The Three Paths Through Your Financial Life
Connie Ragen Green, James Lafferty, the authors, Raymond Aaron, Dr. Mark McKerkow
Have you wondered why you are not as successful as you wanted to be? Have you wondered what was missing in your effort to take your business to the next level? Have you ever thought about branding?
Our business coach, Raymond Aaron, the New York Times best-selling author of “Double Your Income Doing What You Love,” www.aaron.com teaches that there are three paths through life: )1 The Path to Broke, 2) The Path to Middle Income and; 3) The Path to Rich. Which path are you on? He often says that people fail financially and in business because they do not have the right brand or they are not branded at all.
In his latest book, “Branding Small Business for Dummies,” Raymond describes branding as “the science and art of making something that isn’t unique, unique”. According to him, “Branding in the marketplace is the same as branding on a ranch. On a ranch, branding is used to differentiate the cattle from every other rancher’s cattle. In the marketplace, it’s what makes a product or service stand out in the crowd of similar products. The right branding gets you noticed, remembered, and sold. Or should I say bought, because today it is all about buying not selling. Branding is the promises you MAKE and the promises you KEEP. If you’re always late, that’s your brand”
The Path to Broke
Did you know that most of the people in the world fall into this category? Recent statistics revealed that 61% of the population follow this path in life. They work on a standard job or in a business that pays just enough to keep up with inflation. On The Path to Broke, these people” pay everybody else first, (i.e. mortgage/rent, loans, utilities etc.), before that pay themselves. The only plan or financial goal they have to improve their condition is to get another JOB . They have no brand and they swim in the “sea of sameness” just like everyone else. How do I know this? I know because I followed this path for a number of years. I felt like I was on a treadmill. I wasn’t going anywhere fast! Are you following The Path to Broke?
The Path to Middle Income
The second path through life that people choose is called The Path to Middle Income. Thirty-six percent (36%) of the population choose this path in their financial lives. They seek education or they get a skill, license, or profession. They earn more than the folks in The Path to Broke, but they are not branded. A good example of this concept would be your local dentist, lawyer, or other professional. They may make good money but unless they are branded or invest wisely, they will always be within the financial boundaries of” middle income”. Again I am very familiar with this path because before I became educated about branding, this was my destiny. I thought that striving for anything else was reserved for the rich. The Path to Middle Income is a good category. However, I realized that I was still owned by my job. I could never be independently wealthy. Do you feel tied to your job or business? Are you unable to take a vacation because the job or business would stop if you were not there?
The Path to Rich
Then there is the third path, The Path to Rich. This is where only 3% of the population resides. The people in this category understand the importance of investing, developing and buying businesses, and most of all the importance of branding. They realize that protecting their brand is the most important thing for them financially.
What is Your Brand?
When you think of a good brand, what do you think of? Apple, Coke, Exxon, McDonalds? All these are multi-billion dollar brands. These companies spend millions of dollars each year promoting these brands so that you, the consumer, continue to buy their products and services. Also, these companies will do just about anything to protect the brand.
As a matter of fact, at a recent seminar that I attended, I had a chance to listen and learn from Mr. James Lafferty, the former CEO of Coca Cola in the Middle East and Africa. He stated that one of his main responsibilities while at Coca Cola was to promote and protect the Coke Brand. He also stated that managing your brand is the key to have a successful business that will last for years.
So, what are you doing to build and develop your brand? What do you stand for? How is your work product or service different from all of the other ones that are out there? Understanding this basic concept can move you from The Path to Broke to The Path to Rich.
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