I was about 33 when I started investing for the long term. Prior to that? It was all trading and gambling away my money. A lot of highs and lows. But no stability, no consistency, no long-term growth. I’d buy a stock because someone on Twitter said it was “about to moon.” I’d panic sell when it dipped. I’d chase the next hot thing, convinced this was the one that would change everything.

Some months I was up. Most months I was down. But either way, I was exhausted.

Then something clicked:

I wasn’t investing. I was gambling with a brokerage account. And gambling doesn’t build generational wealth. It just keeps you on an emotional roller coaster while your money goes nowhere. So I made a shift. I stopped trying to beat the market and started letting the market work for me. I opened an Acorns account with $20/month. Just $20. No fancy strategy. No complex portfolio. Just automated, consistent action.

Fast forward to today: that account is worth $18K and projected to hit over $500K by the time I’m 80.

If I could go back and talk to my 22-year-old self, here’s what I’d say:

1. You don’t need to be an expert to start
   You need to be consistent. The market rewards time, not timing. Start small, start simple, but START. You don’t need a lot of money, just discipline. Use what you have and stay on task.
2. Automation beats motivation every single time
   You don’t build wealth by chance and indecision. You build it because you remove the indecision. Set it, forget it, let it grow.
3. Your biggest enemy isn’t the market; it’s inaction
   The years I spent “trading” cost me tens of thousands in compound growth. Movement without direction is just expensive chaos.
4. Investing isn’t about getting rich quick
   It’s about getting rich slowly, so slowly that you barely notice it happening until one day you look up and realize you’re actually wealthy.
5. Money follows clarity, not confusion
   The clearer you are about your goals, the faster your money finds direction. When you don’t know why you’re investing, you’ll chase everything and master nothing. Define the destination first, the strategy comes second.
   

You might be interested: I lost $54K chasing fast money—here’s what changed

So here’s my challenge to you:

If you haven’t started investing yet, do ONE thing this week:

• Open a robo-advisor account (Acorns, Betterment, Wealthfront)
• Set up an automatic $20–$50/month transfer
• Let it run

If you have kids and haven’t opened a custodial account, do it this week.

Stop chasing. Start building. I’ve put together a simple guide that walks you through exactly how to start investing for yourself and your kids; with zero overwhelm.

Find it here.

Your future self is counting on you. Let’s go.

P.S. — Those years I spent trading? I learned what not to do. And honestly, that lesson was worth every dollar I lost. Now I get to help you skip that expensive education and go straight to what actually works.