Hello to whoever reads this!
I’m a 21-year-old trying to navigate the path my future will take. I come from a lower/middle-class family, the way I’m currently living feels like a potential nightmare if it shapes my future or the resources I can provide for my future children. I understand you might wonder why I’m thinking so far ahead, but with many of my peers progressing in their lives and graduating university, I can’t help but consider my own trajectory. I want to build a name for myself, and in this era of high living costs, a normal job might not suffice. It seems like nowadays the only wealth that lasts is being born into generational wealth, which I wasn’t born into and so now I’ve gotta think outside the box.
Now, during my university break, the idea of starting a business or venturing into e-commerce (specifically, dropshipping) has been on my mind. However, navigating this market proves challenging, given the advice, some say “dropshipping is dead” while others sell their courses. It’s a bit overwhelming, and I’m left wondering where to start and who to trust for authentic guidance. Ultimately I aim to invent and launch a brand, my current wage feels inadequate for such goals. Therefore, my plan is to build my income before diving into the challenges of running a business.
I find myself at a crossroads, uncertain about the best path forward. I’m determined to make money, so any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Help a person out.
It’s amazing how much of foresight you have at the age of 21. When I was 21, I too was desperately trying to get into something where I could make an impact. Although I come from a decent background, I didn’t want to ever feel entitled, or lazy. So first off, congratulations on your mindset. Secondly, you have to work night and day to learn. Learning is the biggest skill in today’s world. And if you’re constantly willing to learn, you’re going to go miles ahead. There are free resources out there. Watch YouTube, read books and listen to Podcast. Pick a field that you believe will make you the happiest, or earn you the most amount of money, given that your goal. Thirdly, instead of focusing on which company to get into, pick a personality you can work under. Most people optimise for a brand name, say for example, working under an Apple or a Nike. Instead, pick somebody great who you can mentor you and show you how things are done. These kinds of people are difficult to access at bigger companies, but at a smaller ones, there’s a big chance that they will take you on. So, start connecting with these people and share your story. I’m sure there are many empathetic entrepreneurs who will help you. Once you start working with such a person, you’re going to get insights into how things are done. Trust me, skills will only take you so far. What’s equally important is process, mindset, structure, organisation and management. These can only be learnt with experience and over a diverse range of situations. As you’re learning and working, you’re also going to land on some money. Keep your expenses low, and save some of that cash. Slowly, look at opportunities that you can exploit. Start a small business online, whether that’s consulting or selling a digital product, or even breaking into the same industry that you’re a part of. Yes, some industries may require a massive investment, but look at ways that you can come in without any investment, say as a consultant or something. Keep your working your way up, and you will reach a place where things start going your way. All of this is again easier said than done. But it’s just a roadmap of how you can start to think about things. Feel free to reach out, I’m more than happy to speak to you as a friend and as somebody who also wants to make it really big in life.
I really appreciate your words. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to respond to my post with such thoughtful insights. I have to work on my current job now, It’s definitely not something I want to do in life (I work with kids) and I should tailor to something that will assist me in my future goals, so you’re so right there. I honestly inly do it because it pays well and I want to save before trying out some method, whichever it may be. Also I should most definitely utilise the free resources, i’ll be doing that today. Take advantage of the digital world we live in 🤣