lawn care companies.
• We'll still need apartments for people to live.
• We'll still need self-storage for people's stuff.

While everyone's panicking about AI...there are plumbers, HVAC, and roofing companies printing millions in cash flow that aren't worried at all.

These aren't venture-backed apps with no revenue. They're boring businesses in boring towns that print cash every single month.

The wealth gap isn't between people who understand AI and people who don't.

It's between people who own businesses and people who trade time for a paycheck with no ownership.

You know what wealthy people are actually buying right now?

• Landscaping routes. 
• Pressure washing businesses. 
• Construction companies.
• Boring self storage.

Not because they're sexy. 

Because they're profitable, scalable, and impossible to disrupt with code.

The real opportunity isn't in the thing everyone's talking about.

It's in the thing everyone's ignoring while they're busy talking and chasing hype.

Boring stil = wealth in 2026.

What boring wealth-building opprtunities are you eyeing up this year?

--

♻️ Repost if you agree and follow me Marc Kuhn for "boring" wealth building ideas this year.

DM me if you want to learn about my favorite boring, cash-flowing asset: luxury self storage.

My goal as a Dad with 2 daughters:

Teach them "high-agency" life skills.

By the time they're out of the house and off to college, they'll know how to:

• Change a flat tire.
• Back up a truck with a trailer.
• Climb a roof and put shingles down.
• Read and analyze their personal finances.
• Fix what’s broken, and walk a construction site with confidence.

We're raising them to rely on themselves to get through life.

The cool kids on the internet call it "High Agency."

High-agency people don’t sit around waiting for permission, perfect conditions, or someone else to solve the problem. They assume it’s on them to figure it out.

One day, I hope they marry husbands who take care of them. And we'll always be the first to help.

But that’ll be a luxury, not a requirement, for them to solve problems in their lives.

My dad helped me develop this skill from a young age, watching him run a business and working beside him. 

I learned the value of figuring it out, doing the work, and taking responsibility.

That’s the same lesson I want for my girls.

Because if they grow up capable, they’ll never be at the mercy of anyone. And that confidence will carry into everything—family, business, and life.

For the parents out there: 

What’s one skill you want your kids to leave your house with?

--

♻️ Share this with parents in your network
🤝 Reach out if I can be a resource Marc Kuhn

10 financial lessons that took me 16 years to learn.

You can learn them in 2 minutes:

1. Don't diversify when you're broke.

Pick one thing. Master it. I did concrete for 5 years straight. Boring but it built the foundation for everything else.

2. Live like a monk for 5 years.

Live like you're poor for the first 5 years of your career so you can live like the 1% the rest of your life. No fancy car. No upgraded house. Just compound your skills and capital.

3. Reach higher than you think you can.

In construction, a $5K residential job is just as hard as a $500K commercial job. But one pays 100x more. Stop playing small, even before you feel you're ready.

4. Easy to buy = hard to sell.

Mobile homes are easy to buy, hard to sell. Quality assets in good markets are hard to acquire but easy to exit. Think about your exit before you buy your first property.

5. Play Monopoly, not Salary.

Optimize for equity, not income. A business that loses $10K/year for 5 years but is worth $5M at year 10? Play the long-term game of ownership.

6. Make money while you sleep.

If you disappear for 30 days and your business falls apart, you don't own a business. You own a job you bought yourself. Invest in people, process, and systems that run without you.

7. Real estate takes a decade.

You make money when you buy. But the real wealth comes in years 5-10 through appreciation and debt paydown. Play the long game.

8. Riches are in the niches.

Don't just "do real estate." Get specific. I'll spend a decade going deep on luxury storage before diversifying into other assets.

9. You become what you hate.

I used to think mini storage was inferior to luxury storage. Now I use both. Don't be so rigid you can't adapt. Your ego is the biggest enemy in business.

10. Don't buy yourself a job.

The coffee shop owner working 60 hours a week for the same pay as their old job? That's not freedom. Become an owner over the long-term, not just an operator.

These 10 lessons took me 15 years and millions in mistakes to learn.

You just got them in 2 minutes.

What lessons would you add to this list for your 20-year-old self?

---

♻️ Repost to help others build their wealth

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts on building wealth with real estate, boring businesses, and ownership mindset

The secret to making your family's wealth last 100 years (and your marriage last for life): 
 
Consistently talk about money. 
 
• With your spouse. 
• With your children. 
• With your grandchildren

I didn't grow up with money.
It wasn't talked about much in my house.

For many families, it's a "hush-hush" topic. Which is how it becomes a problem that doesn't get fixed.
 
Every year my wife and I sit down to talk about our goals for the year. 
 
- Goals for our businesses 
- Goals for personal finances 
- Goals for parenting our kids 
- Goals for family and ourselves 
 
We both get aligned and decide what our roles will be for each goal. 
 
Without her support and teamwork... 
 
I wouldn't be able to focus on: 
 
- Building 3 companies 
- Managing a growing team
- Showing up for our kids' sports 
 
If you want to be the best version of yourself that you can be in life... 
 
Find a life partner to set goals with! 
 
And talk about money, business, and goal-setting with your family.

Most wealth is destroyed in the 3rd generation...

Because grandparents didn't teach their kids...
Then they fail to teach their kids...
And the lack of education...

Is what ends up destroying the financial success and spending it all, leaving nothing for future generations.
 
How do you handle money, investing, and wealth conversations in your household? 
 
Share your ideas with me ↓

Everyone thinks "Luxury Storage" is for supercars. 

Here's why our tenants pay premium rents:

There's a lot of people on LinkedIn telling you how to build wealth in different ways.

Chasing the newest shiny object. Raising millions from VCs. Thinking wealth has to be flashy or complicated. 

But if you're like me and would rather build quiet, boring, resilient cash flow...

Then visit one of our Mega MAK Storage sites in North Dakota at 9 am on a Monday.

Here's what I see when I show up for work:

(Built MAK's new office next to our luxury storage)

✅ Contractors launching businesses out of their climate-controlled units
✅ Amazon and Shopify store owners treating their bay as HQ and inventory
✅ Business owners storing seasonal gear because industrial leases are unaffordable
✅ Blue-collar operators, plumbers, landscapers, roofers, the guy laying tile all day...

A lot of the people who choose to pay for premium space are entrepreneurs growing their businesses.

Reminds me why I'm building, looking back 15 years from a solo concrete guy to a 50-person construction and development team.

Plenty of demand for more of these flex spaces as entrepreneurs and companies flock to business-friendly, affordable states like North Dakota.

The boring cash flow is nice, too.

What's your favorite "underrated" asset class to invest in right now?

--

P.S. If you want to learn more about luxury storage, DM me to connect and check out one of our locations here: https://lnkd.in/gwSmVgcm

If building a real business was as easy as it looks on social media…everyone would be rich.

Social media is the highlight reel.

But here's the reality of running 3 companies:

• Up early, get the kids ready for school
• Warm up the truck in -20 North Dakota winter
• Squeeze in a workout before heading to the office
• Meet with the MAK team, pushing projects forward
• Traveling to meet investors, bankers, project sites

Sure, we get to go ice fishing with some of our investors and it's all smiles for the camera.

But make no mistake about it...

Most of the time, founders are in problem-solving mode.

→ Developments taking longer than expected.
→ Unexpected problems come up that need solving.
→ Team is growing, vendors delay, projects hit roadblocks.

That’s the real game.

The reality of a successful business isn’t sitting on a beach with a laptop.

It’s grinding through setbacks, adapting to market shifts, and making high-stakes decisions daily.

Success isn’t about avoiding problems.

It’s about getting so good at solving them that nothing phases you.

So next time you see an entrepreneur flashing the highlight reel, remember:

The real ones don’t just post wins. 
They're persevering through challenges.

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve had to push through in business? 

Let’s talk about it in the comments.

--

Follow me Marc Kuhn for practical tips on business, real estate, and investing.

I run a $30M ARR company + $70M RE portfolio and still feel like an imposter (and that's good):

I talk to young entrepreneurs, and here's the dangerous trap I see them fall into.

• They build the courage to start a business
• They make the leap to owner-operator
• They get some success over 2-3 years

Then they get stuck.

The mindset that propelled them to start and build to their first success milestone ends up being the mindset that holds them back from getting to the next level.

If you don't feel like an imposter, you're probably not growing enough.

I like to be at the edge of "Can I really do this?"

If I find myself in a place of comfort, only doing things we've done in the past, only pushing myself to do the same thing we did last year...

Then I'm in the wrong place.

Imposter syndrome is not a problem to fix. It's a sign you are growing to a new level you've never been to before, which forces you to grow (and it feels super uncomfortable).

If you've:

• Mastered your current stage.
• Mastered the skills for $1M revenue. 
• Mastered the small real estate deals.

Then for me, that's a sign to get uncomfortable and figure out what the next level is.

The best sign you're growing is thinking "Sh*t I don't know if I can do this"

What got you to $1M won't get you to $5M.
What got you to $5M won't get you to $20M.
What got you to $20M won't get you to $100M.

Imposter syndrome means you're operating at the edge of your capability. You're in rooms you haven't "earned" yet. You're making decisions without a proven track record.

That's exactly where growth happens.

When I hit each major milestone, I felt totally out of my depth:

→ First $1M job? Had no business being there.
→ First $10M storage development? Terrifying.
→ Raising capital from big investors? Who am I to do this?

But here's the truth: You'll never feel ready for the next level until you're already there.

If you wait until you feel like you belong, you'll stay exactly where you are.

I'd rather feel uncomfortable at $70M than comfortable at $20M.

I'd rather question if I'm capable than know I've stopped pushing.

So if you're feeling like an imposter right now? Good.

That means you're aiming big enough.

Do you see imposter syndrome as a problem or a sign you're growing?

- Marc Kuhn

In construction, you pay $200,000 in labor and materials...and the client pays you $0.

Next month, you pay another $300K. The client pays you $150K.

Third month, you pay $250K. The client pays you $200K.

That's just how construction billing works.

You're always in the hole until final payment. 
You're the bank on every job.

A $5M project means you're financing $500K-$1M at any given time out of your own pocket.

On a $20M project? You're financing $2-4M.

That's not just 4x the revenue. 
That's 4x the financial risk.

Most contractors hit a ceiling and think it's a skills problem. They think they need better estimators, better project managers, better systems.

But it's not a skills problem. It's a cash flow problem.

They physically cannot carry the financing burden of bigger jobs.

Either the bank won't extend them enough credit. Or their operating capital can't handle being $2M in the hole for 90 days.

So they stay stuck doing $5M jobs forever, even though they could execute $20M projects.

This is why I vertically integrated MAK Construction with MAK Capital.

One feeds the other, smoothing out cash flow so we can take on bigger projects without waiting on slow-paying clients.

If you're stuck at a revenue ceiling, ask yourself:

Is this a skills problem or a cash flow problem?

Nine times out of ten, it's cash flow.

Have you ever had to turn down a project because you couldn't finance it?

-

If you want honest advice from someone who's been through the good, bad, and ugly of scaling boring businesses, follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts.

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Why is a 50-person company is easier to run than a 5-person company?

And a 300-person company is easier than a 50-person company.

Sounds backwards.
But it’s true.

When I started MAK Construction, I thought scaling would get harder at each level.

More people = more problems.

Wrong.

I used to be the guy saying, “If you’ve got 5 people, it’s really hard.”

Those first 5 employees felt impossible. You’re still the best at the work, but now you have to take care of yourself and make them better.

And you have to let them make mistakes. But the stakes are so high because one big screw-up can take down the whole ship.

That’s why most entrepreneurs never make it past 10 people.

Then a guy told me, “Wait till you get to 50. It’s so much easier.”

I didn’t believe him.

Holy shit, he was right.

At 50 people, you’ve got good people who think like you. Culture is set. Systems are in place. You’re not the one solving every problem anymore.

Then another guy told me, “Get to 300. It’s even easier.”

Same thing.
He was right.

At 300 people, no one relies on you for the day-to-day. The ships run without you. No key man risk.

You’re building the business, not running the business.

The hardest part is getting from 5 to 50. That’s the valley of death for most entrepreneurs.

You’re not small enough to do it all yourself anymore. But you’re not big enough to have real systems and people who can run without you.

You’re stuck in the middle:

→ Too many people to manage directly
→ Not enough people to have real departments
→ You’re still the bottleneck on everything
→ Can’t afford to hire senior talent yet
→ Junior people need constant oversight

This is where most businesses die.

They either go back to being a 5-person shop where the owner does everything. Or they try to scale too fast and implode.

The ones who make it through build the operational capacity first. Get the systems in place. Train people. Let them make mistakes when the stakes are manageable.

Then you can scale.

We’re at about 50–60 people now depending on the season. Starting to feel that shift where it’s not all on me anymore.

Next phase is getting to where nobody needs me at all.

What’s been the hardest employee threshold for you?
And what changed when you got past it?

--

♻️ Repost for other founders building right now.

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily posts on building wealth with real estate, boring businesses, and ownership mindset

The thing that kills your business fastest = YOU.

How to build as an Owner > Operator:

To grow past a few employees and survive, you must remove "key man risk".

Your biggest risk when you're building a business is not competition or the economy.

It's you.

Because you’re the key man. And key man risk is a death sentence.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately across all our businesses. 

• Construction
• Drilling
• Capital Raising
• Storage Development

If I disappeared tomorrow, which ones would survive?

At 5 employees, the answer is none. You’re the one who knows everything, does everything, fixes everything.

At 50, you start to have people who can run without you. But you’re still critical for big decisions.

At 300, the business runs itself. You’ve built systems and people who can handle almost anything.

The shift happens when you stop being the operator and become the builder.

Most entrepreneurs never make that shift. They stay stuck as the key man forever.

My focus in 2026 is reducing key man risk across every business we run.

Not by adding more overhead.
But by raising the capacity of the people we already have.

Chris in drilling? He’s the key man right now. He’s the best driller. He knows how to run every job.

But we can’t scale that business past $1M revenue if everything runs through Chris.

So we’re building the process:

→ Training programs for every crew
→ Systems so jobs run the same way every time
→ SOPs so knowledge isn’t in one person’s head
→ Authority pushed down so Chris isn’t bottleneck

Same thing in construction.
Same thing in capital raising.

Delegate to the people already there. Raise their capacity. Give them authority to make decisions.

Process reduces key man risk more than people do.

You can hire 10 more people. But if they all need you to make decisions, you’re still the bottleneck.

Or you can build the process so the people you have can operate without you.

That’s the goal. Not to work less. But to build businesses that don’t need me to survive.

Most entrepreneurs confuse being busy with being valuable.

If your business can’t run without you, you don’t own a business. You own a job.

And you’re the highest paid employee who can never quit.

Where’s your biggest key man risk right now?

And what’s one thing you could delegate this week to reduce it?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates

Want business advice from 16 years of building a business?

I wrote it all out and sent it to 6K+ people this morning: https://lnkd.in/gfVw8HpQ

I learned a lesson in my 20s that helped me build a $60M real estate portfolio in by 36:
 
Nobody is going to do it for you. 
 
• Making money 
• Starting businesses 
• Leveling up your skills 
• Figuring out how to grow 
 
But here's the good news: 
 
You can ask for help and speed things up. 
 
In my 20s I was a concrete guy. 
 
Dropped out of college and built a 7-figure business that was drowning me... 
 
• Doing all the jobs 
• Micromanaging my crews 
• No clue how to delegate 
 
Result: I ended up in the hospital from exhaustion with a Doctor asking me: 
 
"𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜'𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪." 
 
This wake-up call led to a new skill stack. 
 
• Self-education 
• Hiring mentors 
• Reading books 
• Going to conferences 
 
Nobody is going to succeed for you. 
Self-education is the only way. 
 
How are you investing in self-education for 2026?

Tell me in the comments.

--

I started a newsletter to teach what I've learned about business, real estate, and financial freedom.

Join 5,200 who read it: marckuhn.substack.com

"If you're not growing, you're dying."

In construction, that's B.S. (here's why):

2025 goal: $30M revenue at 5% margin.

2026 goal: $30M revenue at 7-10% margin.

We're aiming for the same revenue, but at higher margins, and it'll look like a totally different approach.

Most people think growth means adding more volume every year.

• More projects. 
• More employees. 
• More equipment. 
• More revenue.

That’s what we did for 15 years. Chase volume. Keep growing. Keep pushing.

But we learned something this year.

If I stopped growing today and just maintained with the personnel we have, we could make millions more in profit. In construction, this is the growth path.

To grow, you reinvest nearly every dollar or profit back into the business.

This year we’re doing something different.

$30M in revenue again. But we’re not adding a bunch of new stuff.

We’re plateauing intentionally.

We’re growing our operational legs instead of just adding more jobs:

→ Better processes so jobs run smoother
→ Less chaos, fewer mistakes
→ Same teams getting more efficient
→ Higher margins on the work we’re already doing

Then next year?

We grow again.

This is the cycle nobody talks about.

Grow, then plateau.
Grow, then plateau.

If you only grow, you never build the operational capacity to handle it. You’re always scrambling. Always putting out fires. Always thin on margins because you’re throwing bodies at problems.

But if you pause to build the machine, everything gets easier.

Then you grow into the next phase.

It’s a vicious cycle. But it’s how you build something sustainable.

Most entrepreneurs think they have to keep growing or they’re failing.

Sometimes the smartest move is to do the same thing...and do it better.

What's your growth strategy for 2026? 

More of the same but better? Or are you in growth mode?

--

P.S. If you want to see how I build my companies in public, I write a newsletter every week showing you how.

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gfVw8HpQ

What do The British Crown, Catholic Church, and McDonalds all have in common?

They are all in the category of the largest commercial real estate owners in the world.

Most people think of McDonalds as a fast food business. A large one at that ($220B market cap).

But McDonalds is really a real estate empire.

Here's how their genius business model works:

• They own more than 38,000 locations worldwide
• Franchisees pay McDonalds above-market rent
• Predictable cash flow outside of food sales

As of 2025, McDonald's owns $30B-40B in real estate assets.

The founders of McDonald's started a burger stand.

Ray Kroc saw the massive opportunity and transformed McDonald's into a real estate empire.

Today, they're bringing in ~$9B in annual rental income.

Genius.

If you haven't seen the movie about this "The Founder", highly recommend checking it out.

Did you know this about McDonalds?

--

Follow me Marc Kuhn for daily tips on real estate, investing, and business.

Repost this if you enjoyed this one ♻️

If I were in my 20s or 30s and had to start real estate from zero today, here's what I'd focus on:

Cash flow. That's it.

Not appreciation.
Not "hot markets."
Not trying to time anything.

The first deal isn't about winning big—it's about surviving and repeating.

I remember my first deal clearly.

Used almost all my savings. Confidence disappeared overnight. Every possible doubt showed up at once:

"Did I mess this up?"
"Will it actually cash flow?"
"What happens if the market tanks?"

That discomfort is normal.

What matters is how you respond.

Most beginners obsess over the wrong things:

→ Perfect timing
→ Getting the best price
→ Picking the next hot neighborhood

None of that keeps you in the game.

You know what does?

A property that pays its own bills.

Cash flow buys you time. Time lets you learn. Learning compounds.

If the deal only works when everything goes right, it's not a deal—it's a gamble.

Here's what I'd look for:

✅ Cash flows with conservative assumptions
✅ Still works if rents stay flat
✅ Still works if expenses increase
✅ Still works if rates change

Boring? Yeah.

But boring properties don't keep you up at night.

The debt conversation nobody wants to have:

Bad debt = You pay for it
Good debt = Tenants pay it off

That's the only leverage I care about.

If the tenant can't cover the mortgage, the property owns you. I've watched too many people learn this the hard way.

Your first deal teaches you how to invest:

→ Rely on appreciation? You normalize speculation.
→ Underestimate expenses? You normalize surprises.
→ Stretch too far? You normalize anxiety.

Those habits don't disappear as deals get bigger.

They explode.

Real estate isn't a race.

You don't need ten deals.

You need one deal that doesn't break you.

I've built a $60M+ portfolio, one boring property at a time. No shortcuts. No fancy markets.

Just tenants paying down debt over decades. Not flashy. But it leads to skills that build you future freedom.

The pattern that works:

Cash flow → Patience → Experience → Confidence

That's how real wealth gets built in real estate.

If I started over today, I wouldn't try to look smart.

I'd try to stay alive long enough to get wise.

What did your first real estate deal look like?

--

♻️ Repost to help someone skip the expensive lessons

I break down boring deals that build wealth every week → marckuhn.substack.com

Made $260K profit buying a "boring" business.

Kept exactly $0 of it. Here's why:

People see "profitable business" and think you're cashing checks.

That's not how it works (at first) when you acquire a boring, cash-flowing business.

We bought a drilling company with 2 rigs in 2025. Made $260,000 profit year one.

Every single dollar went right back into growth.

Bought 2 more drilling rigs for about $500K.
Now we've got 4 total.

→ Peterbilt truck to haul them
→ Flatbed trailer for transport
→ Support trucks for each crew
→ Still need another truck and trailer

That's just the equipment side.

Then you've got people.

Each rig needs a 2-man crew to operate it.
Can't just buy the rig and expect it to print money.

Someone's gotta run it.
Someone's gotta maintain it.
Someone's gotta manage the jobs.

This is the part nobody talks about when they sell you on "buy a boring business for passive income."

Boring businesses aren't passive when you're growing them.

They eat cash.
Lots of it.

You're profitable on paper.
But you're reinvesting faster than you're pulling out.

That $260K profit?
Gone before we could even think about distributions.

And we still need more equipment to hit our $2.5M revenue goal this year.

Most people who buy businesses think profit = cash in pocket.

Profit = fuel for the next phase.

You're either growing or you're dying.
Can't sit still in a services business.

The payoff comes later.
Year 3, 4, 5 when you've built the machine and can finally start pulling cash out.

But years 1–2?
You're building. Not harvesting.

If you bought a business expecting year-one cash flow, how long did it actually take before you could pull money out?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates

Join 6k+ in my newsletter learning to build wealth with boring businesses:

👉 https://lnkd.in/gfVw8HpQ

I turned family vacations into storage due diligence.

Last summer: Lake Okoboji, Iowa.

Not for the beaches. Because we're building a 100,000 sq ft luxury self-storage facility there.

My wife thinks I'm crazy.

My kids think it's an adventure.

I think it's the only way to actually know if a market works.

Here's what most real estate developers miss: They pick locations for their next project sitting at their desk.

• Cap rates. 
• Demographics. 
• Population growth charts.
• Pro-forma spreadsheets.

All important. But they don't tell you what's really happening from the eyes of someone who lives or spends time in the location:

→ Does this town feel alive or dying?
→ Do locals talk about the town's growth?
→ Are businesses investing here, or just surviving?
→ Would I personally want to spend time here?

If the answer to that last one is no, I don't build there.

Because if the town feels dead to me, it'll feel dead to tenants too.

Real underwriting happens on the ground, not in spreadsheets.

Talk to the guy running the hardware store. 
The woman managing the hotel.
The contractor who's been here 30 years.

They'll tell you more about market trajectory in 10 minutes than a consultant will in 200 pages.

This is how we've built a $70M CRE portfolio at MAK Capital without the "oh sh*t" moments that many developers see too late.

I don't just visit markets.

I vacation in them. Eat in them. Let my kids run around in them.

If I can't see myself coming back, I'm not putting millions into the ground there.

The numbers get you in the door.

The boots-on-the-ground tells you if you should walk through it.

What's your move when evaluating a market - spreadsheet first or boots on the ground?

--

P.S. If you want to learn how we find and develop self-storage in markets most investors overlook, DM me "storage" to hop on a call.

“I don’t know what I just did...but I need $250,000.”

I made my first big investment in 2016.

A new office building for MAK Construction.

I was unsure.
I wanted to stop renting, start owning.
And I needed $250K cash to close on the deal.

It took our profit for the year to close…

And then I had to cross my fingers that it would work out.

We had a government entity that leased out the majority of the space and paid the majority of the mortgage, which felt like enough risk mitigation to me.

But looking back (and in the moment), I was terrified for what might happen.

The moral of the story?

You’re never going to be ready to start.
You just have to get started.

You’re never going to be ready to take risks.
You just have to take risks.

You’re never going to be ready to go bigger.
You just have to go bigger. 

What was the first "big" risk you took in your business?

--

P.S. Join 5,200+ subscribers getting my my real estate deal breakdowns and strategies here: marckuhn.substack.com

You want a 6-figure passive income stream

But you're going about it wrong.

Step 1 to passive income:

Get less passive.

I'll tell you from experience:

Most of my "passive" investors got to this point by being anything but passive.

- They built businesses.
- They saved aggressively.
- They worked incredibly hard.
- They climbed corporate ladders.

The reality is that most successful passive investors put in years (sometimes decades) of active work before they could become truly passive.

I see this firsthand with our luxury storage investors:

- High-earning professionals
- Successful business owners
- Entrepreneurs who've had exits
- People who've built wealth actively

They didn't start with passive investing...

They earned their way there.

So don't start by trying to be passive.

Start by being as active as you can be.

The passive income will follow.

--

P.S. If you're interested in passively investing in our luxury storage developments, DM me "storage" to learn more about upcoming opportunities.

Helping Accredited Investors Create Passive Income & Wealth In Multifamily Real Estate | Founder of Focused Capital | Experienced Real Estate Investor

Hi I’m Chad. 

Husband, Father, Real Estate Investor. 

Prior to real estate, I spent nearly 2 decades in the financial payments industry serving hundreds of Midwest business owners successfully. 

In 2017 I began my real estate journey as a way to find tax advantages. Initially, I never imagined it would turn into Focused Capital but here we are. 

After acquiring several multifamily apartment complexes with my own capital and learning many hard lessons along the way, I formed Focused Capital officially in 2022. 

The vision was clear: make an impact in communities, investors, and employees of this company. 

Now I run Focused Capital, where we help people grow their wealth through passive multifamily investments. 

Mission: Impact 1000 families financially with real estate investing. 

Focused Capital is located in Fishers, IN. We acquire apartment complexes in strong Indiana markets and operate with excellence. I’ve assembled a team of A-talent as we scale and continuing to search for great people to join our mission. 

We’ve raised $24M+ in equity and built a $100M+ portfolio by doing things the right way — buying smart, planning for the unexpected, and putting people first.

But we’re not just here for accredited investors.

We’re here for the people living in our communities too. That means upgrading the properties — and upgrading lives. 

From safer spaces to better amenities to financial literacy programs, we’re on a mission to help residents not just live better, but grow.

What I’m about:

Cash-flowing, downside-protected deals

Clear, honest communication

Creating real impact — for investors and residents

Empowering families to take control of their financial future

Personally: I love traveling with my wife and 2 little kids. Summers are lake watersports and winters are spent mostly in Hawaii hiking, surfing, and quality time. 

I’m not just here to raise capital.

I’m building trust, creating opportunity, and investing in relationships. 

You can find more about me and my company at www.focusedcapital.com

Instagram: @chad_schieler
Instagram: @focusedcapital

Chad Schieler

Distributions sent on our development project - update:

91 units mixed-use | Fishers, IN

Began construction February 2024
Completed construction August 2025
Cash flowing for several months now

First round of distributions went out to the investors 2 days ago,  and plan to distribute quarterly.

Always great to see a project go full circle.  This one is special to me since its just minutes from my home and office.

The focus now is operating it well.

Click the link in my profile if you’d like to talk about future investment opportunities.

Founder @ Focused Capital | Private Equity | Real Estate Investor | Making an Impact with People

No alternative text description for this image

Last year taught me clarity>certainty.

2025 started out quiet then the storm called in.

Several times, I did not know how we would accomplish acquisitions in front of us, but said yes and figured it out along the way.

This is a shift from how I have normally thought.

It’s a shift that I see a lot of experienced investors make as well.

You don’t always have 100% of the facts and data to make the decision - sometimes you have to make a decision based on what you know at that time. Maybe it’s only 85% of the answers. 

2025 was a big year:

Acquired $50M of real estate
Raised $17M in private capital (many investors came from LinkedIn relationships)
Exited 4th asset - realized 47% IRR
Launched private lending business-$7M+ in loans

The biggest win? 

Taking the last two weeks of the year to unplug with my family in Hawaii. 

Sure, 2026 has big goals too. 

But the focus right now is team efficiency, operational excellence, present time with my family, and personal health non-negotiables. 

Thank you to every supporter, partner, investor, and teammate who played a role in making this happen. 

Sometimes you have to bet on yourself and your network that you’ll succeed.

Last year we reviewed and underwrote 177 deals. Submitted 62 offers.

Acquired 2 of them. 

Several deals were close in best and final, but we held firm. 

Remaining selective and patient. 

The theme last year and going forward: capital preservation first, returns second. 

Still a decent spread between buyer and seller. Saw it close in towards the end of the year. 

Saying no to more deals than we say yes to. Sometimes winning is simply not acquiring the wrong deal. 

The wrong deal doesn’t just lose money — it consumes time, focus, and energy that should be spent operating a great one.

2026 is already looking like another year of opportunity.  

This year we have redefined our "buybox" to get even clearer on what we will spend our time reviewing and acquiring so that we can deliver the best investments to our partners.

The goal isn’t to do more deals.
It’s to do the right ones.

How we de-risked a multifamily deal with 75% of leases expiring at once:

When we acquired this property, ~75% of the rent roll was either month-to-month or expiring on 12/31.

On paper, that’s a red flag. In practice, it became an opportunity—if you have a plan.
(Side note - this is why the previous buyer backed out)

Here’s how we approached it:
• Acquired in March and went to work immediately
• Renovated several units to test demand and pricing
• Leased those units at ~$350/month above prior average rents

That gave us real-time market proof—not pro-forma assumptions.

Next, we focused on risk reduction:
• We proactively approached existing residents
• Offered early 3-5 month renewals at their current rental rate
• In exchange, we staggered lease expirations into March, April, and May

Result:
~75% of the property de-risked
Only ~25% of units exposed to a single expiration date

From there:
• Continued early renewal offers with modest increases
• Allowed remaining tenants to exit on 12/31
• Renovated those units and pushed rents meaningfully higher

The outcome wasn’t just higher rents—it was a balanced rent roll, stable cash flow, and reduced operational risk.

~Two years later, we exited the deal at a 3.0x equity multiple and 93% IRR.

The lesson:
Risk in real estate isn’t eliminated—it’s managed.
Lease expirations, tenant profiles, and timing matter just as much as purchase price and IRR.

This is why we spend more time on execution strategy than headline returns.

Passive Investors: Stop comparing deals based solely on IRR.

IRR is a useful metric—but it’s also one of the easiest numbers to manipulate with assumptions.

Change the hold period.
Adjust rent growth.
Tweak vacancy or exit cap.

Suddenly, the IRR looks great on paper.

What actually matters more:
- The operator and their track record
- The risks in the deal
- Location and market fundamentals
- Sustainable cash flow along the way

IRR should inform your decision—not make it for you.

No longer is 90's value add the only asset class we are focused on.  Last year taught us that.

This is why:

It all comes down to pricing in the risk to achieve the desired returns.

With value add - considerable risk to complete renovations, its an older product so higher risk for deferred maint and ongoing large repairs, plus risk to achieve a large rent bump if part of the model.

We learned that we loved acquiring core plus after acquiring 2 deals at an average basis of $143k/unit built in 2021-2023.  

No major renovations needed, not large rent bumps needed, and considerable protection with acquiring at positive leverage and very attractive agency debt.

We are still reviewing value add deals, but with a different lens now.

Cash flow first, Appreciation second.  

Why is cash flow important?
How is it calculated?
Why do many real estate investors base decisions on this?

Launching a few basic fundamentals episodes first, so don't worry we will get into the good stuff soon.

Check out our latest episode on Focused Fridays that just dropped today:

https://lnkd.in/gPTtzmx3

Open video: Focused Fridays | E03: What is Cash Flow and Why Does It Matter? on youtube.com

Focused Fridays | E03: What is Cash Flow and Why Does It Matter?

The most important thing that money cannot buy? Time.

This the reason many choose the passive route.

In today's Focused Fridays episode, Jared and I break down the difference between Active and Passive investing and which route may be right for you.

A lot of real estate investors start the active route but end up going passive due to the time component.

Not to mention, the additional risk components of learning hard lessons along the way by putting in the work yourself actively.  Ask me how I know.

Check out todays episode here:

https://lnkd.in/guiTHN8g

Open video: Focused Fridays | E04: Active vs. Passive Investing: Which One is Right For You? on youtube.com

Focused Fridays | E04: Active vs. Passive Investing: Which One is Right For You?

I started investing in real estate first as a passive investor before doing it on my own.

Why? Lowest barrier to entry and time commitment.

Educating myself along the way through mistakes and lessons has been the key to becoming a better investor.

Many people are so focused on getting all of the answers before making their first investment.  It all starts with understanding the basics.

If one of your goals this year is to passively invest and educate yourself, check out our latest Focused Fridays podcast episode live here:

https://lnkd.in/grZ9dJ7t

Open video: Focused Fridays | E02: How Much Money Do I Need To Get Started in Real Estate Investing? on youtu.be

Focused Fridays | E02: How Much Money Do I Need To Get Started in Real Estate Investing?

With investor education a big focus of mine, this is a series that I am personally excited about.  

Look for personal lessons discussed here, as well as many things I wish I would have learned when I first started investing as a LP years ago.

Props to Jared Shum for creating and leading the podcast!

In a world where it can be frustrating to sift through resources to determine what is AI generated and what is truly authentic and valuable, look no further.

Head of Investor Relations @ Focused Capital | Real Estate Private Equity

No Hype. Just Real Estate.

We’re excited to officially launch Focused Fridays🎙️

Real estate investing can feel opaque — full of jargon, assumptions, and half-answers. We created Focused Fridays to change that.

Each week, we’ll answer one clear, practical question about real estate investing — from the fundamentals to more advanced strategies — and walk through how the asset class actually works in the real world.

No hype. No shortcuts. Just thoughtful conversations about:
 • How real estate creates long-term wealth
 • How to evaluate deals and operators
 • How passive investing really works
 • How investors can make better, more confident decisions

New episodes drop every Friday.

If you’re interested in real estate investing (whether you’re just getting started or already investing passively), we think you’ll find this useful.

🎧 First episodes are live now: https://bit.ly/4snPvrB
📈 Want to see our next investment opportunity before it goes public? Join our investor list at focusedcapital.com

Looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.

#FocusedFridays #RealEstateInvesting Focused Capital Chad Schieler

Many passive investors spend their time underwriting the deal.

The smarter ones underwrite the operator.

When you invest passively, you’re not just investing in a spreadsheet, you’re trusting a team to execute for 5-7+ years. 

Just a few of the important things to review when choosing a sponsor:
- track record
- skin in the game
- transparency

This is exactly what we unpack on the latest Focused Fridays episode—what to look for, what to avoid, and the questions most investors don’t ask early enough.

If you’re investing passively, this one is worth a listen:

https://lnkd.in/g5vKDbi3

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