Durham architect John Warasila outlines the road to business success: Take equity ownership stakes in the projects you design

California-based architectural business consultant Enoch Bartlett Sears recently interviewed John Warsalia from Alliance Architecture in Durham about his entrepreneurial route to success, where he takes stakes in the projects he develops.

Sears writes:

In this issue of Business of Architecture Insider, discover how one architect, his partner and team have revitalized downtown Durham, North Carolina, and built an impressive real estate portfolio in the process, substantially increasing their personal wealth.

As you create value for clients, why not get a piece of the action?

Architect John Warasila and his team have done just that.

Over the years, Warasila has built an impressive commercial and multi-family real estate portfolio by investing in his own projects, and partnering with his clients on their projects.

John founded his firm, Alliance Architecture, in 1995.

He learned everything from the ground up – how to work with banks and get financing, how to get tax credits for his projects, and how to lease his projects and create consistent cash flow.

He and his partners now own 10 buildings in downtown Durham.

And John isn’t afraid to talk about money – one of his themes is to make everyone rich – both socially and monetarily.

It’s a fascinating story. You can view the interview posted to YouTube here.