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Builders of Authority
Builders of Authority is the go-to podcast for entrepreneurs looking to level up their game in all facets. With a focus on personal branding and growing your business, host Adam McChesney, brings on high level entrepreneurs who have experience growing companies through branding. You will learn tactics and strategies, not theories, from guests on the podcast while understanding what you need to do in order to reach new levels of success.
Builders of Authority
How James Gleeson Built a $60M Real Estate Portfolio
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What does it really take to build a $60 million real estate portfolio starting in your early 20s?
In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with James Gleeson, a St. Louis real estate investor and serial entrepreneur, to break down how he went from college basketball and mechanical engineering to owning more than 450 rental units.
James shares how he built the majority of his portfolio without syndications, using the BRRRR method to create equity, recycle capital, and scale faster.
In this conversation, Adam and James discuss:
• Transitioning from college athletics into real estate investing
• Building a portfolio of more than 450 rental units
• How the BRRRR method works: Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat
• Using leverage to grow without constantly putting in new capital
• Underwriting deals and understanding net operating income
• Why long-term cash flow matters for protecting equity
• The tax advantages available to real estate investors
• Depreciation, refinancing, and real estate professional status
• Vertically integrating construction, property management, lending, and education
• Managing the operational chaos that comes with rapid growth
• The connection between an athlete mindset and entrepreneurship
• Why execution matters more than endlessly consuming information
James also explains why vertical integration became necessary as his portfolio expanded. By bringing more of the operation in-house, he was able to create greater control across construction, management, lending, and education.
The episode closes with a conversation about perseverance, taking action, and why gathering more information means very little if you never execute.
🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM:
Facebook https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo
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LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq
🔗 CONNECT WITH JAMES:
Website https://bit.ly/4qRpBw2
Instagram https://bit.ly/3UzdEPG
Facebook https://bit.ly/4x4rd7i
✉️ CONTACT:
Email adam@buildauthority.co
Website adammcchesney.com
Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/
About me:
I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing.
I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. Everything I share comes from real experience, what I’ve tested, what’s worked, and what hasn’t.
Today, I create content, speak, and have honest conversations about marketing, growth, and leadership, with one goal in mind: helping business owners stop relying on last-minute tactics and start building something sustainable.
Built for the contractors the market keeps overlooking.
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