One evening Joanne and I stopped in to see a young friend of ours who is doing a great job of making a new life after prison. As we pulled into the housing area my car immediately drew a small group of kids. The first question I heard was, “Mister, are you rich?”

So I asked these bright eyed kids what their dreams were – what they were going to do to be able to drive any kind of car they wanted. Without exception, it was to be in the NFL or the NBA.

Here’s what breaks my heart. The chances of that happening are very, very slim.

These kids aren’t the only ones who are mistaken about how people get to be millionaires in America.

Here is a list of how people accumulate wealth in America.

74% Self-Owned Business. This includes typical entrepreneurs, eaglepreneurs, real estate agents, landscapers, eBay and Amazon sellers, etc. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or patent something to be very successful.

10% Senior Executive Positions

10% Doctors, Lawyers, and other Professionals

5% Sales People and Consultants. This can be any industry, service or product. There is little connection with educational degrees, licensure, or certification; they are simply people who are very good at selling.

<1% Stock Market, Inventors, Show Business, Songwriters, Athletes, Lottery Winners.

Statistically, any of these kids I was talking with could go from the 1% category to the 74% category tomorrow afternoon by washing windows to save up $200, then buying a lawn mower, and starting a yard service. Their real chances of financial success would be vastly greater than trying in these rare areas of success like sports, music or movies.

Yeah I did explain to these kids what I do to earn money. But I don’t think writing books and talking to people sounded very glamorous to them. Maybe I planted just a seed for someone there that it’s possible to do well without being a sports star.

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LISTEN

If I were a rich man

Do you think about being rich? What you think about rich people now probably says a lot about your chances of being one of them. I observe a lot of people criticizing the rich but at the same time wanting more money themselves. How does that work together? How would you be different if you had more money?

Questions:

1. How can I accelerate my personal growth?

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2. How can I double my income next year?

3. I don’t seem to have any new ideas. How can I be the first to hear about good ideas?

4. How can I be a person that others come to for advice?

Get direct links to the resources mentioned on this podcast, including 18 Questions To Determine If You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur, in the podcast show notes here.​

Submit your Questions to 48Days.com/AskDan​

If I use your question we’ll send you an autographed copy of 48 Days to the Work You Love.

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FOCUS

Wealth and Riches

“Success is not the result of making money; earning money is the result of success — and success is in direct proportion to our service.” — Earl Nightingale (The Strangest Secret)

‘Wealth isn’t made by the hour – it’s made with ideas and a plan of action.” — Dan Miller

“The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.” —Author Unknown