The Alternative Investor

By Brad Johnson & Grayson Morris

What's The Alternative Investor about?

The Alternative Investor is a show about investing money outside of the stock market (private equity, real estate, venture capital, etc.) where the returns are typically higher but the investment decisions are less straightforward. Join Grayson Morris and Brad Johnson as they discuss investing in alternative assets to help you make better decisions with your investment portfolio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Alternative Investor episodes:

06.20.2019
Grayson is Finally Buying a Company!
Today is an incredibly big day! Grayson may be closing on a huge deal tonight. It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally happening! He quit his last job about 3+ years ago and since then he’s been looking...
06.06.2019
How to Hire a Broker
et’s say you find yourself in the fortunate position to have a wonderful asset that you’ve operated for a number of years — whether it’s real estate or an operating business — and you’re ready to sell it. And now,...
05.23.2019
We Talk about a Purchase Agreement
After 2 ½ years of looking for a software business to buy with my partner, I think we’re finally getting towards the end! And at the end of the due diligence process when you’re going to buy a company… you’ve...
05.16.2019
What is a Cap Rate?
Today is going to be our all-encompassing, definitive episode all about on cap rates! What are they? How they are used? What’s the whole deal here? Tune in to find out! We discuss how they relate to interest rates, what they...
05.02.2019
Investors Need Love Too
In this episode we’re going to be talking about investor relations — i.e. staying in touch with your investors and maintaining good relationships with them. Investors are people too, y’know! Just like your friends or spouse, they want to be kept...
04.25.2019
How to Read a K-1
Today’s episode is all about taxes! Specifically, we’re going to be talking about K-1s. A K-1 is a tax form that you get from private investment (typically an LLC.) on an investment you’ve made. This is the tax form you’re...
04.18.2019
Productivity Porn
Productivity and how you get things done on a day-to-day basis is an ever-present issue for most everyone — including those in investing and alternative investing. There’s lots to do on a daily basis and you’ve got lots to juggle,...
04.11.2019
How to Raise Debt for a Real Estate Project
We’ve talked about finding deals, sourcing deals, putting a pitch deck together, raising money, and all that stuff — but we haven’t yet talked about how to go about raising debt for a real estate project. So today, we’re going to...
04.04.2019
The Three Most Important Investment Metrics
We’re getting technical today — so fasten your seatbelts, buckle up, take an extra sip of coffee and get ready for today’s show. We’re going to be diving into the topic of the three most important investment metric:; NPV (Net Present...
03.28.2019
What Should Go In Your Private Equity Pitch Deck
We’ve talked about sourcing and analyzing deals — but, we’ve yet to really get into the details of what goes into the pitch deck. The pitch deck is the document you’re going to send out to your investors to let...
03.21.2019
We Talk To A Guy With An Innovative Apartment Investment Strategy
This week on the show, we’ve invite on a real estate expert: Moses Kagan! Moses is a partner of Adaptive Realty — a property management company in Los Angeles. Adaptive Realty has a unique strategy with apartment buildings; instead of simply...
03.14.2019
You Just Bought Real Estate, Now What? - EP.39
We’ve spent a lot of time on this podcast telling you how to find alternative investments — how to buy them, how to raise money for them, and more — but we haven’t talked a lot about what to do...
03.07.2019
We Talk to a Guy Who Bought a Business with an SBA Loan - EP.38
Just as this title says, we talk to guy who bought a business with an SBA loan! Nick Haschka is an entrepreneur and investor who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, with his wife and two kids. He owns...
02.28.2019
Should You Get an MBA? - EP.37
We often get emailed by 25-35 year olds interested in getting into private equity, venture capital, or real estate private equity, wondering if it’s worth it or not to go get an MBA. Both Brad and I have our MBAs (which...
02.22.2019
Investing in Alternative Assets via Retirement Accounts - EP. 36
Use a self directed IRA to make private investments for higher returns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
02.14.2019
How to Buy a $2 Million Business for $200K - EP.35
Today’s going to be a fun episode because we’re really excited to talk about today’s topic: SBA loans. If you think you need $1 million to get started in buying a company then this episode is for you. You don’t always...
02.07.2019
To Hold or to Sell? That is the Question - EP.34
In this episode, we’ll take you below the surface for a much deeper analysis on all the variables you need to take a look at before closing the deal. Key Takeaways: [:13] You’ve been running a great piece of real estate...
01.31.2019
What is a Covered Land Play? - EP.33
oday’s episode is about Covered Land Plays! A Covered Land Play is when you buy a property based on the existing use of that asset… but, what you’re really buying for is the land (in the hopes that someday it’s going...
01.17.2019
Don't Be Fooled By EBITDA - EP. 32
Today we’re talking about an incredibly important topic: the dangers of mistaking EBITDA with Cash Flow. It’s so tempting when you’re looking at a lot of these small businesses to buy and you see this metric called EBITDA and you think,...
01.10.2019
What is a Search Fund? - EP.31
In this week’s episode, Brad and I discuss search funds! We explain what a search fund is (and who’s funding them), the four main steps, how they originally got started, who they’re great for, and why you should use one....
01.03.2019
How to Raise 10 Million Dollars - EP.30
In today’s episode we answer one of the questions that we probably get most frequently from people looking to break into the industry, and that is: ‘Once I’ve found the deal, how do I make it happen?’ Using the example of...
12.27.2018
The Art of the Retrade - EP.29
Today’s episode may not be about the happiest of topics — but it’s definitely a necessity. So today, we’re discussing all things retrade. We’re going to explain the ins and outs, give some examples, explain how we handle them, and...
12.13.2018
Surprising Aspects of Private Equity - EP.28
When I was on the other side of private equity (i.e. operating businesses), I always thought those in investing were out there counting money, doing deals, and going home at 4 p.m. … but now that I’m doing deals, I...
12.06.2018
Brad & Grayson’s Favorite Investing Tools - EP. 27
In today’s episode we thought it would be fun if we did something a little bit different! We want to share with you some of our favorite tools that we use in our jobs everyday — from software and technology,...
11.29.2018
Overpay the Right Way! - EP.26
Today’s show is going to be all about asset prices and what we’ve been seeing lately. Don’t lose hope — it’s not all bad! Things may seem expensive right now (and are expensive!) but there are some things you can...
11.15.2018
Unreal Tax Benefits of Qualified Opportunity Zones - EP.25
In today’s episode we’re talking all about qualified opportunity zones — these things are amazing. They’re portions of the country that are economically disadvantaged, and if you invest in those areas you get incredibly favorable tax treatment. First, we take you...
11.08.2018
The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Real Estate - EP.24
In this episode, Brad takes us through some of the different types of real estate asset classes and gives us the pros and the cons of each! He also gives us some ideas on what we should think about when...
11.01.2018
How to Source Off-Market Deals - EP.23
Today we’re talking about how to source off-market deals! It’s easy enough to go on LoopNet or MLS Deal Finder but anybody can get those deals, so we want to share some solid trade secrets with you all today and help...
10.25.2018
What it Takes To Be an Alternative Investor - EP.22
Just in case you were wondering if you have what it takes to be an alternative investor, today we thought we’d share with you all of the things — the behaviours, the attitudes, and the skills — that go into...
10.11.2018
What Exactly is Adjusted EBITDA? - EP.21
Today we’re going to talk about Adjusted EBITDA — or in Brad’s world, Adjusted NOI; Net Operating Income. So what is it? First off, it depends who the player is. Are they legit? It’s a super critical number and important to...
09.27.2018
Brent Beshore - Contrarian Private Equity Investing - EP.20
Today on The Alternative Investor we have our first guest on the show: Brent Beshore! Brent is the CEO and founder of Adventur.es — a private equity firm in Columbia, Missouri. Adventur.es has a unique investment approach: they seek boring...
09.20.2018
Why You Should Care About Business Quality - EP.19
Today’s an exciting show — we’re talking about business quality. Who doesn’t want to buy a quality business? Business quality is a little bit of an amorphous term, but today we focus on thoroughly explaining what it is and why you...
09.06.2018
Debt: If You Owe The Bank $100 Million ..... - EP.18
Today we’re talking about debt! It’s an investor’s best friend … or enemy. We answer all the questions you may have about debt, such as: what is debt? When do you get debt? How much debt do you put on an...
08.30.2018
How Do You Pick an Investment Theme? - EP.17
In today’s episode, we address a recent listener’s question on how to identify or pick out an investment theme. We think of investment themes as something that can help you narrow down (what seems like) an infinite list of opportunities...
08.16.2018
How To Think About Risk - EP. 16
Risk is an often misunderstood and poorly communicated concept. Even professional investors can be afraid of risk. However, risk is going to be a part of every single investment decision that is ever made and there’s no such thing as a...
08.09.2018
What Price to Pay For An Investment? - EP.15
Today we’re going to talk about how to figure out how much to pay for an asset. When you’re buying an asset, price is the most important variable you’ll be looking at — probably not the only variable — but...
07.26.2018
What is an Accredited Investor? - EP. 14
Today we’re talking about accredited investors. To become an accredited investor you have to meet the SCC’s income and net worth requirements (such as needing to have $200k of income in the last 2 years if you’re single, $300k if...
07.19.2018
What is Preferred Equity? - EP. 13
Today’s episode is all about preferred equity — so we’re going to try and keep it light and fun. Firstly, we talk about what equity is and how preferred equity differs from it — then, we get into common reasons for...
07.05.2018
How The Blockchain Will Revolutionize Investing - Ep. 12
It’s finally here — the day we talk about blockchain. Blockchain is a new technology — providing a global marketplace, allowing you to transact with a click of a button. Blockchain is a highly evolving area and not a day...
06.28.2018
Broker Deals VS. Off-Market Deals - EP. 11
Broker deals and off-market deals are night and day. Everybody thinks that an off-market deal is the holy grail and that you’ll score a way better price. At least that’s what most people think — but it’s not necessarily true....
06.21.2018
Real Estate Diligence 101: Avoid Financial Disaster - EP.10
You find a real estate property you like, you sign it, you wrap up the deal under LOI, sign the purchase agreement, and then you get into diligence — which is what we’re going to be talking about on today’s...
06.07.2018
A Deeper Look at Private Equity - EP.09
Today, we take a deeper dive into looking at private equity. Private equity is Grayson’s world — so we switch the script and I ask him all of the questions I have about private equity. We discuss how private equity can...
05.31.2018
A Peak Behind The Glass Curtain - EP.08
Today we’re going to talk about what goes on behind the glass curtain — what it actually looks like inside of a real estate private equity firm. We go over the different types of teams within the firm, the importance of...
05.17.2018
We Love Real Estate, You Should Too - EP. 07
We’re talking real estate today. Brad walks us through the ins and outs of finding a good deal in real estate — covering the basics and then diving deep further into the episode. Everybody should have some real estate exposure outside...
05.10.2018
Let’s Talk About LOIs (Letters of Intent)- EP.06
Today we’re talking about LOIs — Letters of Intent. LOIs are kind of like you and the seller are dating — you’re testing the waters and have the intent of moving forward with a relationship, but not the obligation —...
05.03.2018
Don't Get “Bernie Madoff’d”: Avoid Ponzi Schemes and Fraud - EP.05
Today we’re talking about how not to lose your hard-earned money through fraud. One of the advantages of alternative investments are that they are less heavily regulated by the federal government — but that also means you have to do...
04.18.2018
Case Study: Buying an operating business - private equity investing - EP.04
The guys go deep on what a private equity investment in a operating business looks like. Grayson tells the story of how he purchased Birdwell Beach Britches, a beloved surfer brand that was underperforming relative to its potential. This episode...
04.17.2018
How to find great alternative investment deals - EP.03
In this episode, Grayson and Brad go in detail on how to put your money to work in alternative investments. They cover how to source investments from your network or online via a crowdfunding platform. They also compare the trade-offs...
04.16.2018
Want more yield? Why you need to invest in alternative assets - EP.02
On today's episode we review all the benefits of alternative investments and why retail investors should take the time to learn, evaluate and invest in alternative assets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
04.15.2018
Intro to the world of alternative investments - EP.01
Brad and Grayson discuss alternative investments and cover the various alternative asset class options investors should strongly consdier adding to their stock and bond portfolios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's The Alternative Investor about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Alternative Investor episodes:

Grayson is Finally Buying a Company!

How to Hire a Broker

We Talk about a Purchase Agreement

What is a Cap Rate?

Investors Need Love Too

How to Read a K-1

Productivity Porn

How to Raise Debt for a Real Estate Project

The Three Most Important Investment Metrics

What Should Go In Your Private Equity Pitch Deck

We Talk To A Guy With An Innovative Apartment Investment Strategy

You Just Bought Real Estate, Now What? - EP.39

We Talk to a Guy Who Bought a Business with an SBA Loan - EP.38

Should You Get an MBA? - EP.37

Investing in Alternative Assets via Retirement Accounts - EP. 36

How to Buy a $2 Million Business for $200K - EP.35

To Hold or to Sell? That is the Question - EP.34

What is a Covered Land Play? - EP.33

Don't Be Fooled By EBITDA - EP. 32

What is a Search Fund? - EP.31

How to Raise 10 Million Dollars - EP.30

The Art of the Retrade - EP.29

Surprising Aspects of Private Equity - EP.28

Brad & Grayson’s Favorite Investing Tools - EP. 27

Overpay the Right Way! - EP.26

Unreal Tax Benefits of Qualified Opportunity Zones - EP.25

The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Real Estate - EP.24

How to Source Off-Market Deals - EP.23

What it Takes To Be an Alternative Investor - EP.22

What Exactly is Adjusted EBITDA? - EP.21

Brent Beshore - Contrarian Private Equity Investing - EP.20

Why You Should Care About Business Quality - EP.19

Debt: If You Owe The Bank $100 Million ..... - EP.18

How Do You Pick an Investment Theme? - EP.17

How To Think About Risk - EP. 16

What Price to Pay For An Investment? - EP.15

What is an Accredited Investor? - EP. 14

What is Preferred Equity? - EP. 13

How The Blockchain Will Revolutionize Investing - Ep. 12

Broker Deals VS. Off-Market Deals - EP. 11

Real Estate Diligence 101: Avoid Financial Disaster - EP.10

A Deeper Look at Private Equity - EP.09

A Peak Behind The Glass Curtain - EP.08

We Love Real Estate, You Should Too - EP. 07

Let’s Talk About LOIs (Letters of Intent)- EP.06

Don't Get “Bernie Madoff’d”: Avoid Ponzi Schemes and Fraud - EP.05

Case Study: Buying an operating business - private equity investing - EP.04

How to find great alternative investment deals - EP.03

Want more yield? Why you need to invest in alternative assets - EP.02

Intro to the world of alternative investments - EP.01