It was spring 2008, a tough year in real estate and I was having a conversation with my financial mentor at the time. I had set some big goals for the year and was trailing behind.
“I’m not good at this stuff, but that’s why I have you!” I said.
“Really, what do you mean by that?” he asked.
“I’m great with sales, and people, and I love what I do, but bookkeeping, taxes, all that “stuff”, just not my jam, so I plan to hire great people to take care of it for me.”
“Can I be fully honest with you?” he asked in a leading manner.
“Of course!” I said, admittedly with some hesitation.
“Your goals are impressive. Inspirational. But unachievable until you change your mindset about ‘not being good at this stuff’. First of all, ‘this stuff’ isn’t as hard as you think. Second, words matter, and ‘this stuff’ indicates finances are not the priority you say they are. It’s a flippant comment about deeply important work and you might consider how that is holding you back from growing your net worth.”
Wow.
There I was, totally exposed, and seen.
It was a powerful moment that changed me for the better, forever.
Now, many years later, I can see the direct correlation between profitability and net worth and the language someone uses about money management. You cannot get control of your finances, let alone grow your net worth unless you also work on your mindset about it. That’s why Alchemy started as a training company first. Mindset doesn’t fix all your problems, but it’s undisputedly on the path to do so.