Financial Advice

Summary - 3 paths to wealth: ownership, sales, and specialization. All three require investment.This concepts must be mastered to succeed in the first two, which also require less to start.

Body -  Contrary to what the majority of people believes, most well off and wealthy people (in the U.S. anyway) did not inherit their wealth. The top .001% is a different story. But the 1%? Over half of those people don't even fit the definition of what wealthy truly means. 1% starts at $400k/year in income for a household... that's middle class.

In my experience, most well off and wealthy people come from lower-middle-class families. There's some misinformation on what this means, but lower-middle-class is usually defined as owning property and not living paycheck to paycheck. They can afford to put their kids through private school, but may choose not to. Usually these people are salaried employees who make a good living but do not possess a high ceiling to break into the wealthy class. When this fact dawns on their children (usually around 15-25 years old), they usually make it their mission to do so.

There are three paths to real wealth: ownership, sales, and specialization.

1. Ownership


This is just what it sounds like: owning something. A business, a building, land, oil rights, equity etc. Usually ownership goes hand and hand with Passive Income, which means that if you're in Argentina or Italy or Turkey smashing on some strange, you're making money anyway.

Passive Income allows you to focus your time on ways to expand your Earned Income or new ventures for Passive Income. The more Passive Income you have, the more money you make just by breathing.

Buildings, land, and property are all usually good investments. Owning your home, however, should not be seen as an investment. Yes, you build equity and have ownership, but it doesn't provide you a revenue stream. A rental does. If you're making an extra $4,000 a month on renting out a place.

Owning stocks/bonds usually provide you a revenue stream (if you buy and hold), and are filed under ownership as well, since you either own equity or debt in/of a company.

More examples: A guy makes 200k a year for 30 years, and he receives raises that go up with inflation.

Saves up for a down payment for years. He buys a $1.4 million dollar house. Pays the mortgage for 30 years. Retires with the house paid off and lives off his 401k. Not the slightest bit wealthy. Comfortable? 

Same guy makes 100k a year with raises that match inflation. He saves enough to put 5% down on a 1 br condo by the beach getting and gets a mortgage to finance it. He turns it into a vacation rental. Rental blows away his mortgage payment and he can now save twice as fast. He saves up a 20% down payment this time and buys a two bedroom condo by the beach. Rinse and repeat, increasing scale each time. This same guy could quit work at 40 and live off his revenue streams the rest of his life. Or he could keep at it and become first generation wealthy.

Business Ownership usually involves much more commitment, initial investment (of time and--usually--money), but can absolutely CRUSH what you can do with property. Look at the guy who started Home Brew Mart / Ballast Point Brewery. Just a guy who thought the beer in the 90's was bad and wanted to make beer that tasted good. That man is first generation rich. But he's 20+ years invested. You think he needs to manage day-to-day operations now?  He pays people who pay people to do that.

Property and business ownership require the ability to negotiate, manipulate, and--most importantly--create value (in yourself and something else).

2. Sales

You 1) FIND, 2) CONVINCE, and 3) GET THE SIGNATURE ON THE LINE THAT IS DOTTED from someone who is receiving something they want or need. All three parts are of equal importance. Some people are incredible marketers, some can convince people that Jesus really did heal them with the holy water, and some can knock it dead on the close. Rarely can someone do all three.

The ones that can (and who are selling something of extreme value), are usually well on their way to being wealthy. Look at the best real estate agents in your area... those guys (and gals) crush it. You think you can do what they do? No, you can't. Not without a ton of work perfecting your craft and 15 hour days. And, by the way, they make a lot more than you think they do.

In sales, you eat what you kill. It's truly the 21st-century adaptation of the alpha.

What's great about sales is that it literally requires no start-up cost other than some time and energy. Borrow a suit, buy Zig Ziglar's books for 1 cent online, and get to work. It will bleed into all aspects of your life more than anything you can imagine. You become more social and fun to be around... people see you as likable, but you still get thing done. People will respect you more because you will show them value in things. In general, others will desire to be around you. You dress well, you speak well, and you become a master of giving people what they desire: for a price.

3. Specialization


Not going to cover this one as deep, as it usually requires a ton of school or a lot of alone time (coders, for example). Usually 12-15 years of training. Think of brain surgeons, super specialized engineers, business consultants for narrow fields, investment banking (blend of sales and specialization). You usually have to get into this fairly early in life. The other two can be done at any point.

Take Away - Do you desire wealth? Then quit wasting the most scarce resource of all: your time. Get to work and build a better life for yourself.