Episode 25: How Successful Investors Think Different About Profit and Structure with Brandon Rickman

Most people wait until they “know enough” before they start. But that hesitation is exactly what keeps them stuck.In this episode of Strength in Numbers, Marcus Crigler sits down with real estate investor and builder Brandon Rickman to unpack what drives long-term success in real estate.From flipping Brandon’s first house nights and weekends to scaling a high-volume operation and developing a 115,000 sq ft Class A self-storage facility, this conversation breaks down how experienced investors think differently about profit, risk, and growth. Listen and enjoy!You’ll Learn How To:Take action without waiting to “know everything.”Scale a real estate business through systemsUse wholesaling, flipping, and rentals togetherBuild long-term wealth while still generating cash todayLeverage relationships to shortcut costly mistakesWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:(03:38) Brandon’s background from a single-family house to building a 115,000-unit storage facility(04:55) Flipping the first house nights and weekends(05:45) How volume grew from a few deals to 100 houses a year(08:23) Imperfect action beats trying to plan everything up front(09:05) CRMs, marketing channels, and SOPs(09:59) The importance of relationships before scaling fast(11:35) How Brandon prepared financially and mentally for large developments(13:12) Spotting opportunity in land and pivoting to self-storage(14:34) The “cheat code.”(17:41) The 3-1-1 strategy: wholesale three, flip one, hold one(22:46) Adjusting strategy as market conditions change(24:07) Private money vs hard money(27:31) Transitioning from borrower to lender as wealth grows(28:22) Why lending can be one of the strongest positions in real estate(30:30) Why relationships determine your cost of capital more than market conditions(31:41) Why arbitrage is how large funds make money(32:20) Who Flip Genius is built for(34:35) Why coaching and relationships shortcut years of costly mistakes(36:04) Lending across multiple states and how geography impacts private lending(40:27) Why investing in a lending fund reduces risk versus lending on a single deal(41:42) Brandon’s core takeaway: five trusted voices beat one emotional decisionWho This Episode Is For:New investors who are stuck waiting to feel readyInvestors who are looking to balance cash flow with long-term wealthAnyone curious about self-storage, lending, or higher-level strategyBusiness owners who want a better structureWhy You Should Listen:If you’ve been trying to figure out what to do next, this episode shows how experienced investors think about profit, structure, and leverage, so growth doesn’t break the business.Connect with Brandon Rickman:Website: https://www.theflipgenius.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.rickman.431258/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theflipgenius Connect with Marcus Crigler:Website: https://beccfo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7 Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler