Flipping through my Facebook feed, I saw a video of somebody talking about how poor people are kept poor… are held down and forced to remain poor. This frustrated me because my story is one of growing up not having money. I grew up with a poverty mindset.
I’ll share my personal story, what it takes to bust out of poverty, and help you see if this mindset is affecting your workplace.
Plus my top 10 book recommendation to a wealth mindset!
As soon as I could swing an ax, I was chopping wood…
We’d go out into the forest in Lake Tahoe. The forestry division would have certain trees that were dying marked. We’d go and drop those trees, buck them, and cut them into huge rounds. We would bring them home and split them by hand so that we could sell the firewood, and have firewood for ourselves.
Folks, I did not come from wealth…
At 14, I was working in a restaurant so we could have money. Later on, I worked at North American Van Lines moving people. Then I was a cook.
For a time, I would get up at 2:00 in the morning to go work loading trucks at UPS, and then I’d go to work at my full-time job. I would finish that, and then go to night classes so I could try and figure out how to make more money.
I was even on the ground floor of E*Trade.
There was a time I was working 50 hours of overtime a week!!
I was busting it, loving it, and getting a paycheck that reflected that: I’ve been busting it.
Then there was Dave Ramsey…
When I came on at Dave’s, Dave offered me an opportunity: If you are willing to come and bust it for me, I will share with you.
I’ve got to tell you… in those early days, there wasn’t a whole lot of money. I took a decent pay cut to go and grab a hold of an opportunity. IF I could make it happen, IF I was willing to bust it like crazy, IF I was willing to work my tail off… then I had an opportunity in front of me.
I can tell you, I worked every single day until about 9:00 or 10:00 at night… Saturdays… Sunday afternoons. I worked like crazy, and I had to actually get out there, and put some things in place.
I didn’t even know that there was a system to hold people down…
Why?? Because there’s NOT a system to hold people down!
What I learned was if I would go ballistic, then I could make money. In fact, if you go back and look over all of the jobs I just talked about, every bit of my life has been serving people, and busting my tail so that I could get to a place where I didn’t have to worry about money… a place where I don’t have to ever think in a poverty mindset. That’s not a place I ever want to be again.
Shifting from a poverty mindset to a wealth mindset…
We’ve found so many businesses and leaders who have been struggling with this. I want to help you get to a place of leading your team members, maybe even helping yourself. Maybe this is you, if you are a leader or struggling with this.
So let’s BUST this myth:
1. AS A LEADER, IT IS YOUR JOB TO MAKE YOUR TEAM SUCCESSFUL
Let them know there is an opportunity for them to absolutely hustle and win with money. You have to show them, and be willing to pay someone who does! You’ve got to start there.
What are you willing to give to them if they will go bust it?
Bring money in, I’ll share it with you, period! That’s it.
2. SHOW THEM HOW THEIR SUPPORT HELPS TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE
Are they just in an administrative role, or are they supporting an area that is creating more revenue? They are actually part of the process. How do you share with them? Obviously, pay them a great salary, but could you give them part of profit sharing?
What do you do? You have think through and allow them to see that they have an opportunity as well.
Personality styles side note: understand that if they are a high C or a high S, money is usually not their greatest motivator. But having consistent money is really important to them, and having you come along and tell them that they’re doing a great job is important as well.
There are a lot of people that still have C and D, or S and I, that might be in a role where you can show them: “Hey, here’s still greater opportunity… and also, I’m willing to pay you profit sharing.”
For folks who aren’t money-motivated by commission, they will be very happy to see profits in their paycheck, I can promise you that!
3. INVEST IN YOUR TEAM
My team is well aware that I am willing to spend money on them becoming better. I have, and will, pay for it!
I spend money on my team members to become better so that they can make even more money.
I’m all about that, and the growth I’ve seen in those team members reflects the ROI my business is getting out of that investment.
4. TEACH YOUR TEAM TO SERVE, SERVE, SERVE
Like I said, almost every single job I’ve ever had–in some way, shape, or form–served people… It took care of people, helped people, served people. Help them to get what they need, you will never worry about having enough, period.
You have to become obsessively preoccupied with the needs of others. As you serve well, and do well, money comes your way.
People want to pay to have their lives changed, to have their businesses changed. It’s common sense: we don’t have to seek the money. Instead, we serve people, and they take care of us in the process.
When you discover this key to wealth, when you discover this key of serving, working hard, busting it, hustling, and taking care of people, you tend to do it more. You realize that it’s very difficult to feel entitled when you’re taking care of other people. When you are helping other people get their needs met, it’s really difficult for you to go, “I need my handout.”
There are champions out there who want it. They want opportunity!
Do the things listed above, and you will have a team who are focused on serving. You will have a team who are focused on gaining wealth. You will have a team who are focused on growing your business.
It is all about changing your mindset…
Not only yours, but that of your team’s. If you have a team who has a poverty mindset, the WHOLE team is held back. But if you have a team who has a wealth mindset there is nothing you can’t accomplish!
Finally, I have list of books that I have read and used in the past that helped me to keep my mindset focused on growth, on growing me, on growing my business, on growing my wealth, on not having a poverty mindset, and on not having an entitled mindset.
These books helped me to get to a place of constantly knowing what to do next, how to go forward, and how to focus on serving God’s kids.
Click the link below to get the free download:
Did you enjoy the post?
How have you kept from having a poverty mindset?
Click here to download the transcript.
Profit Sharing: The Why, How, and How Much
Great thoughts Chris. A lady at our church used to say “we only give a hand up, not a hand out”. Love your thought leadership.
Thanks Japster24!
Great message Chris! I’m a huge fan of Dave’s but I also love listening to Robert Kiyosaki. His book RDPD was great. Obviously there are some differences in Dave’s and Robert’s strategies for building wealth. Primarily, Robert speaks quite often of “other people’s money” to build wealth. Can you speak on this maybe from your perspective. I lead FPU and sometimes I think “Dang, I’m a hypocrite” b/c the position that Robert takes is appealing
Let me first thank you for serving God’s kids by leading FPU!! That’s awesome!
As to the differing messages, one is Biblical and one is worldly. I am a firm believer that God not only knows better than me, but He rewards me when I follow His Word.
I absolutely love Robert’s book for the incredible view on work and work ethic, but I will always try hard to follow what God says. And on debt, He’s pretty clear. It’s no bueno. (God also speaks Spanish.)
Keep up the great servant heart Aren!!
Fire it up baby. Most motivating podcast in…well maybe ever. So good.
That’s awesome to hear William!! Thank you!
Chris,
Totally! Poverty is a mind set, as you reminded me, stop looking at what other do or have and be wealthy in the talents we have been blessed with. Another thing you said to me that rings in my ear is…keep your eyes open for opportunity. Negative does not allow us to see opportunity.
Thank you brother.
AAAAAMEN!! Great stuff Robby!
Chris, again another AWESOME podcast. I am so sick and tired of the drive by media trying to show business and business owners as greedy and evil. The media does not understand if you try to tax business more they will find a way to lower their taxable income. To them it is a game and that is why they have lawyers and CPA’s. I agree 100%. You can not be sitting back waiting for the government to help. You have to bust it. We have had rich and poor forever. Look at Lot and Abraham. Do not get me started on a “living wage” Look at the word success. It depends on U! Keep rocking in His love.
HAHAHA!!! Preach it Barry!!
It’s like the old cheerleader chant at high school football games..GO..FIGHT..WIN! That’s how it works. We don’t “deserve” anything. God never promised a life of ease, he promised us struggle. He promised that if we worked hard in his name we’d be blessed. But I think even our definition of what it means to be blessed has become skewed. Love this blog/podcast. You make me more, I’ll give you more. It can be so simple.
So absostinkinlutely true!!