56吃瓜网

From a young age, James Dainard learned the value that hard work and a smart investment can have. He grew up in Sammamish, Washington, and started helping his parents out in the warehouse of their small business in middle school. 

He put in a lot of hours and saved most of his earnings. By the age of 17, he had amassed savings of about $25,000, nearly all of which he poured into his first real estate investment 鈥� a land lot with access to the Columbia River. Six months later, he sold the lot for almost double what he paid. 

鈥淭hat first investment definitely got my wheels turning,鈥� Dainard said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really when I fell in love with business and real estate investing.鈥� 

Today, Dainard owns eight businesses all related to real estate. Recently, he鈥檚 even made a foray into television as the star of A&E鈥檚 new show 鈥淢illion Dollar Zombie Flips.鈥� 

Dainard credits his success to two things: his drive to work hard and the foundational knowledge he gained as a Business Administration major at the 56吃瓜网. 

A place for entrepreneurs 

Dainard began his college education at Bellevue College before transferring to 56吃瓜网 Bothell. The real estate investing bug was still lurking in the back of his mind, but he wasn鈥檛 yet sure if it was something he could make a career out of and wanted to explore other opportunities. He was also working full time to put himself through college, so he sought a program that was both affordable and flexible. 

鈥淕rowing up in Washington, I have been a die-hard Husky fan since I was a kid,鈥� Dainard said, adding that he had always wanted to go to 56吃瓜网, but the Bothell campus didn鈥檛 exist when he was a kid. 

鈥淲hen 56吃瓜网 Bothell became an option, that was a big deal for me because it fit so well with what I was trying to accomplish,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I love 56吃瓜网 Bothell. It鈥檚 really the college for people who are entrepreneurs and who need to work. That was essential for me as I looked to build a business.鈥� 

Dainard interned for Schindler, a company that sells elevators and escalators, his junior year. The experience taught him valuable lessons about corporate life and sales, but it also made him realize he didn鈥檛 want a career that would land him in a cubicle all day. He decided to take the plunge senior year and give real estate a shot, interning at a local investment company. 

Through his internship, he again fell in love with the industry and knew it was where he wanted to be. The problem was, Dainard struggled to do well at first, bringing in almost no profits that first year. In 2006, as graduation loomed, he knew he had a difficult choice to make. 

鈥淚t was a jumping off point where I had to decide whether to take a different job 鈥� or keep going,鈥� he said. 

A leg up in business 

Dainard decided to double down on real estate, giving himself three full months to really devote to his dream. With this deadline in mind, he was determined to do things differently. 

鈥淒uring my internship, I was just following what the real estate company told me to do, which was knocking on doors to get sales,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 really applying what I鈥檇 learned in my classes. So when I committed to going full time on real estate after graduation, I really started to systemize the business based on what I鈥檇 learned, which was how to stay organized and follow up and create leads beyond just knocking on doors. 

鈥淎nd just like that, it was like the lights turned on.鈥� 

As he applied his education to his work, Dainard went from bringing in no deals to bringing in two or three a month, and then before long, his monthly income was at about $10,000. He went from being the lowest-performing salesperson to the highest. 

What set him apart, he said, was his business degree. 

鈥淎 lot of entrepreneurs today say that college isn鈥檛 important, and I fully disagree with that,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y classes taught me how to build systems and a brand 鈥� and that it鈥檚 not just about buying a house. It鈥檚 about creating a business. I don鈥檛 think my real estate career would have taken off without that education.鈥� 

As he looked to build a better model for the company, Dainard wanted to offer clients much more than a transaction. What he created was a system for sellers to transition out 鈥� providing connections to moving and relocation companies, credit repair services, and anything else people might need to feel secure during the transition. 

He provided a value that others in the business didn鈥檛 at the time, and, a year later, he created his own real estate investment business together with a partner. Then, the 2008 mortgage crisis happened. 

A competitive edge 

Dainard had only been in business for himself for a couple months when the global financial crisis struck. While many were leaving the business, he kept going. 

鈥淭he one good thing about the 2008 crisis was that we didn鈥檛 quit like everybody else,鈥� Dainard said. 鈥淚 credit this to lessons I learned at 56吃瓜网 Bothell about how to look at things in numerous different ways. Rather than thinking that money could no longer be made in real estate, we asked, 鈥楬ow do we pivot and create some new systems to pay the bills?鈥欌�� 

For a couple years after the crash, it was all about making it through and paying the bills, he said. His resilience paid off in a big way when the market began to recover in 2010. 

鈥淲e had a competitive edge on everyone else because we were still in the market,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 when our business kind of exploded.鈥� 

Dainard carved out a niche for himself in real estate investing 鈥� creating systems and companies for all aspects of investing. From funding deals to renovating and flipping properties, the eight businesses he has today do it all. 

His success later caught the attention of Bigger Pockets, a company that provides real estate investing education, and they invited him to be a host on their podcast, 鈥淥n the Market,鈥� after he appeared as a guest. On the show, Dainard shares his expert investing tips and advice for those wanting to break into the industry. An A&E producer approached him about being on a house flipping show after hearing him on the podcast. 

Inspiring hard work and resilience 

While he wasn鈥檛 looking to be in television, Dainard was excited by the opportunity to help create a show that could provide real-world advice for novice and aspiring investors. On the show, 鈥淢illion Dollar Zombie Flips,鈥� Dainard and his team partner with rookie 鈥渇lippers鈥� as they turn rundown 鈥淶ombie鈥� homes into million-dollar properties. 

鈥淚 loved that we got to work with newer flippers, because I wanted the whole nation to know that anybody can do this business and that even if you don鈥檛 have any money, you can partner with the right people,鈥� Dainard said. 鈥淔lipping is one of the greatest things, in my opinion, that can help people to get ahead in real estate. 

鈥淚t just takes hard work, and I鈥檓 a firm believer that working hard works.鈥� 

For today鈥檚 students and young entrepreneurs, Dainard advises that hard work together with resilience and passion are the keys to success. 

鈥淕o after what you鈥檙e passionate about and don鈥檛 give up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I had thrown in the towel because I wasn鈥檛 successful in my first six months, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today.鈥�