From Multifamily to Castles in Spain: A Capital Raiser's Story — Mike Stohler

He sold 1,500 multifamily doors at 46 — over pancakes and a napkin number at IHOP — and then had to figure out what came next. What Mike Stohler found was an entirely different world: boutique castle hotels in Catalonia, Spain, priced at a fraction of what you'd expect, and a capital-raising strategy that no one in the room had ever seen before.Mike Stohler is Managing Partner at Gateway Private Equity Group and host of The Richer Geek podcast. A former commercial airline pilot and Navy veteran, Mike has owned or operated more than 1,500 units across multifamily, hotels, and residential — and now focuses exclusively on boutique hospitality investments in Spain. In this conversation, he unpacks the pivot from multifamily operator to international hotel investor, the LP mindset shift that changes everything when your asset class becomes exotic, and the deal structure philosophy that keeps capital raises moving: keep it simple, make it explainable, and let your investors tell you exactly what they want.🎯 What We Cover:The IHOP napkin moment: how Mike's 1,500-door multifamily portfolio sold over pancakes and coffeeEntering a new asset class the right way — finding an experienced operator partner and giving them a piece of the back end so they're accountableWhy raising capital for hotels felt different from multifamily the moment LPs started saying "I want to tell my friends I own a hotel"How Mike coined the term "lifestyle investment" — and how it changed his entire marketing approach for the Spain acquisitionsThe LP mindset difference between standard multifamily investors and exotic-asset investors who don't want you to ever sellWaterfall and distribution structure philosophy: why Mike runs an 80-20 split on boutique deals and keeps prefs out of smaller structuresWhen complexity is appropriate in deal structure — and why confusion at any point destroys conversionMike's 20-year-old why, still hanging over his desk: "Build a life I don't need a vacation from"🤝 Connect with Mike Stohler: 🌐 https://www.gatewayPE.com 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikestohler 🎙️ The Richer Geek Podcast: https://www.richergeek.com📩 Connect with Joshua Wilson: Have a question about investor relations, capital markets, or building your IR strategy? Reach out directly. 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ 🌐 https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services.Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/To Contact Us, Please Visit:https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/