15 year old ambitious boy seeks help

[Mial]

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I have just read The Millionaire Fastlane and I have a couple of questions.

1)The book says that we should focus on education via books, seminars and so on and here comes my question:

• Do I focus only on that, devoting all my free time learning from books etc. or should I devote at least 1 hour daily learning stuff for high school and 'keeping my options open'?

2)Many successful people say that you should find a mentor so:

• Should I think about finding a mentor right now or maybe wait for a couple of years?
• If you think that I should find a mentor, how do I choose who I would like to mentor me, as I don't really know what to do in my life (what business to start)? Should I just find someone from any industry that would teach me basic stuff about business, finances etc.?

3)What should I learn in order to manage any business:

• What skills and knowledge do I need to manage any business and what books can I read about it?
• Or which books would help me with my overall approach to life, making money, motivation and that stuff

I would like to add that so far I have read: E-Myth, The Millionaire Fastlane , Purple Cow, Rework, 4 Hour Workweek, The Magic of Thinking Big, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Think and Grow Rich, Awaken The Giant Within, Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant.

4) How do I know what kind of business I want to start?

• Should I focus on looking for needs in the market?
• People say that we should build on strengths so how do I discover my strengths?
• People like Gary Vaynerchuk say that not every one was born to make a business and most people that chase money will loose, what is your view on that?

And maybe you have any special advices for someone as young as me?

I would REALLY appreciate ANY answers to ANY of these.

 

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[Mikkel]

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I have just read The Millionaire Fastlane and I have a couple of questions.

1)The book says that we should focus on education via books, seminars and so on and here comes my question:

• Do I focus only on that, devoting all my free time learning from books etc. or should I devote at least 1 hour daily learning stuff for high school and 'keeping my options open'?

A lot of people on here seem to be "anti-college," and I myself and beginning to see why. High school is a different situation. Stay in school, learn what you can learn. High School is important to learn important skills like Math and English. Do they teach you how to be financially literate? No. So that is where books come in. Do well in High School, learn what you can but don't forget to take some time to learn those skills that are not in the curriculum.

4) How do I know what kind of business I want to start?

• Should I focus on looking for needs in the market?
• People say that we should build on strengths so how do I discover my strengths?
• People like Gary Vaynerchuk say that not every one was born to make a business and most people that chase money will loose, what is your view on that?

Only you will be able to figure out which business you should start. Start off small, learn how to sell. Learn how to work. Mow lawns, shovel snow do things that will teach you about business. This simple jobs can turn into something you can scale, if you so choose too. If I knew this when I was your age, I would have been out there doing just that.

There is really an unlimited amount of options that you have. My best suggestion is to stay on this forum. Read EVERYTHING that you can find helpful. I have been on here for just about a year now, I am just now beginning to understand so concepts about business.
Don't be afraid to fail either. You're 15. You're not going to lose much when you fail, so now is really the best time to do so.

Good luck @Mial and welcome to the forum

 

[daivey]

finish high school, get a good GPA. Focus on that first. Learn as much as you can... you need to learn the basics of life first.

 

[Jon L]

Focus on school, but realize that school is training you to become a 'good employee.' Not a business owner.

Reading books on business is useful, but to be really effective, you need to be putting what you learn into practice.

A combination of school, books and a side business would be a killer combination. Just school and books would give you some small fraction of the knowledge you would gain if you started a side business.

At this point, pick any side business. It doesn't really matter what. Get good at it. Mow lawns. Do gardening. Tutor younger students for pay. Sell on Ebay through your parent's account. Or whatever. You'll learn SO much by doing. And, those lessons will stick with you forever. I recently (yesterday) made a mistake in my business, and you can bet that I'll never do that again. It opened my eyes up to what I'd learned already in other places: from books, and on this forum. Even though I had the head knowledge, I didn't put the pieces together until I made the mistake.

 

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[miked_d]

To further what @Jon L said, look for a hustle. You can make money while learning business/life skills. Depending on what your recreational interests are, there is usually something related where you can make money. Like games? Buy and sell video games.

There is another forum member who is 16 and is flipping bicycles (I cant find his thread right now). He is documenting his progress and learning from mistakes.

** edit **
Found his thread:
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...raigslist-self-employed-work-from-home.68496/

Search for threads on bootstrapping. You will get ideas on ways to earn income for when you have a fastlane business idea.

 

[Mial]

I don't know why but I never thought about a side business! This only is very helpful, thanks!

 

[Jon L]

I don't know why but I never thought about a side business! This only is very helpful, thanks!

This is more advanced than where you should start, but it will help open your eyes to what's available:

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/getting-started-is-this-simple.63602/

(Why is this more advanced? Because it requires a few thousand dollars of equipment. Unless you've earned a few thousand dollars and can afford to risk it, don't. And especially don't borrow other people's money, including your parents'. Why? You need to start with what you're capable of doing on your own. Once you've learned the lessons you need to learn with a few hundred dollars' investment of your own money, you'll then be ready to move on to bigger and better stuff. And, if you start now, you'll have 5 years of experience doing this kind of thing by the time you're 20. That's more experience running a business than most people gain in a lifetime.)

 

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[Andy Black]

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I have just read The Millionaire Fastlane and I have a couple of questions.

1)The book says that we should focus on education via books, seminars and so on and here comes my question:

• Do I focus only on that, devoting all my free time learning from books etc. or should I devote at least 1 hour daily learning stuff for high school and 'keeping my options open'?

2)Many successful people say that you should find a mentor so:

• Should I think about finding a mentor right now or maybe wait for a couple of years?
• If you think that I should find a mentor, how do I choose who I would like to mentor me, as I don't really know what to do in my life (what business to start)? Should I just find someone from any industry that would teach me basic stuff about business, finances etc.?

3)What should I learn in order to manage any business:

• What skills and knowledge do I need to manage any business and what books can I read about it?
• Or which books would help me with my overall approach to life, making money, motivation and that stuff

I would like to add that so far I have read: E-Myth, The Millionaire Fastlane , Purple Cow, Rework, 4 Hour Workweek, The Magic of Thinking Big, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Think and Grow Rich, Awaken The Giant Within, Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant.

4) How do I know what kind of business I want to start?

• Should I focus on looking for needs in the market?
• People say that we should build on strengths so how do I discover my strengths?
• People like Gary Vaynerchuk say that not every one was born to make a business and most people that chase money will loose, what is your view on that?

And maybe you have any special advices for someone as young as me?

I would REALLY appreciate ANY answers to ANY of these.

Good for you seeing there is another way so young.

Be wary of being converted into a consumer.

Reading has it's place, but making a sale is so much better.

This thread by @HoneyBadger might help:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/thats-all.70667

Read the first bolded link in my signature to find a list of people to follow. That should cover it for mentorship for a while.

Good luck!

 

[Aimegit de moncu]

• People like Gary Vaynerchuk say that not every one was born to make a business and most people that chase money will loose, what is your view on that?

only you can answer that.
because only you can create your world and your success. nobody can tell you what you can achieve because all success begins inside. what people say does not matter because nobody knows what you can do but you.
so asking people about your age is irrelevant.

your duty is to follow what you think is true. maybe you will fail in life and never try again, maybe you will be a bilionaire, maybe you will die poor

who knows ?

so just do what you think is true. what people think is irrelevant.

 

[Mial]

Good for you seeing there is another way so young.

Be wary of being converted into a consumer.

Reading has it's place, but making a sale is so much better.

This thread by @HoneyBadger might help:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/thats-all.70667

Read the first bolded link in my signature to find a list of people to follow. That should cover it for mentorship for a while.

Good luck!

Very helpful, thanks!

 

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[AlexCph]

You will truly understand things better when you experience. Dont get stuck reading all the time.

Obviously you should finish high school. But a sidebusiness would be a great idea.

Just remmeber, dont get stuck researching for months. Learn by doing. This is my philosophy.

 

[Crossroads]

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I have just read The Millionaire Fastlane and I have a couple of questions.

1)The book says that we should focus on education via books, seminars and so on and here comes my question:

• Do I focus only on that, devoting all my free time learning from books etc. or should I devote at least 1 hour daily learning stuff for high school and 'keeping my options open'?

2)Many successful people say that you should find a mentor so:

• Should I think about finding a mentor right now or maybe wait for a couple of years?
• If you think that I should find a mentor, how do I choose who I would like to mentor me, as I don't really know what to do in my life (what business to start)? Should I just find someone from any industry that would teach me basic stuff about business, finances etc.?

3)What should I learn in order to manage any business:

• What skills and knowledge do I need to manage any business and what books can I read about it?
• Or which books would help me with my overall approach to life, making money, motivation and that stuff

I would like to add that so far I have read: E-Myth, The Millionaire Fastlane , Purple Cow, Rework, 4 Hour Workweek, The Magic of Thinking Big, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Think and Grow Rich, Awaken The Giant Within, Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant.

4) How do I know what kind of business I want to start?

• Should I focus on looking for needs in the market?
• People say that we should build on strengths so how do I discover my strengths?
• People like Gary Vaynerchuk say that not every one was born to make a business and most people that chase money will loose, what is your view on that?

And maybe you have any special advices for someone as young as me?

I would REALLY appreciate ANY answers to ANY of these.

Welcome, Mial! You're off to a great start with all the helpful advice you've been given!

 

[RHL]

should I devote at least 1 hour daily learning stuff for high school and 'keeping my options open'?

You're 15, not 19. To cease or neglect your normal education now would leave you severely disabled intellectually, probably for the rest of your life. In college you learn a lot of esoteric stuff. In 9th grade, you're learning stuff that you need to be a competent human being. If you're like most 15-year-olds, it's likely that your command of statistics and algebra is pretty weak, and that your writing needs a lot of nurturing and study to really be sharp and polished. Those are devastating handicaps to overcome if you don't need to.

Find a side hustle, hustling will teach you about supply and demand, spotting trends, spotting deals, and how to sell to people. It will teach you about needs. Study up in your spare time, learn a skill or craft that can blossom into a business (copy, coding, etc.). Don't fall for wantrepreneur nonsense, which seeks to turn you into a product rather than get you turning out products. I've never seen ANYONE who makes more than $250,000/yr post a Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, or Gary V. video on their FB pages. A little bit of that stuff after a life of normalcy and slow-lane wisdom will get you pumped, get your mind exploring new possibilities, it will get you ready to start the journey. Too much will kill you. It will become quicksand, it will become a miasma you will never escape.

Cozy up to teachers and tell them your big aspirations. Your math teacher would probably be thrilled to help you understand the math involved in investing, the computer teacher would probably love to teach you additional coding, etc. This is one of the things you'll have to learn-How to entice people. That's the end goal of all entrepreneurship, to figure out what people want. What you should know now is that your teachers want students to take an active and above-average interest in their discipline and knowledge. Do that, and most of them will go to ground for you-getting you ins with potential employers, teaching you things none of your classmates ever hear about, etc., all for free.

Make people feel important, appreciated, and successful, and they will give you whatever you need.

Avoid MLMS at all costs. Avoid everything that asks you to buy rather than to sell. Avoid everything that asks you to take rather than give.

I envy you. If you stay the course now, at your age, you will go on to unbelievable things.

 

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[Andy Black]

You're 15, not 19. To cease or neglect your normal education now would leave you severely disabled intellectually, probably for the rest of your life. In college you learn a lot of esoteric stuff. In 9th grade, you're learning stuff that you need to be a competent human being. If you're like most 15-year-olds, it's likely that your command of statistics and algebra is pretty weak, and that your writing needs a lot of nurturing and study to really be sharp and polished. Those are devastating handicaps to overcome if you don't need to.

Find a side hustle, hustling will teach you about supply and demand, spotting trends, spotting deals, and how to sell to people. It will teach you about needs. Study up in your spare time, learn a skill or craft that can blossom into a business (copy, coding, etc.). Don't fall for wantrepreneur nonsense, which seeks to turn you into a product rather than get you turning out products. I've never seen ANYONE who makes more than $250,000/yr post a Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, or Gary V. video on their FB pages. A little bit of that stuff after a life of normalcy and slow-lane wisdom will get you pumped, get your mind exploring new possibilities, it will get you ready to start the journey. Too much will kill you. It will become quicksand, it will become a miasma you will never escape.

Cozy up to teachers and tell them your big aspirations. Your math teacher would probably be thrilled to help you understand the math involved in investing, the computer teacher would probably love to teach you additional coding, etc. This is one of the things you'll have to learn-How to entice people. That's the end goal of all entrepreneurship, to figure out what people want. What you should know now is that your teachers want students to take an active and above-average interest in their discipline and knowledge. Do that, and most of them will go to ground for you-getting you ins with potential employers, teaching you things none of your classmates ever hear about, etc., all for free.

Make people feel important, appreciated, and successful, and they will give you whatever you need.

Avoid MLMS at all costs. Avoid everything that asks you to buy rather than to sell. Avoid everything that asks you to take rather than give.

I envy you. If you stay the course now, at your age, you will go on to unbelievable things.

[HASHTAG]#goldpost[/HASHTAG]

There's no rush. Enjoy the journey. Do the first things first.

We wary of being the product, and being converted into a consumer.

The best thank you for teachers/coaches/mentors is to take an interest and take action.

The secret to business is that you're building relationships.

The secret to building relationships is to gift your attention.

Great post @RHL. Rep!

 

[Lex DeVille]

Cozy up to teachers and tell them your big aspirations. Your math teacher would probably be thrilled to help you understand the math involved in investing, the computer teacher would probably love to teach you additional coding, etc. This is one of the things you'll have to learn-How to entice people. That's the end goal of all entrepreneurship, to figure out what people want. What you should know now is that your teachers want students to take an active and above-average interest in their discipline and knowledge. Do that, and most of them will go to ground for you-getting you ins with potential employers, teaching you things none of your classmates ever hear about, etc., all for free.

Man I wish I would have thought of this at 15. I was too busy pretending like I knew how people ticked. If I was smart I would have done exactly what you described. Cozy up to teachers. Learn from them. They're connected to everyone in the entire community, and in my experience they teach because most care about helping kids succeed. They know everyone in town. Every employer, because they teach their kids...every business owner for the same reason. Learn from them and they'll happily refer you when you're ready for some kind of work.

Eventually this could grow into life-long relationships. The kind of stuff nobody can build overnight. The kind of thing that makes you the go-to guy in your community. The trusted advisor, or coder, or writer or whatever. Not saying that has to be your path, but it's an opportunity not worth missing either.

 

[devine]

Man I wish I would have thought of this at 15. I was too busy pretending like I knew how people ticked. If I was smart I would have done exactly what you described. Cozy up to teachers. Learn from them. They're connected to everyone in the entire community, and in my experience they teach because most care about helping kids succeed. They know everyone in town. Every employer, because they teach their kids...every business owner for the same reason. Learn from them and they'll happily refer you when you're ready for some kind of work.

Eventually this could grow into life-long relationships. The kind of stuff nobody can build overnight. The kind of thing that makes you the go-to guy in your community. The trusted advisor, or coder, or writer or whatever. Not saying that has to be your path, but it's an opportunity not worth missing either.

This is the best post on TFLF so far.
I don't even doubt.

 

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[Andy Black]

Man I wish I would have thought of this at 15. I was too busy pretending like I knew how people ticked. If I was smart I would have done exactly what you described. Cozy up to teachers. Learn from them. They're connected to everyone in the entire community, and in my experience they teach because most care about helping kids succeed. They know everyone in town. Every employer, because they teach their kids...every business owner for the same reason. Learn from them and they'll happily refer you when you're ready for some kind of work.

Eventually this could grow into life-long relationships. The kind of stuff nobody can build overnight. The kind of thing that makes you the go-to guy in your community. The trusted advisor, or coder, or writer or whatever. Not saying that has to be your path, but it's an opportunity not worth missing either.

Everyone's so focused on creating "location independent" businesses, and making money shuffling electrons about (while they sleep).

They don't realise there's grass/gold already under their feet.

Your local community could sustain you on its own.

Your immediate family and friends could have businesses you could help grow.

Mother Teresa's quote in my signature isn't just for charity work. Read it and really think about it.

There is money flowing all around us. Wherever we're sitting, there is money flowing past us. All we have to do is work out how to add value, and get paid for it.

We just need to add ourself into that flow.

It's called currency for a reason. Money flows like a strong under-current.

OP. There's no rush. It's all there waiting for when you're ready. Focus on the present, and helping those around you.