Overcoming Financial Ruin and Identity Loss: Nick Edwards' Journey from MMA Fighter to Champion Venture Partners

Speaker 0

Hey, everyone. This is Jamie Bateman. Real quickly, I wanted to share with you something, that's been pivotal in the growth and success of my businesses, and that is my partnership with Haven Financial Services. I've been working with Haven for over a year now. Christine Valdez was on episode seventy of this podcast. So go check that out if you wanna hear her story. It was a fantastic personal story for sure. But Haven has been awesome. They provide me with monthly reports that are super clear and discernible, and it that provides me with clarity and focus so that I can do what I do best, which is running my businesses, not preparing financial reports. Again, if you're in the market for a top notch financial service company, or if you just wanna check one out, go to w w w dot jamie bateman slash haven and check out Haven Financial Services. Again, that's jamie bateman slash haven. Can't recommend them enough. Christine and her team have been fantastic. So I definitely recommend you check out Haven Financial Services at w w w dot jamie bateman forward slash haven. Let's get back to the show. In this episode, you're gonna get the chance to hear from Nick Edwards, who is a former collegiate and professional athlete. Nick, went through several periods of adversity that we highlight a couple two two big periods of adversity we highlight on the show. One, where he got injured in college and, you know, his entire identity was kinda rocked to the core, and then one much later after he was a an MMA fighter for ten years, where he, in business, was very close to filing for personal bankruptcy and did file for, bankruptcy on the business side. So he's, was very close to losing his own residence, had had had a lot of success, and then, really lost it all. And now he's has rebuilt and is working, along with some big name athletes and, just well known people. They're gonna have some big big announcement at the Super Bowl here, in twenty twenty five. And it's really, really exciting what they're working. Nick has partnered with, Marcus Colston, a former NFL athlete among others. And, they started a company called Champion Venture Partners, and he gets into the specifics of that. It's really, really cool. They deal with, real estate and a lot of other asset classes that they invest in and, a lot to do with sports. But really what what I you know, the big takeaway from this episode, I think you'll you'll really enjoy, is having an abundance mentality and just staying true to your core and your mission and understand saying where you wanna go. And, also, one thing that Nick reiterates over and over on the show is that one to many approach, not just serving one person at a time, but really taking your message and your impact to as many people as possible. So what you're gonna get from this episode are inspiration and practical, guidance. Inspiration based on the fact that Nick went through health adversity, identity adversity, as well as financial adversity. And those are a lot of of a lot of people can relate to that. And we walked through how he navigated that, from a mental fitness standpoint, but also he offers an opportunity, to get on their waiting list to invest alongside Nick and his partners in the venture that they have going on, and that's for both accredited and non accredited investors. This one packs a punch. You're gonna love it. 

Speaker 1

Welcome to From Adversity to Abundance, the go to podcast for real estate entrepreneurs seeking not just to thrive, but to conquer with resilience and mental sharpness. Each week, join us as we dive into the compelling world of real estate through the lens of mental fitness, where challenges transform into opportunities. Get ready to transform your mindset and expand your understanding of what it takes to succeed in real estate. Let's explore these stories of triumph and resilience together. 

Speaker 0

Welcome everybody to another episode of the From Adversity to Abundance podcast. I'm your host, Jamie Bateman, and I'm pumped today to have with us Nick Edwards. Nick is a former collegiate and professional athlete, who's focused on investing, and we'll get into the specifics of, in in more detail about that. But, Nick, how are you doing today? 

Speaker 2

Good. Thanks for having me. Really appreciate it. 

Speaker 0

Absolutely. This is gonna be a lot of fun. You have a really interesting background. There's different rabbit holes that, we're gonna have to figure out if we wanna go down or or not. But it it's definitely gonna be a different episode, very unique compared to a lot of the others that we've had. So, briefly for the listener, Nick, who may be unfamiliar with you, dive into a little more detail upfront as to who you are today and, you know, what you're really focused on today. 

Speaker 2

Yeah. So I guess, you know, backing up a hair. So, I am actually a Minnesota native, and then I live in Denver, Colorado now. Like you said, I was actually a collegiate athlete, tore my ACL playing college football that killed the dream, and then I went into MMA for quite a few years and, had success there. But, you know, when you're in a sport like that, you realize unless you are really naive, you guys can't get punched in the face forever. I transitioned out of sports somehow. Yeah. And for me, I actually really clung into the combination of sports and medicine. And so went into school for physiology and then worked with pro teams after that. Slowly but surely continued kind of on the path of invest where I was, running different SPVs. I was an angel investor in LPN funds to ultimately now where I'm a general partner in a fund where we are we invest up and down the sports asset class. So everything from emerging leagues and teams to real estate and real estate adjacent sports. So think stadiums, STRs, even residential area round stadiums, and even adjacent like ski hills, golf, surf areas, really kind of that that nexus between where sports connects to where you're gonna stay. And so I've been doing this now for quite a while, and it's, we're continuing to build the largest retail investor friendly sports firm in the country. 

Speaker 0

That's awesome. And I didn't tell you this before we hit record, but I am also a former collegiate athlete. Didn't tear my ACL, frankly, luckily, but, did have to deal with some injuries. And, also, not that the at at this point, it's pretty much irrelevant, but I majored in sports management and took a lot of the, kinesiology and physiology courses, anatomy and all that. And, man, I should've just stuck with business management, to be honest with you. It was those are those are no joke. I'll tell you that. Those are, tough classes, but I love the nexus of sports and investing for sure. And I think I can hopefully add some value along the way here as well. So I know, Nick, you know, it sounds exciting, everything you're doing now, and and the future is bright. But I know that you it hasn't always been easy to get here, not just the the college injury, but I know you've also faced some financial struggles as well in the past. And you've and you've dealt with you've also done some active real estate investing. So let's jump back into your backstory and walk back through chronologically. Where would you like to start? 

Speaker 2

You know, I think we could even start, you know, at that, point where I tore my ACL in college. Because for me, it's it's quite interesting because, the adversity side I've always had an abundance mindset, but, really, the adversity is there. And if you're an athlete, you're used to taking some losses and then having to find a way to get back up, and it's how you get back up. 

Speaker 0

I think that's a I mean, that is right there just we could stop the episode because I'm kidding. But that you're absolutely right. It's critical to have an abundance mindset, but knowing that adversity will will come. Right? We're all gonna you're gonna face additional adversity. So am I. So is our listener. So it's it doesn't just stop just because you have an abundance mindset. It just helps you get through it and maybe navigate it in a smarter, more, you know, innovative way and create a better outcome, hopefully. So okay. So you tear your ACL. So what, walk us put us put us there. What happened? What sport was this? Where were you? What what happened? 

Speaker 2

So I was, at NDSU. So go, Bison. It's, interesting. People don't really understand what it's like to be an athlete. You know, they just see, you know, what they see on TV and kinda make some assumptions. But what people don't understand is when you get injured or you transition out of sport, most folks don't choose when that happens. So, like, in my case, I got injured and there goes everything. Your scholarship is gone. Your team is gone. Your tutors are gone. Everything that you once had literally disappears overnight. 

Speaker 0

Absolutely. 

Speaker 2

So for me, that was very much a woe is me, what am I gonna do with my life, and, you know Yeah. 

Speaker 0

You know? Just to just quickly just quickly to, you know, empathize, I guess, you know, I competed at fairly high level in in division three lacrosse, and our season was abruptly ended in overtime. Nobody cares anymore. But the fact is, you know, it ended more, more abruptly than I expected. And all of a sudden, my entire identity was just in question. Who am I anymore? Right? And we've also had, I've had, Josh Kalinowski on the show. He he was a Major League Baseball pitcher for about with the Colorado Rockies, and and he got injured. And, you know, in his first year, he he got injured, and it's it's your career is over. But it's not just the money or the the physical pain or the rehab. It's like, who am I? Right? What's so it's it's much bigger than just an ACL tear. Right? So so what's going through your mind at that point as you as everything starts to slip away? 

Speaker 2

Well, it's a weird complex because, you know, by the way, I'm I'm, about six foot two zero five, so I'm not that big of a person. But, you couldn't have told me whatsoever when I was in college that I wasn't gonna play in the league. Right? So I wouldn't have I wouldn't have listened to it. So when you go from I'm gonna play in the league to it's gone, that's a that's a really steep change. So in my mind is really that identity. It's the what am I gonna do now. It's every everything changes literally overnight. Yeah. And so for me, lucky enough, I was a a wrestler in high school and I was a pretty decent wrestler, and I had my old wrestling coach reach out to me and say, hey, Nick. You should try MMA. And I'm like, no. I I I'm like, I have no interest in that. I don't wanna get punched. This sounds terrible. Like, I'm ready to be that's but not not something something where I'm gonna be 

Speaker 0

putting a cage. And Yeah. 

Speaker 2

He said, you know, just try it. You know, see what you think. Come to one practice. I was like, okay. So I went to one practice, and then it was literally like the movie Fight Club. I was hooked. I'm like, this is awesome. This is exactly the future. And so I gravitated gravitated to that really hard. And so stayed there for, you know, I think it was just shy of ten years in the career. 

Speaker 0

Oh, wow. That's a long time. I mean, that's, you know, that's not an easy thing to hang in there for. So but I I do I will say I think wrestlers in general probably are some of the toughest people on on the on planet Earth. So there's a a mental element there that, you know, we're we're not gonna have time to go into, but just to become just to be a wrestler for quite some time and then add on to that MMA. So, you know, what's the what's the takeaway for the listener there in that transition period from, you know, where everything slipped away as far as far as your collegiate and potentially your professional, career and then transitioning to MMA. What's the takeaway there for the listener? 

Speaker 2

Every inflection point, you have a choice. At the end of the day, you can choose to be a victim and just sit there and woe is me, or you can get up and do something about it. It's literally what it comes down to. 

Speaker 0

Love that. So, you know, you can't control whether you're whether you tear your ACL or not. Right? And you there's a lot outside of your control in this in this life. Right? So but, opportunities will present themselves if you're if you're looking for them. You have the right mindset. Okay. So ten years walk us through kind of after that ten years, what what happened after the ten years in MMA. 

Speaker 2

Yeah. So I had my, I got to a point where I was top one hundred in my weight class, and then I took fifth at worlds in Brazilian jiu jitsu. And I said, you know what? That's it. That's the career. And during that time, I was actually studying for physiology. And so I knew that was gonna transition out of sport, and I knew I couldn't do it forever. And so, you know, I I felt that just that pull to working in athletics. And I've always had this mindset of I want to help others. And it's not necessarily that I can help somebody on a one to one basis, but how do I spread what I know to one to many? 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

And so I knew I wanted to work with teams. I want to kinda keep pushing that forward. And so then I went into physiology and worked with NFL and NHL teams. And doing that, it actually really quickly opened up another door for me where I'm like, again, I'm doing a one to many, but how do we take this tech, the stuff that I'm working with on a day to day basis that the outside world doesn't see, and how do we scale it? I'm like, how do we scale it so that it's not just the one to many. We're talking one to thousands to tens of thousands and keep this thing going. Push that snowball down the hill. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

And so then I jumped into the founder seat. And along that way, kinda like I mentioned, I ran different SPVs. I had very good success working with, medical professionals and kind of designing medical workflows, helping them scale different intellectual properties and get it to market and product market fit, And then ultimately kinda combining the intersection of the two in wellness so that it's bricks and mortar facilities and back to the real estate side as well as then being in that founder seat and helping kind of drive new products and innovations into that ecosystem. 

Speaker 0

Interesting. So, yeah, talk a little bit more about that that company. What was the, what was the intent? How long was it, around for? You know, what how did that go, the wellness company? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. So this is definitely where the we'll call it part two of adversity kicks in. So, it was around for just shy of four years. We, I will tell you, started to feel the pain points of death by indigestion versus starvation where we just couldn't keep up. And so you learn really quickly where you're at, whether you're undercapitalized, overcapitalized, or doing the right thing. And, you know, for me, really kind of growing in this, I had had some pretty successful exits, and I was doing very well on the medical side. So I got in over my skis and said, you know what? We can build this fast. And so I put my name on the line for personal guarantees of facilities and pieces that we purchased and then scope scaled and started to scale fast, but, again, dive indigestion with how much is coming at us. 

Speaker 0

What, what year was this or years are we talking? 

Speaker 2

So we're talking seventeen to then the Swan Song was kind of with a lot of companies that April of twenty twenty. 

Speaker 0

Gotcha. Okay. So I guess I'll ask the same thing, you know, with the round two, your adversity part two. What's the takeaway for listener from from that, you know, from that experience you had? 

Speaker 2

You know, I think there's the well, there's a lot of experiences I had because ultimately, what ended up happening was because it's a wellness company, we ended up shutting down and shuttering doors because of the government mandates. And that really was a quick stop to revenue. Wow. And when you are a machine that is basically built on recurring revenue, 

Speaker 0

you have 

Speaker 2

to find other sources. So there's a combination of learnings here. I could go on from, you know, what it looks like from the undercapitalization side to the personal leverage to then choosing the right staff versus partners in there. At the end of the day, I would say my biggest takeaway from it is know where your personal leverage starts and stops. So, again, you have a choice. Right? Kinda like what I said at first, obviously, you you're the victim or you can choose to go on. 

Speaker 0

Right. 

Speaker 2

That can also bite you in the butt really quickly if you just have to go on with your own pocket. And so that's a big defining factor that people can hopefully avoid by my experience. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. No. I I've been in different situation, but I've been there, with one particular company, where I was a little too stubborn and optimistic and just wouldn't quit. And I think a lot of that comes from sports and just, you know, you work hard and you do well, whatever that but at some point earlier, I should have realized that, you know, seen acknowledge the writing on the wall and probably stop throwing my own capital into this. And, I think and I don't wanna, you know, put words into your mouth, but we were trying to scale too quickly and, didn't do enough market testing, you know, to get make sure that the the demand was there and trying to build out this infrastructure where it's like, build it and they will come. And we we we just and we they didn't come. So it's a little different different reasons because yours was a global pandemic and then government intervention that, sounds like it didn't didn't help. So, what happened to you from the, you know, personal from a personal standpoint navigating after April twenty twenty? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. So like I said, I had my name on the PGs and everything alongside that and everything from the, utilities in the facilities to the equipment to then the actual yeah. You know, if you're an operator and you're an owner in a company, those nine forty ones, that's your payroll and your taxes, they're in your name, ultimately. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. 

Speaker 2

So at the peak of this, I was bleeding out exactly two hundred and sixty two thousand dollars per month that I was funneling myself. 

Speaker 0

Wow. 

Speaker 2

And to top it off, what ended up happening was, unfortunately, some of the partners decided to turn arrows against each other and against me because they could see the writing of the wall that we're gonna close. 

Speaker 0

Wow. 

Speaker 2

Logically, they're going to work to preserve the capital and try and get their out and take as much as they can on the way out. Wow. So you have this cataclysmic event that's kinda pulling capital out of the company while trying to continue to funnel it. And ultimately, there's just a window there that you can't deal with. 

Speaker 0

Right. 

Speaker 2

So for me, it really got to the point where I was staring down the barrel of personal bankruptcy, sold off, real estate units, personal holdings that I had, literally down to the point where I was about to lose kind of my own place. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. And 

Speaker 2

that's when finally some of the relief valves hit because at that point, I shuttered doors and said, we just can't do this anymore, dealt with all the legal battles that were around it, and then kind of just faced them head on. And once they were done, decided to kinda rise again. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. So, you know, this is gonna be up to you how how vulnerable you wanna be, but, you know, can you put any numbers behind sort of maybe where you were? And, again, whether that's net worth or income or something at some point or just how you know, number of real estate doors that you owned personally, something like that versus where you end ended up almost losing your own residence, it sounds like. 

Speaker 2

Shuttered four real estate doors. There are big facilities everywhere from fifteen to thirty thousand square feet. My own personal STRs, two of them. And then I would say as a drop in net worth, I mean, literally got it down to the only thing that I had a positive, I would say we'll say positive towards the net worth was basically the equitable range of my own home, and that was it. So, I mean, it was literally as deep as I didn't put down a shovel. I just kept digging that damn hole. 

Speaker 0

So and you mentioned SDRs. And for any listeners, who don't know, that's short term rental. Just very quickly, what was your experience there since we have a lot of real estate investors, active and passive real estate investors on listening? How did you get into short term rentals, and how did that go? 

Speaker 2

You know, I think on the positive, they've all went fairly well other than this inflection point. And, you know, where the where I've been able to see success is to be a active investor, but not a manager. There's a big difference between having a faith in the operating team Mhmm. And they they can take care of it versus trying to do it yourself. If Yeah. My experience was if you continue to do it yourself, you develop it's very hard to remain, neutral and know that it's a rental. The more you put yourself in there, the more you get a personal connection with that unit. For sure. When a chair breaks, you're like, oh my god. The world is ending versus it's a rental. Who cares? It's fixed. 

Speaker 0

It's a it's a number on a spreadsheet at this point. 

Speaker 2

Right? That's right. And if you can move the positive at the end, then it's fine. So follow the all the dollars to make sure that you're keeping a great p and l versus getting your funds. 

Speaker 0

For sure. That's really good advice for the active both the active and passive investor. But, yeah, I've got, you know, single family rental properties, and we have couple property managers. And then we I'm a mortgage note investor, and and, we use a a couple I've used five or six loan servicers out there. And they serve a similar function as a property manager where they play that middle person or middle company between the borrower and the lender or note holder, and then on the rental side, you know, the tenant and the landlord. Yes. I get involved in making decisions. Yes. I screen, you know, help select tenants or whatever and make you know, do we go through foreclosure or eviction, that kind of thing? But I'm not I don't, you know, I'm not attached to the properties or even the borrowers. It helps me make better decisions, and, you know, not getting pulled into somebody's sob story if it's, you know That's right. Not trustworthy, etcetera. But so you had to get rid of the STRs and get rid of other lots of other, real estate, it sounds like. And, were you how close were you to filing bankruptcy? 

Speaker 2

It was a, basically, hand over the nuclear button and on a day to day basis of can we sustain this? Wow. So it was a lot of sleepless nights Yeah. And frankly, burning years off my life is really how it felt. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. No. It's, that's super stressful, and it affects everything else, you know, in your personal life and and everything else. I mean, sleep is critical as, you know, as as an athlete. So okay. That sounds like I mean, that's really, like I mean, that's a huge, you know, that's just a huge, level of of adversity and just a massive inflection point like you said. So what did you do from there after all that? 

Speaker 2

So it was a rebuilding period. Honestly, it was, you know, it's taking a step back and really assessing everything that was happening in my life. And so it's a matter of, you know, is this something that I can continue on? Is this the right path or where to go from here? And, you know, I've been blessed that good people open up doors for me kind of along my career, but I knew that despite what was happening, I still had a lot of skills. And now I felt like I was truly battle tested because Yeah. I feel like, there's a lot of, actually, I'm not gonna say this myself to say it. There's a lot of charlatans out there who are basically saying, like, hey. I exited for five hundred million. Buy my book now and Right. To live in the process. Since they're a dime a dozen. And frankly, I don't need winning a lot of numbers. I need to follow people who have went through good and bad and know exactly how to protect the principal and grow capital for generational wealth. 

Speaker 0

No. Absolutely. And with yeah. That's with our mortgage note fund in particular, it's it's a it's you're not gonna you can do better elsewhere as far if you're seeking yield or upside, but we're all about protection and diversification. And but more on the personal and mindset side, you know, it's like I've been through some stuff recently where it's it's really challenging, but coming out through the other side, it's like not saying adversity is not hard anymore, but it just feels like smaller challenges. It's not that big of a deal. It's it keeps things in perspective, and I really do feel like I can just I'm just stronger now having been through this. So 

Speaker 2

Right. Well, and frankly, for, like, my day to day job as a fiduciary, you know, investors, my partners have a lot more faith in me because of the fact that I've been through that. Right. And they know I I know, one, what not to do, but number two is they know that I put my own neck on the line. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. 

Speaker 2

So it's one of those things where at the end of the day, I'm gonna make sure to preserve and protect as much as I can, and at the end of the day, I'm gonna make sure that I'm representing everybody perfectly. 

Speaker 0

So before we head into more of the rebuild and and what you're up to now, you know, looking back, say say, twenty eighteen. Right? What could you have done differently? Obviously, we're not saying you should have predicted COVID or any any of that stuff, but, you know, did was it your ego that got in the way? You know, that you thought you, you know, could you know, what did you just get that. You know? And and I've I say that not, you know, we we don't know each other, but it's it's so I'm not insinuating that that's what it was. It's just that's a common thing where you have success, and you you think you're you're a genius and may and maybe not. 

Speaker 2

Oh, that's that's exactly right. I mean, honestly, I had a lot of wins under my belt and was continued to go up. So, you know, you continue to increase your risk risk tolerance as you go. Right. So that's where I put my name on the line on things, which I shouldn't have. And, you know, people on the outside now are like, oh, of course, you shouldn't have. But when you're looking at a PNL and you see eight figures on there, if you just sign on the dotted line, it's really easy to grab that pen. 

Speaker 0

Right. 

Speaker 2

So it so it's one of those things where you can say in retrospect, of course, you shouldn't have done that, of course. But most of the great operators and investors that I know honestly have done that. They've put their name. They've declared bankruptcy. They've had issues because they put their name on the line. Yeah. And so, you know, you learn the hard way or you have a good mentor who will tell you not to do it. I didn't have a good mentor on that, so I learned the hard way. Yeah. And so I would say to your point though, there's there's a lot that I would have changed. And this is now because I would consider myself a seasoned investor at this point. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

And so I could go on and on about, you know, undercapitalizing where you're getting death by indigestion from the influx of things coming in versus having capital to deploy and head that off. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. I can 

Speaker 2

say that we truly didn't reach product market fit, which we could have probably retrenched in differently versus, you know, constantly be in growth mode. But, you know, this was a, a look at something that was more VC backable. Right? And so when you're in a VC play, it is all or nothing. You're going out for abundance. You're going for unicorn status. And so when you do that, you can dive that's why nine out of ten VC companies die on the vine is because they are going for a moonshot or nothing. And so it's up to that being nothing. And, I would say the other piece of that is when you're doing this, make sure that you pick the right partners. And you're picking partners and staff and segregating the two by the ones that need a paycheck versus the ones who are with you on the overall mission, not the project. Mhmm. If they're project based, guaranteed if that project starts to go under, they're gonna pull back their capital. It's just logical. You you have to protect the principle. And then it's business. It's not anything personal, but it's business. Right. And so but if you're with partners who are in for the total mission, even if you have to retrench in, even if you have to close some units, they'll still be with you for thick and thin. 

Speaker 0

Sure. 

Speaker 2

Versus if you bring people just for a one off, it gets bloody real quick when you have to when you have to 

Speaker 0

fix. No. I appreciate you sharing and you're being so vulnerable, and it's, you know, it's not always easy to talk about our failures and but the truth is entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and it's it's a it's a an emotional roller coaster. It can be very challenging, very stressful. Can be very exciting and have lots of upside, you know, but you gotta know kind of you don't know exactly how it's, the adversity is gonna play out, but you know it's it's gonna be there. So talk let's get to more of the the abundance in the future now. So how do who did what what new partners did you meet? How did things materialize as far as what you're working on now? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. So it was, you know, I honestly met the partners through kind of a combination of past experiences and different projects together, working with pro teams from my past, and I kinda went back to the Rolodex. And knowing where I wanted to go really kinda kept my own North Star in mind. And, again, you make a choice to either get up or you can just go have a day job. 

Speaker 0

Talk talk about that briefly before we get into more specifics. Like, how did you know where you wanted to go? Because I think that's a critical piece. Because if you don't know where you wanna go and you start trying to you know, even if you have a great Rolodex, it really doesn't matter. You need to know where you're trying to go. So how did you figure that out? 

Speaker 2

You know, for me, I've always had this kind of inner thesis of just do good things and the money will follow. Mhmm. So I've known I wanna do that one to many help for a very long time. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. 

Speaker 2

And when I had this kind of negative, you know, event, it really taught me quickly on how to kind of protect my own house, how to form moats around it and say, how do I protect what I'm building and create generational wealth? Mhmm. And so that really inspired me to say, well, you know what? I've been on one side of the table on the founder side. Where I've had successful exits, and now I've had to be a company. And so you take those two together and say, I can now play on the other side of the spectrum where I'm helping entrepreneurs, I'm investing in them, I'm helping them grow, and do it more effectively through operations, find product market fit and grow. So at that point, to your to your point, you know, it doesn't matter necessarily if you don't have a good Rolodex or having Rolodex. So for me, I just put myself in the rooms that I want it to be in. So I interacted with people on LinkedIn. I reached out to folks that were in my network. And I said, here's what I wanna do. Here's what I wanna build. Mhmm. And so, my one of my now partners, we actually built a nonprofit startup studio. And so we started working across different medical verticals, real estate verticals, and really doing things in the upper Midwest. And that continued to scale to the point where now where I'm at today, we built Champion Venture Partners as a asset firm that serves kind of both the accredited investor and the non accredited investor. Mhmm. So so all the way back to that North Star, the mission for me of Mhmm. You know, if you we're serving really a deep athlete population Mhmm. And retail investor who let's say, going all the way back to start of our conversation, some way who's an athlete, they may have a contract that's ten million plus a year, but then if they get injured, it's gone. Right. Right. And slowly slide to a non accredited investor status. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

They lose maybe some net worth, and now they're a retail investor. Well, why can we not give an all for all mentality and have that retail investor still invest alongside some of the biggest names in sports in the accredited investor. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

And so through this transition, that's exactly what we formed. And so that's kind of what we're looking at today. 

Speaker 0

Okay. So is that like a regulation a fund, or how does how does that work? 

Speaker 2

Good question. So, actually, what we designed is we actually designed a holding co where wastely out of that hold co in the firm, we own different venture companies that are across different asset classes, and then we own direct assets that are revenue producing machines. 

Speaker 0

Okay. 

Speaker 2

So what so in that, it's like the GP stakes vehicle. And so we allow our credit investors come into that GP stakes vehicle. Mhmm. On top of that, we are the sole LP and we own an RAA that serves an evergreen fund. The evergreen fund is a forty act fund, which then allows the retail investors to invest alongside that GP Stakes vehicle, and we can invest across the sports asset class. So it's kind of it's almost like a it's like a sports version of Berkshire Hathaway is what it is. 

Speaker 0

That's really cool. That's awesome. Okay. So and when did that that all come together? How recently? 

Speaker 2

So we had been working on this, you know, the COVID, pre covid. It oddly enough, we actually started really getting the ideas on this probably pre COVID with my with my colleagues. Mhmm. But it wasn't really until post that we actually started pulling the trigger on it with legislation changes and getting going. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. 

Speaker 2

We knew we didn't wanna do a traditional two and twenty fund. We didn't wanna do a special, you know, SPV around this. We really wanted to make sure that this is the appropriate vehicle. And so we we assembled this over years, but we officially launched January of twenty twenty four. So we just rounded our one year mark. 

Speaker 0

Okay. 

Speaker 2

And here we are growing so that, this year actually, I'll say that this. The end of we're actually announcing some big things at Super Bowl this year, and by the end of twenty twenty six, we'll probably be at about one point two five billion assets under management. 

Speaker 0

That's awesome. And can you name any of your partners right now? 

Speaker 2

So actually, yes. I'll say a couple of the partners. We are a blind pool, but so we formed this with a gentleman named Jeff McDermott, who is a real estate, just mobile extraordinaire. He's fantastic and really smart on the GP stakes and investment side. And then Marcus Colston who's a I should actually know this by heart, but I think he's a ten year NFL veteran played 

Speaker 0

with That's right. 

Speaker 2

Ten years with the New Orleans Saints. And so he and I, we've been good friends for a long time. We actually, worked together for a company that serves the NHL and timing gates, and we've got together before COVID. And then post COVID and all this inflection, that's where I'm like, guys, let's let's do something together. 

Speaker 0

Nice. I used to love watching him, and, I think he's gonna be on the our show soon. Used to love watching Drew Brees throw throw tons of passes to him. So 

Speaker 2

Yeah. Well, I think you'll like it too because he has a very similar path, and we're coming in, a similar cloth, although he's much more reserved than I am. Maybe it's the fighter mentality versus the wide receiver mentality. But, you know, he's he's a gentleman who transitioned out of sport, you know, and really made sure that same thing that he couldn't do football forever, and he is probably twice as good of a human being as he ever was a football player. 

Speaker 0

That's awesome. I wouldn't say most NFL wide receivers are super reserved, but I I do remember him being like that. So, not that I know him, but just from watching from a distance. But yeah. So okay. So anything else you wanna add as far as what you're up to today with with your company? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. You know, I I'll, I touched on this briefly, so I'll go a little bit more in-depth. So we're gonna be at Super Bowl down in New Orleans this year. Yeah. So we're announcing that Evergreen Fund. And so the Evergreen Fund, like I said, the cool thing about this is we're investing across the board in sports asset class. So emerging teams and leagues to real estate alongside sports. Everything from sports tech down to sports medicine and fan engagement and experiences, both for the athlete and the teams or I'm sorry, athlete and the individuals. And so, what's cool about this is we I won't share, but we have some very big names on our cap table. And so people get to invest alongside the biggest names in sports and the sports they love. And then if they love real estate, it's part of our portfolio too. So not only do you just get to dabble in real estate if that's kind of the niche and the thesis, but then you get to be diversified across something that's outperformed the markets for the past sixty years. So I would tell everybody to take a look at what we're doing, join our wait list if you'd like, and it's a it's a kind of a cool experience to be part of. 

Speaker 0

That's awesome. And and like you said, it's not just it's for accredited and non accredited investors. Right? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. Nonaccredited investors can literally even come in for five hundred bucks. So this isn't something where I'm doing a hard pitch to come into the fund. This is just join our wait list and come part of the action and watch. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. Awesome. Before I get to some other more rapid fire questions, looking back, what's one mindset shift that you think we can learn or or take from your story that we can, you know, put to work as far as putting for the for the investor listening, a mindset shift that they need to make to create a state of mental fitness to be able to stay take decisive action in investing. So what's a mindset shift that you've used that the listener can use to take action in real estate investing specifically? 

Speaker 2

You know, I've kinda mentioned this, couple different times, but it's really hit it on the nose on two different spots. Number one is you have to have that abundance mindset. So, again, you have a choice. So Yeah. I don't care if you need to, you know, listen to Metallica or Cardi b or whatever you need yourself up in your headphones or if you need to listen to, you know, a Joe Rogan podcast or obviously your podcast or what you need to do, but make sure that you can get yourself off the couch to make a decision. And then part two is make sure that you are making that decision with the best fiduciary and fiscal mind that you can versus getting your heart into it. If you do something to spoil the dollars because, you know, you really feel bad for this renter or you really wanna replace this couch or there's something going on with your short term rental, don't. Make the actual financial decision. 

Speaker 0

Love that. Awesome. I hear a few personal questions. What, is something that people misunderstand about you, Nick? This this trips people up sometimes. 

Speaker 2

Oh, yeah. That's a great question. You know, I think that, this is contrary, and people always laugh at me when I say this because, you know, former MMA fighter, I always tell people I'm not that aggressive, and they're like, okay. Usually, they burst out laughing, but I firmly believe that you can't get what you don't ask for. Mhmm. And so I usually ask I make an ask often early in relationships because I have a very I feel like I have a very good human barometer. And so if I ask for something, it's not because I'm overly aggressive in business. It's literally because I feel a relationship and human connection, and I wanna surround myself with good people. And so if I'm gonna make if if I want to work with somebody, I'm gonna ask for it really soon. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. I love that. And then if you feel like you're on a mission to do good and serve others, then you're gonna need some resources to be able to accomplish that mission. So it's not really a selfish selfish ask. You mentioned that you alluded to the fact that you wouldn't have listened to yourself, you know, when you tore your ACL. You know, you probably wouldn't have listened to some solid advice. But if you could go back and give your eighteen year old self some advice, what would that be? 

Speaker 2

Yeah. Because I wouldn't have listened. Honestly, it really just comes down to and this kinda fit the adversity to abundance as it just comes down to it's gonna be okay. Like, in that time, you really feel like the world is caving in on you. 

Speaker 0

Sure. 

Speaker 2

And, you know, it doesn't matter if it's, you know, you lost the deal, like your identity is gone, you're injured. There's always this point where you really feel like you're at the bottom of the pit. Right? Yeah. So the nice thing is there's always a ladder. There's always a way out. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. 

Speaker 2

It's never ever ever the end. 

Speaker 0

I love that. That's really good. I mean, it's just it is hard to see in the moment, you know, that the storm will end. Right? But it will. And, if you hang in there, it's not Saw 

Speaker 2

actually a a cool write up. So I'm gonna use this because I went to NDSU in a bison. So the the bison itself is one of the only animals in the world that actually when there's a big snowstorm, they go into the snowstorm versus hunker down. Because they know if they go into the storm, it'll be quicker. So head down and go for it. 

Speaker 0

That's really cool. Little bit off the wall here. If you were given ten million dollars tomorrow personally, not not for your business ventures, could be, but, what would you do with it? 

Speaker 2

Oh my gosh. Invest. Create generational wealth. I mean, I think everybody, who is at that point of investing in real estate or where they're at, they really need to get with an attorney and a wealth planner, your financial advisor. Make sure that you're, stacking yourself and creating moats so that you have a trust. You have trust for your family. Make sure that you're stacking things in there appropriately between assets and and, actual cash. So for me, it would be diversify, invest quickly. 

Speaker 0

Love that. What's one challenge that you're facing in your business right now? 

Speaker 2

You know, this is part of, you know, running a firm is that the markets dictate a lot. You know, luckily that sports is, like I said before, has outperformed the markets year over year, and it's something that is relatively recession proof because people love sports. Yeah. Even during COVID, they may not have been in the stands, but memorabilia sales were through the roof. Right? Like viewership Sure. Broadcasting is through the roof. 

Speaker 0

Right. 

Speaker 2

So there's always a plug there, which is nice. And that's all I have to say is there are market inflections that you have to be aware of. So for me, the most difficult thing is staying onto the trends, what the market's doing, and then informing our LPs of what that's gonna look like. 

Speaker 0

Got it. Yeah. I imagine that does change fairly can change fairly rapidly. So, in your opinion, what's one of the most important personality traits that someone needs to be successful in in your industry or investing in general? 

Speaker 2

Obsession. 

Speaker 0

Obsession. 

Speaker 2

You need to be obsessed with what you're doing so that you know the ins and outs, you can see the blind spots, and you can actually further your career in what you're doing with 

Speaker 0

1. That's really good. Haven't had that answer yet, so that's that's awesome. How about something controversial that you see in, you know, your in your industry that you could talk about? 

Speaker 2

Alright. How about this one? So controversial is every single time that I talk with somebody and I say, yeah. I invest in sports. Like, oh my gosh. Do you own a portion of blah blah blah team? They always think of the big five. Right? So your MLS, NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA. That's what everybody thinks of. And controversial because maybe it's more contrary to public belief, but those increase in valuation over time, they do not make money. They're being stopped. What makes money is the media and broadcasting and all the downstream things along the team. The team is the vanity item. Everything else is what prints cash for sports. 

Speaker 0

Interesting. I didn't didn't realize that. So over time, they could sell for a profit, hopefully. Right? Sell the team, but they're not putting income. Yeah. 

Speaker 2

Exactly. And you're talking about, you know, you know, fifty families in the US that are able to buy a team. Right? And so, of course, you'll be a minority partner or you could be part of, like, Arctos and some of, like, the big groups that invest in teams. That's absolutely true. So you can be a, you know, a super minority partner. You absolutely can do that. Mhmm. You have to stroke a big enough check to make that happen, which is, you know, north, like, five hundred figures or eight figures. But, again, it's a ban of the item. You're not gonna see dividends off that. You're gonna see growth. You might exit someday, but it's it truly is just a nice little 

Speaker 0

stroke. How has financial abundance made your life better, whether that's now or previously? 

Speaker 2

Well, I mean, obviously, finance can be a huge stressors for somebody, but I would say that a lot of financial because you've created those pinch points yourself. You know, whether you've stretched yourself too thin, you've gotten in over your skis, you don't understand the markets and you're placing capital where you shouldn't. Again, it comes back to it's all a choice. But truly, when you find that place of financial abundance where you kind of retrench in, know, and do smart deployments of capital and investments Yeah. It really lets you take a big breath because then you know not only is your own family set, but then you're starting to work for your kids. Starting to work for your kids' kids. And then you can create this generational, piece where that I would say it it it creates this wonderful blend of making so your family has to want for nothing. But if they see you working hard, they want to earn everything. 

Speaker 0

That's really good. That's we've got five or six, really good quotes from this episode already. What is a book or two that you could recommend, Nick? 

Speaker 2

Oh, you know, actually, I got a couple sitting around here. I really even though I have not been briefed in this call, there's one called Smart Brevity, which is a fantastic one. If you're looking kind of the art of a deal and talking individuals, whether that's on email, trying to get a deal across the table, I really enjoy that one. Mhmm. Another one that I'm actually reading right now, I literally have it next to me, is called First Okay. By DeWild, and it's a digital business influence, which is fantastic. And Dean is a guy who's ran, a broker dealer firm and a retail investor firm for decades and is a genius on it. 

Speaker 0

That's awesome. I'm gonna have to check both of those out. Nick Edwards, what is one question I have not asked that you wish I had? 

Speaker 2

Honestly, you've covered a lot. I mean, this has been fantastic. You know, I would say the only thing that maybe, you haven't directly asked but we've kinda surmised is, you know, you've asked kind of my why and the North Star where to go. Yeah. But what I would encourage anybody who's listening to do is, like, I always say my why is that one to many and trying to get, you know, thousands of individuals and affect their lives. 

Speaker 0

Mhmm. But 

Speaker 2

the reason why I want to affect thousands of individuals all comes back to my wife and two little kids. You know? If I can show for them what I'm doing for others, hopefully, they'll do the same. 

Speaker 0

Love that. So it's it's bigger than just you. Right, Nick? 

Speaker 2

Yep. Yep. Everybody's gotta find their super why. If they don't have their why written down, then you're gonna be a stabbing in the dark for a long time. 

Speaker 0

Absolutely. And and like we said before, when then you have that mission, and then it it creates this energy and this attraction that people wanna work with you, and they wanna, you know, jump on board. And, you know, it's just, it's contagious. So, Nick, where can our listeners find you online? 

Speaker 2

So they can find me on LinkedIn just under Nick Edwards. They can also find me at Champion Venture Partners. 

Speaker 0

Fantastic. Anything else you wanna add before we get out of here? 

Speaker 2

I just appreciate you having me on. This has been great today. 

Speaker 0

Yeah. Thank you for your time. Appreciate you. And to the listener out there, we thank you for your most valuable resource, and that is your attention coupled with your time. So thanks, everyone. We appreciate it. Take care. 

Speaker 1

Thank you for joining us on From Adversity to Abundance. We hope today's episode has equipped you with valuable insights and practical advice to elevate your real estate journey. For more inspiring stories and resources, visit us at w w w dot adversity to abundance dot com. If this episode has inspired you, please share it with a friend who could also benefit from our conversation. Together, let's turn adversity into abundance. Until next time, keep building your mental fitness and your real estate empire. 

Speaker 0

Hey there. It's Jamie Bateman. Ever felt boxed in by life's challenges? Dive into my new book, From Adversity to Abundance, inspiring stories of mental, physical, and financial transformation, available now on Amazon. From a former bank robber's redemption to a young entrepreneur's victory over hurdles, these stories are not just inspiration. They're the road maps to your transformation. Whether for you or as a powerful gift to friends and family, especially those who might not tune in to podcasts, this book is a beacon to a life of abundance. Ignite that inner fire and set your course to the life you've imagined. Purchase yours today on Amazon and light the path for someone you love.