

AJ Osborne Podcast
AJ Osborne
Welcome to the AJ Osborne Podcast. Twice a month, I’ll sit down with guests or fly solo to share incredible stories, give my take on today’s economy, and show you how to build wealth the right way.
We bring high-value guests - solely for the purpose of long-form, high-impact discussions. By working together, we can build a better future for ourselves and our families.
Find our video podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoaCszL7eN9T7EixaJgL49WTLsT-CWLD1
We bring high-value guests - solely for the purpose of long-form, high-impact discussions. By working together, we can build a better future for ourselves and our families.
Find our video podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoaCszL7eN9T7EixaJgL49WTLsT-CWLD1
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 21, 2025 • 32min
29. How AI Could Trigger the Next Great Depression
Could AI be the catalyst for the next great depression? This discussion dives into the intricate relationship between AI, job displacement, and a shrinking workforce. It emphasizes the alarming second-order consequences that many are overlooking. The conversation also tackles the growing wealth gap and the U.S. government's escalating debt crisis. With questions about taxing the rich and protecting personal wealth, it's a thought-provoking examination of whether AI will be our salvation or downfall.

4 snips
Aug 7, 2025 • 48min
28. Top 100 Advisor: How to Invest During Market Chaos w/Adam Koós
This discussion features Adam Koós, one of Investopedia’s Top-100 Most Influential Financial Advisors, known for his expertise in technical analysis and trend following. He dives into strategies for investing during chaotic market conditions, providing insights on how to capitalize on any market cycle. Adam shares his unique investment methods and a five-year economic forecast that challenges common views on inflation. With a focus on emotional stability and systematic decision-making, he emphasizes the importance of building a resilient portfolio.

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 3min
27. How to Raise Capital for Real Estate (Without Going to Prison) w/Mauricio Rauld
For over a decade, as I built my portfolio, I didn’t raise capital from outside investors. Why? I didn’t want to take the risk. Raising capital for real estate is something you cannot afford to get wrong. No one wants to end up in prison because they funded a deal the wrong way. Good news? I’ve got SEC attorney and good friend Mauricio Rauld here to tell you how to do it right. Even better news? AI is about to make it cheaper (and easier) for all of us.
Seriously, why pay a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars to come up with your documents when AI can compile everything for a fraction of the cost? Most lawyers don’t want to hear this, but Mauricio is fully on board. The change is coming, and it’s about to bring huge cost savings to all of us who run businesses or invest in real estate. Plus, accredited investor rules could change soon, making it even easier for average Americans to invest in bigger deals. Will the move actually go through?
If you’re even thinking about raising money, listen to this episode. You could be paying thousands of dollars for what Mauricio is about to tell you. We’re also sharing the best career advice you’ll ever receive, our thoughts on AI’s new lawyer-replacing features, and why the middle class is stuck, getting squeezed while the rich get richer.
Insights from today’s episode:
How to raise capital for real estate (the rules you MUST follow before you do)
New AI lawyers that can draft your legal docs for a fraction of the cost
Why you have way more control than you think when raising capital for real estate
Crucial career advice if you feel like you don’t know what your “passion” is
Changes to accredited investor rules? Why this could be good for average Americans
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Helpful Articles:
https://www.selfstorageincome.com/blog/the-truth-about-real-estate-investing
https://www.selfstorageincome.com/blog/the-secret-investments-of-the-wealthy-1
🎧 Listen to Drunk Real Estate: https://www.drunkrealestateshow.com/
🔗 Mauricio’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauriciorauld/
📚 Mauricio’s Coaching: https://coachingwithmauricio.com
🎙️ Have a story worth sharing? Apply to be a guest on the Self Storage Income or AJ Osborne podcasts: https://form.asana.com/?k=TGU88eU0bFTFW1iHcckuTA&d=1203571084143207
📚 Want the full blueprint? Get my latest book on how to build and scale a successful self storage business: https://a.co/d/aRSKcSq
📉 Ready to invest alongside us? Take advantage of today’s market conditions and grow with our team at Cedar: https://cedar.cc/invest

14 snips
Jul 10, 2025 • 34min
26. I Built My Business to “Fail,” Now It’s Worth Hundreds of Millions
Discover why the most successful businesses are those built with failure in mind. Learn how entrepreneurs often fail due to an overly optimistic approach. Embrace failure as a necessary part of growth and resilience. Explore how to navigate turbulent economic waters while managing investments wisely. Understand the unique challenges millennials face in this landscape and why a growth mindset can turn setbacks into opportunities. It's all about building systems that can weather any storm!

Jun 26, 2025 • 31min
25. How to Start an AI Vending Machine Business That Makes Thousands Per Month w/Michael Hoffmann
This investor makes tens of thousands a month from his “AI vending machine” business. A business so simple a teenager could run it—and make more than most Americans do at their day job. We’re not talking about those old vending machines in the back of bowling alleys selling Cokes for $1.50. We’re talking about an AI vending machine business plan that generates $1,200 to $2,000 per month per machine.
Michael Hoffmann—better known as ‘Mr. Passive’—has been running his vending machine side hustle for over five years. But he’s made a serious business out of it, leveraging his Silicon Valley tech background to perfect the purchasing experience.
A customer simply walks up to your machine, taps their card, grabs what they need, and leaves. You make a massive markup, and the customer gets what they want—fast. Want to know how to repeat it? Michael is sharing exactly how much he makes, how much a machine costs, the profit margins, and a step-by-step plan so you or even your kid can start a vending machine business.
Insights from today’s episode:
How much vending machines make AND how much a vending machine costs
The new “AI vending machines” with bigger purchases and better margins
A step-by-step business plan for starting your own vending machine business
How to scale your vending machine side hustle into a full-time business
The best way to teach your kids entrepreneurship? Why AJ is bullish on vending machines for HIS kids
Join the Waitlist for VendHub! - https://www.vendhub.ai/
Learn how to do this yourself and subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel! - https://www.youtube.com/@UCCr13sXOZgWCqpPv8WPKhwQ
🎙️ Do you have a great story or advice to share on the AJ Osborne podcast? Apply here! https://form.asana.com/?k=TGU88eU0bFTFW1iHcckuTA&d=1203571084143207
📖 Get AJ's book that teaches you everything he knows about self-storage https://a.co/d/aRSKcSq
📉 Take advantage of today’s market conditions and invest with our company, Cedar Creek Capital: https://cedar.cc/invest

17 snips
Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 2min
24. Parenting in a Petri Dish: Raising Independent Kids When the System Falls Short w/My Wife Tessa Osborne
In this insightful conversation, Tessa Osborne, Board of Directors member at Innovate Academy and founder of Family Foundations Camp, shares her unique approach to parenting. She emphasizes the importance of raising self-sufficient and financially literate kids amid societal challenges. Tessa discusses the need for hands-on life skills and the value of sibling interactions in fostering resilience. They also touch on the significance of intergenerational connections and the vital role of storytelling in developing identity, proving that intentional parenting can lead to independent, happy children.

May 15, 2025 • 52min
23. Dan Martell: The “Clear” Vision That Creates Successful Companies
In this engaging discussion, Dan Martell, an entrepreneur and author of "Buy Back Your Time," shares his inspiring journey from rehab to building successful software companies. He dives into strategies for hiring and promoting team members while addressing toxic influences that can sabotage growth. Martell emphasizes the importance of a clear team vision and effective executive compensation to foster commitment. Learn how to empower a self-sustaining business that thrives even in your absence, along with insightful reflections on resilience and adapting through adversity.

12 snips
May 1, 2025 • 48min
22. The Success “Recipe” Top 1% Families Teach Their Kids w/Scott Donnell
Scott Donnell, a family expert with extensive experience helping wealthy families, shares invaluable insights on raising successful children. He discusses the unique 'success recipe' used by top families to foster strong values and financial literacy. Discover why traditional chores and allowances might be counterproductive. Learn about the three 'E's that can transform kids' attitudes and strengthen family bonds. Scott also reveals the nightly rituals that keep his own family connected and thriving, emphasizing the importance of emotional strength over financial wealth.

Apr 24, 2025 • 44min
21. How I Built My $400,000,000 Business from a Wheelchair
I grew a $400 million business from scratch, in a wheelchair, and starting around the Great Recession. Almost everything was against me from the beginning. People told me my business would fail and my assets were worthless; banks laughed us out the door when we asked for funding. Then, suddenly, one day, my business needed to run on its own when I became paralyzed, unable to move, talk, or do anything but blink. So, how did I do it?
Today, I’m breaking down my $400 million company, how we make money, what we’re invested in, the teams doing the work, and how you can do the same and build a business that gives YOU ultimate financial freedom. We started this business during tough times, when getting money to fund self storage facilities was almost impossible. I’m sharing the creative way we came up with cash by recycling our capital so we never ran out.
Running a multimillion-dollar business is great, but at some point, you will run out of hours in the day. I’ll give you the exact breakdown of how my team runs the businesses for me and why having complete control over your business will stop you from growing, make your life harder, and limit your success. This is a peek behind the curtain of a company most people never get to see—and I’m sharing everything with you in this episode.
Insights from today’s episode:
How I built a $400 million self storage business with ZERO investing experience to startWhy we’re buying (a lot of) real estate right now (and why we always do in recessions)Getting the funds for your business and my strategy to recycle limited capital How my company runs without me and why you NEED to make sure yours can do the sameThe “smaller” businesses we have that produce over $5 million per year in revenue
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Growing Wealth in Self-Storage 2.0 (AJ’s Book!) https://www.selfstorageincome.com/book
🖊️ Enter our survey for a chance to win a signed copy of my Book: https://form.asana.com/?k=da0pR8v74pC8OEgx9dgKRQ&d=1203571084143207
Sign Up for My Newsletter Here: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/newsletter?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=ajopod

6 snips
Apr 17, 2025 • 40min
20. Trauma & Money: Choosing Growth Over Giving Up
Today, we’re talking about the “T-word”… trauma. Before you click away, this is not a downer episode. If you’ve been through trauma, big or small, you know how hard it is to bounce back. For me, without trauma, I wouldn’t have this podcast, my businesses, my wealth, my financial freedom, or much of the gratitude for life I take with me every single day. The worst months of my life used to define me. Now, they’re much of the reason I’ve succeeded.
Eight years ago, out of nowhere, I became paralyzed. My children, who were used to having a strong, stable father, now had a dad who couldn’t move, lying on a hospital bed with tubes running down my throat. I didn’t know if I would ever walk again, hug my children again…or even leave that hospital bed. The pain lasted for months—pain no one should ever have to endure—and still lingers today.
I had two options: give up or give whatever I had left in me. I chose the latter. Now, almost a decade later, I’m financially free, own multiple seven-figure businesses, and see life from a different angle. If your trauma is holding you back, keeping you from achieving great things, please hear me out in this episode. You’re not alone—I’m sharing everything that helped me move forward.
Insights from today’s episode:
Money and trauma and how you CAN use the worst days of your life to reach financial independence
How to be grateful for life when you’re constantly in pain (mentally or physically)
Why you MUST start depending on others if you want to succeed and STOP doing everything yourself
Why giving 10% is ENOUGH on days when even waking up seems unbearable
The #1 reason you should invest while you’re young (stop wasting time!)
🎙️ Would you be a good guest for the AJ Osborne or Self Storage Income podcasts? You can now apply here!
https://form.asana.com/?k=TGU88eU0bFTFW1iHcckuTA&d=1203571084143207
Sign Up for My Newsletter Here: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/newsletter?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=ajopod