What does it take to scale from zero to over $52 million in self-storage assets in just six years?

In this insightful episode, Joe Downs reveals how he raised $15 million and built a portfolio of over 20 self-storage facilities by mastering off-market deals, partnering strategically, and adapting to market conditions. He breaks down his transition from multifamily to self-storage, explains how he built a vertically integrated team from scratch, and shares the exact steps that helped him launch and scale a real estate investment company while still working his W2 job. If you're an investor looking to break into self-storage—or scale fast—Joe’s story is a must-listen.

5 Key Takeaways from Joe Downs’ Episode:

1. From Multifamily to Storage:
   Joe started in multifamily but found more scalability, deal flow, and operational control in self-storage.
2. Off-Market Deal Mastery:
   Nearly all 20+ facilities were sourced off-market, using direct mail, broker relationships, and seller outreach.
3. Built a Vertically Integrated Team:
   Joe hired third-party management initially but quickly transitioned to a fully integrated in-house team across operations, construction, and marketing.
4. Raised $15M with Limited Prior Experience:
   By building trust, showing transparency, and proving capability, Joe successfully raised millions—even before having a massive track record.
5. Balanced Scaling While Employed:
   Joe built the business part-time at first, making strategic hires and systemizing early so he could transition out of his W2 and into full-time investing.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

What does it take to raise over $100 million in just four years—while building a portfolio that spans more than $2 billion across real estate, debt, and business acquisitions?

In this powerhouse episode, Sam Silverman, founder of Silverman Capital, lays it all out. From leaving corporate America to mastering capital raising at scale, Sam shares why he focuses on operator selection over deal structure, how he aligns interests with investors, and the real reason capital raisers get stuck. If you're serious about scaling your capital and doing it right, this conversation is a masterclass in execution, clarity, and strategy.

5 Key Takeaways to learn from this episode:

1. Quality Over Control:
   Sam prioritizes partnering with best-in-class operators, even if it means taking a back seat in management—because investor outcomes matter most.
2. Capital Raising Is a Full-Time Business:
   Treating capital raising like a company, not a side hustle, is what helped Sam scale to $100M+ in four years.
3. Clear Operator Standards:
   His selection criteria include access to proprietary deals, operational excellence, and a track record of investor-first outcomes.
4. Why Most Capital Raisers Fail:
   According to Sam, they’re focused on promoting deals instead of providing value—and they lack the systems to nurture real investor relationships.
5. Fund of Funds Done Right:
   Sam uses the FoF model to offer his LPs better terms, diversification, and deal access—while keeping his firm lean and efficient.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

How does a former restaurateur and retail franchisee pivot into managing nearly $19M in real estate assets?

In this compelling episode, Brian Plumer shares his journey from struggling to sell his first fix-and-flip in 2008 to now owning over 1,000 units across multifamily and self-storage. Hear how a pandemic pivot, relentless learning, and hands-on experience led him to raise capital, partner on syndications, and build Litmus Capital Investments. Brian opens up about his early failures, the mindset shifts that fueled his success, and why self-storage has become his secret weapon for scalable, resilient investing.

5 Key Takeaways from Brian Plumer’s Episode:

1. From Retail to Real Estate:
   Brian’s first failed flip turned into a long-term rental—and his gateway into passive income and multifamily investing.
2. Self-Storage Strategy:
   Pivoting to self-storage gave Brian access to off-market deals with seller financing, lower management headaches, and powerful cash flow.
3. Raising Capital with Credibility:
   He started small—$250K from friends and family—and learned that confidence, transparency, and trust are more important than pitch decks.
4. Fund of Funds Future:
   Inspired by the HERO Alliance, Brian is building toward a fund-of-funds model to scale without taking on asset management roles.
5. Consistency Beats Speed:
   Whether taking baby steps or giant leaps, Brian emphasizes staying the course, finding mentors, and building relationships as the key to long-term success.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

What does it take to raise $3 million in a single day—without paid ads or a giant team?

In this electrifying episode of the Hero Capital Show, Nate Lambert shares how he went from flipping single-family homes to raising over $23 million and acquiring $67M+ in multifamily and land development assets—all while juggling life as a single dad of five. Nate breaks down his full capital-raising system, including how he used 12 virtual assistants, AI tools, and social media to fill a webinar that generated 33 soft commits from 72 attendees.

From building investor trust to running a pitch night that converts, this episode is a masterclass in massive action, authentic storytelling, and scaling smart with systems. If you're an investor or entrepreneur ready to raise big in today's market, don’t miss this playbook.

5 Key Takeaways to learn from this episode:

1. Start With Intention: Nate’s vision boards, affirmations, and public goal setting created urgency, direction, and action—turning a tax crisis into a $25M acquisition push.
2. Power of Personal Branding: His “Active Life, Passive Income” podcast and omnichannel content helped convert followers into investors—without violating 506(b) rules.
3. Leverage Tech + Team: By deploying 12 specialized VAs and AI workflows, Nate scaled investor outreach, content creation, and follow-up with precision.
4. Educational Events Win Trust: He built long-term investor relationships through years of coaching, workshops, and online events—making his pitch night a natural close.
5. Authenticity Sells: Rather than hiding risks, Nate openly discussed the market, his challenges, and how he rebounded—creating credibility and connection that converted.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

What if your capital-raising success wasn’t about who you knew—but how you show up online?

In this episode of the Hero Capital Show, Dr. Adam Gower—real estate crowdfunding pioneer, author of five books, and architect behind $500M+ raised shares the exact philosophy and framework that has helped his client's control over $35B in AUM.

From the origins of real estate syndication to today’s digital-first capital environment, Dr. Gower reveals why authenticity, magnetic messaging, and consistent visibility are now non-negotiable for raising money in a skeptical market. Whether you’re launching your first fund or scaling your investor base, this episode will challenge the way you think about trust, influence, and long-term wealth building.

Top 5 Key Takeaways:

1. You Are the Avatar: Dr. Gower debunks the traditional “investor avatar” model and shows why authenticity—not targeting—is what builds real trust.
2. Raise Capital Like a Shopkeeper: Start local, stay honest, and build meaningful relationships just like your favorite neighborhood store owner.
3. Why Most Messaging Fails: Tired clichés like “passive income and financial freedom” repel more than they attract—especially in today’s skeptical investor climate.
4. Marketing Channels that Convert: Meta ads, cold outreach, newsletters, and speaking on podcasts all work—but only when paired with a strong lead-generating website.
5. Brace for the Black Cygnet: Gower predicts a fragile economic shift ahead, where even small events could trigger widespread disruption—making investor trust more critical than ever.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

What happens when a burned-out single-family flipper pivots—and builds a $75M self-storage empire?

In this episode, discover how Travis Ryan Baucom shares how he transitioned from managing 400+ single-family deals to building and syndicating scalable self-storage facilities across Texas and Oklahoma. You'll hear the full story of how he achieved a 154% return for investors in just 18 months, his strategies for sourcing mom-and-pop facilities, and why he’s laser-focused on cash flow over growth metrics. Travis also pulls back the curtain on raising capital through LinkedIn, cold emails, and even AI-powered phone calls—plus why he’s adapting his acquisition model in today’s tighter, higher-rate environment. If you're serious about finding yield in a tough market, you’ll want to take notes.

Top 5 Key Takeaways:

1. Self-Storage Over Single Family: Travis left single-family real estate for a leaner, less stressful business model with fewer headaches—and far better scalability.
2. Investor Returns First: He prioritizes cash flow and conservative underwriting, even if that means putting down 50% equity to pay preferred returns in today’s market.
3. Raising Capital with Tech & Trust: From cold emails and LinkedIn targeting to AI-driven cold calls, Travis shows how to get in front of accredited investors at scale.
4. Finding Deals That Work: He breaks down how word-of-mouth, broker relationships, and strategic direct mail help uncover viable storage opportunities.
5. Adaptability Is Everything: With yield tightening and leverage shrinking, he’s pivoting to land entitlement, hard money lending, and small residential plays to maintain cash flow.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

From zero to over $7M in self-storage assets—discover how two powerhouse women did it. In this insightful episode of the Hero Capital Show, Christy Brock and Margot Kennedy of WIIRE reveal how they pivoted from multifamily to self-storage and built a thriving commercial real estate portfolio—all while raising over $14M in capital.

They break down their path from early missteps to mastering capital raises, securing seller-financed deals, and building long-term investor trust. Learn how they structured JV partnerships, overcame investor hesitation post-COVID, and now lead a momentum-driven acquisition pipeline of mom-and-pop self-storage properties with strong cash flow and recession resistance. If you're serious about scaling smart and partnering with credible operators, this is the blueprint.

Top 5 Key Takeaways:

1. Why Self-Storage Wins: Christy and Margot favor self-storage over multifamily due to easier operations, better risk management, and faster CapEx execution.
2. Lessons from a $6M Raise Gone Sideways: Christy recounts wiring back nearly $6M due to a failed raise, sharing hard-won insights on investor alignment and structure.
3. Credibility Through Transparency: The duo prioritizes real-time investor updates—even when things go wrong—to foster trust and long-term relationships.
4. Investor Avatar Shift: Their ideal LPs are pre-retirees with capital in IRAs or 401(k)s, seeking cash flow, security, and diversification outside of volatile stocks.
5. Team Sport Scaling: They emphasize partnerships with fund managers and others in the HERO community to raise faster, scale smarter, and close more deals.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai

How did one fund manager raise $7.5M+ from strangers on LinkedIn—without paid ads or a prior network?

In this episode discover how Nishant Sondhi, founder of Sondi Capital Group, built a thriving Fund of Funds business in just 15 months—by mastering LinkedIn. Nishant shares exactly how he leveraged outbound strategy, consistent content creation, and powerful storytelling to attract high-level W2 investors working at Fortune 500 firms. You’ll hear his step-by-step approach to investor outreach, his Fund of Funds fee structure philosophy, and how he structures deals to deliver better-than-direct returns to LPs. This conversation is a masterclass in capital raising for fund managers ready to grow without gatekeepers.

Top 5 Key Takeaways:

1. LinkedIn Mastery: Nishant raised over $7.5M exclusively from LinkedIn using both inbound content and outbound messaging—no ads, no cold calls.
2. Investor Avatar Targeting: His ideal LP? W2 professionals at Fortune 500 companies in tech, finance, and consulting—especially immigrants who share his story.
3. Content Strategy Framework: He posts 5x a week, balancing personal storytelling (top-of-funnel), real estate education (middle), and case studies (bottom).
4. Outbound Sequences That Convert: Nishant walks through his low-pressure, relationship-first messaging strategy that gets results without automation tools.
5. Fund Economics that Win Trust: He ensures LPs always receive better returns through his SPV than going direct, while transparently earning his fee through smart arbitrage.

About Tim Mai

Tim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.

He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.

He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares.

He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.

Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.

Connect with Tim
Website: Capital Raising Party
Facebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation
Instagram: @timmaicom
Twitter: @timmai
LinkedIn: Tim Mai
YouTube: Tim Mai