You Don't Need More Deals: Get Higher Returns From What You Already Own | Ep. 21

The Tax Foundation Every Passive Investor Should Build | Ep. 25

Most investors spend all their time maximizing returns, but the Sage Investor focuses on something much more meaningful: after-tax cash flow.  A great return means much less when Uncle Sam gladly takes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars out of your hand. So, what’s the “magic elixir” that allows you to take almost all of your gains home, while staying in the government’s good graces? Today, we’re bringing on someone who has saved me and our investors here at Sunrise Capital [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/fund-5-deal-room-new/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=sage&utm_content=ep25] millions of dollars over time—Marcus Crigler [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7/], CEO of BEC CFO [https://beccfo.com/], focusing on high-income tax strategy and fractional CFO services. He’s also my own personal tax strategist.  Marcus clears up the noise about “grouping elections” that so many CPAs have half-baked information on, he explains the “magic elixir” in the tax code that helps real estate investors use passive losses to offset active income, and why having only a tax preparer on your team could cost you tens of thousands in taxes.  This is how to set up your financial foundation so your passive income is taxed as little as possible and most of it stays in your pocket.   👉 Grab Marcus's free Tax Wealth Playbook—the framework he uses to help real estate investors keep more of what they earn! [https://brianspear.com/bec] Sage Wisdom from Today’s Episode:  * The legal way to keep more of your return from real estate investing  * The real estate-specific tax status that allows you to lower your taxable active income with passive losses  * Tax strategist vs. CPA vs. tax planner: which one do you really need as a passive investor? * The “grouping election” that you cannot get wrong, or risk your losses being “locked up” * Questions you should ask a tax strategist before you use their services  — Access Marcus’s Tax Wealth Playbook [https://brianspear.com/bec] Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7/] BEC CFO [https://beccfo.com/] Defer, Defer, Delete: The Sage Method for a $0 Tax Bill | Ep. 13 [https://brianspear.com/defer-defer-delete-the-sage-method-for-a-0-tax-bill-ep-13/] Recommended Resources: * Are you a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months? Build passive income and wealth [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=sage&utm_content=ep25] by investing in real estate projects alongside Brian and his team!  * Learn more from Brian [https://brianspear.com/] and listen to past episodes of The Sage Investor  Connect with Brian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian--spear] on LinkedIn

My Delegation “Playbook” as a Leader of 75+ Employees | Ep. 24

Do you own a business or just a taxing, high-stress, often low-paid job? Without knowing how to delegate tasks, the “business” you run slowly begins to run you. You’re making every decision, signing every check, putting out every fire, dealing with every client communication, and before long, you burn out. I’ve been there too, but made a pivot at the right time, choosing to delegate in business rather than drown.  Now, with over 75 employees, we know the playbook for delegating effectively, whether you’re running a few employees or hundreds. Before we had a performance business, we had only a few people, rowing toward the same destination. I’ll share the Sage principles we followed to build our high-impact first hires, which allowed us to scale with intention, without losing quality along the way. Then, how we went from a dozen or so mission-driven people to a true team of over 50—and that’s when the rubber really hit the road. I’m giving you our delegation playbook, the tests we use before we hire any employee, and the way I personally prioritize what to hand off and what to keep on my plate. With 30+ consecutive quarters of on-time distributions and nine-figures in assets under management, we've proven the system works—and you can repeat it. Sage Wisdom from Today’s Episode:  * How to delegate tasks (effectively) so you can scale your business faster  * The first roles you must delegate to protect your focus and scale with confidence * What type of business are you? The two paths you can go (with very different hiring needs) * How to delegate your capital like an expert CEO (the Warren Buffett method) * Missionaries over mercenaries: why hiring for a great paycheck isn’t enough  * The tools we use to ensure every hire will fit our organization’s culture (and needs) — The Predictive Index [https://www.predictiveindex.com/] Recommended Resources: * Learn more from Brian [https://brianspear.com/] and listen to past episodes of The Sage Investor  * Connect with Brian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian--spear] on LinkedIn Are you a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months?Build passive income and wealth [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/] by investing in real estate projects alongside Brian and his team!

The Sage Principles That Scaled Sunrise Capital to $400M+ AUM | Ep. 23

A decade ago, Kevin Bupp and I ran Sunrise Capital Investors as a lean lifestyle business. There were no huge teams, global workforces, or hundreds of millions in assets under management. It was Kevin and I, finding deals, closing, integrating, and repeating, with some family and friends along the way. Now, in 2026, we manage over $400M in assets. No capital calls. Zero principal loss. Close to a decade of uninterrupted, on-time distributions. This wasn’t from luck, buying at the bottom, or taking advantage of low rates in 2020. This was achieved through disciplined investing and Sage principles, which took us to nearly the half a billion dollar mark. Today, Kevin is on to help me wind back the clock and share the story of how we did it. We’re going through all the lessons: How we went from a lifestyle company to an income-producing engine with a global workforce, the core value that’s made the ride so worth it, how our fund structure evolved to get investors the highest true return, and how we made it through the pandemic, interest rate shocks, and learned a new asset class we knew nothing about that in turn made our investors millions.  Sage Wisdom from Today’s Episode:  * How we scaled from a small lifestyle company to a $400M+ AUM business  * Why outsourcing the wrong things as you grow can slow you down, not speed you up  * Making your way through “the fog” when running a small (but quickly scaling) business  * The principles that allowed us to buy, while our competitors were stuck on the sidelines  * The mom-and-pop asset class still years behind other industries that we’re doubling down on  * How our fund structure evolved to give investors the greatest benefits possible — Invest with Sunrise Capital [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/] Listen to Kevin’s Podcast, Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow [https://kevinbupp.com/podcast/] Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbupp] Lessons That Took Me from a Mobile Home to Millionaire | Ep. 3 [https://brianspear.com/lessons-that-took-me-from-a-mobile-home-to-millionaire-ep-3/] Recommended Resources: * Learn more from Brian [https://brianspear.com/] and listen to past episodes of The Sage Investor  * Connect with Brian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian--spear] on LinkedIn Are you a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months?Build passive income and wealth [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/] by investing in real estate projects alongside Brian and his team! 00:00 Intro 01:33 The V1 of Sunrise Capital 04:39 Becoming a True Business 07:36 Enjoy the Ride! 09:49 The "Fund" Evolution 14:31 The "Massive Shift" We Needed to Make 19:38 Growing Fast...Pandemic Hits 25:12 Remote Hiring Changed Everything 27:37 Moving Through "The Fog" 29:15 The "Buying Spree" Begins 35:03 A Massively Underrated Asset 41:46 Surviving the Interest Rate Shock 56:22 Next Goal? $1B AUM. 58:29 Kevin's Sage Principle

Living Abroad in His 40s, Funded by Passive Cash Flow | Ep. 22

This is what financial freedom looks like. Within a matter of months, Adam Cranmer is packing up his family and moving abroad to Spain—not for a few weeks, but for good. His goal of expanding his son’s worldview is becoming reality, and Adam’s life of European travel, slow days, and savoring Spanish wine has only just begun—and it’s being funded by passive cash flow. When most people think of financial freedom, they think of a pile of money, enough to stop them from worrying—but Adam is thinking of it another way. Will my investments produce steady, durable cash flow that can cover my family—even when work stops? In this episode, Adam shares his wisdom from over a decade of battle-tested investing, how he grew a sizable active portfolio, became an LP, and eventually switched from aggressive acquirer to Sage steward of his family’s wealth. He’s hit his financial freedom goal and shares the pitfalls that could have delayed his journey as a passive investor by years if he had listened to all the noise from speculators. Adam’s life may seem like a dream, but for many passive investors, it’s closer to reality than they think.  Sage Wisdom from Today’s Episode:  * How Adam, only in his 40s, is already living the life most investors dream of  * The different levels of financial freedom and the one that will secure you a worry-free future * Why the shift from accumulation to stewardship is the most important move a Sage investor makes * How the operator, not the deal, gives investors peace of mind and real passive income  * Mistakes passive investors make and easily fall into that will lose them money, and delay their freedom * Why the wealth you build today is really about the worldview you give your children tomorrow — Connect with Adam on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcranmer] Bet on the Jockey: Why a Great “Deal” Doesn’t Guarantee Returns  | EP. 19 [https://brianspear.com/bet-on-the-jockey-why-a-great-deal-doesnt-guarantee-returns-ep-19/] Recommended Resources: * Learn more from Brian [https://brianspear.com/] and listen to past episodes of The Sage Investor  * Connect with Brian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian--spear] on LinkedIn * Are you a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months? Build passive income and wealth [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/] by investing in real estate projects alongside Brian and his team!  00:00 Intro 01:32 You've Built Wealth, Now Keep It 05:17 THIS Is Financial Freedom 11:16 Passive Investors Get This Wrong 21:04 What Adam's Investing in Now 28:53 Giving Your Kids a Fuller Life 37:53 The Perfect Day 41:33 Adam's Sage Principle 44:16 Invest in Your Dream Life

You Don't Need More Deals: Get Higher Returns From What You Already Own | Ep. 21

Most wealthy investors don’t need more deals—they need to structure deals more intelligently to survive taxes. Imagine keeping the same portfolio and getting higher after-tax returns without gimmicks, risky tax strategies, or chasing every deduction.  It’s more than possible if you’ve got the right real estate tax strategy.  Today, we’re welcoming our first guest to The Sage Investor podcast, Kim Lochridge, EVP of Engineered Tax Services [https://engineeredtaxservices.com/]. Kim has personally helped me and our investors save substantial sums in taxes by doing what most average CPAs overlook.  We’re going deep on something beyond depreciation, beyond the short-term rental tax loophole—partial asset disposition. Unlike some deductions, partial asset disposition is a one-time opportunity—once the window closes, it's gone permanently. And passive investors, you aren’t counted out of this. These paper losses can lead to sizable passive losses on your taxes, which could benefit your other investments or properties.  Kim unlocks one of the most overlooked tax benefits available to real estate investors, and shares her Sage Principle that every investor needs to hear before signing their tax returns. Sage Wisdom from Today’s Episode:   * How partial asset disposition supercharges your tax benefits far beyond regular depreciation  * What investors must do before 2027 if they’re investing in one specific tax-advantaged asset * Why depreciation recapture is much less severe (and much more avoidable) than you think * How passive investors can use paper losses to offset other income streams   * The two tax “strategies” that (often) aren’t worth the effort  — Connect with Kim on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lochridge-74b21619/] Engineered Tax Services [https://engineeredtaxservices.com/] Recommended Resources: * Learn more from Brian [https://brianspear.com/] and listen to past episodes of The Sage Investor  * Connect with Brian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian--spear] on LinkedIn * Are you a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months? Build passive income and wealth [https://sunrisecapitalinvestors.com/register-for-the-deal-room/] by investing in real estate projects alongside Brian and his team!  00:00 Intro 03:10 Pay Less on Your CURRENT Portfolio 06:06 Do This Before 2027 07:42 Greater Than Depreciation? (Partial Asset Disposition) 15:48 You're Wrong About "Recapture" 18:05 Every Investor Should Do This 22:39 Paper Losses for Passive Investors 27:58 Dangerous Tax "Strategies" 31:29 Kim's Sage Principle 34:43 Connect with Kim!