Money is a man-made efficient tool to exchange. It is a place to store value. It accounts for value you created in the past, but it doesn’t dictate what you are capable of doing.
Money doesn’t necessarily follow effort.
Money follows value.
So what is value?
And how do we store and grow that value?
First, we can increase the skills that lead to us being value creators and creating value.
Second, we can utilize and leverage our money for growth, if we know what is of value.
We have substituted value for speculation.
We may call it investing, but without the knowledge of how we will win, how we will exit, how we can create cash flow, and how we can effectively deploy capital, we invite risk.
Risk is an enemy to value, contrary to popular opinion.
You’ve heard it before: High risk=high return.
Does it really?
Risk means chance of losing, so how does increasing our chance of losing help us win? It doesn’t. But when someone dreams, when someone takes extraordinary action, and when someone does something that has yet to be done, the world calls it risky. It is risky because we may not know how to do it ourselves. Or there are mistakes made along the way. Or because it requires a specific set of skills (cue Liam Neeson’s voice in Taken).
When people ignore money, or relegate their responsibility, it is risky. When people lock money away for long periods of time, for example in retirement plans, it may be risky.
When we allocate our money to things we don’t understand, it is risky.
Taking action is less risky than most think.
We learn.
We grow.
We inevitably make mistakes.
The mistakes may be seen as risky, but they become lessons, they become ingredients to success.
When we have a vision the goes beyond our current ability or our current finances it feels risky. But trading time for money is far riskier. Letting our money sit idle is risky—especially when the Fed prints money (or adds money to screens—let’s face it, it isn’t all printed in today’s digital age).
The indoctrination of get good grades, further your education, get an advanced degree…graduate and get a job with benefits, may not really benefit us or be true. Sure, you might be able to get a paycheck, but is your work truly rewarded?
The market rewards value.
And knowing where to store that value (money and investments) is key to long term wealth.
Even the philosophy of what to do with our money makes a dramatic difference.
Accumulate or create cash flow.
Learn or be reliant on Wall Street, banks, and financial institutions.
How will your money benefit you?
How will it battle inflation?
How will it grow?
Value.
Value is in the eye of the beholder. It is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment. Supply and demand drives value as well. The right view and location are rare in real estate and will drive up price.
Rare skills like vision, leadership, leverage, and innovation outpace labor.
What do you value and why do you value it?
Your family.
Your health.
Your home.
Your pets.
These are things that grow with our attention, our intention, and investments of time and money.
Some items people will be resourceful and find money for…others are optional, less desirable.
The easiest, most effective formula I’ve distilled for increasing value is:
- Grow your income through scale, leverage by serving many and solving big problems. How can you have one-to-many impact? How can you reach more people? How can you more deeply impact the people you reach?
- Keep more of your money by plugging financial leaks, being more efficient, and boosting your bottom line.
- Grow your money by discovering your Investor DNA, becoming a better investor, increasing your financial intelligence, and focus before you diversify.
- Grow yourself by designing a life you love, growing the exponential skills, improving health and longevity, and expand your mind (mindset).
What do you value most?
What are you uniquely qualified to solve and where can you most greatly serve.
What skills will allow you to add more value?
Value is linear. Value can be exponential. Technology, software, AI, systems, intellectual property…anything and everything that gives you reach and scale.
This isn’t 1+1=2—it is exponential.
It requires new questions. Questions like:
Where can I add the most value?
Where can I invest to most effectively store that value and grow my money?
What skills matter most?
How can I create impact over and over from one act?
How can I grow my team?
How can I expand my vision?
The wrong philosophy combined with hard work limits impact. It is a grind. There is a reward, but it is limited.
If you want to play an exponential game, focus on value. Add more value. Grow your value.
Who helps you to see your potential?
What is holding you back from living your potential and turning it into profit?
Is it a bad partnership?
Procrastination?
Lack of mentors?
Lack of a community?
Scarcity?
In my early years, I was tortured by a Miser Mindset. Thinking money was about budgeting and what I could save. That wealth was built through time for money hard work. It was about saving over serving. A selfish, risky philosophy.
The first decade in business, my mind was trapped in time is money, work my guts out, neglect my family and health to get ahead. But at what cost? I was focused more on effort and blinded to value.
It may feel unfair at times to work hard without reward. But some have a big enough vision they keep going. They do what it takes. They enroll others. They make mistakes and learn. They act. And they realize that if you want to go far, you bring others along. And those are the people that support you along the way. That support you and your customers and your vision the most.
No matter how big your vision, money is key. How to earn it, how to keep it, how to invest it, and how to invest in yourself. Prosperity is not a do-it-yourself game. It isn’t a game of budgeting or saving by doing too much on your own. There is only so hard you can work, or so much money you can scrimp…no one shrinks their way to wealth.
What game are you playing?
What would you accomplish if you knew you could not fail?
What if you were just as clear about the risk of non-action as you were about the risk of growth and action?
When our problems are greater than our vision, we are limited. We are stuck.
When our vision is so big, and so exciting that we embark on an adventure, life is fun.
There will be difficult times along the way. Sure.
But that is better than a difficult life isn’t it?
Where are you stuck?
What would it take to go beyond survival?
Where could you invest, what could you do, and what might you achieve?
Make the shift from effort to value. From net worth to value. From scarcity to prosperity. We expend more energy worrying with inaction than doing something uncomfortable.
Writing my first book.
Filming my first comedy special.
Selling my company and starting something more aligned with my values and vision.
Being an extraordinary husband and father.
This took letting go of fear and worry and creating a better story. A bigger story.
What will your story be? One of value or one of regret?
It is your choice. You don’t have to do it alone.
In prosperity,
Garrett
P.S.
If this aligns with your values and inspires you, and if you want to grow, apply for Multiplier. This is the community for value creators, for dreamers who do, and those willing to step beyond their comfort zone. Raise the stakes and do what it takes. We’ve got you. I’ve got your back.
