Intro – 
This article is made by me for the sole purpose of making whoever buys it financially free and my first attempt at putting my writing out for the world to see. Please take a pencil out or have your notes app ready because this is a lot of important information which will be hard to retain otherwise. The material will be separated by categories such as finance, mindset, marketing, etc with brief descriptions of what they can do for your personal and financial growth. Some may consider this knowledge borderline or basic but the education system fails to teach students how to be anything other than a mindless worker censoring creativity so I think this is a good first step. You may find many mistakes in my work but I cannot get better without starting and this is my attempt at a start.

My life story (can skip if you don’t care) –
At the time of writing this I am 19 years old on my way to becoming financially free and this is a way to document my journey while also making money from it and helping others. I am a highly driven and resilient individual who has overcome significant challenges and constant transitions, yet consistently risen above every obstacle. My dedication and adaptability are reflected in my diverse accomplishments — from founding my own clothing brand, leading as a real estate salesperson and certified lifeguard all while being a full time student in college receiving an academic scholarship.  These roles have taught me leadership, discipline, and entrepreneurial skills. I am not naturally gifted at all in my opinion, everything I have achieved so far is because I’m an avid learner and student. I feel like my current status(and what’s yet to come) is a possibility for anyone else reading this with the points explained later in this text. While I do not know everything, I know enough to make a meaningful impact—helping readers develop knowledge, cultivate a positive mindset, and open the door to opportunity and freedom.

Mindset – 
The mindset you have in anything determines the type of person you are, not the results because with the correct mindset you will progress forward(although slowly) despite any circumstance or result. The mindset I try to live by is to always move forward and that you have to get worse to get better. Although that sounds like a contradiction, it is very true and a constant pattern repeated in history. Struggling and failing builds character that no amount of money or materialistic things can achieve so embrace it instead of running away from it. One of the easiest ways to embrace failure is to make the grind cool. Instead of simply waking up early you can label it as something different such as getting the worm from the common phrase the early bird gets the worm creating a competitive goal in your brain and something to look forward to. This competitive spirit is very contagious and can get others to join in on the game not only bettering yourself but others around you. You are not at fault for poverty or your financial situations, it is a very deep systematic problem that has almost nothing to do with the current generation facing the consequences but the belief that it is your fault can either push you past your limits or destroy yourself so adopt it cautiously.

Study The Past – 
The commonly used phrase “history repeats itself” is one you have likely encountered, and it is grounded in substantial truth. This is a problem because while it’s well known it is constantly ignored because of things like greed, power, and money. Whatever field you choose to specialize in there is someone before you who has also done it. It is almost disrespectful to not acknowledge or at least take in consideration what has been done before you. If you want to become a basketball player there is decades worth of material you can study the same with any other thing in the world like writing, music, cooking etc. it is important you understand the context and why certain things worked for this time period vs another.

What Does Success Mean to You – 
Success is not and won’t ever be the same to everyone because we all value different things. It is imperative you figure out what is important to you before you start your journey as if you don’t actually know what you want you can easily become distracted or tainted. I recommend avoiding purely tangible goals, such as a car or a specific fashion item, as acquiring them can sometimes result in a sense of emptiness. Ultimately, it is your life, and you are free to choose what matters most to you.

Start Now Get Better Later –
The fear of rejection keeps many people from achieving their dreams and is one of the leading regrets for those on their death beds. It is better to try and fail then to never try at all if it is something you are passionate about. The world is not as against you as you may think, especially if you have not even made an attempt to publicly try. Another point of interest involving this topic is that the majority of society is accustomed to being consumers instead of producers. You don’t have to become an NFL player just because you love football but it wouldn’t hurt to try, I see no downsides. You gain a new appreciation for life when you understand something at a fundamental level versus from a fan/outside perspective.

Marketing & Image – 
In order to sell something you must first understand who you are selling it to. It is the customer that matters most in the transaction because they directly influence your growth as an entrepreneur or whatever you choose to do. Ethos pathos and logos is a standard lesson learned in school so you should be familiar with appealing to one’s emotions, logic, and credibility. These are all good strategies to sell something but it is not the only way to market yourself. The general public likes to be a part of something such as a team or community so it’s important you build a theme or something bigger than yourself that people can see themselves in. The vast majority of the world has absolutely no problem spending money on things they really want. If they can see themselves in either you or what you choose to sell you will have customers. A strategy I don’t recommend until you have built a dedicated fanbase is what the rapper Playboi Carti constantly uses and is what i call the Carti gimmick – cant be seen too much but must have something people are willing to wait for. You can constantly tease or build up to something as long as it is worth the wait. Your IRL friends probably won’t be the ones to support dreams/goals as much as you would first think because they see you everyday. You are deemed cooler to people online because they don’t have direct access to you. This also causes a separation in perception that your friends and family are immune to, but because you aren’t accessible to the public and have something worth waiting for you become something bigger than a person. This can have a negative effect because customers stop looking at you as a person and more as an idea, but with a strong support system you can battle things like this.

Financial Literacy – 
Financial literacy is essential, as in today’s world, a lack of money often leads to individuals being perceived as “worthless,” despite the inaccuracy of that notion. It is, however, the reality of how society currently operates. You never want to rely on just one thing for money so multiple sources of income and eventually passive income is the ultimate goal. For some reason it’s frowned upon but a basic 9-5 is the foundation of financial freedom. Once you have a 9-5 you want to move to fast money, and no all fast money is not bad there are plenty of other options besides illegal things to do such as selling food, cutting/doing hair, doordash, real estate, detailing etc. once you build a consistent base with both of these you can now put money into dream careers (previously listed jobs can also apply) such as music, clothing brand, youtube, modeling etc. dream careers are simply careers that require a lot of risk for life changing money, but having the two foundations (9-5 & fast money) essentially removes the risk of putting everything you have into something and getting nothing in return. You may have school or any other circumstance hindering the amount of time you have for your dream career but people will find ways to make time for things they care about and if you are really forced to put everything into one due to dire situations while truly believing in yourself, go right ahead this is just the safe option and what I think is best. There are two more essential parts of money being credit/loans and assets/investments. Credit is just the virtual form of the amount of trust a bank has with you and the more you responsibly spend “your” money the more “trust/faith/confidence” they have in you, that is not free money (nothing is free) you are paying whatever you spend back monthly to build a relationship. Assets and investments are things you buy in the hopes that you get more than you put in over time creating passive income. These are things like stocks or real estate which can depreciate or appreciate in value over time. Finding a balance between spending and saving may be hard but essential to financial growth, if you spend too much you won’t have anything in case of emergencies that seem to only happen at the worst possible moments but if you save to much you aren’t investing in yourself so you put a limit on what you can make and never allow yourself to breakout of the cycle. This goes into the next topic which will help you better manage all of the uncertainties that come with life.That is as far as my financial knowledge goes at the moment, I plan to learn a lot more in the future but this will do for now.

Self discipline & Management –
Discipline and sound management practices provide steadiness and composure amid rapid and unsettling circumstances. Consistency plays a critical role in cultivating self-trust, as anxiety is far more prevalent during initial attempts than after sustained repetition. You can start by creating a routine, this isn’t meant to be followed exactly every single day but instead be a personal goal to reach continuously. It may contain things such as a morning shower, praying, schoolwork, or reading, all things that you more often than not wont be able to accomplish everyday but its there as a constant reminder of what you are building towards, eventually seeing progress built from the trust you’ve gained from yourself. One way I like to train my discipline is to take something away from myself for a month to see how much my goals mean to me. So for example for this month I may not go on instagram because it can be a distraction for me at times forcing myself to focus on my goals. For the coming month, I will abstain from parties and alcohol, reinforcing to my mind the importance of my goals and strengthening my belief in my ability to complete demanding tasks. Many resources go underutilized everyday such as the notes app, Cursa, Youtube, TED, Medium etc all of which make achieving your dreams significantly easier.

Career Paths & Knowledge –
College is not the only way to become successful and gaining knowledge does not stop after school. Many teachers and adults make it seem as if you don’t go to college you will fail which is not true in the slightest, it just isn’t for everyone. Were it not for the availability of a virtual option, I would not be able to attend college presently. This is not a reflection of my intelligence or capability, but of circumstances that currently prevent in-person attendance. There is community college, the plant, trade school, internships, cdl etc all possible paths to a successful future but we are only thoroughly taught about college. While earning a degree is valuable and commendable, it should not be viewed as the ultimate goal. Instead, the true objective should be the continual pursuit of knowledge. With awareness and problem-solving skills, there are few challenges one cannot navigate or turn into meaningful opportunities.

Let Your Reputation & Previous Success Work For You – 
Once you build your foundation from the ground up you are supposed to reap the benefits of it. This is a skill I’ve consistently seen used by influencers but no one seems to acknowledge or teach it. For example, once your brand or business is established and performing well, resulting in a positive reputation, you can leverage this success to your advantage. One approach is to create a course, book, or mentorship program—as I am currently doing—which can generate revenue at minimal cost. In some cases, specialized programs of this nature can even replace the primary income streams of influencers, allowing them to step away from previous endeavors by monetizing their past achievements. While I do not fully endorse this approach, I recognize and understand why it is so widely practiced, often discreetly. This method entails a formidable threshold considering you must be a credible source of knowledge, which means genuinely understanding the topics you address and having achieved a measure of success in them. Without this foundation, it is difficult to gain the credibility and traction necessary to leverage your experience effectively.