I am wondering if my first steps (past the education part) is to build a network of people who know, like, and trust me through posting content like newsletters, articles, podcasts, doing webinars, going to events (aka build my brand), or, should I first find a deal and then raise capital?

The way I saw it, I got paid to earn an invaluable education even if at the time it seemed it was half the pay and double the work.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

Happy to connect and educate some more whenever your schedule permits!

I'm completely new to real estate and am doing all I can to educate myself in really all things real estate.

Common syndicator game of throwing out huge returns when other funds are going under because they want you to only look at that shiny number and not what their past performance has been@Chris Seveney 25.7% Annualized Return / 21.7% IRR.This was my first passive investment and yes I was under educated, naive and attracted by the expressed returns. 

because we have a strong demand for them and great str laws.The Triangle is visited year-round by travelling professionals in the research, medical, IT, and education space.

In additional to conducting educational workshops, I also write blogposts for their websites.

There are opinions on these forums and people have a right to them and people may take it as criticism. real estate is not a business where everyone is friendly and just as you have shown from whoever was trying to scam you and has nothing to do with doing your best, its about being educated before moving forward. 

Memphis has a diversified economy, with major players in logistics (FedEx, UPS), healthcare (the Med District), and education (University of Memphis, Rhodes College).