Simplify Your Financial Plan with with Mark Willis | EP138

Mark is a Certified Financial Planner, a three-time #1 Best Selling Author and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. Over the years, he has helped hundreds of his clients take back control of their financial future and build their businesses with proven, tax-efficient financial solutions. He specializes in building custom-tailored financial strategies that are unknown to typical stock jockeys, attorneys, or other financial gurus. As host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for working with real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you will not outlive.   In this episode we talked about: Mark’s Background Getting Started as a Financial Planner Approaching Clients Be your Own Bank  First Few Questions to ask Real Estate Investors Debt Aspect Mark’s Advice to Beginners in Real Estat Useful links: https://kickstartwithmark.com/ The book “The Bank On Yourself Revolution: Fire Your Banker, Bypass Wall Street, and Take Control of Your Own Financial Future” by Pamela Yellen Transcription: Jesse (0s): Welcome to the Working Capital Real Estate Podcast. My name's Jessica Galley, and on this show we discuss all things real estate with investors and experts in a variety of industries that impact real estate. Whether you're looking at your first investment or raising your first fund, join me and let's build that portfolio one square foot at a time. Ladies and gentlemen, you're listening to Working Capital, the Real Estate Podcast. My name's Jesse for Galley, and my guest today is Mark Willis. Mark is a certified financial planner, a three-time best number, one best-selling author, and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois, and co-host of the not your average financial podcast.   Mark, how you doing today?   Mark (42s): Doing great, Jesse. Thanks for having me on.   Jesse (44s): Well, a pleasure to have you on. I know that we, we chatted a little bit before, I thought listeners, you know, whether they are investing in real estate, are interested in entrepreneurship and business, that they would get some value about having you on as a guest. And you can talk a little bit about your, your story and, and kind of what you bring to the table in terms of the financial world. But before we do that for listeners, you know, that don't know who Mark Willis is, why don't you give us a quick background of your background for listeners and we can, we can kick it off from there.   Mark (1m 18s): Sure, yeah. Well, I've, I've had the great privilege of working with clients all over the country, us, Canada, and around the world. I've been able to serve many business owners, real many real estate investors, even some N F L Super Bowl champions. But Jesse, most people I work with are just interested in having a bit more certainty, you know, assurance and maybe, I guess, you know, the belief that they're gonna actually achieve what they're trying to do. I feel like a lot of people are frustrated with their real estate portfolio, their financial lives, because what they attempt to do is just not working or it's not working efficiently.   So a lot of people who come to me say, mark, I feel like I'm just floating down the gutter of life and I, I can't se