Someone recently asked me how to get rich quick and frankly, I was stumped. Money isn’t my motivator — at least, not anymore.
When I first started out, I had the same dream as many new entrepreneurs: to be a millionaire as fast possible. But over the years, I realized that using money as a sole source of motivation wasn’t sustainable, and it wouldn’t help me create the company I envisioned.
Now, my priority is building something special that extraordinary people want to be a part of. Success and money have simply been a by-product of a focus on meaningful work. Here’s a plan to create wealth in ways that truly matter: relationships, personal development, and self-fulfillment. In my experience, if you make these 10 things your focus, the money will follow.
1. Start With Vision
The first step on any journey is deciding where you want to go. A clearly defined vision will keep you on track and will hold you accountable to reach your goals.
I strongly believe that what gets measured gets done, and it’s been proven that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them. So write a vision of the future you want for yourself, and then work backwards to determine how to get there.
2. Define Your Values
Your core values should be the driving force behind everything you do. If your goals are what you aim to achieve, your values are how you’ll reach them.
At O2E Brands, our values are passion, integrity, professionalism and empathy. Everyone on our team acts from a place that reflects these tenets of our culture. They keep us aligned and working together towards our shared vision.
3. Focus on People
Our company wouldn’t be half of what it is today without our team of passionate, talented and energetic people. I’ve learned the hard way what can happen when you compromise on the people you bring into your organization.
Now, we only hire people who are aligned with our values and our goals. You are the reflection of the five people you spend the most time with — so choose your inner circle wisely.
4. Be Willing to Fail
One of the biggest reasons people don’t accomplish their goals is because they’re too afraid of failure to try. To achieve your dreams, you need to have faith in yourself and dive into every challenge head first.
If you succeed the first time, great — but that would be the exception. When you’re willing to fail, you open yourself up to infinite opportunities to learn and grow.
5. Get Resourceful
When I started 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, I only had $700 to my name — and I invested every penny of it in a beat-up truck. It’s a good thing I did: the business paid for itself within the first two weeks.
There were many times in the early days where resourcefulness was the only thing keeping us from failing. So when the chips are down and you don’t know where to turn, pull yourself up by the bootstraps and keep pushing forward.
6. Don’t Take ‘No’ For an Answer
When I first decided to franchise, I approached my mentors for help. The only problem was that none of them believed a junk removal business could be franchised.
They argued that anyone with a truck could start a competing company, and they were right in some ways — but not every mom-and-pop junk hauler can disrupt an industry the way we did.
We found a way to set ourselves apart by professionalizing a fragmented industry. Along the way, we proved how scalable the junk business can be. The next time someone says you can’t do it, make it your mission to prove them wrong.
7. Don’t Try to Be the Smartest Person in the Room
If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Strive to surround yourself with people you can learn from and who inspire you — whether you’re at a networking event or in your own offices.
Asking questions doesn’t make you look stupid or less capable of your job; it proves you’re open-minded and always willing to learn.
8. Go Dark on Vacation
I used to be the person checking emails and taking calls when I was supposed to be on vacation with my family. Then I realized the benefits of a digital detox: when you take tech-free time off, you come back to work happier, more refreshed and more productive.
That’s why we’ve enforced a strict ‘go dark’ policy at our company: everyone is encouraged to log off completely when they’re out of office, whether for the weekend or a month abroad. So far, we’ve had nothing but positive feedback — so the next time you head off the grid, put your smartphone on airplane mode.
9. Be a Realistic Optimist
I’ve always been an eternal optimist, choosing to see the best in people and situations. I believe that good things happen as a result of positive output.
Don’t just take my word for it: it’s been proven time and again that optimists are more successful and more fulfilled than pessimists. But the positivity-success correlation only exists when combined with a healthy dose of realism. Optimism can lead to success as long as you’re realistic about goals and outcomes.
10. Focus on Creating Meaning, Not Money
At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal definition of success. Some measure it in the number of zeros on their paychecks. Others see it in terms of awards and recognition.
For me, it’s always been about finding passion in what I do and trying to improve other people’s lives. In my experience, when you choose to create meaning instead of money, wealth will find its way into all areas of your life.
