Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Will Morris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Will thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

It was fall early October when I left my house heading to Nashville for a round of meetings and to attend a Nashville nonprofit gala I had been invited to. This was nothing new as I typically spend a couple of days a week in Nashville to network, meet investors, and explore new opportunities.

The next morning I sat in my hotel room reviewing my scheduled meetings for the day and down a couple of cups of coffee before getting ready. The first meeting was over breakfast with a real estate developer looking for capital to fund their next project. The second meeting was over brunch with a couple of investors interested in partnering with me on some upcoming opportunities. The third meeting was for lunch with a couple of local colleagues to discuss new opportunities worth exploring. The fourth meeting was for a late lunch and a couple of old fashions with a local venture capital firm exploring how we could work together. By this time it was pushing 4:00, I had a few hours before the gala started, and I was in the Gulch which has a gumbo shop with purple haze on tap. Figured since I was there I’d swing in.

The gumbo place welcomed me with its front garage door up, which was nice for a sunny afternoon. I walked in, noticed an eccentric looking fella sitting at the bar, and figured hey I’m here to network, so I sat down beside him, ordered a bowl of gumbo and a purple haze.

He didn’t really pay me any attention which was disappointing because then I knew I had to strike the conversation. He was eating a bowl of gumbo and drinking a draft beer as well, I was trying to find something to say to break the ice. Finally, the bartender asked if he would like another purple haze and I thought there it is. I made the comment “hard to find purple haze on tap ain’t it”, he replied, “yes that’s why I come here”.

That started the conversation, I asked what he does, and he replied “investing” he asked what I did and I said, “business owner and investing”. We went on to talk about traveling, family, shared stories, and experiences, and laughed a lot. After about an hour he asked if I’d like to join him for another drink across the street at the Thompson rooftop, I checked the time and said sure I’ve got a few minutes before I have to go.

We weaved in and out of traffic as we crossed the street like in a New York movie I thought. As we walked into the building the front desk said hi to him as if they knew him, when we reached the rooftop the lady at the entrance smiled, motioned for him to skip the line, and asked how he had been as we walked past her. I was thinking this guy must come here a lot. Lol.

We stood at a table next to the glass wall overlooking downtown Nashville. I told him I was going to a gala that evening if he would like to attend I could get him a ticket. He said “sure sounds like fun”. We discussed a few more investment strategies before I said “well It’s been fun but I’ve got to head out”. I told him I’d call on the way to get his ticket, texted him the address, and said I’ll see you soon.

I arrived at the gala and started talking to my colleagues, kinda looking for this new friend I invited to see if he really would show. Sure enough about 30 minutes late here he comes walking up. I greeted him and made introductions to everyone I knew at the gala which turned out to be a blast. We all had a great time, laughing, and cutting up. As the gala was ending I told my new friend it’s been fun and to be safe on his way home.

The next day I had a couple of meetings and then drove the three hours back home. As I was driving I was thinking about this guy and how fun he was to hang out with. So, I texted him to make sure he got home ok the previous night. He did and thanked me for a fun evening and for checking on him.

Over the next week or so, we texted and talked many times about all kinds of things and some random things. I started to figure out that this is no ordinary guy, his travels and business endeavors which he would mention during our calls were extravagant. I was very interested in what he was doing and asked for details every time we spoke. Through the details, he revealed an incredible history and wealth of almost a billion dollars.

This was shocking as I didn’t think of him as having money and honestly still don’t. He became a great resource, a wealth of knowledge, and most importantly a friend.

I guess don’t judge a book by its cover, have the courage to break the ice, and focus on the relationship.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started as a general contractor doing the value adds for owners/operators on apartment projects. I noticed the opportunity in supplying the projects with the components needed such as cabinets, granite, hardware, etc. I transitioned into syndicating and trying to acquire my own apartments which I found to be easier said than done. I found myself helping a few others raise capital for their deals which exposed me to the capital markets and investment fund space. Since then I’ve continued to build meaningful relationships, businesses, and investment opportunities. I think what sets me and my endeavors apart are being genuine and caring about people. This is what I want everyone to know me as because whether you’re doing business together or investing with someone, it’s about what they will do when the deal doesn’t go right that matters most.

I’ve spent the past 12 years in real estate, private equity, fund management, and entrepreneurship. I’ve successfully launched 4 real estate private equity offerings, served as General Partner Affiliate on 655 multifamily units, value add/supplied over 3,000 multifamily units, served as a strategic partner on other investments, sourced funds for deals/causes, a published author, focuses on leaving a legacy and impact beyond returns. Throughout my career, I’ve built a global network of resources, relationships, and industry experts. In my role, I head acquisitions, business development, investor relation, vision casting, and serve as a key decision maker. As a serial entrepreneur and innovator, I’ve grown and exited small businesses including a NASA patented technology license, continue to grow and own businesses, hold a General Contracting, Real Estate, and Import/Export license.

I’m from a split home, raised on a farm in eastern Kentucky, where we raised cows and tobacco. I’m a serial entrepreneur that’s never had a “real” job with many failed and few successful endeavors. Throughout my endeavors, I realized I’d been creating a job for myself not building wealth. I soon found a love for real estate, investing, capital markets, and investment funds.

I’m passionate about putting deals together and bringing amazing people together to get deals done. As a true entrepreneur with an ENTP personality, I’m always looking for innovation, the next big opportunity, and exploring my new ideas. I cherish being a great dad to my 3 kids and a husband to my wife.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up in a small town you learn many misinformed lessons. One of which is that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in this case meaning that most people from a small town stay in that small town their whole life.

I accidentally found this out by leaving to work for the summer with my father in a “big city” of my junior year in high school. What I found was the amount of opportunity that was available, the number of people, and who those people knew. Needless to say, I was hooked on the endless amount of opportunity possibilities.

This was a big lesson for me, if you want to increase your chance of success you have to go where the opportunity is.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

For the past few years, debt for our apartment deals has been very low. Allowing us to get great terms and leverage on the purchase of such income generating assets. Recently with the interest rates increasing so did our debt rates. This created a problem because it squeezed our deals too much for our liking.

On apartment purchases, we would raise the equity or down payment from investors. In return, the investors would receive a preferred equity and profit share of the deal. This could be anywhere from 50% to 80% of the income and upside. Once the debt rates increased it didn’t leave much meat on the bone for us, we had to figure something out.

After terminating 3 deals due to this I took a couple of weeks to figure things out. One day I had a random deal sent to me but it was someone looking to sell their business, not real estate. With my background and track record in business, I love a good profitable business. I responded and requested more information. After digging in it was a fantastic deal and with debt leverage, I was looking at a very profitable deal.

With this newfound knowledge, I started looking for more businesses for sale. What I found was a great opportunity with little competition. Now business acquisition is a primary focus of time.

Contact Info:

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