Timing Matters With All Things In Finance

Today’s guest became a financial planner at the worst time possible, in the midst of 2008 during the financial crisis, but it was watching the CPA he worked for at the time tell client after client that they lost half of their retirement that was the pivotal moment for him. 

Mark Willis is a Certified Financial Planner, a #1 Best Selling Author and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. 

Over the years, Mark has helped hundreds of his clients take back control of their financial future and build their businesses with sophisticated, tax-efficient financial solutions. 

Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement.

As the co-host of Not Your Average Financial Podcast, Mark shares strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke and creating an income in retirement you will outlive. 

With Scott on vacation, join the two Marks as they delve deep into the self-banking system and explore:

• The four most dangerous words in your financial vocabulary—do it for me
• The lies about your 401k
• The difference between rate of return and the rate of income and which is more important
• What it means to go upstream financially
• Why is self banking better than traditional bank

I think a lot of people are quoted misinformation. You could search this or read it in any magazine, that the market goes up 10 percent a year. So how is it possible that real investors are getting something closer to three to 4 percent?

Mark Willis

Listen in now as Mark Willis has us asking ourselves, “what do I want my money to do for me” and shows us how to invest the safe and predictable way, by Banking On Yourself!

TIP OF THE WEEK 

Mark Podolsky: Learn how you could get total control of your money, learn how to bank of yourself —get that rate of return, rate of income, get the flexibility, get out of debt, versify your tax strategy. Start investing real estate with this model. Just talk to Mark to learn more at LakeGrowth.com.

Mark Willis: Take a look at what you’ve earned last year and at what your net worth changed over the last 12-months; increase the volume of savings by 1% a year.

Also, go to GrowMoreWealth.com—now BankOnYourself.com, for a 15-min. strategy session.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic with millions of people losing their jobs, and that’s in the U.S. alone, how is the land business faring?

Joining Mark for this week’s Round Table discussion are:

• Erik Peterson
• Mimi Schmidt
• Mike Zaino
• Tate Litchfield
• Scott Todd

As Mark goes around the table and asks the team how their businesses are holding up during this pandemic crisis, there were a few things that kept coming up…

• We are really blessed
• Grateful
• Business as usual

And while our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs, it truly makes us appreciate that we are in a business that has felt virtually no repercussion from the current crisis. And the stories are starting to come in from other community Land Geekers.

Tate just received a note from a UK investor who lost their job and now their sole income is the passive income coming in from land notes. Thankfully, it will be enough to get them through this hard time. 

“This is the perfect umbrella for that rainy day that inevitably comes. That is why you pay the price to start a business that provides you passive income, for times like this.  Whether it’s some type of pandemic, natural disaster, or company downturn. There are so many things in life, it really makes you appreciate just how we’re all skating on thin ice and we’re so vulnerable to so many things out of our control.”

Mark Podolsky

Then, the team talks about how they are staying sane during this time and then shares their…

Staying Sane Quarantine Binging Tips Of The Week

Tate – Tiger King (Tate needs to know, did Carol do it?)

Erik – Jack Ryan season 2

Mimi – The English Game

Mike – The Way Back 

Scott – Love Is Blind

Mark – Ozark

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mimi: For notary during the crisis, check out this bulletin at NationalNotary.org. Call the bank where you usually get your notarization done and see if they accommodate window separated signing.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Our guest, who is known as The Pitch Whisperer, came armed today with examples, case studies, and methods on Better Selling Through Storytelling… which so happens, is the name of his best-selling book! 

John Livesay is a sales keynote speaker and shares the lessons learned from his award-winning sales career at Conde Nast. In his keynote “Better Selling Through Storytelling,” he shows companies’ sales teams how to become irresistible so they are magnetic to their ideal clients. 

His TEDx talk, Be The Lifeguard of your Own Life, has over one million views. And as mentioned above, John has a best-selling book titled, Better Selling Through Storytelling: The Essential Roadmap to Becoming a Revenue Rockstar. 

He is also the host of The Successful Pitch podcast, has been interviewed by Larry King, and appeared on TV as an expert on “How To Ask For What You Want And Get A Yes.”

John coaches people how to improve their sales through storytelling by following a sequence of steps which he shares with us today and gives us the recipe for the secret sauce, which stirs up a little friendly rivalry between Mark & Scott. 

John also talks about the three unspoken questions that everybody has when they hear you pitch:

—Do I trust you?

—Do I like you?

—Will this work for me?

And, shows us how to get our customers to check yes on all three boxes. 

Instead of pushing, you’re pulling people in because stories are magnetic and then you become magnetic and you can let go of this persona of being a pushy salesperson.

John Livesay

Also on today’s show, John gives an example of a compelling story that has the four elements needed to improve your chances of getting a sale, which include: 

• The exposition 
• The problem 
• The solution 
• The resolution

He even takes it a step farther and gives a pitch for the land niche! 

What about that secret sauce?

Listen in to find out as we take a deep dive into the four elements of compelling storytelling and how to go from invisible to irresistible!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mark: Learn more about John Livesay and Better Selling through Storytelling at JohnLivesay.com. You can learn a ton more there and you’ll see how he practices what he preaches.

Scott: Check out Inyo.me to automate tasks that you don’t like doing. You can teach your VAs how to automate reminders, get files that they might need, etc. 

John: Text the word PITCH to 66866 and get a free sneak-peak of, Better Selling through Storytelling. It gives you a secret of how to go from invisible to irresistible and become better storytellers instantly.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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With all of the uncertainty in the market today, how do we know when to adjust our pricing in an area (buy & sell) and what steps do we take?

Joining Mark for this week’s Round Table discussion are:

• Erik Peterson
• Scott Bossman
• Mimi Schmidt
• Tate Litchfield
• Scott Todd

Today’s topic—flexible maneuvers in the current marketplace, was brought to the discussion table by Erik Peterson. 

Listen in as he and the team dive deep into the subject and share the steps they are taking in their own businesses during these uncertain times. 

A few of the teams recommendations include:

• Check comps more frequently 
• Get more aggressive with offers
• Subscribe to all wholesale lists on Facebook

Erik advises that you should be watching the markets in good times and bad to make sure you can swing with the ups and downs.

Then, is it business as usual?

The team gives us an update on how the current events are affecting their businesses.

• Mark has had no note defaults, no issues, no emails. No sense of fear or panic.
• Erik has one on the verge of default but it started before the crisis
• Scott B. has two on the verge of default but they also started before the crisis
• Mimi had one default at beginning of month but not situation specific
• Tate got his 1st email, crisis related, the morning of this recording. His upstanding customers since 2016 asked for reduced payments for 60 days due to lost job
• Scott Todd’s new customers asked to skip their first month payment due to the fact that they are in the hotel industry and are not working

Did Tate and Scott give their customers some leniency? You’ll have to listen in to find out!

The Bonus Material—battling the COVID fatigue. How is the team handling a full house during these weeks of isolation? 

There seems to be some old man jokes floating around the Podolsky household but Mark has found the perfect solution to keep yourself from stress eating… you’ll have to listen in to this week’s Round Table to hear what it is! 

CLICK HERE to view the quarantine video mentioned in today’s episode. 

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mimi: When you see people offer wholesale lists, ask for a copy. It’s a great way to get very quick information on what the counties are doing.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Paul Moore joins us on The Art of Passive Income to share valuable insight on real estate investments make the most sense.

Paul, who graduated from Ohio State with an Engineering degree and an MBA, left the Ford Motor Company after five years to start a staffing company with a partner in which they had scaled and then sold to a publicly traded firm five years later.

After a brief retirement, in 2000, Paul entered the real estate sector to protect and grow his own wealth.

He has flipped over 50 homes, 25 high-end waterfront lots, appeared on HGTV’s House Hunters, rehabbed and managed dozens of rental properties, built a number of new homes, developed a subdivision, and started two successful online real estate marketing firms.

Paul is also the author of The Perfect Investment – Create Enduring Wealth from the Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing. And, he also co-hosts a wealth-building podcast called, How to Lose Money.

Paul is currently the managing director of two commercial real estate funds at Wellings Capital.

Paul Moore is a big deal! 

Listen in as Paul talks about why he came out of retirement to start investing in real estate then dives into the lessons he has learned in those 20 years as an investor. 

If you keep playing double or nothing with all of your capital, you’re going to land on nothing at some point and you’ll have to start over.

Paul does a deep dive into commercial real estate and unlike residential where the market dictates the housing values, commercial is based on a value formula which Paul shares with us today along with specific things you can do to force appreciation.

We also discuss: 

• Why Paul titled his podcast, How To Lose Money
• The best asset class for new investors
• Finding access to commercial opportunities

Paul also addresses the stigma behind mobile home parks and why it’s important to have a recipe to follow and to get to a place where we’re willing to deal with, survive and thrive with the monotony of boredom.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mark: Learn more about Paul Moore—his investment philosophies, his funds. Go to WellingsCapital.com.

Scott: Check out SubscriptionZero.com  to set up an email address where you can get all your subscriptions in one weekly digest.

Paul: Check out the book, Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller. If you want to learn more, go to their website and learn how to tell your story, it will help you a lot.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Get ready for another Grill The Geek episode on this week’s Round Table discussion! Listen in as the team puts the spotlight on an old school ‘OG’ geek who bought the Investor’s Toolkit back in late 2015 and has been chiseling away at his business ever since.

Joining Mark for this student Q&A are:

• Erik Peterson
• Mimi Schmidt
• Scott Bossman
• Tate Litchfield
• Scott Todd

…and our special geeky guest, Drew Kurianowicz!

Drew talks about his beginnings and how he went from running his land business as more of a hobby during the first 2 years to getting serious the third, and ultimately growing his business to a staggering 25k a month in passive… a net worth of 15 million, all while working a full-time job!

Drew eventually did quit his job last November when he and his wife welcomed their first son into the world. He is now a stay at home Dad and he couldn’t imagine it any other way.

The team then digs in to extract all of the secrets to Drew’s success. Find out the details, including:

• How he turned it around in the third year
• Recommendations for people who only have the Investor’s Toolkit
• The mental aspect of the game
• The number of counties he went through before he found one that spoke to him
• How much financing he took to scale his business
• Fixed expenses
• His favorite deal which was a pivotal moment in his business
• His favorite marketing platform
• Advice for someone who wants to build a successful land business with limited time

…and of course, the ever pressing question, Mac or PC?

Mark also wanted to give Mike Zaino the opportunity to ask Drew a question as well, but he was sitting on the beaches of Punta Cana at the time closing deals, so Mark channeled his inner Mike. Despite the protests from the team, Mark as Mike asks Drew what he would do differently if he could start over again. 

Drew also talks about how he found motivation in a sticky note with Scott Todd’s name on it. And, he also found it in the quote “If you’re willing to do for the next 3-5 years what most people won’t do, you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life what other people can’t do.”

You’ve got to make a sacrifice for 3-5 years, to change things for the rest of your life. There’s no easy way around that.

Drew’s story is an inspirational one. He grew his business to 25k a month using only the Investor’s Toolkit by staying dedicated, consistent and methodically chipping away at it.  You’re not going to want to miss his story!

“There were little nuggets that came out of both Bootcamp’s that have made me hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Then, have land sales suffered due to the global pandemic, the Coronavirus? 

Listen in to the bonus material to see if the team has noticed a decline in sales… all in this week’s episode of The Land Geek Round Table!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Drew: Two tips with a different perspective on sales—If you’re not selling enough property, look at your inventory. The more inventory you have, the better the chances you have at selling. 

Sales will increase because you have more options to offer a potential lead, so keep your inventory up. Also, “The second sale”—take advantage of previous buyers.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Our doppelganger guest today is all about helping people get out of solo-economic dependency—if you’re not working, you’re not making money. Even though her target clientele may not be the same, she sings from the same songbook. 

Join us as we welcome Sylvie McCracken to the show. Sylvie helps hard-working health professionals harness their drive and take back the wheel to get more out of their practice and their life. Her amazing website is about the analogy of your life being an automobile.

Today, Sylvie throws the car into reverse and takes us on a journey back to the beginning and how it all started with a nutrition blog.

That blog ultimately turned into teaching health care professionals how to leave a life chained to their practices—helping people on a one-on-one basis, while better serving in their field of expertise to reach the masses.

Listen in to find out the details behind:

• The lawyer approach to time management
• Her no-sugar coated client approach
• Time prioritization 
• Categorizing where your time goes 
• What makes a good coach and why you need to lean on them

Sylvie also walks us through a case study where she slowly phased one nutritionist out of the one-on-one client interaction to become a stay at home mom making 30K a month reaching more people through a combination of writing of e-book and a group coaching program.

Join us now on this little podcast road trip that will have you setting your GPS destination to passive income!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mark: Learn more about how you can become free, whether you’re in healthcare or not, Sylvie Mccracken can help you get there at SylvieMcCracken.com.

Scott: Check out Krisp.ai—software that blocks out noises when you’re on a web-meeting or on call.

Sylvie: My tip of the week is simply journal out your vision for your life so you don’t get off track. Also, one book recommendation would be, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. 

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Erik Peterson hijacks this week’s Round Table and he brought along a special guest who happens to be a former Flight School student and current coaching client.

Joining Erik for this special Grill The Geek episode are:

• Scott Bossman
• Mike Zaino
• Mimi Schmidt

And last, but not least, we welcome Sid Christensen to the show! 

I ended up breaking my leg on a snow bike and I work construction so it’s very important to be able to walk around. But also, I was laying in the snow thinking about what I could do as I’m waiting for the life flight helicopter to come pick me up. I thought well, now I can look into that land thing…

That was just the beginning of his Sid’s journey into land investing and he’s here to fill in the rest. 

Sid, who still works a full-time job, tells the team how he finds the time to work on the business with a family and a job. He also talks about his experience in Flight School and how coaching has helped him grow his business.

At first I was worried if it was going to work for me. But eventually I started seeing those little wins, those little successes, and that’s what keeps me motivated to keep moving forward. 

Then the team gets serious and rolls up their sleeves for a special, Grill The Geek session!

Listen in as the team fires one question after another at Sid who fires the answers right back at them, like a pro! Find out:

• His why and how it motivates him
• Where he is now in comparison to a year ago
• How much his positive nature plays into his success
• How he stayed consistent
• His biggest achievement—roadblocks he overcame 
• The hardest and best parts of the business
• Favorite deal and numbers
• His experience in the VIP room at Bootcamp
• His average acquisition cost
• Number of terms/cash deals

Sid also gives advice for someone who is just getting started or thinking about getting started, then shares his goals for 2020. 

Sid’s dad instilled into him, that you can do anything if you just put your mind to it and if something doesn’t work, figure it out. That trait, mixed with his positive nature, will take him as far as he wants to go in this business.

*Special thanks to Erik Peterson for being an awesome host and we certainly hope it won’t be his last time…

TIP OF THE WEEK

Sid: Read the book, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Also, check out the app, Things. 

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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Our guest today is Frank Rolfe, founder of MobileHomeUniversity.com. Frank has been an investor in the mobile home park business for 23 years and is ranked the 5th largest mobile home park owner in the country. 

You may remember Frank from The Best Passive Income Model Podcast where he appeared twice on and once on an old Coffee Talk episode, but this is his first appearance on The Art of Passive Income podcast.

Mobile homes are one of the most affordable housing options available. But because of their bad reputation, nobody wants them in their backyard so federal regulations were put into place… which is one of the reasons why they appeal to Frank.

Listen in as Frank talks about the early days and how billboards led him to purchase his first park, Glenhaven, on an impulse buy over the phone.  That park was losing 2k a month, but Frank saw an opportunity.

The guys take a deep look at:

• Government regulations and supply & demand
• The key to the industry
• Mismanagement and seller financing
• The deal makers and the deal breakers

Then, Frank breaks down a typical acquisition and talks about the fact that the mobile home industry is the only real estate sector that doesn’t get subsidies.

Frank also addresses the controversy behind the Oliver North rant which had called him out and so much more on this episode of The Art of Passive Income!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mark:  Learn more about Frank Rolfe and how you can create wealth in Mobile Home Park Investing at MobileHomeUniversity.com.

Scott: If you can find it, check out the book, The Man Who Bought the Waldorf; the Life of Conrad N. Hilton by Thomas Ewing Dabney.

Frank: Check out the book by Sam Zell called, Am I Being Too Subtle? 

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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In this week’s Round Table discussion, Team Land Geek talks about building websites for your land business and whether they contribute to the success of your business or if they’re just a distraction.

Joining Mark are:

• Scott Bossman
• Erik Peterson
• Tate Litchfield
• Scott Todd

But first, Tate announces that in no way should Scott Todd be associated with Panera Bread ever again and Mark announces the launch of the 2020 apology tour.

Then find out the exciting details behind the newest program, The Land Geek Boardroom—designed to pick up where coaching ends, which leads to the topic of today’s discussion…

Do you need a website for your land investing business? 

Listen in as the guys share their thoughts on websites. They go over the advantages and the disadvantages and all weigh in on how much emphasis you should put into building one to make yourself look more professional. 

To sum it up—Websites do have some advantages, they give you the opportunity to post content about yourself, making you look more legitimate. You can also send leads to your website to see your inventory. 

But… there’s always a but, there are professional investors that run their businesses without having a website. And rarely, does someone stumble across your site and buy land from you. So they are not a necessary component of your business success.

They are however a lot of fun to build, for some people, but when you’re first starting out your focus should be on what WILL move the needle in your business…

• Mailing
• Marketing
• List building

Websites should be worked on only after everything else is done. 

Do you really want to spend the money trying to crack Google and Facebook ads to send cold traffic to a website when you can, for free, use a trusted platform and build your buyers list that way, which costs nothing?

Mark

Finally, Scott Todd tries his best to bait Mark into sharing his thoughts on having both a buying and selling website. Mark has a very strong opinion on this, but does he take the bait?

Listen in to find out!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Erik: Check out Productivity.so for tips and tricks to be more efficient on the computer. 

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

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