In 2007, I was broke, living on my sister’s couch, and I had no idea how to make any money. I was terrified because I was in my early twenties, and I’d never had a real job before. On top of that, I had just lost my dream job of playing professional football to a career ending wrist injury. I didn’t have an entrepreneurial bone in my body. My dad paid for my college education and my training as an athlete, so the only jobs I had growing up were as a paperboy, golf course greens mower, truck driver, and then club bouncer on the weekends at a bar when I was in college. The most I made in a week was $250. I made that much playing professional football in the Arena League, and even when I was a truck driver working 6 hours a day, I still made the same amount.
Life wasn’t glamorous by any means. It got pretty old eating Hot Pockets, chicken patties, ramen noodles and mac and cheese every day as well. Being broke meant I couldn’t afford my own apartment. For nearly two years my sister let me live rent free on her couch. People paid for my meals and any entertainment when I wanted to go out, and I knew this wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life poor, but I had no clue how to make money. No one taught me this growing up. There was no class in school that showed me. The topic of money always was so “hush-hush” in my family that no one was open about it, so it seemed like a bad thing when people had money. I hated the feeling when others paid for my meals; I couldn’t go out with friends and traveling anywhere was always out of the picture. I always looked for the cheapest flights on Southwest, and even those I couldn’t afford if I wanted to go anywhere.
Even taking a Greyhound bus for $39 was a lot for me. I knew my current lifestyle wasn’t working, and I needed to figure out how to make more money, so I started to study the rich to learn how rich people think. At a low point while on my sister’s couch, a mentor recom- mended I go on LinkedIn to look for opportunities. After several months I got pretty good at using the platform and began coaching other people how to use it. That led to the beginnings of a business which then led to me finally making some money.
I remember what it was like starting out, being so poor, where it felt there was no way out. It was like a prison. I was trapped, needing others to support me financially without understanding how I would get out of this prison. It felt like it was a life sentence and that I’d never make money unless … 1. I worked a job I hated and had to sell my soul 2. I won the lottery 3. I got lucky with some crazy investment 4. Someone died in my family and passed on their money Essentially I didn’t see a world where I could make my own money on my terms, let alone ever have one million dollars in my bank account. Today, not only have I generated tens of millions in sales for my businesses, but I have more than 7 figures in my account. It didn’t happen overnight, and it took an attitude shift and way of thinking I never had before around money–making it, investing it and keeping it. The first step? Growing up no one talked about money in a positive way.
Think about your own life — does your family openly talk about how much they make, how much they want to make, how much things cost that they own, etc? Or do they not tell you how much their salary is, or how much commission they made, or how much their home costs, or even what they want to make? None of my family or friends did growing up and we were poor, always living in scarcity, wearing hand me downs, feel- ing stress about money and not having enough. I remember when I turned 14 my dad started openly talking about money more, and he started making more. A LOT MORE!
Some people may feel uncomfortable and won’t want to answer these questions or have this discussion, so make sure to find people who are open to talking more freely so you can understand how money works. Reading this book and thinking about it in a creative way is a great start! You must first change your mindset around the topic. When you receive money or make it, you shouldn’t be scared of it or hoard it. You should treat money like a great friend. Be comfortable around it, talk openly and honestly with it, and allow it to flow in and out of your life. If you look at it like it’s an enemy, then it will only show up that way in your life and you’ll always resist it. Think about it differently, open your mind to it, and allow it to flow in.