Monday, June 12, 2023
Performing ‘Reasonable Acts of Abundance’ Created $1,322,000!!!
May 23, 2023 Newsletter.
It’s funny how past life experiences inform you on the strategies for future success!
When I was 21, I got my first job making $26,000/year in Elmira NY. I rented a shitty little apartment in a so-so part of town and that included all utilities. It was all I could afford. I had nothing left at the end of the month!
The clogged tub, the broken kitchen cabinets, the ambulance or police arriving regularly at the house, the older tenants who lived hard lives .. it was NOT the right environment for me.
When the lease expired after 1 year, I got a 2% raise!! That’s $520 pre-tax annually!! Lucky me!!
I knew I couldn’t stay where I was and needed to upgrade.
Along came a 2 story, 2 bedroom townhouse with a massive rent bill of $550/month AND I had to pay gas and electric!! Holy moly! How am I gonna afford this??
I figured it out and said I think I can make it happen. Then, my 1996 Plymouth Breeze which had a $149/month payment blew a head gasket! And the cost to fix it was more than the engine. So, I had the oil changed, limped it to a dealer, kept my mouth shut and traded it in for a 2008 Nissan Altima .. with a $349/month payment!!
So my rent went up by $125 and I’m paying $100/month for utilities AND my car payment just shot up $200 plus the increased insurance cost!!!
It was scary. But it was also amazing.
- I had a nice apartment that I was proud to bring friends to
- I had a nice car with leather seats and a moonroof that I was proud to drive around in
- I felt better about me and the situation I was in
I was already working hard, but discovered that I could attain certain certifications which would each give me 2-3% raises. So I went after them! I grabbed 5 that year for a total of 12.5% in pay increases!!
But it wasn’t like I was holding out for those raises in order to make it while I white knuckled my budget. Honestly, I just seemed to ‘figure it out’.
IN HINDSIGHT…
There are times in life where you need to take a bet on your future you. I’m convinced of that. Without knowing it, that’s exactly what I did.
It’s something a new friend named Chris Harder calls ‘reasonable acts of abundance’. It’s saying to yourself you’re worth stretching for something and trusting that future you will thank you for that stretch.
At this point in my life, it was a car and apartment. It was putting myself in the environment that served who I was becoming. I had energy as a result. A sense of pride.
Later on, I started investing in masterminds. First it was Wheelbarrow Profits, a multifamily mastermind group. Later it was Gobundance. And more recently it was hiring a marketing coach/consultant to help me with where I’m going.
All of these were stretches when I did them. Here’s the cost of my ‘reasonable acts of abundance’ and the return I’ve calculated.
Wheelbarrow Profits
- Cost $1500
- Return $300,000
I met my partner at the time through that mastermind, we created a networking group that brought us two deals that we learned how to close as a result of that mastermind. Equity we cashed out when we sold for me was $300,000.
Gobundance
- Cost $64,000 (annual tuition and events)
- Return $1,022,000
The return is a combination of realized equity from deals I’ve done with Quantum, income generated from being an Ambassador and from partnering and owning Gobundance Emerge, and member credits from referring new members (offsetting some costs for me). In addition, there are pooled investment opportunities with enhanced returns that have done well for me that I included. None of this includes returns on LP dollars I’ve invested in deals with other guys.
Consultant
- Cost $55,000
- Return $0 (yet)
This is an investment in a strategic relationship with someone that is very well connected to the world I’m in with access to highly influential people. This return will come at some point - even if it takes years. I value the relationship that much!
Tallying it up … my ‘random acts of abundance’ have ‘cost’ me $120,500 and have returned me $1,322,000. That’s an 11X return on my money!
Not to mention friendships with 8 and 9 figure net worth entrepreneurs, relationships with best-selling authors, pro athletes, major league owners and more!
Your network is the greatest equity you have .. I truly believe that. I can lose all the money, but the people and knowledge from them allows me to rebuild if the money's gone.
To be clear, most of that return is in the form of equity directly related to my participation in masterminds (my bank account doesn’t look THAT good 😂)
WAYS TO INVEST IN YOU
Listen, you know Gobundance and Gobundance Emerge are my go to communities to invest in. But I want to provide a few other recommendations that might be of value to you depending on what you’re looking to do.
Front Row Dads - if you’re a passionate father, this is a great group to jump into. Lots of Gobundance guys are members
Wheelbarrow Profits - mentioned above, Gino Barbaro is a great human and his community is thriving. Today it ain’t $1500 anymore. More like $25,000 which still would give me a 6x return if I paid that!
Action Academy - Brian Luebben has created something cool for those looking to exit corporate America.
Next Level Couples - for couples looking to become the best version of themselves together and do some cool stuff with other epic couples, Mike and Kara Ayala are all in on this!
I MEAN .. I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EMERGE!!
I get to talk to amazing people about this community and share some incredible outcomes. In fact, we just did a case study on Andrew - an Emerge member who fully leveraged the community to change his trajectory.
When people are thinking about Emerge, most look at a ‘price tag’ or ‘cost’. They know there’s value but may struggle to imagine how they can justify that amount given other things they’re working on. The next deal, the furnace that went.
Emerge is a responsible act of abundance. Point blank.
It’s a proven ecosystem that has changed lives. Just like all levels of Gobundance.
In Emerge, we create Whole Life Millionaires not with some formula or secret steps, but with proximity and connection. That’s how it always works. Everything we have in our lives is likely related to a person we know that helped to somehow facilitate or introduce or something.
We’re drawing close to our waitlist on May 29. This is a chance to take a shot on future you and jump in for our June 5 launch.
If you don’t, look at the above masterminds and consider them.
Just. Do. Something!
If you’re reading this, you’re in the head space to invest in yourself so this is my plea for the second half of 2023. Get going! Imagine where you can be in 6 months armed with high level connections. Chances are it’s tough to, but you can clearly imagine where you’ll be on your current trajectory.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
#1: Ask Your Future Self!
When you’re thinking about stretching to improve your environment or surroundings - to serve ‘future you’. Check in with that person. In a year, will ‘future you’ benefit from this decision? Will ‘future you’ get closer to ‘current you’? There’s a difference between stretching and risking - and many great entrepreneurs (including me) have done both! We all have different risk tolerances, but I’ll bet that the car, house, mastermind, etc that creates the environment your future self will thrive in is worth the stretch more often than not!
#2: Identify Your Values
If the future version of yourself is an amazing parent, or if they are an amazing business person will direct you on where and how to invest. You have to be honest with yourself on values though. John DeMartini talks about identifying your values simply by what’s around you. Are you at a desk with a computer? Or in your car headed to the next appointment? Or are you phone down at 4pm and with the kids? There’s no right or wrong. No number of Instagram videos reminding you your kids are gonna grow up should make you feel like your values are poor. Just be honest with yourself on what your values are, invest in a community that aligns and have goals to shift values while getting accountability to do so with the right group of people around you!
#3: Join Emerge
Hell with it. I’m gonna go there! If you were sitting on something that you TRULY BELIEVED could benefit others who used it. Or better yet, if you were sitting on something that HAS PROVEN to benefit others in achieving their life goals, how irresponsible and selfish would it be NOT to socialize that? We’re closing out enrollment on Monday May 29 so if you’re feeling ‘pitched to’, you are! But there’s also a ton of value above and there is (I hope for you) every week. As I said above, get around the right people for you. If you’re reading this, Emerge has likely resonated with you.
Here is a video we did showing how Emerge changed just one member's life! If you weren’t live as my guest on this, take some time and watch. It’s inspiring!!
Relevant Links to Explore This Topic Further:
- Podcast: Tribe of Millionaires - Josh Beauvais invested in himself!!
- Book: Give and Take - be a GIVER in any community you join
- Clip: George Clooney has some GOOD advice!!
Dominican Living - Pic of the Week 😍😍
I hope you’ve enjoyed this more succinct version of the newsletter. Please email me any feedback at jamie@jamiegruber.com.
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