You must think like an entrepreneur
Investing at least 2 hours per week in new skills will lead you to more choices, more satisfaction and more money.
Welcome to issue #19 of DMD.
Money Moves
Here’s three specific actions steps to take ASAP if you want to feel more confident about your future while increasing your income.
1. Invest at least two hours per week to learn one or more new skills so you can venture out on that side hustle you’ve been pondering or be ripe for a promotion at work.
One of those skills may be going to your local Toastmasters club in your city so you can become a more effective communicator.
If you don’t believe that being a better communicator can increase your income, take a listen to my podcast interview a few months ago with Kraig Kann. It’s undeniable. Your overall confidence will grow too which is priceless.
Another skill is to learn all you can about AI as it relates to digital marketing and other internal work processes. Learn all the new terms and language that will set you apart from others.
2. Take the owner of a small company you admire or an exec at work out to lunch. Ask them how they got to where they are and what they would do differently as recent as 3-5 years ago. Listen well and pay for their lunch :)
People like to help people. Save some years of growth by asking them the best path for you to take in the coming months to get ahead within the company or an idea you are pondering.
Bring up an idea at work to cut costs or increase revenues even if you are just part time.
When you think like an entrepreneur your boss, execs or owner will see that you are different. Differently good. Guess who is at the front of the line when they want try to launch or expand a new or current product or service. You.
3. Write down what interests you or some passions you are forming.
Then write down your fears or hesitations (perhaps excuses) of learning to create a side hustle from it.
Then write down all the positives of creating your side hustle.
Have fun challenging yourself as you will find that you truly have NOTHING to lose and a ridiculous amount of value to GAIN.
Markets update (stocks and crypto)
The stock and crypto markets never sit still. Stocks continue to hit record territory and Bitcoin shot up almost 10% over the last few days alone. Here’s a snapshot of the last week.
The S&P 500 (where most of the stocks in your ETF’s and mutual funds are located if you have traditional investment accounts) is up 6.4% year to date (YTD).
The Nasdaq (which has a heavy concentration of tech related stocks) is also up 7.3% YTD.
Stock in focus: Joby Aviation (JOBY) is developing and manufacturing all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed for an air taxi service. They aim to revolutionize urban transportation with quiet, emission-free air travel. The company is working towards a commercial launch in early 2026 of its air taxi service, with plans to integrate it into mobility-as-a-service platforms like Uber. Stock was trading between $5 - $10 for a couple of years and shows a break out above $14 per share this week.
Bitcoin trades at $118,000 and is up 24% YTD and 1,169% over the last five years.
Top alternative cryptocurrencies Ethereum, Solana, XRP and Chainlink trade at $3,053, $161, $2.88 and $15.75 respectively with the total crypto market cap at $3.8 trillion - about $100 billion from an all time high (ATH).
Word of the Week: Blockchain
Blockchain is a technology that allows for the secure, transparent, and decentralized recording of transactions across a network of computers. It consists of a series of data blocks, each containing a number of transactions. Every new block created is linked to the previous block, forming a chain. This linkage ensures that once a block is added to the chain, the data it contains cannot be altered retroactively without altering all subsequent blocks, which requires consensus from the network majority.
Relevancy and cool features:
Increased Transparency:
Blockchain’s open ledger technology allows transactions to be verified by any user and is visible to every participant, which enhances transparency in financial dealings.
Enhanced Security:
The decentralized nature of blockchain significantly reduces the risks associated with centralized data breaches. The use of cryptography makes it incredibly difficult to tamper with transactions once they have been recorded on the blockchain.
Reduced Transaction Costs:
By eliminating the need for middlemen or intermediaries such as banks or clearinghouses, blockchain can reduce transaction fees. This makes financial activities such as sending remittances or executing contracts less expensive.
Smart Contracts:
These are self-executing contracts where the terms are written directly into code and stored on the blockchain. Smart contracts automatically enforce and execute the terms of agreement based on the code. This is particularly useful for automating routine financial agreements and ensuring their compliance without the need for intermediary oversight.
Faster Transactions:
Traditional bank processes can be slow due to the time required to carry out intermediary checks, processing times, and cross-border hurdles. Blockchain can facilitate quicker transactions, even across borders, that can be settled in minutes or even seconds. Pretty sweet.
Financial Inclusion:
Blockchain technology can help provide financial services to millions of unbanked or underbanked people around the world by facilitating low-cost, accessible banking solutions, such as creating digital identities and secure banking facilities. How cool is that.
Investments and Wealth Management:
Blockchain introduces new forms of assets, such as cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets, expanding the diversity of investment options. It provides an innovative platform for asset management, potentially increasing the democratization of investments beyond traditional stocks and bonds.
Stocks
ROTH IRA (held with Robinhood)
Currently own the following ETF’s: VOO (tracks 500 stocks that make up the S&P 500 index), VTI (total stock market that tracks 4,000 U.S. stocks) and VYM (tracks high dividend paying stocks).
Currently own the following individual stocks as of May 29, 2025: Cava (CAVA) IBIT (Bitcoin ETF), IONQ (IONQ) and cash.
SEP-IRA (held with the Acorns saving and investing app) - this is my 401(k) because I’m self-employed.
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH), iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), iShares Core Total International Stock ETF (IXUS), iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG)
Personal investment accounts (Acorns, Robinhood, E*Trade)
Moderate to aggressive portfolio (mix of stock and bond ETFs) and individual stocks of Tesla (TSLA), Nvidia (NVDA), Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), Stryker (SYK), Robinhood (HOOD), Adobe (ADBE), Visa (V) and Joby Aviation (JOBY).
Basic tenet of investing in stocks - when you automatically invest weekly or monthly into solid growth stock ETF’s and mutual funds you don’t have to worry about the ups and downs of the stock market. Time, based on historical evidence of the U.S. stock market returns, does the heavy lifting of wealth creation. Stocks are your primary foundational investments to winning the money game.
Over the last 150+ years the U.S. stock market has given investors about a 10.2% annual ROI. Over the last 40 years, the annual returns have been closer to 12%. Fantastic returns that compound into significant wealth over time.
Crypto
Currently own Bitcoin (BTC), Chainlink (LINK) and Star Atlas (ATLAS).
We consider crypto and some stocks asymmetric investments with the philosophy that you can generate accelerated returns from investing small amounts of money. There is nobody that can argue with crypto returns over the last 10 years in certain blockchain projects like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and others. But you always need to be aware that asymmetric investments can always go to zero so never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Young Money University has helped thousands of young people begin using Acorns as one of their initial investment accounts. Takes five minutes to set up and Acorns automatically invests your money into one of five investment portfolios based on your age. You don’t have to choose the stocks -phew! You will love their Round Ups feature that automatically invests your spare change from every day purchases like groceries, fast food, gas and more.
Click the Acorns logo above or this link to get started on your investment journey. You will receive a special $40 bonus as long as you set up at least a $5 or more weekly or monthly recurring investment.
Thanks for being a valued subscriber to DMD and choosing the path of financial rebellion to make your life better over time.
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Todd