The 2012 American Dream

As teachers and counselors in High School preached how important it was to get a college degree or to learn a trade skill such as culinary or accounting, I dreamed of owning my own business. There were no classes offered in my high school for entrepreneurship, nor were teachers or counselors suggesting it as a career choice.

However, I knew The United States was built on entrepreneurs creating businesses and jobs that grew the country. I also knew most of the people living in the big houses; driving the fancy cars and traveling around the world were people who started their own businesses.

Having my own business was my dream but it’s what that business could bring me that excited me. I wanted to travel the world, own a big house, have a fancy car and be able to buy what I wanted anytime. As a High School student living a lifestyle was the American Dream more than a particular thing. It was the ability to do what I wanted, when I wanted. At the time, I thought becoming an entrepreneur was the only way to that lifestyle.

So after several years in college classes and working for others, I finally started my own company in 2000. After a lot of work, stress and perseverance the business became very successful. By 2006, the business employed 45 people, generated close to $5 million annually in revenue and was on the ‘Inc5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S.’ list three years in a row.

Although even with the success, being an entrepreneur didn’t feel as I thought it would. I wasn’t traveling around the world or buying all the things I wanted. The business sucked up so much time I wasn’t able to enjoy the success.

It was after I sold the company in 2008 that I finally realized what my true dream was. It’s the dream I believe all American’s hope to achieve, the American Dream of “Financial Freedom”.

The definition of “Financial Freedom” for me is: To have more passive income than expenses each month. Passive income is money I earn monthly regardless if I do work or not. It includes things such as rents from real estate, distributions from businesses I don’t work in day-to-day or dividends on stocks, etc.

When I explain “Financial Freedom” to friends and family, they all agree that it would be the ultimate American Dream. The freedom to work when I want to, the ability not to worry about income or how to pay for something is the true American Dream.


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