When Opportunity Comes Calling
“Fortune favors the prepared mind” – Linus Pauling
I wrote prolifically for Quora from 2014 - 2016 before it became more difficult as my business grew. One answer in particular went viral, catching the attention of media outlets and was republished by multiple media outlets and blogs. The Quora Question was: What is the Most Effective Yet Efficient Way to Get Rich. See the original answer here. It's gotten over 1.7M views and 28K upvotes. It definitely resonated with people.
I didn't really write the post to talk about how to get rich. I wrote the post about how to get started. Steve Jobs once said "The entire world around you was created by people no smarter than yourself."
Many people have been struck by the answer in the same way that I was when I first read the anecdote of the Italian billionaire. Can it be that simple? I was talking with a friend from France about entrepreneurship here vs France and asked him what the difference was. He said that in France when you bring up the idea that you want to start a company, people tell you it’s a bad idea, that it’s too hard and that it won’t work, but here when you bring up the idea of starting a company, people tell you it’s a great idea, that you should go for it and suggest ways they can help or people you should talk to.
My former boss whom I mentioned in the Quora answer, started his own Biotech company. Know what he did before he raised $10M to start his own Biotech company? He was a pharmaceutical sales rep. Know what he did before that? He was a Baptist Minister. And before that? He was a limo driver.
What’s even better, he met the investor who gave him $10M while he was waiting in line to buy tickets to a concert.
I remember Bob telling me this story and being blown away. We live in a country with a $18 trillion economy. Trillion. You can't wrap you're head around that. Want a piece of it? It’s out there for you. You don’t have to take it from anyone. It’s sitting out there waiting to be claimed. Your keys to the kingdom are waiting on an answer on Quora or with the guy you wouldn’t think twice of in the line next to you in the ticket line for a concert. There’s opportunity around you, all the time.
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