Nicole's Commentary 15 January 2009

Knowledge of self is the foundation upon which all other learning is built. The last few commentaries, I have described the knowledge my grandmother, my mom and my dad laid upon my foundation. My grandmother gave me the key to success by valuing my relationships. My mother gave me a writing style full of wisdom and discernment and my dad gave me sympathy. All these influences have touched my heart but now I get to pull it all together and talk about my grandfather who touched my spirit.

Robert Kiyosaki wrote in "Cashflow Quadrant" how to achieve wealth through understanding the 4 types of cashflow. There is employee cashflow - cashflow that is linear, the self-employed cashflow - cashflow that depends 100% upon yourself, the business owner cashflow - cashflow that allows for exponential growth using leverage and the investor cashflow - where money works for you. The goal in life is to move through the quadrant to become an investor where you don't work for money but money works for you (see Professional Insurance Planners, First Financial Group, Prescott and Associates, May Financial Services). My grandfather, Robert Newman, came from a farming family who owned 200 acres of land in Montross, Virginia. When his father passed, the land was willed to his 5 children. Each child received 40 acres of land, but no mule. Because of his upbringing, my grandfather went out and built a landscaping company on the mainline. I really did not get to know my grandfather but after 32 years of being dormant, his entrepreneurial spirit awoke in me.

As I continue on Robert Kiyosaki's path of the cashflow quadrant, I want to prepare (because failure to plan equals planning to fail), for the final quadrant of investor. I know that SUCCESS IS A HABIT. Using the slight edge of having financial discipline is the key to wealth and that is why we will start off wealth building classes with the main accounting component of budgeting. Then we will know how much to pay ourselves first. It was my grandfather's financial discipline that allowed him to use the assets he built in his business for generational wealth. See, my grandfather had the thoughts to invest in the people who will carry his name and that forethought keeps his legacy alive. Even though he passed away 16 years ago, 9 years before my children were even born, he thought enough of his future to ensure that they were placed in his final will and testament. When he passed, he willed the estate in Virginia, like his father before him to his heirs, which are my three children. He did what is quoted in the Bible, proverbs 13:22 "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." Now I have the pleasure of preparing my business to do what was carried in my spirit by my grandfather. I have the honor and privilege of hosting your network as we each one, teach one, the skills necessary to create a financial path to become investors. Now is the time to create the habits of financial discipline and create businesses as vehicles for real wealth that can affect our generation and more importantly, create wealth for our future generations to come. Thank you, IKEA and First Financial Group as we learn how to build wealth starting February 2nd, 2009! REGISTER: http://wealthbuilding2009.eventbrite.com/