The Land Shift with Katie Desmarais. Grounded in land. Limitless in life.

I left my full-time job and built a land-flipping business I run from anywhere, in under a year. Now I help you do the same, with the practical skills to actually pull it off.

Practical skills · Time & location freedom · Real income

7‑figure land business built in under a year
14 months of family travel so far, 9 more planned
4 countries we've called home along the way

These figures reflect our own experience. They are not typical, not a promise, and not guaranteed. Your results depend on your effort and many factors. Full disclaimer.

A different kind of freedom

Land is one of the most overlooked paths to building wealth, and a life on your own terms.

You don't need a real-estate license, a pile of cash, or permission to start. You need the right strategy, the confidence to take the first step, and someone who's done it to walk beside you. That's what The Land Shift is for.

Aerial view of wooded land with road access
Grounded in land. Limitless in life.
Katie Desmarais, founder of The Land Shift Save your photo as
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Freedom
grows here

Meet your coach

Hi, I'm Katie Desmarais.

A few years ago I was working a job that didn't fit the life I actually wanted. Then my husband Brian and I found land. We started buying overlooked, unused, and problem properties and turning them around. We built our company, Patriot Plots, into a seven-figure land business, and I walked away from my full-time job within the first year.

Today we run it as a family while raising our two kids and slow-traveling across Latin America. The Land Shift is where I teach you to build the same kind of freedom. Grounded in land, limitless in life. Whether you're just curious or ready to go all in, there's a place for you here.

Before all this, I spent over a decade in sales. The staffing and recruiting world is sales at its core, and I rose to Area Vice President at Randstad, a global staffing leader, leading sales teams, hitting aggressive targets, and running multiple divisions. I also advised people on their careers and earned my Master's in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs. So coaching isn't a leap for me. Selling, leading, and guiding people through change is what I've done my whole career. With me, you get all of it.

  • 10+ years in sales & sales leadership
  • Former Area VP, Randstad
  • Master's, Counseling & Student Affairs
  • B.A. Communication Studies
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More expertise in your corner

You don't just get a coach. You get our whole playbook.

Behind The Land Shift is my husband and business partner, Brian. He's the reason we understand the money side of land that most people never learn.

Brian Desmarais

Co-founder, Patriot Plots · U.S. Army combat veteran

Before we built our seven-figure land business, Brian spent over a decade in real-estate and small-business finance. As a Vice President at Customers Bank he managed a $49M SBA loan portfolio, and as a commercial lender he underwrote more than $250M in real-estate loans and ran a fix-and-flip lending program. He knows exactly how deals get financed, valued, and structured, and that knowledge is built into everything we teach you.

  • U.S. Army combat veteran (Iraq deployment)
  • 10+ years in real-estate & small-business finance
  • Managed a $49M SBA loan portfolio (VP, Customers Bank)
  • Underwrote $250M+ in commercial real-estate loans
  • Real-estate investor & former licensed agent

As seen on

Featured on top land & real-estate podcasts

What you'll learn

Three things every land business needs

Practical Skills

Learn the strategies that actually work for finding, valuing, and moving on land. No guesswork, no fluff.

Time & Location Freedom

Build a business that fits your life. One you can run from anywhere, on a schedule you actually choose.

Grow & Scale

Create lasting impact and income. Turn your first wins into a repeatable, growing business.

The real thing

Real land. Real deals.

This isn't theory. It's the actual business. Real parcels we've bought, sold, and helped move.

Aerial view of wooded acreage under a clear sky
Wooded acreage, ready for its next owner
Aerial view of a sold lakeside land parcel
Just sold, lakeside acreage
Land parcel marked with approximate property lines
Knowing exactly what you're buying

Work with me

Two ways to work together

Get hands-on coaching for yourself, or have me train your team in sales. Both include 2 small-group strategy & sales calls every month.

I keep it personal. I usually work with just 8 clients at a time, so spots are limited.

For business owners

Owner Coaching

High-touch, private coaching for you, the owner. We work through your business, your market, and your real deals together, with support whenever you need it.

  • 2 private 1-hour 1:1 calls every month
  • 2 small-group strategy & sales calls every month
  • Round-the-clock support between calls
  • Built for the business owner

Inquire within· 3-month minimum

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For your team

Team Sales Training

Hand the sales training to me. I work directly with your team members, sharpening their sales skills, so you don't have to do the training yourself.

  • 2 focused 45-minute sales calls every month
  • 2 small-group strategy & sales calls every month
  • I train your team members directly
  • Focused on sales skills & conversion

Inquire within

Inquire for Details

The path

How the shift happens

  1. 01

    Get grounded

    We start with a conversation about where you are and where you want to go. No pressure, just clarity.

  2. 02

    Build the skills

    You learn the practical strategies that work and apply them to real land, with guidance every step.

  3. 03

    Grow your freedom

    You turn first wins into momentum. A business that grows your income and gives back your time.

Who it's for

Is The Land Shift right for you?

I'd rather be honest up front than waste your time. Here's who tends to thrive in this work, and who doesn't.

This is for you if…

  • You're ready to stop trading all your time for money
  • You want real income, without a real-estate license or a pile of cash to start
  • You'd rather follow a proven, practical system than piece it together alone
  • You want a business you can run from anywhere, around your family and life
  • You're coachable and willing to act on what you learn
  • You're building something that lasts, not chasing an overnight win

It's probably not the right fit if…

  • You're looking for passive income with zero effort
  • You want a get-rich-quick scheme or overnight results
  • You're not ready to take the first step or do the work

And that's okay. Better to know now.

Read that first list and thought "that's me"? See how we can work together →

Client stories

In their words

I started working with Katie just over a year ago, completely new to land flipping and doing every part of the job myself. Since then my team has grown to three people, I've taken deals full cycle with a strong pipeline behind them, and I've been able to leave my W-2 to pursue this full time!

Katie has saved me a ton of time, money, and headaches while scaling — especially around the structure of the business and how to go about hiring. She has an answer for every question I bring to our meetings, but what's more valuable is she understands what I don't even know I need to be thinking about yet, based on where I am in the journey.

When I started this, my vision was to leave my W-2, be location-independent, and travel. That's a big part of why I wanted to work with Katie in the first place — she and her family are already living that exact life. Now the W-2 is behind me and I'm planning the travel. It has been great being coached by someone who's already done the thing you're working toward.

I started as an employee juggling every moving part of this business. Now I'm an operator managing a team. I'm excited to keep working with Katie to become a true owner!

Brendan T. Land coaching client

When I first started working with Katie, I thought I was only going to learn how to become better at sales and land acquisition, but the work that we did has helped shape my life personally as well. Everything we worked through at each meeting not only helped me specifically within my career but has also translated to other areas of my life which I didn't expect.

Katie has this amazing combination of warmth, curiosity, experience and knowledge that makes her an incredible coach and teacher. I can't recommend working with her enough — she will honestly transform your life no matter what line of work you do.

One of my favorite things about Katie is how much she genuinely cares. I never felt like just another client. She always celebrated my wins, helped me work through tough conversations, and challenged me each meeting, which is how I was able to grow and develop so quickly — not only in my career but also in my personal life.

I can't recommend working with Katie enough. She has given me skills that I'll use for the rest of my life!

Kim M. Land sales coaching client

From the blog

Four Passports: living outside the box

The land business is what makes the life possible. On our blog, Brian and I share the honest version. Real numbers, real logistics, real life with kids, as we slow-travel from Florida to Uruguay, Costa Rica, and beyond.

Read Four Passports
The Desmarais family slow-traveling abroad
Four passports, one open question: where do we call home?

No rush

Not ready in the next 90 days?

If you're just gathering information for down the road, leave your email and I'll keep you in the loop. Occasional land-flipping tips, and a heads-up when the timing's right for you. No pressure, no spam.

Let's talk

Ready to start your shift?

The easiest first step is a quick, no-pressure call. Grab a time that works for you and we'll talk through where you are and what freedom could look like.

Book a Free Call
  • No pressure, no hard sell
  • Real answers to your questions
  • A clear next step for you

Prefer to write first? Send a message below and I'll reply personally. Or just email katie@patriotplots.com.