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MONEY SYSTEM - after the exit from several $million Amazon Business

Scott Fleming

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Hello Community,

I posted a thread before about the sale of my Amazon business for several $million:

Sold business for several $million - now a family business?

Over the past couple of months I have met numerous "Wealth Management" firms, but so far something in my gut is stopping me moving forward with any of them. For my risk profile, their typical returns offered is around 7.5% which may at first sound (slightly better than only just acceptable). But when you remove say 3% for inflation and 1.5%+ for their costs you are left with 3% real growth at best! Taxes will erode that further...

For the past 5yrs I have invested with Charles Schwab and my returns over the past 5yrs have been 11.8%/yr (until the market correction back end on 2018 which dropped that to 6.8%/yr). There is one big position that performed very well (EBIX) and had that not done so, the performance would be a lot weaker.

My plan was to park £2,000,000 with a Wealth Management company which would be my "FREEDOM" pot that offers security that I never have to work again. I actually did not predict how stressful getting money can be... There is so many options that come up - Real Estate (too tying for me); Value Investing yourself (much bigger time commitment by me); Offloading to a Wealth Management firm (pitiful returns); investing in start-ups with 'potential' high returns....also losses (too high risk given I need to protect my freedom pot now); then the numerous financial advisers all offering completely different advice. The world is your Oyster, but the choice is too vast!

I plan to read the "Money System" part of UNSCRIPTED again - maybe ETF's, Mutual Funds etc. could be a cheaper yet relatively safe way to move forward? USA market is well known to be significantly overvalued just now so investing in "general" tracker funds could be slightly risky short term?

I plan to do a Ayahuasca trip in Peru in May and am booked into a Vipassana 10-day meditation retreat in Sri Lanka in July. I am hoping I get some light on the way forward after these. As you will see from my first post, I have 3 young sons (16, 18, 20) all wanting to go down the Entrepreneur route and I want to start a new business (with a crazy exit valuation massively more than the one I just sold - which went for $3.5m). The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose (hence the Ayahuasca retreat).

Right now, my head is NOT clear on how to move forward so unlike me, I plan to sit tight for a few months until I feel more clear on how to invest my money. I live in the UK so the BREXIT uncertainly is not helping (considering a lot of my money will go in the UK stock market).

Anyone else sold their business and found the same gridlock I am facing? How did you get past it - crazy I ran a very successful business and now i find myself as the proverbial rabbit-in-the-headlights :)

MJ - any advice you can offer on this? Did you feel similar when you made your first exit?

Thanks for any input :)
 
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MJ DeMarco

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On my first exit I promptly invested the money in the stock market and lost almost half of it.

Never again.

My thoughts on it are to be self-directed, self-invested, and in instruments that pay immediate returns/dividends/income/interest. The goal is to beat inflation while also getting a paycheck on top of it.

The Chapter in Unscripted outlines my philosophy in detail.

There's nothing wrong with having a lot of money in cash or money markets. 1.5% is better than losing 10% in the market.

Congrats on the exit!!!!
 

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My thoughts on it are to be self-directed, self-invested, and in instruments that pay immediate returns/dividends/income/interest. The goal is to beat inflation while also getting a paycheck on top of it.
Hahaha.

I'm studying my first intro to finance subjects in uni.

Now I understand what you meant when you said, 'the money system is a business of money'.

The PV and FV calculations just look really evil though.

Not the working or the math. The reality behind the numbers.
If one doesn't know what's what, they might have sunk their money even though the investment could have been profitable.
 

Attila77

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Hi Scott,

Congrats on the exit!

With my brother we are still doing our (fastlane) business in Hungary, with an average 700-800K profit yearly. We are planning to exit and sell the business within 2-3 years.

So We are about to start investing to the “Paycheck pot” this year with a relatively smaller amount, as we have no experience in investing. That’s why we want to start small and experience it gradually. I am here to learn.

What is your experience with Charles Schwab? I was looking them too as they allow non-us citizens to trade with Us securities too.

I will look other threads too on investing...

And as soon as I have personal experience I will share that too.

Thanks
 
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SEBASTlAN

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On my first exit I promptly invested the money in the stock market and lost almost half of it.

Over what period? I didn't even think that would be possible.

@Scott Fleming I would say ETF is the safest since it's a collection of companies in one fund but then again I'm no expert.
 

ZeroTo100

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So funny, Friends of mine in the $100M-$2B plus guys feel the same way. Guys I know that sold beverage companies, private jet companies, etc...(not bragging). They would kill to beat inflation.

When you get up there, I guess a conservative move is more than enough to enjoy life on.

On my first exit I promptly invested the money in the stock market and lost almost half of it.

Never again.

My thoughts on it are to be self-directed, self-invested, and in instruments that pay immediate returns/dividends/income/interest. The goal is to beat inflation while also getting a paycheck on top of it.

The Chapter in Unscripted outlines my philosophy in detail.

There's nothing wrong with having a lot of money in cash or money markets. 1.5% is better than losing 10% in the market.

Congrats on the exit!!!!
 

MTEE1985

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Hello Community,

I posted a thread before about the sale of my Amazon business for several $million:

Sold business for several $million - now a family business?

Over the past couple of months I have met numerous "Wealth Management" firms, but so far something in my gut is stopping me moving forward with any of them. For my risk profile, their typical returns offered is around 7.5% which may at first sound (slightly better than only just acceptable). But when you remove say 3% for inflation and 1.5%+ for their costs you are left with 3% real growth at best! Taxes will erode that further...

For the past 5yrs I have invested with Charles Schwab and my returns over the past 5yrs have been 11.8%/yr (until the market correction back end on 2018 which dropped that to 6.8%/yr). There is one big position that performed very well (EBIX) and had that not done so, the performance would be a lot weaker.

My plan was to park £2,000,000 with a Wealth Management company which would be my "FREEDOM" pot that offers security that I never have to work again. I actually did not predict how stressful getting money can be... There is so many options that come up - Real Estate (too tying for me); Value Investing yourself (much bigger time commitment by me); Offloading to a Wealth Management firm (pitiful returns); investing in start-ups with 'potential' high returns....also losses (too high risk given I need to protect my freedom pot now); then the numerous financial advisers all offering completely different advice. The world is your Oyster, but the choice is too vast!

I plan to read the "Money System" part of UNSCRIPTED again - maybe ETF's, Mutual Funds etc. could be a cheaper yet relatively safe way to move forward? USA market is well known to be significantly overvalued just now so investing in "general" tracker funds could be slightly risky short term?

I plan to do a Ayahuasca trip in Peru in May and am booked into a Vipassana 10-day meditation retreat in Sri Lanka in July. I am hoping I get some light on the way forward after these. As you will see from my first post, I have 3 young sons (16, 18, 20) all wanting to go down the Entrepreneur route and I want to start a new business (with a crazy exit valuation massively more than the one I just sold - which went for $3.5m). The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose (hence the Ayahuasca retreat).

Right now, my head is NOT clear on how to move forward so unlike me, I plan to sit tight for a few months until I feel more clear on how to invest my money. I live in the UK so the BREXIT uncertainly is not helping (considering a lot of my money will go in the UK stock market).

Anyone else sold their business and found the same gridlock I am facing? How did you get past it - crazy I ran a very successful business and now i find myself as the proverbial rabbit-in-the-headlights :)

MJ - any advice you can offer on this? Did you feel similar when you made your first exit?

Thanks for any input :)

I’ll do the best I can with the information you have provided. My 9-5 (more 8-2 but who’s counting) job is in wealth management ranging from $500k up to $20,000,000+.

I would first say that you should not be paying 1.5% on $2,000,000 unless it varies greatly in the UK. A solid firm would manage those assets at .75-1%.

Secondly and most importantly, what is your goal for the $2,000,000? If you need to draw an income from it vs. letting it sit there for years it changes the strategy tremendously. You are being told 7.5% as a historical return based on what sounds like a moderately aggressively risk tolerance. However as you know, you could lose 20% next year or more. All these Monte Carlo simulations work the same and we use them to make Our best forecast which can occasionally be wrong.

Third on the wealth management side, make sure it is more wholistic than a firm just wanting to manage those investable assets. Make sure your estate planning, taxes, insurance etc are all being properly addressed.

If you met with me I’d be presenting you a 30 page report on all these options so we could narrow down the best one. Without having that mountain of information from you I wouldn’t venture too far from what @MJ DeMarco suggested. Not sure what cash in the UK is paying right now, in the U.S. it is currently keeping up with inflation as are many other rather safe options.

I’m currently partial to REITS (unknown to many that this is one of the best performing classes in the last 25 years. People don’t understand them and assume you’d get personal home sale type returns) Large Cap Value, Emerging Markets and Tax Free Muni Funds. The competition is getting fierce for these funds so even the best of the best are lowering expense ratios to where they’re looking attractive.

@JScott @GlobalWealth any thoughts for our friend here?
 
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million$$$smile

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THAT (what you shared) is the primary reason why I myself haven't sold out before this.

I ask myself, what am I going to do when I sell?? Where oh where do I invest? Who do I invest with?
How much time commitment is it REALLY going to take?
And how comfortable do I feel dropping funds into someone else's business or investment?

It sounds as though that you are searching for CLARITY.

Where can I park my funds to stabilize and feel comfortable and will have decent returns for minimal time investment and worry?

I am not sure how you will find the clarity. Perhaps you will find it in your retreat.

I myself have come to the conclusion that whatever I do, it must be self directed., ie: I must somehow be involved.

Why? Because I feel it is the only way I will feel 'comfortable'

Currently, I myself am entertaining a buyout from a nationally recognized company, but the fear of what I'll do with all the funds if I sell, holds me back. I've personally come to the conclusion (currently) that I need to continue to have some sort of major equity in what I am still doing.

Otherwise, no go.

The best MAJOR investment I currently feel the most comfortable with is if I'm somehow involved directly.
I feel more comfortable in my own wisdom than what has been offered.

Scott, go with your gut.

All in all, when you find THAT which feels most comfortable for you, my friend, will most likely be what you will ultimately go with.

Good luck, and keep in touch.

R
 

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Would you consider buying into a business such as a Vipassana Retreat and see what kind of return you would get from it, at the same time as aiding your lifestyle.
The only success I ever had in the stock market was with REITs and dividend paying stocks.
Good luck and congratulations.
 

100k

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Nice job mate. Congratz on the exit :)

Maybe its worth looking into buying a business that generates cashflow and can pay for itself after 2-3 years.

Say you put $500k as deposit into such a business, and the rest is paid over 2 years with seller financing, if it generates $500k in cashflow you could be getting a very nice 100% ROI yearly on your original investment 3 years from now. That would probably cover inflation :p

Here are some absentee-owner businesses for sale.

These two look tempting to me:
Profitable Long-Term Party Rental Business
Profitable Golf Cart & Utility Vehicle Business – Sales, Service, Rent

Here's a guy that specialises in buying businesses and would be able to help you make your purchase.

His profile
His youtube
 
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Bourbons

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Congratulations on the exit buddy!

Would you not consider starting a business again?

My uncle's exited with circa £15M, and he uses wealth managers. He gets an average of ~7%, over the years, it's been 5 years.

I work in IF ISAs which would be a consideration if you're looking for anywhere near decent returns - but choose carefully as they come with risk (as the FCA will make them tell you!)

For HNW/UHNW there are funds, similar to IF ISAs, which offer the same product at a greater interest rate due to the cost per acquisition being nil - they're, in my experience, invite only through networks.

People will come to you with plenty of ideas, the quickest way to lose money is to make some!

Take your time.
 

WinYourself

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Don't let anybody else manage your money, don't look for investment advice online.

Become and expert in one asset class and manage your investments yourself, or keep it in cash.

Nothing wrong with having cash!
 

Lambo-Hunter

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As someone who made over 7000% my first year on the stock market( Pure luck). I recommend real estate.. Atleast getting some REITS(Real-Estate Investment trusts)

I think everyone should learn about investing tho, check out Ray Dalio's all seasons strategy. I use a version of it myself for my long term investing.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Over what period? I didn't even think that would be possible.

I, unfortunately, timed the market perfectly right before the tech market bubble collapse in 1999.

check out Ray Dalio's all seasons strategy

Is Ray Dalio a billionaire because of that strategy? Or because he runs a hedge fund? Once again we're at the Wall Street duplicity where the greatest game in town isn't investing in the market, but managing the money of those who do.

If I ran a hedge fund, I too would also recommend a great strategy for the plebs to follow.
 

MJ DeMarco

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So if you waited it out you would've gained it all back and then some, right?

Actually I think the fund I invested in had to shut down nearly a year later, so I have no idea ... and your *gotcha* missed the mark.
 
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MTF

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Right now, my head is NOT clear on how to move forward so unlike me, I plan to sit tight for a few months until I feel more clear on how to invest my money.

This is key here - don't rush any decisions. You won't lose much (if anything) by holding to cash for now, and if you don't have enough clarity, it's better to wait until you make a conscious, informed decision (particularly if you want to invest in something non-liquid, let alone a new business that will require your full attention).

I think that you should get clear regarding whether you want financial safety or are looking for a new vehicle for fulfillment. Based on this "The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose" I'd say you're probably looking for the latter.

I didn't sell my business, but I have a business with very high margins that allows me to reinvest money outside of it. I'm partial to investing in boring cashflowing assets because my focus for now is financial safety. I'm struggling on the fulfillment front, but I'd rather secure my future first by investing in boring things and then, once I hit my goals, prioritize fulfillment and fun.

THAT (what you shared) is the primary reason why I myself haven't sold out before this.

I ask myself, what am I going to do when I sell?

A great book that can help you with this is Before the Exit. A lot of people consider only the financial aspect of selling a business, while they should first and foremost consider what they'll do when they "retire."

In most cases, people go crazy after a few months (or maybe a couple of years for some) of early retirement of doing nothing, so for the sake of one's sanity, it's fundamental to answer some important life philosophy and lifestyle questions the vision of selling a business raises.
 

SEBASTlAN

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Actually I think the fund I invested in had to shut down nearly a year later, so I have no idea ... and your *gotcha* missed the mark.

I was genuinely hoping it turned out well...I've always considered doing that same strategy but now I'm not too sure about it lol.
 

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Hello Community,

I posted a thread before about the sale of my Amazon business for several $million:

Sold business for several $million - now a family business?

Over the past couple of months I have met numerous "Wealth Management" firms, but so far something in my gut is stopping me moving forward with any of them. For my risk profile, their typical returns offered is around 7.5% which may at first sound (slightly better than only just acceptable). But when you remove say 3% for inflation and 1.5%+ for their costs you are left with 3% real growth at best! Taxes will erode that further...

For the past 5yrs I have invested with Charles Schwab and my returns over the past 5yrs have been 11.8%/yr (until the market correction back end on 2018 which dropped that to 6.8%/yr). There is one big position that performed very well (EBIX) and had that not done so, the performance would be a lot weaker.

My plan was to park £2,000,000 with a Wealth Management company which would be my "FREEDOM" pot that offers security that I never have to work again. I actually did not predict how stressful getting money can be... There is so many options that come up - Real Estate (too tying for me); Value Investing yourself (much bigger time commitment by me); Offloading to a Wealth Management firm (pitiful returns); investing in start-ups with 'potential' high returns....also losses (too high risk given I need to protect my freedom pot now); then the numerous financial advisers all offering completely different advice. The world is your Oyster, but the choice is too vast!

I plan to read the "Money System" part of UNSCRIPTED again - maybe ETF's, Mutual Funds etc. could be a cheaper yet relatively safe way to move forward? USA market is well known to be significantly overvalued just now so investing in "general" tracker funds could be slightly risky short term?

I plan to do a Ayahuasca trip in Peru in May and am booked into a Vipassana 10-day meditation retreat in Sri Lanka in July. I am hoping I get some light on the way forward after these. As you will see from my first post, I have 3 young sons (16, 18, 20) all wanting to go down the Entrepreneur route and I want to start a new business (with a crazy exit valuation massively more than the one I just sold - which went for $3.5m). The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose (hence the Ayahuasca retreat).

Right now, my head is NOT clear on how to move forward so unlike me, I plan to sit tight for a few months until I feel more clear on how to invest my money. I live in the UK so the BREXIT uncertainly is not helping (considering a lot of my money will go in the UK stock market).

Anyone else sold their business and found the same gridlock I am facing? How did you get past it - crazy I ran a very successful business and now i find myself as the proverbial rabbit-in-the-headlights :)

MJ - any advice you can offer on this? Did you feel similar when you made your first exit?

Thanks for any input :)

Hey Scott, it sort of sounds like you want decent returns for no work and we both know that you get what you work for. You list a bunch of options and then the reasons why they won't work for you.

The way I see it, if you want to do no work and have no risk, put it in a CD and make 2%. If you want to make someone else do the work, give the wealth manager their 1.5% and get your 5%.

Else, you will have to put in the work to make better returns. That's just how it goes.

I'm curious to see what your future post after ayahuasca will look like. In my experience, I don't think it will tell you how to invest, but it may give you clarity on other aspects of your life.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I was genuinely hoping it turned out well...I've always considered doing that same strategy but now I'm not too sure about it lol.

Nothing wrong with investing in the markets for a portion of your savings.

However culture has brainwashed the masses to accept the idea that putting your ENTIRE life savings into "index funds" is a smart idea. It isn't. It's a bad FN idea. And I'm glad learning that lesson didn't cost me everything.

In 1593 when everyone invested in Tulips, it didn't end well.
In 1929 when everyone invested in the stock market, it didn't end well.
In 1980 when everyone invested in gold, it didn't end well.
In 1999 when everyone investing in dot com stocks, it didn't end well.
In 2005 when everyone invested in easy money real estate, it didn't end well.
In 2019 when everyone invested in easy index-fund investing....

There's a difference between investing $2M in the markets when you have a $10M net worth and investing $2M in the markets and your net worth is also $2M. The latter is loading bullets in a gun for Russian Roulette.

While eventually some of these markets recover, most people can't survive the crash.
 

WJK

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Hello Community,

I posted a thread before about the sale of my Amazon business for several $million:

Sold business for several $million - now a family business?

Over the past couple of months I have met numerous "Wealth Management" firms, but so far something in my gut is stopping me moving forward with any of them. For my risk profile, their typical returns offered is around 7.5% which may at first sound (slightly better than only just acceptable). But when you remove say 3% for inflation and 1.5%+ for their costs you are left with 3% real growth at best! Taxes will erode that further...

For the past 5yrs I have invested with Charles Schwab and my returns over the past 5yrs have been 11.8%/yr (until the market correction back end on 2018 which dropped that to 6.8%/yr). There is one big position that performed very well (EBIX) and had that not done so, the performance would be a lot weaker.

My plan was to park £2,000,000 with a Wealth Management company which would be my "FREEDOM" pot that offers security that I never have to work again. I actually did not predict how stressful getting money can be... There is so many options that come up - Real Estate (too tying for me); Value Investing yourself (much bigger time commitment by me); Offloading to a Wealth Management firm (pitiful returns); investing in start-ups with 'potential' high returns....also losses (too high risk given I need to protect my freedom pot now); then the numerous financial advisers all offering completely different advice. The world is your Oyster, but the choice is too vast!

I plan to read the "Money System" part of UNSCRIPTED again - maybe ETF's, Mutual Funds etc. could be a cheaper yet relatively safe way to move forward? USA market is well known to be significantly overvalued just now so investing in "general" tracker funds could be slightly risky short term?

I plan to do a Ayahuasca trip in Peru in May and am booked into a Vipassana 10-day meditation retreat in Sri Lanka in July. I am hoping I get some light on the way forward after these. As you will see from my first post, I have 3 young sons (16, 18, 20) all wanting to go down the Entrepreneur route and I want to start a new business (with a crazy exit valuation massively more than the one I just sold - which went for $3.5m). The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose (hence the Ayahuasca retreat).

Right now, my head is NOT clear on how to move forward so unlike me, I plan to sit tight for a few months until I feel more clear on how to invest my money. I live in the UK so the BREXIT uncertainly is not helping (considering a lot of my money will go in the UK stock market).

Anyone else sold their business and found the same gridlock I am facing? How did you get past it - crazy I ran a very successful business and now i find myself as the proverbial rabbit-in-the-headlights :)

MJ - any advice you can offer on this? Did you feel similar when you made your first exit?

Thanks for any input :)
What I can tell you is that I'm officially retired, and I'm invested mostly in real estate. (The stock market was a terrible bust for me.) I manage my own investments, so I make a killer return on those properties and securities. BUT, I have over four decades of experience in real estate to know how and where to put my money. Yes, I have made mistakes at times. I can't know the future, but I sure can see trends and make good guesses. My job is up my odds to win overall.
Good luck. Your changed situation needs a whole new set of life skills.
 

Scott Fleming

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This is key here - don't rush any decisions. You won't lose much (if anything) by holding to cash for now, and if you don't have enough clarity, it's better to wait until you make a conscious, informed decision (particularly if you want to invest in something non-liquid, let alone a new business that will require your full attention).

I think that you should get clear regarding whether you want financial safety or are looking for a new vehicle for fulfillment. Based on this "The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose" I'd say you're probably looking for the latter.

I didn't sell my business, but I have a business with very high margins that allows me to reinvest money outside of it. I'm partial to investing in boring cashflowing assets because my focus for now is financial safety. I'm struggling on the fulfillment front, but I'd rather secure my future first by investing in boring things and then, once I hit my goals, prioritize fulfillment and fun.



A great book that can help you with this is Before the Exit. A lot of people consider only the financial aspect of selling a business, while they should first and foremost consider what they'll do when they "retire."

In most cases, people go crazy after a few months (or maybe a couple of years for some) of early retirement of doing nothing, so for the sake of one's sanity, it's fundamental to answer some important life philosophy and lifestyle questions the vision of selling a business raises.

Thank you for this awesome reply - that audio book looks like it is exactly what I need so will buy it and go through it tomorrow :)

I am finding that the loss of the hussle is not working so good for me just now. Sure there is plenty of exercise, golf, cooking etc. to do, but not being involved with something challenging and exciting is something I am having to adapt to. I still need to get my money to work, so that will remain the immediate focus
 
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Scott Fleming

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Scot,
THAT (what you shared) is the primary reason why I myself haven't sold out before this.

I ask myself, what am I going to do when I sell?? Where oh where do I invest? Who do I invest with?
How much time commitment is it REALLY going to take?
And how comfortable do I feel dropping funds into someone else's business or investment?

It sounds as though that you are searching for CLARITY.

Where can I park my funds to stabilize and feel comfortable and will have decent returns for minimal time investment and worry?

I am not sure how you will find the clarity. Perhaps you will find it in your retreat.

I myself have come to the conclusion that whatever I do, it must be self directed., ie: I must somehow be involved.

Why? Because I feel it is the only way I will feel 'comfortable'

Currently, I myself am entertaining a buyout from a nationally recognized company, but the fear of what I'll do with all the funds if I sell, holds me back. I've personally come to the conclusion (currently) that I need to continue to have some sort of major equity in what I am still doing.

Otherwise, no go.

The best MAJOR investment I currently feel the most comfortable with is if I'm somehow involved directly.
I feel more comfortable in my own wisdom than what has been offered.

Scott, go with your gut.

All in all, when you find THAT which feels most comfortable for you, my friend, will most likely be what you will ultimately go with.

Good luck, and keep in touch.

R

Thank you for this awesome reply. CLARITY over my new life path is everything now and 100% I get what you said about still needing control yourself over the money. Strange, once you get it your mind does also change from risk taker to one of lifelong security (this is probably the wise path, but also a boring one). I will have my retreats and see if more clarity presents itself (especially from the Ayahuasca retreat in May)

Thanks again
 

Hiram

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(Not a financial advisor but somewhat knowledgeable about investing)

Sounds like the original poster is looking for conservative / "defensive" investment options. Generally the most conservative stocks and mutual funds deal with utilities (because EVERYONE needs light / gas / energy / water) and real estate (because everyone needs housing) and consumer staples (because everyone needs to eat and drink).

A few options are: put your money in REIT's and utilities: these stocks pay the most dividends--because clients pay their rents and utilities every month and this passes on to the investor, and REIT's cut their risk by buying into companies that own commercial real estate with established businesses in malls etc. that have 5-10-year-long or longer leases. These dividends can add up and make up for whatever risk there is in the investment.

Whatever is most universally consumed tends to be a safer, less volatile, investment, generally.
 
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BBobby

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hey @Scott Fleming - congrats on this problem! :)

when you say real estate investing is "too tying for me" are you saying it would make you more il-liquid than you want to be?

If that's the case I understand. If not, and it may seem overwhelming, I personally was able to overcome that and others here could probably help you do the same. It is not a bad vehicle for diversification and cash return.
 
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Scott Fleming

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hey @Scott Fleming - congrats on this problem! :)

when you say real estate investing is "too tying for me" are you saying it would make you more il-liquid than you want to be?

If that's the case I understand. If not, and it may seem overwhelming, I personally was able to overcome that and others here could probably help you do the same. It is not a bad vehicle for diversification and cash return.

Real Estate would tie me to a specific location and seems to come with a lot of headaches, unless you hire a firm to run the day to day hassles that come up. My area is not ideal for RE so if i were to go down that route it would likely need a relocation. So I concluded RE was probably not the best path for me

Thanks for your comments
 

MJ DeMarco

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Sounds like the original poster is looking for conservative / "defensive" investment options. Generally the most conservative stocks and mutual funds deal with utilities (because EVERYONE needs light / gas / energy / water) and real estate (because everyone needs housing) and consumer staples (because everyone needs to eat and drink).

+1, REITS, Utilities, Consumer Staples -- boring stuff but boring for a good reason because they are solid inflation + income plays with a bit of recession defense.
 
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MB Burnette

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I'm curious to see what your future post after ayahuasca will look like. In my experience, I don't think it will tell you how to invest, but it may give you clarity on other aspects of your life.

Curious indeed.

The next business obviously must fit the CENTS framework and add massive value, but this time rather than a sexy product that "I" like where I seen a market opportunity, I want it to be fully aligned to my true purpose (hence the Ayahuasca retreat).

With all due respect, good luck with your alignment. I've spent my entire life trying to align a deeper (spiritual) purpose with anything market or money related.

Personally, I think it's naive (and maybe even irresponsible) to believe taking a powerful psychoactive drug will help you find some deeper purpose.

What do you know about Kundalini? If you've never heard of it, you have no business taking ayahuasca. Think in terms of MJs The Silver Bullet Syndrome.

How about macro-process vs macro-event? An Ayahuasca retreat and Vipassana retreat are both macro-events. Practicing Vipassana meditation can become a macro-process to expressing (finding) deeper purpose.

But taking any psychoactive drug, clearly, would never become a cause to change you'd want. So what makes me an expert?

Because the path (spiritual) your on now is the path I've been on for over 30 years. So I'm like all these fastlane forum entrepreneurial wizards who get annoyed by guys seeking business shortcuts.

Holy shit. A shortcut to higher consciousness. F*cking hilarious.

Your Vipassana meditation retreat is a good start. Next, meditate for 10,000 hours over the next 10 years.

Then you'll see the futility of seeking purpose through a drug.

Good luck on your journey brother..........

 

madmoney

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Lessons learned. I was a teen and saved up all my odd job money put 15k in a mutual fund. It went to $500 before I could cash out and fund went under. I was happy to get the $500, the guy who told me lost 500k.

What about the 2018 crypto crash?

Actually I think the fund I invested in had to shut down nearly a year later, so I have no idea ... and your *gotcha* missed the mark.


Nothing wrong with investing in the markets for a portion of your savings.

However culture has brainwashed the masses to accept the idea that putting your ENTIRE life savings into "index funds" is a smart idea. It isn't. It's a bad FN idea. And I'm glad learning that lesson didn't cost me everything.

In 1593 when everyone invested in Tulips, it didn't end well.
In 1929 when everyone invested in the stock market, it didn't end well.
In 1980 when everyone invested in gold, it didn't end well.
In 1999 when everyone investing in dot com stocks, it didn't end well.
In 2005 when everyone invested in easy money real estate, it didn't end well.
In 2019 when everyone invested in easy index-fund investing....

There's a difference between investing $2M in the markets when you have a $10M net worth and investing $2M in the markets and your net worth is also $2M. The latter is loading bullets in a gun for Russian Roulette.

While eventually some of these markets recover, most people can't survive the crash.
 

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