Zero to One

Recently, I read Peter Thiel’s book, Zero to One. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship, but, as I was reading, I found that it also related to personal financial planning.

Thiel is a well-respected venture capitalist and one of the first investors in Facebook. Zero to One was based on a Thiel lecture at Stanford. It encourages entrepreneurs to create something new, not just improve something that already exists. For example, a venture capitalist probably won’t fund your company if you sell a shirt with a new color, but they would fund groundbreaking technology like a shirt that magically repelled mosquitoes.

Thiel also discusses the character of the entrepreneur and how successful ones actually love their creation. Sure, they hope to get rich, but the creation comes first. They are dedicated to the growth and well-being of their baby…the company. Can you imagine living in a world without Google? Of course, many of us remember the days before the internet, but we don’t want to go back. Google has made things so much easier. The world is literally at our fingertips! So, what if Google’s founders accepted one of the offers to buy the company? They could have made some money, but they stayed dedicated to their goal and their creation changed the world! They also made a TON of money, of course.

So, why can’t we use this concept in our own lives? Everyone can’t have the billion dollar idea, but we all have goals and our success/failures come from our dedication to these goals. As we pursue these goals, we all become venture capitalists because we are investing in ourselves! We invest our time in becoming educated and we use the education in our jobs. Our jobs provide income that we invest in our goals such as a home, our child’s education, and our retirement.

Your goals are your first step toward a financial plan. The plan is your creation and needs to be nurtured just like an entrepreneur nurtures his new company. By staying dedicated to your plan, you will have a better chance of reaching your goals. Of course, it sounds easy, but it’s tough in today’s world where there are so many ways to spend our money. Luckily, there are financial professionals, like me, who will be right beside you to help coach you on this journey.

Working with me is nothing to be feared. I am not some judge that will punish you for “mistakes” or ridicule you for not having a “certain amount” of money. My goal is to help you identify your goals and find a way to safely pursue them. Chasing your dreams is one of the most amazing things you will ever do. Even if you don’t live your dream, the pursuit is just as rewarding. Please don’t let fear stand in your way. I would love the opportunity to help you in your pursuit, so make your appointment today!

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Jonathan Greeson is located west of 117 and south of E. Main St.
Jonathan Greeson is located west of 117 and south of E. Main St.

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