What’s up…little green bar says to intro yourself, so…since I’m try to follow forum rules, here we go.
Let’s sum it up quick with an age timeline:
1-7yrs old, lived with my grandfather…a business owner/stock investor/advisor/politician
8-11yrs old, moved cross country with my mom, basically fended for myself at times, became very independent
11-16yrs old, inherited a new stepdad that was violent at times, very rough, wanted me gone
17-21yrs old, homeless for very long stints, forced to drop high school, quickly got equivalency, became EMT/Paramedic and no more homeless
22-26yrs old, worked but injured back bad, no more paramedic. Stints of depression, gained weight, poured myself into building my car
26yrs- Opened a performance shop, bought engines/transmission from Japan, imported, started doing installs, etc.
27yrs - Opened a second shop, started more fabrication, began organizing large car events
28yrs-29yrs - Opened wedding/event videography/photography biz with a partner, broke even, partnership went bad
29yrs-30yrs - Continued building cars, flipping cars, scrambling, organizing car shows, etc.
32yrs old - Economy tanked and took my clients with it. Started to struggle, kept above water, but went under entirely…closed shops, back to square one.
33 yrs - Took on new partner, was COO of a boutique car manufacturer with 7 figures in assets and a 6 figure marketing budget. Wasn’t crazy but hey, I finally drove a Lambo and some Ferrari’s to work. Travel the country marketing our product, networked, met big hitters, living well…then
35yrs - Partner gets indicted by the IRS and it all comes crashing down. Seizures occur, I barely get out of his mix with myself intact.
35-36yrs - Random projects…regroup…gather my thoughts. Played blackjack for a good stint, tracked results, was profitable over a 1 year period. Worked hard on card counting (though my local casinos eliminated mid-shoe entry and went all 6 deck with a 1.5 deck cut), perfect basic, hot shoe trends, bankroll management, etc. I was really disciplined but there was just more chance involved than I was comfortable with. It showed me I could be disciplined with things like stop-loss, and knowing when to take profit and walk.
36yrs - Open a restaurant with a partner who fronts the building and liquor license…I do a great buildout, get a lot of press, opens with a bang…three months later partner takes it out from under me, defaults on our deal, I lose…a lot.
37yrs - Start looking into Forex, decide to move cross country and start again…
38yrs - Started a logistics/expedited shipping gig, 5k dollar box truck, drove around the country and did really well…huge roi for a small startup cost but was feeling like it was a road to nowhere. Enjoyed the time to drive and think, but felt stagnant…ditched it.
39yrs - Decide to really inject back into the online market. I’ve built a bunch of websites and done a lot of graphic design/marketing over the years, figure I really need to work on getting away from brick/mortar and finding income streams online. I’ve got a few others things going, plus I want to make Forex a part of it.
For a long time I’ve had a goal of 1 million liquid and/or 3 million net worth by 40…and I’ve got 11 months. It’s just a random stupid goal but, I really felt like it wasn’t that much of one to be honest…and I may not even hit it. I don’t mind NOT getting there, but I sure as hell want to feel like I am on the path to getting there. I often question…is this what “mid life crisis” is? I’m not really sure. I’ve had a hell of a ride…I stayed in the best hotels, drove cars that cost 2 million on a racetrack, owned 2 Ferrari’s, 6 Corvettes and about 100 others, ate dinner with hundred millionaires at 5 diamond restaurants but…here I am…nowhere near where I wanted to be and always plinko chipping back down. My success is mirroring that of blackjack…I’m ahead, but it’s almost getting near the level of chance, versus calculated positive gain, and that worries me.
So, there…the most complete intro ever put on this forum…my life story cliff notes style (with a lot of sh*t cut out…lol).