I am not that smart and overly educated; I also don’t read business books, and I haven’t had a mentor. I also haven’t had anybody to go to about business or finances. BUT what I do have is an incredible work ethic, the ability to focus when it’s not fun, the willingness to take risks, and not being afraid to fail.
I have a chip on my shoulder from growing up poor and embarrassed. I also went bankrupt in 2006 and learned quickly that nothing will steal the joy out of life like debt. I’m just a guy who figured-out financial freedom and wealth — and I am going to share that strategy with you today.
How to build financial freedom + wealth
- Know where you’re starting from — develop a budget (how much money is coming in and how much is going out). Then, live below your means and pay off your debt. Consolidate your debt to make budgeting easier.
- Understand and learn about money — I didn’t have anyone to teach me about money, investing, credit card interest rates, and more. Find someone to teach you.
- Don’t listen to get rich quick courses & seminars — the only person rich will be the person selling you on the idea that they’re going to help you be rich.
- Don’t get caught up in the hype and emotion of investing — FOMO is a very dangerous thing when it comes to money and investing. Fear and excitement both can lead to bad decisions, such as crypto and NFTs. If I don’t understand it, I am not putting my money into it.
- Look for people’s ulterior motive when they’re trying to get you to buy something — ‘an easy’ way’ is a lie, so run like hell.
Other strategies that have served me well
- The more you try, the more opportunities for success you have — remember you may fail with the more you try, however. Don’t overextend yourself and don’t invest money you can’t endure. And follow your passion that you enjoy doing and can make money at.
- Invest in yourself first — I will take a chance on myself and my ability to figure out something. If I fail, at least I tried. Believe in yourself, and sometimes you will find out you can’t do it or that it was the wrong decision.
- If it’s not working, stop — don’t spend any more on the venture than you need to. Be honest with yourself — and also have people around you that won’t blow smoke up your butt. They should not be afraid to tell you the truth.
- Look for opportunities to make passive income — passive income is where you get a distribution, pay back, or interest. This income stream helps to build your wealth and not have all your eggs in one basket.
- Make sure you diversify — as stated earlier, don’t have all of your eggs in one basket. Have a Plan B as well. Salon Posta is an example where I am a part owner of the salon and also get monthly rent from it as the landlord. I make the rent + 26% of profit of the business passively.
- Invest in people and pay them more than you should — some of the best financial decisions have been the people I have hired to grow these businesses. I can’t micromanage everything so I have help — and I take care of these people who have my back.
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