Chrisrice06
New Contributor
My name is Chris. I currently reside in Maryland, USA. Although I come from an entrepreneurial family, I never had a serious desire to follow in any ones footsteps. I have been working since I was thirteen, joined the Air Force, got out worked for a government contractor and then got a job as a DOD civilian. It's fare to say I was drifting through life on a comfortable current just going with the flow. Four events over the course of years cause me to wake up and take control of my direction.
The first was when my wife died, leaving me to raise our son alone (causing me to exit the military and seek civilian employment).
The second was the 2008 Recession, in which I watched my family (immediate and extended) get crushed loosing businesses (laying off employees in the process), homes (one of which was in our family for generations), and going bankrupt.
The third was getting laid off from my government contract job, unemployed for 10 months getting a Job with the Department of Defense only to be furloughed (government speak for "temporarily laid off". (this is when I started financially educating my self)
The forth and final F*ck you was when I was force to go to work on a broken leg for 4 months (since I work maintenance think pain...lots and lots of pain). I was at that time I realized the significance of having a strong "plan B" and the peril of a single point of failure.
About 4 years ago I read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". It was given to me years earlier and sat in my book shelf collecting dust. I have tried different things since 1997 with various levels of result (3 MLMs, 2 mail order businesses etc.) but I didn't have a "Why" driving me. When ever life derailed me I didn't have enough reason to keep moving. That led me to find a cash flow club, which lead was a sales funnel for another MLM Real Estate Investment club. (didn't join but did start making contacts). A friend introduced me to Audible.com which increase the amount of books I started to consume (thanks in no small part to 2x and 3x playback function). The more I consumed the more this fog lifted from my consciousness. (note: I learned that the educational system geographically to service the industrialist in the late 1800 to early 1900. Growing up in Detroit meant that I was taught "WHAT" to think and not "HOW" to think). I started going to seminars and personal enrichment classes. I spent all of my money starting a real estate investment company (with the help of a number of servicing companies for a premium), only to run out of capital before I could by my first property and the State of Maryland informing me that I was not allowed to deduct any business expenses relating to my real estate investment company because I hadn't done any real estate transactions. $50k down the toilet. Feeling horrible about that and being hard headed, I did what what any lazy non-committer would do...no not get a mentor and dig in, that would make too much sense. No, I switched gears yet again and let a slick sales rep sell me on how easy it is to make money on the web, not once but twice. Both of which were nothing I had control of and were scams designed to separate me from money I already didn't have. Attempt number three (an Amazon affiliate site) actually started making me a little bit of money (I think my first check was like $11 and change). It wasn't earth shattering but it was actually something. The next month I cleared $100; I am still broke as shit but, feeling pretty good. I went along like this for another year until I receive this non-descriptive notice that due to new guidelines, I am no longer in compliance...WHAT!!!! Shortly after that my current wife left leaving a lazy boy, a twin mattress and some dishes (that sucked). After the dust from all that settled I was standing in my mostly empty living room staring at my reflection on the wall mirror. The way I saw it was I had two choices 1: I could be a victim and whine of 2: I could let everything I had been through burn and sting making me tougher, stronger, faster, smarter, wiser... I chose option 2.
For the last year I have been healing up from that "metaphoric" a$$ beating I took. I have learned to meditate (really helpful by the way), got a direction, refinanced my debt so I can start paying down this $70k, and continued working on my knowledge strengthening my deficiencies that where at the root of my mistakes.
Other things have happened to where I can't put my finger on it, but it I feel like another life change is about to happen.
Any way, I just finished "Un-scripted" for the second time on Audible and left a positive review. I know M J wasn't trying but I laughed my a$$ off through most of the book. It was like a release from all of the shit I have been through. I heard about this community through the book. I am definitely looking to connect with people who have been where I am, are heading where I am going, and have arrived where I want to be.
The first was when my wife died, leaving me to raise our son alone (causing me to exit the military and seek civilian employment).
The second was the 2008 Recession, in which I watched my family (immediate and extended) get crushed loosing businesses (laying off employees in the process), homes (one of which was in our family for generations), and going bankrupt.
The third was getting laid off from my government contract job, unemployed for 10 months getting a Job with the Department of Defense only to be furloughed (government speak for "temporarily laid off". (this is when I started financially educating my self)
The forth and final F*ck you was when I was force to go to work on a broken leg for 4 months (since I work maintenance think pain...lots and lots of pain). I was at that time I realized the significance of having a strong "plan B" and the peril of a single point of failure.
About 4 years ago I read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". It was given to me years earlier and sat in my book shelf collecting dust. I have tried different things since 1997 with various levels of result (3 MLMs, 2 mail order businesses etc.) but I didn't have a "Why" driving me. When ever life derailed me I didn't have enough reason to keep moving. That led me to find a cash flow club, which lead was a sales funnel for another MLM Real Estate Investment club. (didn't join but did start making contacts). A friend introduced me to Audible.com which increase the amount of books I started to consume (thanks in no small part to 2x and 3x playback function). The more I consumed the more this fog lifted from my consciousness. (note: I learned that the educational system geographically to service the industrialist in the late 1800 to early 1900. Growing up in Detroit meant that I was taught "WHAT" to think and not "HOW" to think). I started going to seminars and personal enrichment classes. I spent all of my money starting a real estate investment company (with the help of a number of servicing companies for a premium), only to run out of capital before I could by my first property and the State of Maryland informing me that I was not allowed to deduct any business expenses relating to my real estate investment company because I hadn't done any real estate transactions. $50k down the toilet. Feeling horrible about that and being hard headed, I did what what any lazy non-committer would do...no not get a mentor and dig in, that would make too much sense. No, I switched gears yet again and let a slick sales rep sell me on how easy it is to make money on the web, not once but twice. Both of which were nothing I had control of and were scams designed to separate me from money I already didn't have. Attempt number three (an Amazon affiliate site) actually started making me a little bit of money (I think my first check was like $11 and change). It wasn't earth shattering but it was actually something. The next month I cleared $100; I am still broke as shit but, feeling pretty good. I went along like this for another year until I receive this non-descriptive notice that due to new guidelines, I am no longer in compliance...WHAT!!!! Shortly after that my current wife left leaving a lazy boy, a twin mattress and some dishes (that sucked). After the dust from all that settled I was standing in my mostly empty living room staring at my reflection on the wall mirror. The way I saw it was I had two choices 1: I could be a victim and whine of 2: I could let everything I had been through burn and sting making me tougher, stronger, faster, smarter, wiser... I chose option 2.
For the last year I have been healing up from that "metaphoric" a$$ beating I took. I have learned to meditate (really helpful by the way), got a direction, refinanced my debt so I can start paying down this $70k, and continued working on my knowledge strengthening my deficiencies that where at the root of my mistakes.
Other things have happened to where I can't put my finger on it, but it I feel like another life change is about to happen.
Any way, I just finished "Un-scripted" for the second time on Audible and left a positive review. I know M J wasn't trying but I laughed my a$$ off through most of the book. It was like a release from all of the shit I have been through. I heard about this community through the book. I am definitely looking to connect with people who have been where I am, are heading where I am going, and have arrived where I want to be.
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