"The Wealth Trainer"

Several months into being employees again when an opportunity comes. My mother contacts my wife and then me about an energetic man on the radio that is having a seminar about real estate investing and calls himself "The Wealth Trainer". Often compared to Will Smith for his comedic style (although to me, he is more like a Tommy Davison) , he had a way of simplifying real estate investing in 5 networking sessions that included luncheons, field trips, and conference calls. Of course, there was a tuition involved, but it was an experience. No matter how much or how little something like this could help, to experience this at least once is not regrettable being that in business, experience is a true teacher regardless of outcome. Even though procedures he suggested be followed to attain success in start up, investing, land lording are still questionable as of now, the real lesson learned here was the overhaul a mindset has to go through in order for you to condition yourself for success. The importance of building a team to work along side. The challenge of doing something different, dismissing fear, and making your dreams a priority. At this point, I not only look for the lesson, but I also look for hidden gems. It wouldn't be until "graduation day" that I would find my hidden gem and what I think is my true eye opener.

A graduate present that claimed that the greatest book in the world is Rich Dad, Poor Dad..........

The Learning Process Begins

The most valuable lesson we had to learn is exactly how well detailed your plan has to be. The information that we were given led us to believe that we would be doing real estate deals using cash reserves from credit cards that we would have attained under our corporation. The fact that the credits for the corp was never up to par to receive those cards was a harsh blessing because at this point, we knew nothing about the process of purchasing property. We were also unfimiliar with the business and public perception of real estate investors. Our first look into perception would come from two counselors from SCORE. I had previously taken a course with score on planning for a new business, as a requirement to be seen by a SCORE counselor in a one-on-one session. Believing that real estate investing was just like any other business (i.e. brick and motar), it started with a business plan that would be used for securing start up funds. After taking the class in Springfield, and after the move ack to the Chicago area, our first move was to talk to the conselors at the SCORE office downtown. That talk was more of a soclding, non the less, as our ideas were shoved right out the window 9 floors up. In hidsight of those ideas, and that meeting, this would be the introduction to using proven methods to become successful in real estate. Also, to have a more drawn out plan for business. Our punishments were to take jobs at a local nursing home and keep them util we attained the knowledge we needed to survive and succeed in business.

Prolouge: Chapter 3

The next thing that we felt that we had to do was move back to Chicago. Everything from better resources to family were the reasons that we felt we had to go, where eally we wanted to get out of Springfield. The state's capital was really a decent place to squat when you needed a gameplan for life, or if you were really ready to give the big city life up. To the city folk in these desolate places, bigger things happen in big cities and since our dreams are pretty big, we made the big move. In hind sight, which is currently close to being 20/20, we could have stayed just a while longer to fortify the gameplan. No takesys backsys, though. Only forward movements in this game.......

Small commercial break

The first step in being successful is to believe in yourself. You can achieve and have anything in the world and all you have to do is to first really want it. A group of people call this the Law of Attraction, or The Secret. Here is an excerpt from the DVD, which can be used as a visualization tool. I suggest until you can allow your own imagination to see this in your head, that you watch this short film at least 3 times daily.

Prologue: Chapter 2

Real Estate investing sounded like a great idea. The main thing that attracted me to it was the freedom that I saw on those television programs. These people pretty much did what they wanted to do with their time. I was able to see that it wasn't the money that made it possible. They were smart.

I mentioned before that I disliked school. I do, however, love acquiring knowledge. I love to learn how things work. When I was younger, I took apart and put together pretty much any electronic device I could get my hands on. I made custom build stereos from old radio parts and mix matched speakers. I reassembled televisions parts and video game systems. In college, instead of going to class, I spent my time in the computer lab. I was designing personal pages on online chat communities. I self taught myself some basic and some advanced html programming. I was fascinated with what makes a web site work.

Watching the tele-home flippers in Springfield, IL, I was developing a new fascination. I know what it is now even though back then I lacked the vocabulary to recognize what is was. I was interested in how this particular business system worked.

I found some information on how to build a house for free and make a $100,000 on the internet. The information revolved mostly around how to create a corporate entity and build credit under it. I took what I felt I needed form the information and incorporated. The important thing that I was doing here was beginning my financial education in the best way for me to learn, which was hands-on.

Prologue: Chapter 1

First, I need to get you caught up. I'm taking a minute to see how far back I want to start. I was living in Springfield, IL with my wife and daughter. Springfield was nice for getting away from confusion (family) and distractions (friends) in order to organize your thoughts. Thoughts like "what do I want to do for the rest of my life" or "what do I really want out of life" and "what is it that I am supposed to do for happiness, for fulfillment, and for money?" I had about as much financial education as any of the other 90% of this country's populations that earned and controlled 10% of the money here, but I was smart enough to know that whatever I decided to do, it would involved playing into my strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics.

What did I know about me?

I liked money. I knew that it could not bring me happiness, but I not only can you not live comfortably without it; it did help some in the happiness department.

I liked being able to help people. I was a pretty good problem solver. Some of my credentials are based on self evaluation because many that asked for my advice didn't always take it and ended up not improving within the problem that they had. Plus, being a "know it all" often puts me in the dog house with my wife.

I disliked school, because of boring lectures and homework. I even tried an online course on Comp TIA+ based upon the amount of time that I spend on the computer. IT didn't work.

Ironically, I was a good listener.

I was emotionally driven. Some of my most memorable and meaningful actions were the result of having a fairly extreme emotional response to a situation. Feeling tired, bored, or bothered made me want to get a task done and over with. The calm person that I usually am is just a lazy person. Anger fueled my drive and determination and seemed to make the gears (what I call the logical thinking portion of my brain) run quickly and effectively. Sadness, depression, remorse helped me find poetic and creative inspirational words of encouragement and sorrow.

I was smart enough to know that all these pieces of me could fit together to make a future; dreams and detailed thoughts of what I look like, had, and did. I have all the support a man could need in my wife, but I needed her to be at my side, not pushing from behind. I was smart enough to know that if you wanted something from a woman without any hassle (questions), you didn't ask…..at least not without spending the proper time with her. I needed her to give me a clue as to what to do. If I would have asked, that conversation would have been frustrating for at least one of us. So, I just spent the time with her while she introduced me to all of her house flipping and real estate buying and selling television shows (the answer).