Читать книгу How to Be a Financial Grownup - Bobbi Rebell - Страница 13

KEVIN O’LEARY

• ENTREPRENEUR

• O’SHARES FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN

• STAR AND INVESTOR, SHARK TANK

MY FINANCIAL GROWNUP MOMENT

My financial grownup moment came during my final year of high school when my stepfather, George, sat me down and asked me, “What do you want to do with your life?”

I told him that I didn’t want to go to university. That I was going to be a photographer.

George proceeded to explain that “to be, or not to be” isn’t the question. The question is: What are you willing to do in order to be what you want to be?

MY LESSON TO SHARE

If your dream is to become a photographer, writer, or artist, you have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices to support that goal. I simply wasn’t willing to take the risk of all the tasks and jobs required to support my dream of becoming a full-time photographer.

I wanted to make money, and lots of it.

Today, thanks to George’s advice, I’ve built a successful career that allows me ample time and resources for my real passion – photography.

FOCUS ON YOUR FINANCES TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS

KEVIN’S STORY ILLUSTRATES a common and costly myth that often prevents young people from achieving their dreams – the myth that following your passion will necessarily pay. If you really want to follow your passion, find a way to pay for it.

Following your dream doesn’t necessarily mean that you should do that for income. It may mean finding a different way to pay for it, as Kevin does. And by the way, having interviewed Kevin a number of times and gotten to know him a bit, I can tell you that he’s enjoying himself in the paying part of his career as well. Making money is a lot of fun for him.

Be willing to make sacrifices to support your goals

Being a financial grownup means proactively focusing on your finances. Doing a good-enough job will allow you to follow your passion. Later in the book you’ll read some other stories of super-successful entrepreneurs who had passions that would never pay enough to be their primary source of income. Don’t cry for them. By following a profitable and financially more-realistic path, they are now able to achieve their dreams. Kevin’s co-star on Shark Tank, Mark Cuban, for example, is now the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He’s one of the most outspoken and passionate sports team owners out there. He achieved that dream by making money as a driven and relentless entrepreneur. Use money to achieve your real dreams.

There are, however, passions that can pay. Many people truly love what they do to make money.

Like Kevin, Sir Martin Sorrell, who heads WPP, the world’s largest communications services group, also got advice as a teenager from an older mentor. His enthusiasm for the field of advertising is so strong that his passion and means of financial success did become one and the same.