What if you could earn like a bank – by lending money, collecting interest, and sitting in the preferred part of the capital stack?
Turns out, you can.
In partnership with Aspen Funds, I recently launched Build Flow One, a private credit fund designed to give investors like you access to consistent income, downside protection, and the kind of intelligent portfolio diversification that used to be reserved for institutions.
This isn’t some niche play. It’s capitalizing on a massive opportunity.
Right now, banks are pulling back from lending, which is opening up nearly $5 trillion globally in private credit opportunities.
Source: Statista
This is creating a structural realignment in how capital will move moving forward, and, for you, an opportunity to build wealth at lower risk – if you know where to look.
Let’s talk about why private credit is on the rise and how you can get in on this opportunity.
Why I Shifted from Buying Companies to Lending Into Them
I took a nontraditional path here. I studied English Literature and Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, which wasn’t exactly a feeder into high finance.
But I ended up as a stockbroker at one of the largest financial institutions in the world, helping clients make sense of asset allocation, diversification, and long-term wealth planning.
It was around that time I read Charles Schwab’s Guide to Financial Independence, and one idea hit me hard: the first dollar you save is the last dollar you spend. True financial independence means building enough wealth to live off your assets – and being able to work because you want to, not because you have to.
That mindset stuck with me.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve:
- Acquired 8 companies outright
- Taken minority positions in 24 more
- Built and exited 3 startups
- Founded Acquisition Lab, where over 875 members have closed $400M+ in deals
- Launched a private fund
- Created the ETA program at the Olin School of Business
- Earned my MBA, secured SEC licenses, and wrote the best-selling book on buying small businesses
Eventually, though, I hit a wall.
At one point, I was operating 6 companies across 3 verticals and multiple geographies. And while everything looked great on paper, I was the bottleneck. There wasn’t enough leverage, time, or capital to keep scaling.
So I made the shift – from operator to investor.
Source: Robert Kiyosaki’s CASHFLOW Quadrant, image via Coach Carson Podcast
I started placing managers in my companies and directing my attention toward scalable wealth-building in the private markets.
That’s when I began putting capital into deals I didn’t have to run myself – what I call my “pizza-by-the-slice” strategy. You don’t have to buy the whole business. Sometimes a slice is enough.
The Quiet Revolution: What’s Really Happening in Lending
Let’s rewind to 1904.
A.P. Giannini, son of Italian immigrants, started the Bank of Italy in San Francisco, which later became Bank of America. He believed loans should be given based on character – not just collateral. After the 1906 earthquake, he famously rescued customer deposits from the fires by smuggling them out in a garbage wagon.
While every other bank was shuttered, Giannini opened up shop on the docks, lending money to help rebuild the city – on handshake deals. He funded everything from the Golden Gate Bridge to the early Disney films.
Source: La Gazzetta Italiana
That’s what private credit looks like. And today, we’re seeing history repeat itself.
Since 2008, bank lending has tightened dramatically due to regulation and capital reserve requirements. In the last decade alone, the number of banks has dropped by nearly 30%. Many are pulling back from small and midsize business lending – creating a $4.8 trillion global lending gap.
Private credit is stepping in to fill that void.
Why Private Credit Deserves Your Attention
If you’ve followed my work, you know I talk a lot about the Wealth Stack: business ownership (active income), real estate and private equity (appreciation), and now – private credit (income + protection).
In this stack, private credit sits at the intersection of cash flow and risk control.
Here’s what that means for you as an investor:
- Priority of Payment
In the capital stack, we sit ahead of equity holders. That means investors in Build Flow One receive distributions before the sponsor or operator sees a dime.
- Collateralized Investments
Every loan is backed by tangible assets – primarily commercial real estate. If something goes wrong, we don’t lose our shirts. We step in and take control.
- Covenant Control
We build custom loan agreements that give us the right to take over the project if it’s underperforming. That’s not a threat – it’s upside. We have the team to operate, if needed.
- Consistent Cash Flow
This is fixed income – but without the near-zero yields or public market volatility. You’re getting monthly distributions with optional compounding.
- Risk-Adjusted Returns
According to BlackRock, private credit is projected to deliver the highest risk-adjusted returns of any major asset class over the next five years.
Source: BlackRock Advisor Center
What’s in It for You?
If you’re sitting on cash from a business exit, saving for a future acquisition, or just looking for more consistent income outside of public equities – this is worth your attention.
Here’s what you get with Build Flow One:
- Monthly Cash Flow: 6% preferred return, paid monthly after a short hold period.
- Quarterly Profit Share: 90/10 split on profits after the preferred return is met – our community gets the better end of that deal.
- Compounding Option: Don’t need the income right now? Reinvest distributions to boost your total return to 11–14% annually.
- Liquidity: After a 2-year hold period, you can request redemption with 90 days’ notice. Most private credit funds lock you up for a decade – we didn’t want that.
- Diversification + Downside Protection: Assets are spread across sponsors, markets, and deal types. Plus, preferred position = risk protection.
- Institutional-Grade Partnership: Aspen Funds has a decade-long track record, a team of 30+ operators, and the infrastructure in place for compliance, reporting, and audit-level transparency.
Build Flow One: A Smarter Way to Earn Like a Bank
After investing in several private credit funds myself, I learned what to look for – and what to avoid. One firm stood out: Aspen Funds.
They manage $600M in assets, have raised $250M in investor capital, and oversee a portfolio of 3,500+ assets. They’ve never missed a monthly payment.
I’d already invested with them multiple times before we partnered. After visiting their team, re-underwriting every asset with a former Goldman Sachs VP, and getting fully comfortable with their systems and team – I was ready to go all-in.
That’s when we launched Build Flow One, our first private credit fund created for the Build Wealth and Acquisition Lab community.
Here’s the summary:
- Target Net Return: 10–12% annually
- Net Cash Yield: 8–11%, with
- Compounded Yield: 11–14% if you choose to reinvest distributions
- Liquidity: 2-year hold, then 90-day redemption window (best efforts)
- Minimum Investment: $50K
- Fund Structure: Open-ended fund with quarterly NAV reporting
- Institutional-Grade Partnership: Aspen Funds ($600M AUM, 3,500+ assets)
And because you’re part of this community, we negotiated better terms than Aspen offers directly. You’re getting more of the return – simple as that.
The Traction So Far
- $100M+ in deals underwritten
- 7 assets in the portfolio
- $15M of investor capital deployed
- 10.46% annualized yield to date
This is our opportunity to step into a market inefficiency and solve real problems while generating consistent income.
Why Now?
Bank retrenchment isn’t going away. If anything, it’s accelerating. At the same time, demand for capital from experienced operators and sponsors is growing.
We’re at a moment where smart capital can step in with speed, flexibility, and structure – and get rewarded for doing so.
This isn’t speculative investing. This isn’t a meme stock.
This is how the wealthy do fixed income.
The difference is, now you can too.
So yeah, I’m up to my ears.
In credit. In opportunity. And in building the kind of portfolio that produces freedom – not just for me, but for the investors I work with.
If you’re ready to step into this moment with us, we’d love to talk.
If you’re ready to invest alongside me, get access to the Deal Room now – or join my investor list to be the first to hear about upcoming opportunities.
