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Why does it seem like the average Joe has lost all motivation to start a company and strive for the best in life, or just focus on the best things in life?
I'm getting depressed just turning on the local news and watching every segment being about how to be the biggest cheap a## in town, cut coupons, try to rip off some business and get their product for free, etc..
Just a few years ago it was so much better when it seemed like every news segment and news showcase focused on exotic cars, luxury travel, what the wealthy were doing, etc. It was very motivational to see what one could strive to be just by reading about those who made it..
Why does it seem like the average Joe has lost all motivation to start a company and strive for the best in life, or just focus on the best things in life? All I hear is b.s. about losers not able to find jobs, gas prices, and what they can get without working..
I bought a Ferrari three years ago and up until last year I would always get a ton of congratulations and thumbs up at gas stations because I'm only 27 (now, was 24 when I bought it). In the last year I've had countless hateful people approach me and say things like "there are jobless people, how can you justify driving that?" or some older liberals say "you jerk, I could retire off your car", etc.
So really, what's happening to the motivation levels in this country? I work harder and smarter than everyone I know but it seems like so many now expect people like me to just give them something for nothing or feel bad for them and have to hear sob stories all day... I just want to hear about the winners again!
How is a Ferrari F355 Spider the "wrong car"? Don't be the guy who also tells people his Timex keeps better time than their Rolex (it actually does, but that's not why one buys a quality time piece). You just don't get it, so I will move on...
....and quality is not the only reason a person buys a Ferrari
The issue is very simple. The new generation of Main Streeters are young and lazy. They EXPECT things and when they don't get it, they cry and stomp their feet. They were not brought up on hard working principles, their parents spoiled them and babied them. Now they expect that kind of treatment in their everyday lives. In a nutshell, they are anti-wealth because they know they are too damn lazy to reach that goal themselves, so if they can't have it, they want it taken from others who do.
Not all jobless people are losers. My field got hit hard by the recession. I DO NOT want to sit around on unemployment so I am researching career fields and making plans to go back to school. Hopefully, I will find some sort of a job in the mean time. I do not think the wealthy or the government owe me a living. I want to do something about my situation and not expect others to do something about my situation.
Congrats on the Ferrari! What do you do for a living?
I own a powersports based finance company. However, I also have made lucrative market calls along with turning investment real estate options..
If you need some ideas, I've had the following on the back burner:
1. Launch a company that insures commercial leases for landlords. You would insure tenant loss due to corporate BK, fraud, etc for the remainder of the lease term. The selling point is very simple, the landlords plaza or building is worth more due to the lease guarantee therefore he could obtain greater leveraged financing or a lower capitalzation rate (how commercial investment properties trade) at sale, resulting in a larger sale price.
2. RV sales. Nearly 8% of American families own an RV and based on my experience the demographic consists of retiring baby boomers who have the greatest sum of the American wealth pie. After this years huge market gains, many are ready to set off around the country and sales are heating up. I know people in the pre-owned RV business who are now selling 50 units a month (vs. 2-10 last year) all obtained from repo auctions at gross profits of no less than $10,000 each. 75% of their sales are cash deals and they're focusing on the $30,000-$150,000 resale range.
3. BUY HERE PAY HERE Auto, you can obtain licenses on the cheap in most states and thanks to the sub-prime melt down it's so easy to take a car with a wholesale value of $1,000 and retail it for $7,000 with 10% down and a 25% or more (depending on your state)rate note for 18-30 months. Simple tracking devices and tough collections practices guarantee your secured interest (the cars).
4. Let your money work for you. Only idiots have savings accounts! Right now I'm trading high div stocks like CPLP earning almost 19% before share price gains. There are so many solid companies paying high dividends (over 12%) so you can just sit home and watch CNBC all day. Also, so many people have great ventures and are so desperate for a little capital they will over secure their assets for loans. I know someone who took over a families restaurant on a defaulted $80,000 note. He made $140,000 on the equipment at fire sale and $200,000 on the real estate because they couldn't get financing elsewhere and he knew their plan would soon fail. These deals are a dime a dozen, and people will do or sign anything to try get a loan for their business, opening up this great opportunity. Just place an ad on craigslist offering capital and see what I mean. Have your attorney draft a tight note for you.
I own a powersports based finance company. However, I also have made lucrative market calls along with turning investment real estate options..
How did you get starting capital? (if I can ask) I'm a small business owner myself. As you know, finance companies and banks are saying "no" to established businesses lik mine. I can't imagine being a 21 year old and getting enough capital to start a business.
I'm getting depressed just turning on the local news and watching every segment being about how to be the biggest cheap a## in town, cut coupons, try to rip off some business and get their product for free, etc..
Just a few years ago it was so much better when it seemed like every news segment and news showcase focused on exotic cars, luxury travel, what the wealthy were doing, etc. It was very motivational to see what one could strive to be just by reading about those who made it..
Why does it seem like the average Joe has lost all motivation to start a company and strive for the best in life, or just focus on the best things in life? All I hear is b.s. about losers not able to find jobs, gas prices, and what they can get without working..
I bought a Ferrari three years ago and up until last year I would always get a ton of congratulations and thumbs up at gas stations because I'm only 27 (now, was 24 when I bought it). In the last year I've had countless hateful people approach me and say things like "there are jobless people, how can you justify driving that?" or some older liberals say "you jerk, I could retire off your car", etc.
So really, what's happening to the motivation levels in this country? I work harder and smarter than everyone I know but it seems like so many now expect people like me to just give them something for nothing or feel bad for them and have to hear sob stories all day... I just want to hear about the winners again!
Motivation levels?? I knew plenty of people who were motivated to start their own businesses in the last ten years...Unfortunately a lot of them lost their shirts when either the industries they were in crashed(real estate, construction) or their lines of credit dried up. Why do you hear less about these sorts of success stories? Because there are a lot less of them post-economic crash. Wall Street is slowing making money again, because corporations have downsized to the point where they could a profit again, unfortunately that came at the expense of a lot of people's jobs...Consumer demand has been pretty stagnant lately. A lot of established retailers went out of business in the last two years---it's not the best time to be opening a new one when the market is contracting so much. And easy loans are a thing of the past for a lot of people.
It's not as simple as you seem to make it out to be...back at the height of the bubble in 2005 I knew a lot of people flush with cash and entrepreneurial spirit. Now some of them are forced to fighting for scraps trying to stay above water with mortgage payments. There are opportunities for businesses and fortunes to be made---even at the height of the Great Depression a few savvy businessmen were building wealth--but it's gotten harder for a lot of people to get a foot in the door with difficulty of access to capital.
How did you get starting capital? (if I can ask) I'm a small business owner myself. As you know, finance companies and banks are saying "no" to established businesses lik mine. I can't imagine being a 21 year old and getting enough capital to start a business.
Right out of high school I got a real estate license and went into investment real estate (brokering apartment complexes). For the first three years I worked six nights a week (putting in 40-50 hours a week on top of the full time at the real estate office) at a pizza place. From the begining of my real estate career I worked with an Ivy league educated guy who did very well and taught me everything. I did all the grunt work. If other guys in the office were making 50 cold calls, I made 400 per day but only focused on $5M plus deals when others went after the easier and quicker to close $500,000 deals on average. I wanted to be at the top or nothing..
When I was 21 (three years in the business) my first deal closed in which I made $115,500. After that we got a real pipe line going of other big deals and became the largest apartment complex brokers in Upstate, NY. From that point on I was closing a deal a month earning $25,000 to $250,000 on my largest deal. I invested everything after basic living expenses (and buying my first Brioni suits, two Rolex's-Yacht-Master & Datejust, and a Lincoln Navigator) into the market with a Smith Barney financial advisor guiding me.
As I learned the markets I started to flip small 4-10 unit apartment buildings when every little contractor thought they would be the next Donald Trump from watching late night real estate get rich quick shows back in 04-05. However, I used my investment money to launch a powersports finance company finding a more lucrative niche and now my focus is on this venture along with periodic trading in the market when I feel their is an opportunity.. I've always had a passion for finance and the markets so it works for me and it's what I believe will make me a very lucrative life later on, not that I havn't done well already..
BTW, my Ferrari has been a great business investment, along with being so fun to pickup "chicks". lol.. I've driven into many meetings where someone would normally dismiss me because of my age but they look in the parking lot and take me ahead of everyone else knowing I must be great at what I do before a word is even said.
Why do people no longer lionize conspicuous consumption? Perhaps because they are waking to the fact that it has gotten America nowhere if mental health and self reported happiness measures are to be believed.
How is a Ferrari F355 Spider the "wrong car"? Don't be the guy who also tells people his Timex keeps better time than their Rolex (it actually does, but that's not why one buys a quality time piece). You just don't get it, so I will move on...
If u r for real & not a fantasizing troll,then I am sorry to say that actually I get it & u don't...
Ferraris are admitedly the most beautiful cars ...
But they have no value for money... Too expensive...
A Porsche, a Nissan GTR,even an electric Tesla are the limit for politically correct rich...
If u r for real,however,I wish u to continiue your success.
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What do you do for a living?
