It’s really important to me. More than money actually is the passion, the enthusiasm, the belief system. I think pride comes before destruction. So I think what I’ve realized, no matter how good I am or competent, I have a limit. That crew of investors found a way to reduce their investment by $14 million in one year. That’s not a good place to be. With the resources I have, that’s what I’m trying to do. And that would be my motivation for growth is to really impact people. But if I can impact that, if this talks to somebody on this podcast and it motivates some change, man, that’s being successful. The next generations, live a lifestyle that’s balanced with-

What’s going on guys? Welcome, Matt. Thank you so much for taking the time. I know you’re doing a bunch of deals up in Iowa, but I really want to start with taking a step back and just kind of see how you got in real estate in the first place.

Yeah, absolutely. A little bit about my story. Been doing real estate kind of inadvertently for over 20 some years. For me, outside of buying my first house, I always had this dream growing up in Iowa. I pheasant hunted with my dad. So big hunting, fishing, camping, family, outdoors, very family oriented. And always had this dream to buy my own chunk of dirt to buy a piece of ground. And so very early on in my life, my wife supported me and it was this journey to find, identify, and buy a piece of ground that we could actually afford. Truth be known, we probably couldn’t afford it when we pulled the trigger. It was everything but Orthodox, super unorthodox. And it’s kind of been the story of my life. I’m a pretty unorthodox guy. And I would say for me, there’s probably six words that really define me. faith, family, friendships, hunt, fish, and camp. So all that tied into real estate, the outdoors, that’s really my focal point.

Awesome. Awesome. And what was your life like before hopping into real estate investing?

Did a variety of careers. Actually, I was a school teacher for some years. Spent a lot of time doing sales. So was always kind of a high achieving, high earner in the sales in a variety of industries. Marketing, financial services, educational sales, all different types of things. But as I kind of got into the rat race, I think I always had this dream to not necessarily be a landlord, but just to own real estate and make a living through real estate. So I actually got my license, worked for an outdoor recreational company for five years, and I did it part-time. So I did it on top of a full-time job. I’ve always been kind of a guy who likes to work hard and hustle, but now I’m full-time into it and that’s the best decision I ever made because what I’m finding is with deals, with energy effort, collaboration, it just takes a lot of time. It’s a big time investment. And so yeah, that’s what I did prior. So spent a lot of time in those realms of insurance and home services. So kind of now I do all things real estate.

That’s awesome. And then take us from there to now. What does the business look like today, full business?

Yep. So our dream is a business. We own and operate it, but it’s called Get Up North Retreats. So our main focus is in Northern Minnesota. So obviously those who are familiar with Minnesota, we’re up near the Canadian border, tons of woods, millions of acres of woods, and the most lakes you can find anywhere. The county that I specifically operate in over 1400 lakes, there’s obviously in Minnesota, well over 14,000 lakes, depending on the size of the body of water, just miles and miles of shoreline. So I’m an outdoorsman. It’s a natural fit for me. Naturally, people are more spread out. It’s less populated. I think a lot of people when they think Minnesota, they think Minneapolis, because that’s kind of what hits the news. And where I’m at, where I operate couldn’t be more different than that area. Super rural, incredible people. Time slows down, hiking, fishing, hunting, outdoor recreation. And so we own and operate a campground up there. We have a variety of cabins, do short term, midterm rentals. And I guess for me, I really operate my business with a heart, a heart for my family, heart to leave something behind, and most importantly, to make an impact on people. So we got a lot of things we’re collaborating on, nonstop looking at projects. And there’s some big things in the works right now. So one of my motivations for getting on podcasts like yours is to help people, hopefully inspire people, but then also to collaborate. So I would challenge someone maybe listening that here’s what I have to say, my personality. I’m pretty comfortable being who I am. If we could connect on something more than just a transaction, something that’s profitable, but something that has a purpose, that’s really what I’m all about right

Now. That’s awesome. I feel like when you focus on the purpose, the money always follows. So it kind of makes sense that way. That’s awesome. When it comes to the campsites, is it buying land, throwing cabins on it for the campsite or what was it like or was it already there? Did you already buy it as a campsite?

Yeah. So these are kind of spread out, the cabins and the lakefront. And then we also have kind of a raw chunk of ground that we have big vision for that would maybe be more of a development, keeping all the natural resources intact. So very minimal footprint on it. But the campground itself actually is a historical landmark. It’s been in existence since the early 1900s. And we’re up in the iron range of Minnesota. So if you think mining community, kind of that blue collar mining community, the wealthy owners of the mines actually wanted because their families were working so hard. Way back in the early 1900s, they wanted a place for their families to kind of get off work and recreate. And that’s how this campground began. Campground at one point time was owned by the Lions Club. Tons of history. It’s 10 acre property and we just completed an expansion plan. So to answer your question, we have a seasonal component. People who actually live at the campground, it’s a community. We live on the campground. It’s a lifestyle business, very family oriented. And then we have in and outs and different structures. And we got some things in the works too. We just got the expansion approved. So went through all the zoning and planning and all that fun stuff, for lack of better words. And yeah, so we’re excited about the future. There’s a passion and a vibrancy for life that we have in real estate. And it really is just a part of our life. It’s a lifestyle business for us.

If you want to get motivated sellers that nobody knows about, introducing 10X TV. If you want to create credibility in your market, find deals that nobody else knows about and crush your competition, you need to check into TV commercials. It is the new buzz in the real estate investing industry since we introduced it several years ago. I’ve been using TV commercials myself for the last 12 years and it’s absolutely crushed it. So if you want to learn how to get on TV and to do something that little to know people are doing right now, go to claimmymarket.com. Again, that’s claimmymarket.com. We usually only work with two investors per market. So if you’re interested, reach out to us and book a call to see if you can claim your market before anybody else does. Now back to the show.

What was the problem if there was a problem that you were trying to solve when starting this? What kind of clicked in your mind that was like, yeah, this is the route for us?

Man, that’s an incredible question. I love it. I can answer it this way. I would say for me, I was a high earner, high achiever. We were your typical take PTO, all the stability in the world and go on vacation a couple different times a year, very stable, comfortable, kind of the quote unquote American dream, I guess. Anyone from the outside looking in would probably think I’m crazy to hang up my career. They really would. The type of income you’re making, the stability, the things you’re doing. And I don’t know, man, how to explain it, but I’m just unorthodox and I feel like the office is not for me. I feel like the best analogy I would give is like a lion in a zoo. I’d much rather be a lion who’s starving half the time, but is chasing the mill than to be sitting in there with all the comforts of the world kind of dying in the soul. And so my why was chasing this dream that I believe God put in my heart, this vision to help impact people. But then practically just to kind of flex the entrepreneurial muscle, to try to reach a different lifestyle, to not be captive to someone else’s time clock, all those types of things that you’re probably talking about day in, day out. And in order to do something that’s as hard as being an entrepreneur in any realm, let alone real estate, you got to work your butt off. You know that, even doing podcasting. I mean, you got to work so hard, so you have to believe in it. And for me, what makes me tick, what gives me fulfillment is to get people away from the rat race, get them in the outdoors and watch them create memories. Had a guy and his son very late in the season on our campground, never camped, never caught a fish their whole life. And so it was super slow. So I was able to really invest a lot of hands-on time with them that I typically wouldn’t. And so I’m walking them through what fishing lures to use and where to go on the lake. And they were able to use a boat we had for rent. And dude, I snapped some photos of them creating memories that were priceless. That’s what makes me tick. That is what makes me tick. And I think there’s also, not to ramble, but I mean, there’s just practical science with mental health and getting off technology, getting away from it all. So I’m a firm believer in kind of this alternative way of life than just going with the stream, with the flow.

That’s awesome. And I know you talked a little bit ago about collaborating with people. If someone’s listening to this and you think your ideal collaborator, partner, whatever you want to call it, is listening to this, what would he look like or she look like and how would you guys be able to collaborate?

Yeah. So when I mention those six things that I’m about, faith, family, friends, hunting, fishing, camping, not that those people we need to be identical in any of those realms, that wouldn’t be my expectation, but that says a lot about who I am. And so I want to connect on those levels, first of all. It’s really important to me. More than money actually is the passion, the enthusiasm, the belief system. And I’d love to make a good living just like everybody else, but we’re in the process of developing investors for some of the projects we have, as well as whether it’s internships. I got two really asks. I try to give back and pour in and all that. And I really need someone on my side who can kind of help me along with a couple of things more on the capital investment to bring some of these dreams to fruition. So that’s one practical ask. Someone that has the resources are like, wow, man, yeah, we’re looking for a next project. We’re wanting to connect with somebody that has a heart and wants to impact people through this. That’s one. And then the other side is I love working maybe with the person that they’re in a position of life where I was, maybe they feel trapped, they’re a high achiever, maybe they’re a young person and they just want to know how to buy their first campground. They want to know how to grow in their real estate journey. I’ve certainly been there, done that, and no question is a bad question. That’s all free of charge type stuff, but I just want to help people. That’s my deal breaker. And so there’s probably a lot of people listening to your podcast in both of those camps. And so to answer your question, that’s who I’d want to connect with.

I love it. I love it. Cool. Now just a really quick word from our sponsor. This episode is sponsored by 10X TV, the secret weapon behind some of the most successful real estate investors in the country. Matt, when it comes to key strategies and a campground, I feel like the marketing for that would be a little different than your residential homes. Where do you go to find campgrounds? And then how do you promote your campground to have other people come and stay?

Well, once again, great question. I’m probably a little non-traditional and unorthodox in this in the days of AI and social media and all the marketing that’s out there. I’m not anti any of those things, to be honest with you. I think I could probably improve in a lot of those areas, but I’m pretty old school in the fact that I believe that relationships matter the most. And so I spend a ton of time during my week collaborating via Zoom calls, networking with, if you think your tourist type organizations, real estate agents, those types of things. I spend a lot of time networking with those people to see what sticks, try to be authentic, true to who I am, and get connected with people. And I found that to be the most valuable way to promote. Obviously, you have your traditional ways to market that wouldn’t be incredibly different, but what I’m selling per se is a memory. It’s an opportunity to create a memory. So for example, and like I said, not trying to defend anybody, but if you created an Airbnb and it’s a caboose, a train caboose, I really feel you’re going to have people come experience that. It’s probably going to be ultra successful, but I don’t think there’s going to be a ton of repeat business. This is my opinion. I could be wrong, but I think it’s like, yep, been there, done that, market off the bucket list, let’s now go to the tree house in the middle of the jungle, whatever. And our business is really different. Our business is really selling the memory. So if we can allow people to come to a safe, family, simple, healthy memory on a lake where they’re catching fish and sitting by a campfire, the consistent feedback we get is five star review, man, incredible. The clutter was gone and that’s really what people are trying to escape when they come to our locations. It’s getting that picturesque sitting by a wood burning stove while the snow’s falling around Christmastime in the middle of the woods. That’s what we’re offering. It’s less about the structure and more about the experience and the memory. And so we’re really big into unique, simple cabin type stays on water and very tactical on what lakes and where on the lake we purchased the buy box is super small, but when they come up, we move forward on them. We take the risk. And that’s who I am. I grew up camping, and so I’m a firm believer in it. Camping’s changed a ton, obviously, so there’s a balance there I have to have. I can’t be so stubborn in my old school ways that I’m not willing to push, but this is a family business. My son, my daughters, my grandchild, my daughter-in-law, we’re all involved in the business in some way, shape or form. So we got a lot of opinions and experiences and hopefully are able to offer something of value. And we’re always trying to improve.

That’s awesome. Would you say most of the people that stay are from Minneapolis or would you say it’s mostly out of state? Or where do you see most of your people coming from? Obviously the longer stay they’re living there, but for people that are in and out quickly, is it more in state or out of state?

Wow, that’s an incredible question also. We’ve done a lot. We’ve spent a lot of time gathering data and most of them are going to be to adjacent states. But yeah, Minneapolis due to the numbers and I think the lifestyle of Minneapolis, we’re only three hours from Minneapolis. So that’s naturally our largest market, specifically on our short-term stays. But I mean, we’ll get people, because you’ve probably heard of the boundary waters, we’re a natural stop for that. A lot of people want to go up north and fish in Canada. We’re a natural stop for that. So we’ll kind of get those passer through. We’ll get a lot of the retired travel in the country and the RV and they’re just needing a place to stay. We’ll get a lot of that. We had a lady from Romania the other day stay in the fall because we’re on a color tour. So there are people out there that just absolutely, their thing that they get most fired up about is the leaves changing colors. They want to come experience that. Photographers want to take pictures of it. And we have some of the most beautiful landscapes there are in the entire world, literally. And so we’ll get people from all over, but the bulk of our business comes from markets in adjacent states and specifically Minneapolis would be our biggest draw for us. That’s awesome.

That’s awesome. Well, what do you see investors in this similar space as you? What do you see them make mistakes that you think could be really easily avoided?

Yeah, I love it. I think pride comes before destruction. So I think what I’ve realized, no matter how good I am or competent, I have a limit. And so honestly, part of my feedback is I think people buy into not being themselves. And so they do what a guru tells them to do. And sometimes the guru’s main business is the coaching or … You know what I mean? And so I’m not trying to diss those guys in any shape or form because it’s pretty admirable how some of these people have grown, but they try to scale too fast. I think they buy things that they don’t really believe in. So when the hard work comes, they’re not able to push through it. But I think generally speaking, there’s a risk meter. And if you got into the algorithm on YouTube or Facebook, you’re going to start getting things pushed at you that are going to really push your risk meter, maybe to a level that’s not healthy. I was talking to a guy, he’s been doing it 20 some years. He underwrites campgrounds. I was talking to him the other day and I was just like, dude, man, the market can be tough at times. It just doesn’t care. It’s brutal. And just kind of picking his brain. And he was telling me he had a customer that scaled too quick and they got in with all this whole craze of buying RV parks and they had about $26 million that they got loans for. They were able to get them. They were valued that high. Bought four or five RV parks, 26 million. And then he said within 12 months, the bank had to go back out and reappraise it the first year and they’re valued at 12 million. So that crew of investors found a way to reduce their investment by $14 million in one year. That’s not a good place to be because when you’re trying to scale quick, you’re usually borrowing from equity, the whole thing we could go into. And so I think scaling too fast and probably placing more trust in a guru than in being true to yourself. I know that probably sounds cheesy, but I really mean that. I really do mean that. It’s probably slowed me down in my speed, but I feel good about the investments I have. And that’s one thing I’m doing this year is I’ve made a decision. I just wanted to scale, go get another couple successful ones. And I just made a decision, “You know what? I’m going to pour more money, energy, effort into what I have and developing what I have than going out and buying new.” And I think, hopefully, we’ll see, that’ll be a wise decision.

Yeah, I love it. Success is a funny word. I feel like everyone’s got their own definition. Everyone chases for it differently. How do you measure success? How do you define the word success? And then how do you strive for it every day?

Yeah. For me, success directly comes from my faith. I’ll be honest with you. I believe that if I can love God well and honor God and then love people and honor people well, that I’m being successful. I think that’s what I’m here for to do. And like I said, not trying to be ultra out there with that, because I know there’s probably different reception to that, but I really mean it. I mean, I think there are people who are going to die with a ton of real estate investments, a ton of money in the bank, have done some incredible feats business wise and bank account wise. And for me, I am trying to leave a legacy that will truly impact people, but not for myself, for maybe the investors that are a part of the team, and then obviously the lives that are being changed. When you start researching health and wellness, you look at our first responders, the military, kids being brought up in an AI age and technology, I mean, you’re talking life or death situations. The ability to have a life that’s thriving versus a life that’s just barely surviving. And so if I can make a small impact on that for my own family and for people I care about and for strangers, I think someday when people are gathered around my gravestone, that’s what being a success is. And yeah, I’ll go to the grave, believe in that. I’ve had people, I don’t know about you know, but I’ve had people in my toughest times. I’m talking like hit, rock, bottom, No place to go other than up and terrible. Weeping, life is terrible. Lend a handout to me. And so I feel this moral obligation to do the same for others. And with the resources I have, that’s what I’m trying to do. And that would be my motivation for growth is to really impact people. But the myth in real estate and every life is that we’re guaranteed tomorrow. We’re not. I’m not. We know it, but are we living in a way that really firmly believes that? No, a lot of people aren’t. They need to push pause and reflect and do that. And so if I can impact that, if this talks to somebody on this podcast and it motivates some change, man, that’s being successful to me.

That’s awesome. I would argue most people, in fact, don’t do that. So yeah, definitely would agree with you on that. Who has been the biggest influence for you in real estate?

Wow. In real estate specifically, the biggest influence would be my family. There’s zero chance I would be where I am or doing what I’m doing apart from my wife and my children. My grandchild, my grandson was born, and we all lived on the campground. It was a lot of hard work. And so I got pictures of me holding him with his feet in the water. It’s the first time he ever had his feet in the water on our lakefront of the campground and our properties and stuff like that impact me. I care deeply about them. I care that the next generations live a lifestyle that’s balanced with push and grind and hustle and hard work and having a heart to help people, to impact people for their faith and for their world. And so it’d be interesting, this is something a lot of podcasts don’t do, but it’d be interesting to actually interview some of my family and to see, am I just all lip service or is this stuff that we’re really doing? That’s where the rubber hits the road. But we’ve gotten to see the impact. It’s all about relationships. We are definitely unique in the community we’re trying to create on our campground and with our properties. And I mean, these are literally, we call them our lake family. So it’s less money lots of times, but it’s really rich seasons of life where you get a lot of time together. I’m sure you’ve sat around a campground fire or sat around a fire and just probably some of your best memories. A lot of people haven’t experienced that ever. I can’t even imagine.

Yeah. I definitely had a lot of bonfires in the day, that’s for sure. Yeah.

That’s Awesome.

Awesome. Yeah. Well, where can people connect with you if someone is interested in maybe working with you or partnering with you or maybe has some capital to land, where can people come and find you?

Yeah. So my business is GetUpNorthRetreats. So getupnorthretreats.com is the webpage. It has all our socials on there and emails. I can be found on LinkedIn as well, my last name, Matt Holmes, but all that stuff’s connected through that website. So probably the best place to, if you wanted to directly email me would be info@getupnorthretreats.com. And I really mean it. I really would love to connect. If there’s any way I can help somebody, open to it and also not going to pretend like I have it all figured out. So I’m always open for connecting and collaborating with people too who have similar vision. Awesome.

Awesome. I love it. Well, Matt, thank you so much for taking the time. It’s been a pleasure. Everyone, thanks for watching and we’ll see you next time. All right.

Thanks, Noah. Appreciate it.