For those that are new here, I am an avid outdoorsman...

I have grown up Hunting and Fishing and still enjoy it to this day...

Now, I enjoy taking and introducing new folks to it...

Also these future doctors will be future Investor Clients of mine on Real Estate and Private Equity Deals!

While we were in the duck hole, one of the guys asked me... "So Matthew, What do you do for work?"

I said, "I am currently building a Real Estate Business and working towards building my Private Equity Firm."

The guy asked, "How did you get into the Real Estate Business? What's your story?".

So I told him my story...

At 14, my dad told me to download audible and listen to two books... while I sit in the deer stand this weekend.

Those two books:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People - By Andrew Carnegie (He is my favorite to study out of all the Industrial Titians)

2. Rich Dad Poor Dad - (Seems like everyone in RE has read this one)

After that weekend, I immediately started looking for ways to make money...

Mainly trading time for money...

At 15, during the fall and winter, I worked at a taxidermy (this is where they mount game animals - Deer, Turkeys, Ducks, Fish, etc). In the summer time, I was a lifeguard for a neighborhood swimming pool.

At 16 I started working for local Real Estate brokerage as the GSD guy...

I did EVERYTHING...

- Lifeguard (the managing broker owned/managed the neighborhood pool)

- Neighborhood pool maintenance guy

- Furniture mover

- House Stager

- House Painter

- Pressure Washing

- Flip house project manager

- rental property manager

AND lastly I sold stuff on EBAY and Craigslist (this was before FB market place)

I made several thousand dollars per month from just selling OLD appliances from flip houses and rental houses that the broker I worked for managed...

They just wanted them thrown away but instead I would take a picture and sell them on a weekly basis...

At 18, I ran a crew of High School and college aged kids that did all sorts of projects...

At 19, I got my RE license because the broker that I worked for (my first mentor) told me I would do well because I am great with people, a good conversationalist, and understand real estate enough to do it!

I did this for a few months in my hometown with limited success, then moved up to Starkville, MS (where I attended Mississippi State University to get my bachelor's degree in Marketing)

I became a machine when I was in school...

Up at 5a...

morning walk (listen to Grant Cardone's YouTube videos about commercial RE)..

eat breakfast, then first class at 8a...

leaving campus by 11a...

12p home for lunch (another Grant Cardone commercial real estate study session)

then property showings till around 6p...

then to the gym for two hours (I was a powerlifter in college), then home (more RE studying)

then bed by 10p...

I learned that I HATED the "traditional client" work... and enjoyed my "investor clients"!

They had money, typically cash, and they knew what they wanted and why...

No emotions for the properties...

If the numbers worked and I found a deal, I was getting paid!

Many of these investors were parents of younger students that wanted to buy a house for their kids to stay in and rent rooms out to their friends... then when they graduate they can sell or keep as a rental...

At 21, I met the ONE CLIENT that changed the trajectory of my career...

It was late November... 

I skipped class that day and was at the satellite office we had in Starkville... the office line rang and I picked up the phone.

Me - "This is Matthew, with (insert brokerage name)"

Investor - "Hey Matthew, my name is (insert name will call him John). I am a (insert some type of specialty doctor) out of Memphis, TN and want to 1031 exchange a property I am selling into a multi-family property in Starkville.!"

As you can imagine... I was so excited and jacked about this one!

Me - "Nice to meet you John, and I absolutely can help you with that... tell me how much are capital are you looking to deploy from that upcoming transaction?"

Investor - "Roughly $480k, I want more than 5 doors (units) (5 or more units is considered commercial property)... and we need to get this done before Dec 29-30!"

Me - "Yessir, you got it... let me get your email address and I will start sending you what's available asap!"

He gave me is email... and I got to work!

Looking for Anything over 5+ Units... under $1m

I came across an 8 Unit building (apartment complex) that was built in the late 80s...

It was listed for $480k... but I figured, Hey, he's got cash maybe we can offer ALL cash and fast closing and get this deal done...

I sent him the deal VIA email the same day he called in...

Subject Line: ***I THINK THIS IS YOUR DEAL***

Next morning I checked my email... no response!

I went to class... (checking my email all throughout classes)

Walking back to my truck after class, headed to the office... I called him.

No answer... I left a voicemail... and sent him a text.

A few hours later... nothing (no response)

I emailed, texted, and called this guy EVERYDAY for 2 weeks...

Then I started a weekly follow up...

2nd week of december or so... I am getting nervous.

I started doubting my skills of follow up... which up until that point I was VERY persistent.

I was sitting in class (Personal Selling of all classes lol) and my phone rings...

Its HIM...

I threw my laptop in my bag, put my air pods in my ears, and run out of the class and straight outside... so I would interrupt any classes.

Me - "Hello John!?"

Investor - "Hey Matthew, sorry for not getting back with you sooner... and sorry to tell you this but I went ahead and bought that deal you sent me yesterday. I just went straight to the seller and gave him my cash offer like you suggested."

Me - (confused, pissed, and not knowing what to do) "uh oh ok... well sir I'm a little disrespected that you went around my back but I don't care about the money (commission) that much ALL I ask is you explain this deal and how you plan to make it profitable... I just want to learn."

Investor - "Again... Matthew... I apologize for doing that. That said, absolutely I can explain!"

and so he did (which was pure gold):

- Direct to Seller Cash Offer: The first lesson I can tell you is going direct to the seller, and an all-cash offer is one of THE BEST WAYs to get good deals.

- Value Add: I will put $10k into each unit (cosmetic update), which will allow me to increase the rent (revenue).

- Rent per bed: I will start charging per bed instead of per unit (since it's in a college town).

- Extras: I will install better WIFI, and a full trash service for another revenue source.

- NEW NOI: These improvements will increase the NOI (Net Operating Income) by $96k for the year.

- NEW VALUATION: Which increases the total value of the property by over $1m.

- CASH OUT REFI: "Once I have at least 7 of the 8 units occupied for 90 days... I will go to the bank and refinance the property, pulling 60% LTV out (which was right at $1m). So I'll essentially have a property that paid me my $460k (all in) back + $540k of tax free income (tax free cause its in the form of debt) and I have a cash flowing asset that I have Non of my own money in." (meaning its "bank money in play")

As you can imagine, I was in owe... and my mindset was forever shifted...

From this point forward, I became OBSESSED with everything Commercial RE...

Specifically, Multi-Family (apartment complexes)...

This is when everyday during my lunch break AND after then gyn eating dinner I would watch Grant Cardone YouTube videos about how to underwrite apartments, how to structure the debt, how to find these deals, WHY big deals are better than small ones... etc.

At 22, I graduated MSU in August of 2021... ALL I did was minimal agent work and just searched up and down for an Apartment deal.

October of 2022 - I found a 170-unit deal in a very good part of Central Mississippi that was a pocket (off-market) listing for $35m...

I CALLED everyone I knew... to find someone to partner on this deal with me.

For 3.5 weeks I spent 12-16 hours on the phone trying to find partners and nothing...

At this point I was getting fatigued... and did what I always fall back to.

I took it to God... "Lord, help me find someone that I can partner with (or) at least guide me on if this is a good deal or not!"

The next Sunday Morning... I was at church like I always am if I am in town. After service, this older man came up and introduced himself, and so did I...

(He asked me if I played football. I get this a lot, being 5'9" and 220lbs, I am built like a running back)

Of course I said, "No sir, I just lift weights and training BJJ!"

***note: I never thought my physical stature would be such an asset in business and overall respect from others... but it does! So take this as your sign to get HELATHY and get in shape! (When I walk in a room people already know I am consistent, I am disciplined, and a good work ethic... just from my physical stature.)***

We spoke for a few mins and I found out that he was the owner of one of if not the largest commercial real estate companies in Mississippi!

I was very direct, and said, "Sir, may I have lunch with you this week, I need to get some advice!" 

He gave me his office line and said to call this number, and ask for His Executive Assistant, to schedule a lunch!

We had lunch...

I told me his story (insane, by the way)! (and an answer to my prayer)

and I told him mine up to that point and where I wanted to go...

He spoke so much encouragement into me, so much so that still, to this day, he became a mentor that day; hearing from another man who has been there and done some of what I want to accomplish was priceless!

One week later...

At 23 - Nov 1, 2022 - I walk into a meeting with the CFO of one of the largest commercial RE developers in Central Mississippi. (By the Way --> Their Parent Company has over $700m AUM)

I was having this meeting to pitch them on if they would partner on the deal with me...

The CFO was Highly impressed with me...

***(I will not get into the details since I did signed several NDAs... but we never were able to close on this deal... many lessons learned though)***

After this "failed" |"Strike out" (attempted to hit a home run) I took it as a learning experience!

My father helped me stay positive, "Hey, how many 23 year old's do you know trying to put together a $35m deals? I know of only ONE... Keep learning, keep growing; your time will come!"

Like anyone that has a failure... I was bummed for a while...

Then I went back to the grind and studied other guys who had acquired massive multifamily portfolios...

And I learned about ONE crucial part I was missing...

EVERY... SINGLE... ONE... of these guys with 3k, 5k, and 10k+ doors started a business (or) had other businesses that made them $1m+ per year BEFORE acquiring commercial real estate.

Specifically, two of these guys owned "Wholesaling Companies"!

Now at this time... "wholesaling" to me was for newbies...

It was just another "high-paying job"

Until I realized these guys actually built it into a business... hired out a team of JUST 5-10 members running their "wholesaling companies"... making them 6+ figures per month (talking 70%+ margins)

Realizing these guys owned these cash-flowing machines of "wholesaling companies," I like to call my company "We are a Real Estate Marketing and Acquisitions Agencies" because I am building mine as a service-based company (meaning more consistent monthly recurring revenue, actual deals we end up doing is just icing on the cake).

They just took the profit from the cash flow machine(s) and started buying commercial real estate and even getting into the Private Equity Game of buying and scaling other companies/businesses...

At 24, May of 2023 my father was on his death bed...

We thought he had brain cancer...

By the Grace of God... he didn't die, and they did an emergency brain surgery that saved his life. (This is when they found out it was a rare brain infection that was treatable.)

He is alive and well today... But it has been a long road to recovery.

During this time, I did what my father was telling me to do for months before his mental decline before his surgery...

So I did... I did what I have done every time I start something new... 

"Commit First... Figure out the rest later!" (meaning don't get stuck on the DETAILS) 

I called up a buddy from my church who had done really well with "wholesaling" up to that point, to get some advice on the FASTEST way to start.

He gave me 3 steps to get started ASAP:

1. Use Propwire to pull a list of data (target properties)

3. Cold call those numbers... (lock up contracts for purchase at a discount) (I used a Google number when I started) 

I did just that, for a little over 3 weeks and made around 7000 calls and I don’t know how many text blasts (so many they shut me down). I contracted two deals that didn't make it to the closing table, got cussed out many times, and finally needed to find another way.

One day I came across an post on Instagram with a guy talking about how he doesn't cold call (he was offering a PPC google ad course) and he has a system with 150+ automations and how "easy" it was for him... 

I bought his PPC course... but I wanted to get his systems, I knew that If I wanted to build a true business I'll need systems that I can pass off/Plug in team members to "Buy Back My Time." (that's a great book by the way by Dan Martell) 

I reached out to him and He sent me over to this guy named Ryan Fletcher (copywriting and direct responds marketing genius).

I got in contact with this Fletcher guy and joined his group...

That was the day I meet my first legit business coach.

 

I have spent well over $100k on courses and masterminds up to this point. PARTNER is the BEST mastermind/community you'll ever find if you are COMMITED to building that cashflow machine of a real estate business... whether your an Agent, a Flipper, building a Rental portfolio, or like me and just want to build a marketing and acquisitions service business with a small team that spits of consist monthly cash flow... so you can start acquiring long term assets like commercial real estate and even buy other businesses.)

It 100% has been the catalyst for my success up to this point...

Now @ 26, With the systems and processes they teach... in 2025 (I have a clear vision of were I am going and how I will get their)! 

More on my big vision later...

By the way if you have a similar journey, I'd love to hear it! 

How did you get started?

Where are you on your journey?

Look forward to hearing back! 

PS - As I share my journey people always asked "How you got started or what's the best way to get started?" I just tell them, this class was the first catalyst!