Meet Morris Smith: Entrepreneur and Real Estate Investor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morris Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morris, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I would say during my teenage and young adult life, I have always heard experts, professionals and adults preach about the importance of saving your income. While I agree that having money set aside for a rainy day is important, I disagree with saving the majority of your income, instead of investing it. Money sitting in the bank does not bring you a return that you can truly put toward your retirement. Of course, you need to have 6 to 12 months reserved. However, if you really want to grow your net worth or see your money grow, investing in real estate is the way to go. It’s a slow and most of the time, non-risky investment that can double, triple and sometimes quadruple your money. If the average person believed this and actually put it into action we would all have more assets resulting in a more diverse plan for retirement or path to financial freedom.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I consider myself a blue collar worker. I am a barber by trade, who was able to transition to a new business and brand “Beyond The Clippers” that reaches people who are just like me. I provide opportunities to introduce people with little capital to Real Estate Investing. I specialize in reviving and selling distressed homes, which normally are located in areas that my fellow black Americans live in. I focused on distressed properties because I believe in reinvesting in the areas, which I am familiar and will have the most impact on the community. My goal is to motivate, teach and inspire others to do the same. I bought my first distressed property for $7,500 and I believe that this is doable for the average working person. From the purchase of that home, my journey continued into what is now a million-dollar real estate portfolio. Through “Beyond The Clippers” I offer one-on-one consulting, project management for home renovation and property locating services for off-market deals. This allows people to get the knowledge needed for their own real estate investment deals. This journey was definitely not an easy one. I had pitfalls and life events that slowed me down. However, it was all worth it because the one thing about Real Estate is… it has no expiration date! This year, I have introduced my new training platform – The BTC Training MeetUp. This is a networking community and training program that evolved from “Beyond The Clippers” to expose individuals to new ways of generating wealth through real estate and financial literacy. The goal for the BTC training meetup is to give individuals the tools and resources needed to take control of their own financial freedom through entrepreneurship and real estate investing. These trainings are designed for ANYONE who is looking to learn about real estate, get assistance on how to start a business or receive financial guidance. Through this journey, I have learned how to manage my money in order to become financially free. I have also learned to be patient. Understanding that I had to take things one step at a time and complete one project before starting the next was important to my success. It’s very easy for entrepreneurs to get overwhelmed with ideas and things we believe to be priority. What I have found to be the most vital is the ability to control my time and invest my time where it’s needed most. I am so proud of the accomplishments I have made thus far and my hope is to give others the tools needed to make their goals become reality.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Spots To Visit: Coca-Cola Roxy The Battery The Painted Duck Spots to Eat: South City Kitchen Chef Rob’s Juicy Jerk The Beverly The Krog Market Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give recognition to Ms. Debra Brown for introducing me to Real Estate at age 22. At the time, I had no interest in becoming a real estate agent, but if it was not for her I would have never discovered my passion for the industry. I would also like to give credit to my HBCU alma mater, Stillman College. The faculty and staff helped equip me with the structure and discipline needed for the real world. My journey as an athlete also attributed to my success. Organized sports provided me with the support and mentorship of coaches, which were the closest people I had to father figures. Without all of these things, and the support of my family I would not be where I am today.

Website: www.beyondtheclippers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheclippers_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morris-l-smith/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondtheclippers/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeyondTheClippers/featured

Image Credits
H30 Productions