Something From Nothing
I once had a youth group kid who had a unique way of creating an income. With a computer, a $50 game, and a few free online platforms, he generated more than $150,000 per year as a 16-year-old. You heard that right. With almost no cost, a teenager was making six figures from the confines of his childhood bedroom, simply by streaming himself playing a video game.
What always fascinated me about this kid was that he never waited for anyone's permission. He just had the courage to try something, the skill set to build, and the discipline to stick with it. All from a few cheap pieces of software and equipment. It wasn't rocket science. Literally every single one of us could have done it.
One of my buddies makes $200,000 per year from a mediocre used camera that he purchased from a neighbor. He had an idea that only required an average camera and some free software downloaded from the web. Then, in a matter of months, he was generating enough income to provide for his family. Nobody granted him permission or approved of such business. He just started....and here we are.
More than half of my family's income comes from me using Microsoft Excel to build tools for businesses. This is a software program pre-loaded onto most computers and has been around for more than 40 years. I have no formal training or certifications. Instead, I started messing around with it when I was a teenager, used it for a few college courses, gained more experience during my 15-year commercial real estate career, and built new skills and capabilities along the way. No permissions needed. Just me, my computer, and a desire to serve people.
Maybe you won't be a streamer. Maybe you aren't artsy with a camera. Maybe you aren't keen on Excel. You have something, though. You have passions, abilities, and expertise that can be cheaply put to use at the snap of a finger. Most of us are just one simple and interesting idea away from creating something that can possibly change the trajectory of our lives or finances. It's not always easy, but it's usually simple.
Creating something from nothing. In a world where everything is on the table, and equipment, software, and online platforms are nearly free, what a time to be alive!
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