Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business
119 - How to Find High-Paying Consulting Clients (and What to Do Once You Land Them) with Sean O'Dowd
Feb 10, 2025
Sean O'Dowd, founder of Scholastic Capital, shares his journey from consulting to building a real estate fund focused on single-family homes in top school districts. He reveals how he found high-paying clients through Catalant and emphasizes the importance of functional skills and networking via Twitter. Sean discusses the strategies for structuring a real estate fund, including management fees and investor distributions. His insights on leveraging consulting income for real estate ventures and targeting a $100 million valuation highlight the intersection of finance and entrepreneurship.
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Quick takeaways
- Leveraging consulting income can create vital funding for entrepreneurial ventures, enabling a smoother transition into areas like real estate investment.
- Utilizing social media platforms, particularly Twitter, can significantly enhance networking and fundraising efforts, validating business models and attracting potential investors.
Deep dives
Transitioning to Real Estate Investment
The speaker discusses their journey from consulting to real estate fund management, explaining how they initially entered the real estate market using personal funds before launching a formal fund. They focused on purchasing single-family homes in high-quality school districts and renting them to families, which was rooted in their personal experiences with frequent relocations during childhood. This approach, based on investing in desirable locations, both increased rental demand and created a sustainable business model. The transition into fund management allowed for scaling operations, prompting the decision to raise external capital for broader investment opportunities.
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