"Building wealth isn't easy, but it's simple."
Ever since I was young, I have been obsessed with business and investing. Academics were not my thing, but simple math and working hard were. At 12 years old, I sold ice cream at baseball games, at 14, I was sold shoes at the local sports shop, and at 15, I was selling joints under the bridge at my local high school. I stopped on my 18th birthday; risk vs reward wasn't there.
I continued like this for most of my adult life—selling sports equipment, cars, music gear, and eventually fine acoustic pianos of all things. I always worked straight commission. In the last few years, I earned about 120K a year, lived on 30K, and saved about 50K after tax. At 27, I knew my value and demanded a raise. After a heated exchange, my boss said, "if you think you can make more money elsewhere, then leave." I didn't feel ready to go off on my own, but it was the best decision that I ever made.
I knew I had a six-month window to secure bank financing before my income ran out, and I had been dabbling with real estate and flipping since I was 24. I had my first renovation under my belt and had purchased a triplex a year earlier. I had also been obsessively reading on investing in real estate and decided I would give it a go and see if I could make it happen full-time. That year I took some big risks, made a few moves, and the rest is history. I hit my first million in equity at 30, started a business consulting company at 31, and completed my 20th real estate deal at 34.
I'm currently funding a tech startup in Bali with a programmer and architect I met while working remotely during COVID. Our product is an application for selling real estate online utilizing 3D cloud gaming technology. Our development team has grown from 3 to 16 full-time members in 6 months, and we are building Toronto in 3D using an unreal engine. Yes, the whole city! We are a few months away from securing our first round of seed funding.
I am fortunate to have met so many great people who have helped over the years, and one of the things that I have enjoyed most recently is sharing what I have learned with other ambitious entrepreneurs. Building wealth isn't easy, but it's simple. If you are interested in starting a business, investing in real estate, or are thinking of making your next big career move, I can help.
