When you listen in to this week's podcast/YouTube show guest, Elijah Iung, you’ll love hearing about his journey from farmhand to capital raiser. Before he was investing in multifamily deals, he was knee-deep in… well, let’s just say a much messier kind of asset management.   But that dirty work paid off. Elijah built a multi-seven-figure business in cattle waste management, which set the stage for his transition into farmland investing and, eventually, multifamily syndication. His journey from tractor-driving farmhand to capital allocator is as unconventional as it is insightful.   Betting Big on Multifamily After selling his waste management business, Elijah discovered that much of his wealth was actually growing through his farmland investments, not from his business itself. That realization led him to multifamily real estate, where he quickly learned the ropes by investing as an LP, joining masterminds, and building key sponsor relationships.   Raising His First Million Elijah’s first capital raise wasn’t a walk in the park. Tasked with raising $1M for a $39M multifamily deal in Savannah, GA, he hustled hard, digging through his contacts, cold calling, and leveraging LinkedIn to bring investors into the fold. As a co-GP with Lake City Equity, he put up his own capital, structured investor incentives, and navigated the complexities of syndication.   Lessons from the Frontlines Raising capital might sound like a simple process; build an email list, send a few messages, and watch the money roll in. The reality? It’s anything but that and Elijah quickly learned that trust is everything – and that trust isn’t built overnight. It takes time, persistence, and a thick skin to handle the inevitable rejections.   His first raise was a grind. Cold calls were brutal, follow-ups felt endless, and convincing investors to part with six figures took more than just a good pitch; it required credibility and relationships. Then came the complexities of syndication: structuring equity splits, managing fees, and balancing the interests of both sponsors and investors.   Despite the hurdles, Elijah delivered. He raised the full $1M, became the largest LP in his own deal, and walked away with something even more valuable – experience. Now, he’s doubling down on building his investor network through LinkedIn, masterminds, and in-person connections, ensuring that his next raise won’t be nearly as uphill. *** This episode is a real, unfiltered look at what it takes to break into capital raising, the myths that get shattered along the way, and the strategies that actually work. If you’ve ever thought about raising money for real estate deals or just want to hear how a former farmhand turned syndicator made his first million-dollar raise, you’ll want to hit play on this one. *** Explore the world of real estate capital allocators—a fresh approach to financing that’s reshaping the industry.   In this series, I talk with allocators, investors, sponsors, and service providers to give you an inside look at this fast-growing space.   PLUS, subscribe to my free newsletter for real estate investors and gain access to: * Introductions to sponsors, allocators, and investment opportunities. * Insights drawn from my 30+ years of experience in real estate investing. * Hacks and tactics for raising capital to help you scale your real estate portfolio.   Visit GowerCrowd.com/subscribe