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What this phrase means is that most people need only to learn and master one more skill and their income would jump exponentiallyI have mentioned before that financial intelligence is a synergy of accounting, investing, marketing and lawCombine those four technical skills and making money with money is easierWhen it comes to money, the only skill most people know is to work hard
The classic example of a synergy of skills was that young writer for the newspaperIf she diligently learned the skills of sales and marketing, her income would jump dramaticallyIf I were her, I would take some courses in advertising copywriting as well as salesThen, instead of working at the newspaper, I would seek a job at an advertising agencyEven if it were a cut in pay, she would learn how to communicate in "short cuts" that are used in successful advertisingShe also would spend time learning public relations, an important skillShe would learn how to get millions in free publicityThen, at night and on weekends, she could be writing her great novelWhen it was finished, she would be better able to sell her bookThen, in a short while, she could be a "best-selling author
When I first came out with my first book If You Want To Be Rich and Happy, Don't Go to School? a publisher suggested I change black chanel bag with white logo on the side the tide to The Economics of EducationI told the publisher that with a title like that, I would sell two books: one to my family and one to my best friendThe problem is, they would expect it for freeThe obnoxious title If You Want To Be Rich and Happy, Don't Go to School? was chosen because we knew it would get tons of publicityI am pro-education and believe in education reform Otherwise, why would I continue to press for changing our antiquated educational system? So I chose a title that would get me on more TV and radio shows, simply because I was willing to be controversialMany people thought I was a fruitcake, but the book sold and sold
When I graduated from the UMerchant Marine Academy in 1969, my educated dad was happyStandard Oil of California had hired me for its oil-tanker fleetI was a third mate, and the pay was low compared with my classmates, but it was OK for a first real job after collegeMy starting pay was about $42,000 a year, including overtime, and I only had , to work for seven monthsI had five months of vacationIf I had wanted to, I could have taken the run to Vietnam with a subsidiary shipping company, and easily doubled my pay instead of taking the five J months' vacation
I had a great career ahead of me, yet I resigned after six months with the company watches omega and joined the Marine Corps to learn how to flyMy educated dad was devastatedRich dad congratulated me
In school and in the workplace, the popular opinion is the idea of "specialization That is, in order to make more money or get promoted, you need to "specialize That is why medical doctors immediately begin to seek a specialty such as orthopedics or pediatricsThe same is true for accountants, architects, lawyers, pilots and others
My educated dad believed in the same dogmaThat is why he was thrilled when he eventually achieved his doctorateHe often admitted ??that schools reward people who study more and more about less and less
Rich dad encouraged me to do exactly the opposite "You want to ' know a little about a lot" was his suggestionThat is why for years I worked in different areas of his companiesFor awhile, I worked in his accounting departmentAlthough I would probably never have been an accountant, he wanted me to learn via "osmosis Rich dad knew I would pick up "jargon" and a sense of what is important and what is notI also worked as a bus boy and construction worker, as well as in sales, reservations and marketing He was "grooming" Mike and meThat is why he insisted we sit in on the meetings with his bankers, lawyers, accountants and brokersHe wanted us to know coco chanel earrings a little about every aspect of his empire
When I quit my high-paying job with Standard Oil, my educated dad had a heart-to-heart with meHe could not understand my decision to resign from a career that offered high pay, great benefits, lots of time off, and opportunity for promotionWhen he asked me one evening, "Why did you quit?" I could not explain it to him, as much as I triedMy logic did not fit his logicThe big problem wasthat my logic was my rich dad's logic
Job security meant everything to my educated dadLearning meant everything to my rich dad
Educated dad thought I went to school to learn to be a ship's officerRich dad knew that I went to school to study international tradeSo as a student, I made cargo runs, navigating large freighters, oil tankers and passenger ships to the Far East and the South PacificRich dad emphasized that I stay in the Pacific instead of taking ships to Europe because he knew that the "emerging nations" were in Asia, not EuropeWhile most of my classmates, including Mike, were partying at their fraternity houses, I was studying trade, people, business styles and cultures in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Korea, Tahiti, Samoa and the PhilippinesI also was partying, but it was not in any frat house
Educated dad just could dior women not understand why I decided to quit and join the Marine CorpsI told him I wanted to learn to fly, but really I wanted to learn to lead troopsRich dad explained to me that the hardest part of running a company is managing peopleHe had spent three years in the Army; my educated dad was draft-exemptRich dad told me of the value of learning to lead men into dangerous situations"Leadership is what you need to learn next," he said "If you're not a good leader, you'll get shot in the back, just like they do in business
Returning from Vietnam in 1973,1 resigned my commission, even though I loved flyingI found a job with Xerox CorpI joined it for one reason, and it was not for the benefitsI was a shy person, and the thought of selling was the most frightening subject in the worldXerox has one of the best sales-training programs in America
Rich dad was proud of meMy educated dad was ashamedBeing an intellectual, he thought that salespeople were below him I worked with Xerox for four years until I overcame my fear of knocking on doors and being rejected Once I could consistently be in the top five in sales, I again resigned and moved on, leaving behind another great career with an excellent company
In 1977,1 formed my first companyRich dad had groomed Mike and me to take over tiffany jewelry wholesale compani |
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