From Lost to Limitless: Michael Thomas's $20M Portfolio

Michael Thomas didn’t take the conventional path to success. In fact, for most of his teen years and early twenties, he struggled with direction, mental health, and motivation. But through a series of unexpected moves — from flipping phones and cars to leading a multimillion-dollar business — Michael transformed his life, eventually building a $20M+ residential and commercial property portfolio alongside InvestorKit.

In this episode of The Property Nerds, Michael joins Arjun Paliwal to share his raw and unfiltered journey: the ups, the downs, the mindset shifts, and why property became his ultimate wealth vehicle.

🚀 From Flipping Phones to Full Financial Freedom

Michael didn’t land his first full-time job until the age of 25. Before that, he was scraping by, completing massage and fitness courses while staying under the radar. But a side hustle arbitrage opportunity — buying phones for $300 on Facebook Marketplace and selling them for $450 on Gumtree — sparked his first entrepreneurial fire.

This evolved into flipping cars and, eventually, entering the automotive industry — a move that changed his life. Despite initial doubts (“I’m not a salesperson”), Michael found success through sheer effort and competitiveness. By the time he left employment, he was earning over $900K annually — and still chose to walk away to protect his values.

💼 The Power of Mastery Over Passion

Michael’s story flips the script on the popular “follow your passion” narrative. Instead of seeking work that aligned with a passion, he focused on mastery — and found joy in being great at what he did.

“Once I got good at something, I became passionate about it.”

It’s this mindset — a relentless commitment to excellence — that would shape his approach to business and investing.

🏘️ Why He Chose Property (and InvestorKit)

Michael was initially torn between stocks and property. But after hours of podcast research, he realised that property was more tangible, offered leverage, and could be influenced more directly. He wanted to multiply his income without being chained to his business. That’s where InvestorKit came in.

“I’m extremely good at what I do. And if any of you tried to compete with me, I would destroy all of you… But when it comes to property, I needed a team I trusted.”

After testing InvestorKit early in his journey — even attempting to “out-research” Arjun — he quickly learned to trust the process. Today, his portfolio spans commercial and residential, generating income that allows him to travel, train, mentor others, and still run a high-performing business.

🧠 From Scarcity to Purpose: Knowing When Enough Is Enough

Despite his immense financial success, Michael remains grounded. His goal has never been about chasing 9-figure net worths — it’s about peace, stability, and impact.

“If my net worth was $10 million or $100 million, I don’t think I would respect myself more.”

He’s made a conscious decision to stop chasing more for the sake of it, and instead, focus on being a net positive influence on those around him — friends, family, his team, and now, mentees through his new mentoring platform: mentoredbyich.com.au.

🧭 Key Takeaways for Investors

• You don’t need passion to start — mastery can fuel it.

• Leverage your strengths — and outsource the rest.

• A great buyer’s agent is not just a deal finder — they’re a strategy partner.

• Wealth is nothing without self-awareness and purpose.

• Property can serve as a hedge against business reliance and burnout.

🎧 Listen Now: Michael Thomas on Property, Business, and Becoming a Better Human

This episode isn’t just for investors — it’s for anyone building something bigger than themselves. Whether you’re scaling your first portfolio or hitting reset on your career, Michael’s story is a reminder that with the right mindset and the right team, you can build wealth, freedom, and meaning — all at once.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode of The Property Nerds Podcast