My Dad gave me bad money advice...

[SweetPotato]

So glad I finally found a community of like-minded people! Here's a little stream of consciousness-type description of my entrepreneurial-related history...

Why the title? When I was in high school I wanted to "grow up" to be 2 things - a writer and a business owner. But my Dad (a perpetual sidewalker, to the financial devastation of our family) always advised me that if I wanted to make a lot of money, I should "work as close to the money as possible", and this was to be taken literally. So, I went to college and changed my major from Business Entrepreneurship (yes, that was an actual major at my university) to Economics. I got a "good job" as an Investment Analyst as the financial bubble was ramping up back in 2006-07 for a contrarian-type High Net Worth money manager, which was an amazing education in itself.

After the bubble, the firm lost a shit-ton of AUM when the super-rich clients pulled their money out to load up on awesomely cheap assets, and I got laid off a few years later as the last-employee standing. This was as the great recession" was at a very low point, and millennials, in particular, had really high unemployment. So, I have been staying at home with my 2 kids and homeschooling ever since (because vaccines, common-core, retarded helicopter-tiger-mom-culture where I live, and Ron Paul has his own homeschool curriculum, no joke). I decided to see this season of my life as a great opportunity to follow my old dreams.

I have been an "entrepreneur" my whole life - haven't made much $$ yet, but that's what I'm here to work on. I've always had too much excitement and enthusiasm for business ideas and opportunities - I have notebooks full of product/service ideas, b-plans, marketing/branding ideas, etc... Even when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to play was "Shop" where I would make a store and sell various things to my (stupid f*ing) Barbie Dolls. My biggest entrepreneurial problem has been the lack of start-up-monogamy MJ talked about a bit in The Millionaire Fastlane. I also had a problem with helping others get their newborn businesses started and neglecting my own money-baby. My problem has been dedicated follow-through and persistent action, which I am having a lot of eye-openers reading Unscripted right now.

My current 2 business ventures are an In-Home Senior Caregiver Agency with my mom (I work solely from home and she handles all the face-to-face) which is actually starting to ramp up, and re-working a niche blog to something bigger-niche (I went waay to small-niche the 1st time).

If you have read this far, thank you, I'm honored. I love reading about all the lessons other members of the forum have shared, and am glad to be here.

 

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[RobD88]

@SweetPotato Welcome to the forum. As a newbie here myself I totally understand the finally finding "like minded people". That has been my sentiment exactly. You will definitely find a ton of great material and advice here as well as people who want to see you succeed.

It sounds like you have a pretty good head start on a lot of people. I hope to hear more about your story and successes.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Excellent intro and thanks for sharing your journey.

I actually don't think your Dad's advice was far off...

Basically he was advocating getting "close" to someone who has access to the Law of Effection.

Not too bad.

So, I have been staying at home with my 2 kids and homeschooling ever since (because vaccines, common-core, retarded helicopter-tiger-mom-culture where I live, and Ron Paul has his own homeschool curriculum, no joke).

In Irvine? That sounds more like Amarillo TX!

 

[jon.a]

Well done.

So glad I finally found a community of like-minded people! Here's a little stream of consciousness-type description of my entrepreneurial-related history...

Why the title? When I was in high school I wanted to "grow up" to be 2 things - a writer and a business owner. But my Dad (a perpetual sidewalker, to the financial devastation of our family) always advised me that if I wanted to make a lot of money, I should "work as close to the money as possible", and this was to be taken literally. So, I went to college and changed my major from Business Entrepreneurship (yes, that was an actual major at my university) to Economics. I got a "good job" as an Investment Analyst as the financial bubble was ramping up back in 2006-07 for a contrarian-type High Net Worth money manager, which was an amazing education in itself.

After the bubble, the firm lost a sh*t-ton of AUM when the super-rich clients pulled their money out to load up on awesomely cheap assets, and I got laid off a few years later as the last-employee standing. This was as the great recession" was at a very low point, and millennials, in particular, had really high unemployment. So, I have been staying at home with my 2 kids and homeschooling ever since (because vaccines, common-core, retarded helicopter-tiger-mom-culture where I live, and Ron Paul has his own homeschool curriculum, no joke). I decided to see this season of my life as a great opportunity to follow my old dreams.

I have been an "entrepreneur" my whole life - haven't made much $$ yet, but that's what I'm here to work on. I've always had too much excitement and enthusiasm for business ideas and opportunities - I have notebooks full of product/service ideas, b-plans, marketing/branding ideas, etc... Even when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to play was "Shop" where I would make a store and sell various things to my (stupid f*ing) Barbie Dolls. My biggest entrepreneurial problem has been the lack of start-up-monogamy MJ talked about a bit in The Millionaire Fastlane. I also had a problem with helping others get their newborn businesses started and neglecting my own money-baby. My problem has been dedicated follow-through and persistent action, which I am having a lot of eye-openers reading Unscripted right now.

My current 2 business ventures are an In-Home Senior Caregiver Agency with my mom (I work solely from home and she handles all the face-to-face) which is actually starting to ramp up, and re-working a niche blog to something bigger-niche (I went waay to small-niche the 1st time).

If you have read this far, thank you, I'm honored. I love reading about all the lessons other members of the forum have shared, and am glad to be here.

 

[GoGetter24]

Being lead up the garden path across the board.

The greatest enemies of a man are the abundant liars in the generation above him.

It's hard to tell when you're being lied to when you're young and all supposed authority figures are spouting the same lies.

 

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[Real Deal Denver]

@SweetPotato Welcome to the forum. As a newbie here myself I totally understand the finally finding "like minded people". That has been my sentiment exactly. You will definitely find a ton of great material and advice here as well as people who want to see you succeed.

It sounds like you have a pretty good head start on a lot of people. I hope to hear more about your story and successes.

I will double what Rob said. You have an excellent head start, and with your education and experience, are far ahead of most other people.

I do take exception with the blame game you direct towards your father. We can all do that. I take deliberate control to be aware of it and not do it.

I'm sure you can look at the world now, and clearly see that it has very little resemblance to the one your father lived in. The one earner household, life long employment with one employer, pensions for a job well done and loyalty, and "simple" tasks are all history. Now, it is a global economy, multi-tasking is the norm, social media marketing competition in all forms, and companies constantly merging and morphing - and let's throw in the internet which is a world unto its own, for added good measure.

For what it's worth, I do know several people involved in the most basic industries that are millionaires. Nothing complicated or flashy - just solid value.

Your Dad's skill and mindset probably could not fit in or adapt to today's world anymore than a fish can climb a tree. That's not an insult in any way - that's an acute observation.

With a tough love approach - please stop playing the blame game. I'm sure your Dad, like mine, had excellent qualities that you can learn a lot from.

Welcome to the forum!