The Active Duty Passive Income Podcast
The military taught us discipline, leadership, and resilience—but it never taught us how to build wealth or create true financial freedom. That’s where we come in. I’m Markian Sich, a United States Marine turned real estate investor, and I know firsthand how tough it can be to figure out what’s next after service. That’s why I started The Active Duty Passive Income Podcast—to bring you real stories, real strategies, and real success from military investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts who’ve been where you are. We talk about leveraging your VA Loan, Military House Hacking, and proven investing strategies to help you build passive income, transition with confidence, and take control of your financial future. You’ve fought hard to defend the American Dream—now let’s make sure you own a piece of it. Subscribe now and start your journey to financial freedom!
Episodes
Most investors focus on cash flow.
The smartest investors focus on taxes too.
In this episode of the Active Duty Passive Income Podcast, Markian Sich breaks down how military families can use real estate investing to potentially reduce taxable income, keep more of what they earn, and accelerate long-term wealth building.
You’ll learn how depreciation, cost segregation, bonus depreciation, and Real Estate Professional Status (REP...
Markian records this episode live from a hotel room in Indianapolis — mid property tour, mid investor meetings — and delivers one of the most honest takes on passive income you'll hear.
The premise: passive income is the biggest lie in entrepreneurship. The context: this is coming from the founder of Active Duty Passive Income.
In this episode, Markian unpacks the myth vs. the reality. He walks through his 56-unit apartme...
Most people start with single-family rentals.
I did too.
My first deal made about $200/month.
Then I bought a 56-unit apartment complex with my parents as investors, and that deal changed everything.
In this episode, I break down why I switched from single-family to multifamily, including:
- How multifamily properties are valued
- Why cap rates matter
- How raising rents can increase property value
- Why expenses matter so much
- The tax benefits...
This wasn't the episode I planned to record. But it needed to be said.
Your health is not separate from your wealth. It is the infrastructure your wealth runs on. And for most military investors and entrepreneurs — that infrastructure is quietly degrading every single morning before the workday even starts.
In this episode, Markian breaks down the exact system he uses to protect his most valuable asset — his energy &mdash...
The military made you disciplined, structured, and mission-driven. But somewhere along the way, it may have also quietly killed the one thing that made you special in the first place — your wild bone.
In this episode, I get personal.
I share the story of how my dad lit a fire under me with one blunt question, how chasing my now-wife Katya taught me the most important lesson about entrepreneurship, and why the same system ...
Most military investors are holding onto properties right now thinking a low rate means they're winning.
They're not.
A 2.7% rate attached to a bad strategy is still a bad strategy. And if you're PCS'ing every 2–3 years, dealing with compressed timelines, and trying to build real wealth before you take off the uniform — emotional attachment to one variable can cost you years.
In this episode, I break down:
- Why low-rate ...
Hard work gets you paid.
It doesn't get you free.
Those are two completely different destinations — and most military families spend 20 years chasing the first one wondering why the second one never shows up.
In this video I break down the one thing the military never teaches you about money, why discipline alone creates a ceiling you can't work your way through, and what actually bridges the gap between a paycheck and real fina...
You’re Not Behind… You’re Just Using the VA Loan Wrong
Most military members don’t have an income problem.
They have a strategy problem.
In this solo episode, Markian breaks down why the VA loan is either your biggest wealth tool… or your biggest miss, and how most people unknowingly reset their progress every time they PCS.
This isn’t about learning more.
It&...
Show Summary:
In this solo episode, Markian cuts straight to the point: if you're still consuming content but haven't taken action on your first (or next) real estate deal, you don't have an information problem — you have a plan problem. He shares his own story of staring at the military pay chart and realizing his income ceiling was controlled by someone else, then walks through the ADPI First Deal Plan — a simple, ...
In this episode, Markian shares the story of his first commercial deal.
It’s a 56-unit apartment complex outside Indianapolis.
It still pays him $3,500 a month.
It pays his parents $7,000 a month.
This isn’t a get rich quick story.
It’s about feeling stuck.
Staring at the military pay chart.
Realizing your income has a ceiling.
And then finding a different path.
You’ll hear how he found the deal.
What went wrong early...
He Walked Away After 12 Years… Here’s Why It Paid Off
Mike Goering on Sunk Cost, Multifamily, and Community-First Investing | ADPI Podcast
In this episode of the Active Duty Passive Income (ADPI) Podcast, Mike Goering shares the real story behind walking away from a 12-year military career… and why staying “safe” was actually costing him more.
We break down the sunk cost trap, how one rental be...
From Military Service to Financial Freedom: Seneca Peña-Collazo on Real Estate, Reputation, and Building the Right Team
In this episode of the ADPI Podcast, Seneca Peña‑Collazo shares his full journey—from growing up in Philadelphia to serving in the Army, and ultimately building long-term wealth through real estate, business ownership, and intentional team building.
Seneca breaks down how a single mindset shift during COVID he...
In this powerful episode of the ADPI Podcast, Markian Sich sits down with Marine Corps veteran, ADPI Hero, and mobile home park investor Joe Jackson for one of the most raw and inspiring conversations we’ve ever had.
Joe shares his journey from growing up in a mobile home park, hitting rock bottom with no power and no direction, to building and operating a mobile home portfolio spanning 1,000+ pads across multiple states. This...
Guests: Trey Stone & Ian Stapleton
Hosts: Markian Sich & Eric Upchurch
Real estate investor Trey Stone and digital entrepreneur Ian Stapleton reveal how they built massive wealth through multifamily investing, why veterans are uniquely suited for real estate, and how “unpopular” properties can become the safest and most profitable assets when operated correctly.
From turning around D-class neighborhoods to raising ...
Starting With $1K: Military Discipline, Investing Smarts & Defining a Rich Life with Darren Ick
In this episode of the ADPI Podcast, host Markian Sich sits down with Air Force veteran and long-time investor Darren Thedieck, who shares how he built financial freedom starting with just $1,000 and a Roth IRA. Darren opens up about his humble beginnings, growing up in a split household, and the financial lessons he learned watching ...
From Marine Raider to ADU Builder: Finding Freedom, Purpose, and a New Mission with Mark Brookman
In this powerful episode, Markian sits down with Marine Corps veteran and real estate investor Mark Brookman to unpack the part of the military story most people never see—the invisible battles after the uniform comes off. Mark shares how micro–traumas from Afghanistan and Iraq slowly piled up, what it felt like to “lo...
Markian sits down with Cheyenne Wachtendorf, a new ADPI member whose path runs from military service to creative deals—live-in flips, seller finance—and a 106-acre VA loan purchase. Cheyenne shares the mindset behind taking calculated risks, learning from setbacks, and his vision for Walk Squad Haven: real estate development, experiential recreation, and community mentorship.
Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction and Conference ...
From ROTC to Real Estate: Landon Fillmore's Journey of Investments and Identity
In this episode, host Mark chats with Landon Fillmore, a member of the military community who has successfully navigated his way into real estate investing. Landon shares his journey from joining the ROTC in college, to buying his first fourplex property, to managing rentals while stationed overseas. They discuss the pivotal conversations, educational re...
Blockchain and Real Estate: A Deep Dive with ADPI Experts
In this engaging episode of the ADPI podcast, host Tim Kelly chats with Seneca Peña Colazo about the intersection of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and real estate investing. They clarify misconceptions about crypto, likening blockchain to a highway where scams are the driver's fault, not the road's. Highlighting the permanence and transparency of blockchain, the episode dives i...
Uncovering Creative Financing: A Deep Dive with Adam Catledge
In this episode, we welcome Adam Catledge, a Marine Corps veteran and seasoned entrepreneur, to demystify the complexities of creative financing in real estate. Known for his profound knowledge in sub-2s and wraparound mortgages, Adam shares his journey from military service to becoming a successful real estate investor. He elaborates on his first deals, the mechanics of ...
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