Aug 24th

A Review of Dr. Russell Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com
Dr. Russell Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds is a thought provoking book—full of valuable gems.  The story for which this book has become known is about a man that sells everything and travels the world in search of diamonds only to come up empty handed and eventually commit suicide.  While all along, the land that he sold and left to go on this search was full of some of the most valuable diamonds ever discovered.  There are “acres of diamonds” or opportunities all around each one of us.  The question is, “Do you see them?”  Are you even looking for them or have you convinced yourself that they are not there?
Or how about a more fundamental question, do you believe that it’s wrong to pursue wealth and opportunity?  Do you believe that only dishonest or greedy people are wealthy?  Dr. Conwell points out that ninety-eight percent of the rich in America are honest, and that is why they are rich.  That is why they can be trusted with money.  That is why they are able to build great businesses and have people lining up to work with them.  It is because they are honest.  
This statement by Dr. Conwell jumped out at me concerning honesty, “The man who goes home with the sense that he has stolen a dollar that day, that he has robbed a man of what was his honest due, is not going to sweet rest.  He arises tired in the morning, and goes with an unclean conscience to his work the next day.  He is not a successful man at all, although he may have laid up millions.  But the man who has gone through life dividing always with his fellow-men, making and demanding his own rights and his own profits, and giving to every other man his rights and profits, lives every day, and not only that, but it is the royal road to great wealth.  The history of the thousands of millionaires shows that to be the case.”
In a time where it’s considered taboo to discuss religion while conducting business, Dr. Conwell had this to say, “The man who says, ‘I cannot carry my religion into business’ advertises himself either as being an imbecile in business, or on the road to bankruptcy, or a thief, one of the three, sure.  He will fail within a very few years.”  He also discussed how some people attempting to be super spiritual believe that it is wrong to make any profit.  I liked his response to that line of thinking.  He said, “You cannot trust a man with money who cannot take care of his own.”  
Many people are convinced that if they just had some capital to start with that they would be able to seize opportunity.  Dr. Conwell warned that, “The moment a young man or woman gets more money than he or she has grown to by practical experience, that moment he has gotten a curse.  It is no help to a young man or woman to inherit money.  It is no help to your children to leave them money, but if you leave them education, if you leave them Christian and noble character, if you leave them a wide circle of friends, if you leave them an honorable name, it is far better than that they should have money.  It would be worse for them, worse for the nation, that they should have any money at all.  Oh, young man, if you have inherited money, don’t regard it as a help.  It will curse you through your years, and deprive you of the very best things of human life.  There is no class of people to be pitied so much as the inexperienced sons and daughters of the rich of our generation.  I pity the rich man’s son.  He can never know the best things in life…As a rule the rich men will not let their sons do the very thing that made them great.  As a rule, the rich man will not allow his son to work—and his mother!  Why, she would think it was a social disgrace if her poor, weak, little lily-fingered, sissy sort of a boy had to earn his living with honest toil.  I have no pity for such rich men’s sons.”  
What we all really need is common sense.  There truly are “acres of diamonds” available to each of us.  They key to finding them is to first find out what people need, and then find a way to meet that need.  Dr. Conwell shares the story of A.T. Stewart, a poor boy in New York with $1.50 to his name.  He lost 87.5 cents of that on his very first venture trying to sell things that people did not want.  He made up his mind not to do that again, so he decided to go door to door and ask people what they did want.  Then he took his findings and invested the remaining 62.5 cents in what was in demand.  This one principle allowed A.T. Stewart to grow his worth from $1.50 to $40 million.  If you know what people need, you are much closer to fortune than any amount of capital alone can bring you. 
To sum up the message of Acres of Diamonds, “If you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and what you are…He who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own town.”
Download and enjoy a free copy “Acres of Diamonds” here:
http://hisrealestatenetwork.com/Dr.-Russell-Conwell-Acres-of-Diamonds-Free-Ebook.pdf
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Jul 26th

Book Review: The Art of Money Getting by P.T. Barnum

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com
P.T. Barnum’s The Art of Money Getting is an excellent book.  It’s concise and full of great insight.  It reminded me of the book of Proverbs.  The author lays out 20 “golden rules” that he has discovered one must abide by in order to be successful and make money.  In the information age, it seems that we as a society are constantly bombarded with marketing pieces from someone trying to sell us something that promises to hold the secrets to wealth and success.  When in reality, as P.T. Barnum points out, the path to wealth is quite simple really: Always spend less than you make and you will one day be wealthy.  The things that lead to wealth and success are in many ways common sense, but common sense isn’t that common now, is it?  
The author starts with the very basics.  He encourages the reader to examine himself and figure out what he is naturally good at and enjoys doing and to focus on developing his vocation around those strengths.  Then he goes a step further and reminds the reader that his location is almost just as important as his vocation.  You can have great talent, but if your location doesn’t value that talent, you will have a very hard time building wealth and being successful.  Common sense, right?  But, again how many people actually step back and take a look at their lives this way?  Have you?  
One of the next things that stood out to me was the need to take action. “Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.”  The author shares an old maxim that really spoke to me: “Be cautious and bold.”  At first this appears to be contradictory, but he goes on to explain that one should be cautious in making his plans, but that he should be bold in implementing them.  This requires a balance.  If one is only cautious, he will never take action and never be successful.  If one is only bold, he will be hasty and doomed to fail.  Both caution and boldness are required to be successful.
Perseverance is also necessary to be successful.  “How many have almost reached the goal of their ambition, but, losing faith in themselves, have relaxed their energies, and the golden prize has been lost forever.”  The goal should always be to be the best at what you do.  If you have that attitude, it doesn’t matter what profession, career, or business you choose, there will always be room for you to succeed.  If you focus on providing excellence in everything that you do, you will not have to worry about wealth or success, they will both naturally follow.
I’ve only shared a few of the “nuggets” that I picked up out of the 20 “golden rules” that the author shares in this great book.  If you’ve enjoyed what I’ve shared, and would like to read the book yourself, you can download or print it here for free: http://www.hisrealestatenetwork.com/userfiles/P_T_-Barnum-The-Art-of-Money-Getting-Free-Ebook.pdf
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Jun 17th

Why I Refuse to Quit

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com
At the end of 2005, I quit my job, and have been pursuing financial freedom and the entrepreneurial lifestyle ever since.  There have been many times along the way that I have asked myself, “When is this ever going to start paying off?”  I haven’t made a ton of money yet, but I have freed myself from the dependence on a paycheck, and I believe that the person that I’ve become in the process is what will ultimately enable me to reach high levels of success.

I don’t have a wife or family of my own yet, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and how I want to be able to spend my time with them.  (If you haven’t figured it out yet—how you spend your time is ultimately how you spend your life.)  I’m the oldest of 6 boys, and that’s a lot of mouths to feed, so my dad worked all the time when I was growing up and was rarely around.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good man and was an excellent provider, but I didn’t really get to spend much time with him growing up.  I know how important a father time and attention is, and I intend to be very involved in my future children’s lives. 

I also know that one of the most important things that I can do as a good father is be a great husband.  I believe that strong marriages are the foundation of strong families.  Financial freedom will allow me to spend my time on what’s most important in life—people, relationships, family.  Life is so much more than money.  If it were all about money, I’d have quit my pursuit for financial freedom along time ago, but it’s so much more than that.  My future family and generations to come are the reason I keep going when it gets tough.  They’re a big part of my “Why” and one of the main reasons I refuse to quit! 
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May 4th

As a Man Thinketh by Jame Allen - A Book Review by Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com
James Allen’s As A Man Thinketh really is a must read.  He does an excellent job expounding on the power and importance of our thoughts.  For anyone doubting their importance, he states in the beginning that, “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.”  If that doesn’t make you stop and do some reflecting, I don’t know what will.

I enjoyed the illustrations that he gives throughout the book.  In one of them, he likens the mind to a garden, which we can either pay little attention to and allow the weeds to take over or diligently work in to produce the highest yield possible of the desired crop. He reminds the reader that, “Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.”

This reminded me of a lesson I learned in Vacation Bible School as a child.  The lesson was simple and has stuck with me ever since: “Garbage in. Garbage out.”  What we allow into our minds is what will come out in our lives.  Thoughts do not stay thoughts for long.  They quickly turn into actions, which quickly turn into habits, which quickly turn into character, which determines our destinies.  

“The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought-element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development.” – James Allen

Take a look around you.  Do you like your life?  Either way, your thoughts had a big part in creating it.  If you’re not happy with the world you’ve created for yourself, it’s not too late, you can change it.  It all starts with your thoughts.   You and I have the level of success that we have today as a direct result of our thoughts.  If we want our level of accomplishments and results to grow, then we must change the way we think.

It’s amazing how simple this principle is – change your life by changing your thoughts.  It almost seems too simple really.  So many people race right past it in search of something more profound.  I know I have.  Not anymore.  Every change that I want to see in my life has to start in my thoughts.

Just because a principle is simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy.  Changing your life by changing your thoughts is a lot like exercise as the author points out.  “As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.”  I don’t know about you, but exercising is not always fun.  You don’t always feel like doing it.  That’s why it’s a good idea to “exercise” with a partner—to have someone there to hold you accountable and to push you to go further than you would on your own.

I'll leave you with this final thought from the book, “ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.”  Now go download the book and read it before they decide to take it down.  It's FREE, and I promised you won't be disappointed!

Read or download/print this book here:
http://hisrealestatenetwork.com/James-Allen-As-A-Man-Thinketh%20Free%20Ebook.pdf
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Apr 6th

Teamwork: A Key to Personal Success

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com
Teamwork.  I had to laugh the first time I heard Robert Kiyosaki say something to the effect of, “Teamwork is called ‘cheating’ in school.”  In the world of business, I’m beginning to see more and more that teamwork is an absolute must.  There are many moving parts to a successful business, and it’s very tough for one person to be an expert in all of those areas, especially if they want to have a life.  We all have different strengths, weakness, skill sets, etc.

In the process of applying for the MMM Challenge, I’ve had to do some reflecting as all of us have.  In my reflecting, I’ve realized that because I haven’t had a team, I’ve been forced to try to do everything myself, and that has really hindered my success.  In order to be really successful, I think it’s important to focus your energy on your key strengths.  I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of the team that the Directors are assembling for this Challenge.  I believe that it will allow everyone involved to truly shine, and that we will all be more successful as a result of the teamwork.

Many of us that have applied for the challenge have been struggling to get breakthrough and find the success we’re looking for.  I’m encouraged by Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 when I think about this Challenge.  It says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

I’m looking forward to all of the stories of personal breakthroughs and success that are going to come as a result of the teamwork in this years Challenge!
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Mar 13th

Why JONATHAN GREVE WILL be Chosen as one of the Lucky 36 MMM Students

By Jonathan Greve, Millionaire in Training, MMMChallenge.com

 “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

 

I ran across this quote the other day, and I believe it fits well with my story.  I believe that I’ve been in preparation for this opportunity for the last 9 years or so.  It all started when I was 20 and read Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  I can still remember, not being able to sleep all night after reading just the introduction to that book.  The book forever changed the way that I looked at money, and for the first time in my life I saw that I actually could be rich one day, because I understood what the rich do with their money.

 

After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I went on to read many more of Robert Kiyosaki’s books along with just about any other book on the subject of real estate investing that I could get my hands on.  After reading Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrants, I knew that I wanted to focus on becoming a Business Owner and Investor, rather than being an Employee or Self-Employed. 

 

I was an employee at the time, and I have excelled at every job I’ve ever had.  I received award like the Carpe Diem Award and Employee of the Week.  I’ve been given many letters of recommendation.  I’ve included parts of them for you here, so that you can see what others who have overseen me have to say about me.  (I would be more than happy to supply you with the full letters if you’d like.  Just ask.)

 

“Jonathan has proven himself not only proficient with his responsibilities, but has also exhibited an exception work ethic, superb attitude, and extreme commitment to excellence...I highly recommend Jonathan for any position for which he might qualify within your organization.  He is an acute learner and will make an exceptional employee for any organization.”  Reggie Goodin, CFO, ReThink Group

 

“Jonathan is a self-motivated worker who rarely needs supervision.  He is punctual, reliable, and his performance typically exceeds expectations…When Jonathan completes his required duties he never hesitates to ask a supervisor for additional work.  His strong work ethic is also reflected in his desire to further develop his education and career skills through college level courses.  Jonathan is an invaluable asset to any organization, and I highly recommend hiring him.”  Sonja Hann, President/CEO, Midwest Community Federal Credit Union.

 

“I had the pleasure of supervising Jonathan Greve for a 10 month period in 2003-2004.  Jonathan was an exemplary employee.  His strong work ethic and outgoing personality was a huge asset to our organization.  Jonathan would welcome any task given to him and would follow through to completion.  He provided excellent customer service to each and every customer.  Jonathan exhibits a very high degree of professionalism.  He is a quick learner and a team player.  Our organization was fortunate to have an individual such as Jonathan as an employee!  I highly recommend Jonathan for a position with your company.”  Kristen Andrews, Community Office Manager, The State Bank and Trust Co.

 

At the end of 2005, I left my last regular job, and I’ve been pursuing the entrepreneurial dream for more than 5 years now.  I’ve done some different things along the way.  I started a stump removal business in the Ft. Lauderdale area after hurricane Wilma.  It was a business I was very familiar with having grown up around it my entire life.  My dad has run a tree service and stump removal business for more than 30 years, so I knew that it was a good opportunity.  Although it wasn’t something I wanted to make a lifelong career of, I was able to make enough money to pay cash for my first investment property and all the repairs it needed. 

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself just a little.  After I decided that I was done with the stump removal business, I decided that I wanted to move forward with my dream to buy, fix and flip houses, but I wasn’t really sure what to do. 

 

One day, I heard about a friend of a friend that was buying and fixing up houses.  I got her number and gave her a call.  I told her that I was interested in doing the same things she was doing, and asked her if I could work for her for free, doing whatever she wanted me to do, if she would teach me what she was doing.  She agreed, and I went to work helping on the remodeling of her houses.  Not only did I learn what she did, but I gained a friend with similar interest and drive, and we are still in touch several years later.  She was my first mentor in real estate, and I really believe that working for free to learn was more valuable than working for money, because the things I learn resulted in greater earnings in the future.

 

My first investment property has turned out to be my only investment property to date.  I made some mistakes with the first one, but I learned so much by doing it, and it’s actually turned out to be a pretty decent investment for my first one.  The income from that house has really supported my entrepreneurial dream, allowing me the freedom to not have a regular job. 

 

I tried MLM for a while.  I never really felt comfortable with the business model, but I learned a ton about sales and marketing through the whole experience, so I see it as a valuable learning experience. 

 

After deciding that MLM wasn’t the route for me, I decided to go back to the thing I was most passionate about—real estate investing of course!  One of the investors/trainers that I follow is Than Merrill, and I heard him say once that 80% of his successful investor students are Realtors.  I decided that those weren’t odds I wanted to argue with, so I became a Realtor last year hoping that it would help me in my real estate investing.  I enjoy being a Realtor because it allows me to be around real estate transactions on a regular basis, and it allows me to make money helping others buy and sell houses, while keeping an eye out for great deals and following the market, but my end goal has always been to be a full time real estate investor. 

 

That is why I’m applying for MMM Challenge 2.  I want to be a full time real estate investor, and that has been what I’ve been working toward and preparing for the last 9 years, and I see this as the next step in that journey for me.

 

I wrote about 25 goals in my journal on January 21st. 

3 of those goals were:

1.  I’d like to be part of a mastermind of really intelligent business owners and investors.

2.  I’d like to partner with some of these people.

3.  I’d like to develop a stronger business and personal relationship with Rick Melero.

 

Around 4 weeks later, I received the first email about MMM Challenge 2.  I had lunch with Rick on January 14th, and he never mentioned anything about MMM Challenge 2, I just knew that I wanted to do whatever it took to develop a stronger relationship with him.  I would have really loved to have been apart of the first Challenge, but the timing didn’t work with my schedule so I didn’t apply. I really had no idea they were going to do it again.  When I got the email about them doing it again, I knew the timing was right.

 

Lastly I want to tell you briefly about what drives me.  My dad was and still is a very hard worker.  He had a family with six boys, of which I’m the oldest, to provide for, and he was a great provider.  He worked full time at GM on 3rd shift, and ran a tree service during the day.  It was almost un-human how little sleep he actually got.  So needless to say, my dad wasn’t around much when I was growing up, because he was always working.  I don’t want that for my wife and kids one day.  I want to be able to provide for them, but also be able to enjoy them and spend time with them.  My dad always told me while I was growing up to work with my mind and not my back.  I’m following his advice. 

 

 I’m teachable.  I’m a team player.  I have a strong desire to succeed.  I strive for excellence in everything that I do.  I know that I will be a strong addition to the team, and that is why I, JONATHAN GREVE WILL be Chosen as one of the Lucky 36 MMM Students.

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