Episode 20: Real Estate, Resilience, and Learning What Enough Means with Nick Aalerud When the goal is no longer to do more deals, buy more units, or chase the next big number, what does success actually mean? Zach and Mike dig into what it really looks like to step back, reset, and ask that bigger question with their guest, Nick Aalerud. Nick has spent years in real estate, from single-family flips to multifamily and boutique hotels, then coaching, and now so much more. But after building businesses, scaling teams, surviving bad deals, navigating public personal challenges, and facing serious health scares, Nick is taking a very different approach. Instead of chasing 100+ deals a year, he’s choosing fewer than 10 intentional ones that excite him and fit the life he actually wants to live. Our conversation covers the highs, lows, and hard resets of Nick’s journey. He shares how a late-night infomercial pulled him out of banking and into real estate, his first real win, and how he slowly built systems, checklists, and a more careful way of doing business. This episode goes deeper than real estate deals. Nick opens up about the impact of divorce, business strain, staff issues, betrayal inside his company, and the moment he realized he could no longer just outwork every problem. That shift pushed him into a season of reflection, healing, and redefining what fulfillment really means. You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why Nick is choosing fewer, more intentional clients How his first real estate investments went wrong Why breaking even became a huge win How real estate helped him leave the corporate world Why he shifted from flips to rentals, multifamily, and boutique hotels How divorce impacted Nick’s businesses What happens when your identity is tied to work Quotes “Money follows excitement.” “I didn’t know what enough was, so I kept going.” “I wasn’t getting any happier. I wasn’t feeling really fulfilled at all.” “I’m still here. So, if I’m still here, I’m still safe.” About Nick Aalerud A former banker turned real estate investor, Nick Aalerud has 20 years of experience in both UP and DOWN markets – across all strategies and asset classes. Having run an 8-figure, multi-state wholesale, fix-and-flip, and rental operation in which the team did 100+ deals a year across seven states, Nick built a team and opened other company verticals in real estate brokerage (40+ agents), property management, short-sale negotiations, and an investment servicing division. Nick helped begin and grow numerous networking groups regionally (Black Diamond REI Insiders & REI Unleashed) to over 1500 members, fostering a sense of community and teaching others the right way to help people and make money in the business. His firms have syndicated, bought, and sold over $100M in real estate and currently manage $20M in assets across RV Parks, Multifamily Portfolios, Boutique Hotels, and Self Storage portfolios across the East Coast, with strategic partnerships. Having been through his own short sales, a foreclosure, crawling back from $500K in bad debt, losing hundreds of thousands in rehab lessons, having built a large 8-figure organization with 40+ people across 7 states, undergoing a full burnout, burning everything to the ground… and two divorces, which left him homeless and even in the hospital… He’s learned what ultimately is the key to success – and it’s the pursuit of FREEDOM, in all its forms. Now a best-selling author, speaker, and transformational guide, he helps people reach a higher standard in their own lives through multiple modalities, pushing them to see what's possible if they just let go of the b******t stories they’ve had since birth. Along the same lines, Nick’s passionate about overlaying a LIFE element to all those entrepreneurs who have taken a ton of courses or guru strategies, and can’t seem to take action or can’t seem to get consistent on their own success, especially for those who don’t yet feel fulfilled in their own lives. Nick’s a leader in the REI Collab Community which fosters a go-giver group of folks who are holding each other accountable using specific frameworks for reaching financial freedom in 5 years or less using real estate as the tool, and is the founder of Life Unlimited Community, which guides burnt out or stale entrepreneurs back to abundance and passion in their lives, while showing them how to HAVE IT ALL in their finances, in their relationships, and in their LIFE by challenging the very fabric of who they were, and who they can be. Nick is the host of the Journey to Freedom podcast, where he shares stories of other business owners and community members who overcame their challenges and found their paths to freedom. His mission is to profoundly IMPACT as many people as he can through his business ventures, coaching communities, charity and service work, and his efforts to be the best Dad, husband, creator, leader, mindset rebuilder, and transformational guide he can be. Find Nick Aalerud on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | X Find REI Capital Guys For Investors & the Fund – Learn how the Fund works and book a call For Borrowers & Deals – Get funding and support for your next investment