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Meet the Kid Who Saved Over $100,000 Within Two Years of Graduating College

Imagine being only 27, and having over $100,000 in your checking account. This is a true short story about a young man named Alex who worked his way through college learning how to sell. Alex graduated in four years, got a low paying job right out of school, and worked his way up through the ranks to become one of the top performers at his company.

This is the rest of Alex’s story.

Here’s the secret to everything I’m about to tell you: Alex learned at an early age how to network, sell and save money. He is one in a million young men in this nation because of his early mentors encouraged him to learn the value of these things. Alex was conditioned to be this way from a young age, and I was fortunate to be one of his mentors. Alex learned this about selling:

Selling is nothing more than communicating well, building trust and rapport, leveraging a caring heart so that your entire focus every day is helping people get what they want. Tops sales pros are authentic, not selfish. Sales is the highest paid profession in the world because of this.

Alex is like millions of kids who enroll in college, except he finished. Like most kids, Alex had no clue at the time what he wanted to do for a living. So when his mentors asked him what he wanted to major in for his undergrad degree, Alex chose an earth science. Why? Because that’s what felt right for Alex. Good for him. (And no, his parents did not do his homework growing up. I know Alex’s parents extremely well. They encouraged Alex to imagine and live his dreams, not theirs. Imagine that.)

Alex did not join a fraternity. Instead, he followed suggestions to get a part-time job that would not interfere with his ability to get the best grades he could get. However, Alex knew the power of networking and did his best to build a richer network of people with similar interests.

Alex Gets A Sales Job, “Smile and Dial”

Picture Alex working his way through college, “smiling and dialing” his butt off. Alex got a job working in a call center while doing his best to get great grades and avoid the massive temptation of all the parties. At least three or four nights a week Alex would hustle into work for a total of about 20 hours every week. It is here in his first call center that Alex learned the sheer power of selling. Alex called on Alumni for donations. That’s a tough sales job.

Imagine the power of learning to sell one of the hardest things in the world to compel people to do; make a donation and part with their hard earned money over the telephone.

Alex graduated and continued to focus on his next sales job which turned out to be in the mortgage banking business. Alex was and remains a model employee. He seldom complains, he remains coachable, and every day his network grows to make him richer. He’s richer by virtue of money, but Alex’s real wealth lies in the power of his growing network.

Never forget that your ability to build a rich network is the most powerful aspect of creating lasting wealth and significance. Start early, never stop.

Every day Alex went to school and work, he was building new relationships, learning new skills, building massive confidence, and gaining crystal-clear clarity on what he would for the rest of his life. Alex is forward thinking every day, and he takes care of the details.

Meet Alex, the Banker

Alex is a now successful mortgage banker. His first job out of school was working for a big, national company that trained him for his first couple of years in the business. This is where Alex really learned to excel because there was great management in place and training and support for him. Alex was always a stand out because he worked hard and is always reliable. Alex knows how to get sales results.

Alex also saved buckets of money his first two years out of college. He didn’t spend money because he worked most of the time, and his nature is that of a saver. This is a huge benefit! Instead of being in debt, Alex was lending people other people’s money to buy homes.

Today Alex works for a boutique mortgage shop to help people finance the home of their dreams. I mentored Alex to focus on a niche which could help him accelerate his success, so he chose first time home buyers. The reason for this is people who own homes move every seven years or so on average. This means every first time home buyer he helps now can become a new customer within those seven years! Repeat business, referrals, and a growing income so you can save even more money.

Don’t Keep Up With the Joneses

If Alex’s last name were Jones, he’d be screwed thinking like most Joneses in America. That’s because “keeping up with the Joneses” is what America is built upon; consumption. Every day we get pummeled with subliminal programming and advertising that makes us buy stuff we don’t need and can’t afford. Not Alex. He’s the opposite, and that’s the other big factor contributing to his early success.

Let’s summarize the key factors for Alex’s success so you can apply them right now to your work and your life.

1. Alex is coachable, willing to learn, and focused on winning great mentors. I’m honored to one of them.
2. Alex finished college, paying much of his own way while working and saving money at an early age.
3. Alex loves saving money. He dislikes spending it! He has no joy for spending money, only saving it. Imagine that.
4. Alex learned the power of selling, which is helping people get what they want. (Do you know how much your “head trash” about selling is holding you back?)
5. Alex was easily able to get a great job out of college because he learned interviewing and sales skills that gave him a massive competitive advantage.
6. Alex works hard every day. This made him a resounding success in his first mortgage banking job that his mentors encouraged him to get.
7. Alex owns specialized knowledge, and at one time, 19 mortgage banking licenses in 19 states where his customers live. He is now more localized.
8. Alex knows how to get through the tough times like sales slumps, and tons of rejection.
9. Alex learned the power and importance of building a rich network. This is where his greatest wealth lies. Same for all of us, but most don’t know it.
10. Alex cares about people. He has a big heart and genuinely wants to make a difference for people.
11. Alex never stops learning. Imagine that. (ABG = Always Be Growing!)
12. Alex gives back what was so freely given to him. And more keeps coming back.

There you have it, Alex’s blueprint.

Simple, not easy, right? Hey, you can do this! You just have to be willing to learn and do the hard work every day.

Remember the key to all of this is your thinking, networking, and selling. Focus on learning new skills and helping people get what they want!

If you want to live the life of Alex, do what Alex does; wake up and make a difference for people every day.

Care. Sell. Save. Learn. Serve. Grow.

And don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. Trust me, that’s a terrible way to live.

P.S. My greatest joy today is teaching and sharing with young entrepreneurs like Alex everything I learned in the last 30 years. You can find me easily at Harvey Mackay Academy. We’re deeply committed to empowering the next generation of business leaders to be transformative community leaders. Join us if you understand the sheer power of empowering young entrepreneurs like Alex. And thanks for sending all your young entrepreneurs our way!