I create efficient tax and investment strategies for tenured Sales and Software Pros | Financial Advisor & Fractional CFO | Guiding you to a better and abundant financial life |

TFA’s mission is to enhance the present and future economic well-being of its clients and representatives. 

Baby Boomers are retiring every day.

The average baby boomer believes $300,000 is sufficient enough to retire on.

Do you think that's enough money? But before I answer that, here's my story:

I was on track to be a Chemical Engineer till 2020. But when I graduated, I was distraught with what the job requirements were. Putting myself first, I completely decided to quit the track.

No plan, no job in sight. I started to panic.
 
That's when my mom sat me down and told me to list the things I'm passionate about. Turns out personal finance and education were the top two on my list. Not shocking, considering I always had a passion for how money works. 
 
So, I started doing research for jobs in financial services. My goal was to implement my passion for financial education for everyone. 

Since then I've helped countless individuals, families, and business owners make easier financial decisions for their future.
 
Services I provide:

1. Portfolio Planning
2. Budget Creation
3. College Funding
4. Debt Reduction 
5. Retirement Planning 
6. Proper Protection
7. Tax Efficiency
8. Investment Allocation



What makes me different:
- Keeping you accountable to your goals
- Creating simple yet effective strategies
- Establishing a personal relationship
- Yearly reviews accounting for changes in goals and income

So to answer the question above, $300,000 is not enough money to retire on, in my opinion. But that's where I come in. 

If you want to learn more about how my clients are pursuing their financial goals, let's have a quick chat :)

Omkar Shinde

I've spent $75,000+ on my mortgage over the last 3 years.

3 reasons why I'll never ever go back into Real Estate ever again:

1. Interest
• It's no shocker payments first go to interest, then principal.
• In an environment rate like this, I'm not motivated to buy real estate and let it cash flow -$500 to $100 per month.
• I study the markets, and they're doing much better anyways.

2. Costs and Illiquidity
• Buying a house costs time, selling a house costs money.
• And the investment is fully illiquid. I cannot sell a bathroom and keep the house.
• Yes, loaning is an option and that's the only thing I like about it. But, that can also be a slippery slope.

3. Minimal Benefits
• Shreya works 40 hours a week, I run an advisory firm, and we own 2 rentals.
• Neither of us in Real Estate, nor can we qualify for REPS. So depreciation only offsets the cash flow we receive, nothing else.
• Not to mention maintenance, HOA, property management, and paying for all of that.

So yeah, I'm a huge believer money can be used in better places than real estate.

Anyone else agree?

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I create efficient tax plans and investment strategies for Sales & Software Employees making $200,000+ | DM me “W2” for an intro call.

3 weeks ago, Trump wanted to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes.

People are celebrating. But let me fill in the blanks for you:

37-year-olds making $172K can't buy a house.
Because BlackRock can pick up houses for 0.00023% of their balance sheet.

The Middle Class is not competing against families anymore.
They're competing against trillion dollar asset managers.

Who see nothing but dollar signs and decimal points.

So banning them makes sense, right?

But here's the other side:

Institutional investors own less than 3% of single-family homes in the U.S.

The real issue?

→ Interest rates that doubled.
→ 40-year low housing supply.
→ Zoning laws blocking construction.

Banning institutional buyers might feel good.

But it doesn't build more houses.

I work with clients making great money who still can't afford homes.

It's not just because BlackRock bought 3% of the market.
It's because there aren't enough homes being built.

Supply and Demand is basic macroeconomics. 

So what's the real solution?

Ban institutional buyers and hope prices drop?
Or build more housing so supply meets demand?

One feels good.
Both fix the problem.

What do you think—will this ban help or are we missing the bigger issue?

Every other Friday, you wait for that $4,786 paycheck.

But by Monday... *poof*.

You worked late nights.
Put in weekend hours.
Closed the deal that finally hit your quota.

Payday arrives—
And just like that, it disappears.

Because here’s what happens:

→ The rent auto-drafts.
→ The Amex bill hits.
→ Groceries, daycare, travel... all waiting in line.

By Monday morning, you’re already stressed about how to stretch what’s left.

This isn’t carelessness, well maybe a bit..

But mostly, it’s a missing skill.

Because *earning money* and *managing money* are two completely different games.

One fills your account.
The other builds your freedom.

Without a cash flow system, the cycle repeats:

• Direct deposit in on Friday.
• Expenses drain it by Monday.
• Anxiety fills the rest of the month.

What's worse? 
You can’t out-earn disorganization.

Most Sales clients making over $200,000, don’t need more money, they want it.

But they NEED a structure that makes cash flow predictable, month after month.

What's your cash flow management look like?

DM me "FLOW" and I’ll show you how to finally keep more of what you earn.

I took a bet on myself at 23 to drop a stable paycheck to go all in.

4 years later, I've 3x'd my salary and I'll never have to look for a job again.

Here's what nobody tells you about risk:

Everything is risky.

Staying at your job? Risky.
Layoffs happen. Budgets get cut. Companies fold.

Starting a business? Risky.
You might fail. You might lose money. You might look stupid.

The difference?

One risk keeps you comfortable until it doesn't.
The other risk builds something that can't be taken away from you.

Most people avoid the "scary" risks while taking the safest-looking risk of all—betting their entire future on someone else's decision.

That's not safety.
That's just delayed uncertainty.

When I left my 6-figure job, everyone thought I was crazy.

"You're throwing away stability."
"What if it doesn't work out?"
"You should wait a few more years."

But as time went on, it became clear:

The biggest risk wasn't starting my business.
It was spending the next 40 years wondering "what if?"

4 years later, I've tripled my income.
Built financial freedom on my own terms.
And I'll never have to update my resume again.

You're going to take a risk either way.

So why not take the one with the outcome YOU actually want?

The job will always be there if you need it.
But the opportunity to build something for yourself?

That window doesn't stay open forever.

It's the first full week back in 2026, what are you doing today to start your year your way?

At 18 years old, I was denied my first credit card.

At 25 years old, I had a credit score of 815.

Here's how I did it:

• Paid off my card bi-weekly for 4 years straight
• Kept my first card open, even when I stopped using it
• Used less than 10% of my limit per month
• Increased my limit every 6 months
• Followed Chase's 5/24 rule

I didn't have anyone teach me how to build credit.

I figured it out on my own.

Most people wait for someone to show them the way.

They wait for their parents to explain it.
They wait for school to teach it.
They wait for the "right time" to start.

But nobody's coming to save you.

If you want something in life, you have to make it happen yourself.

And the difference between where you are and where you want to be?
Action.

You either figure it out or you stay stuck.
Or pay someone like me to make sure you get what you need.

P.S: Struggling with your credit? DM me "CREDIT" and let's talk.

Using your 401(k) funds for a down payment?

This will create a generation of homeowners who can't afford to retire.

Trump's berlieves his proposal is the solution to help the home-buying dilemma.
Let me show you what this actually means:

You're 28 with $40K in your 401(k).
You can't afford a down payment.

Now you can pull $30K out and buy a house.
Problem solved.

But here's what you're not seeing:

Keeping retirement funds locked up has actually been helpful.
It forces people to save cash for a down payment.

Which means:

→ They build an emergency fund first.
→ Their retirement keeps growing the entire time
→ They prove they can handle homeownership costs.

Yes, it delays buying a house.

But that delay protects both your home AND your retirement.

Now imagine this:

A 28-year-old pulls $30K from their 401(k) for a down payment.

Buys a house they can barely afford.
Then the AC breaks. Roof leaks. Property taxes spike.
No cash reserves left.

And their retirement account is back at $0.

They're house rich, cash poor and back to the foothills of the retirement mountain.

Access to retirement funds might sound like freedom.
(Could be)

But my bet is it's more likely to create a generation of homeowners who can't afford to retire.

What do you think—does easy access help or hurt more people?

I've worked with AE's making $400,000/year. 
 
I've also worked with a bakery owner making $40,000/year. 
 
My top 5 lessons on literacy I've learned while serving a diverse client base: 
 
→ Financial discipline is the main difference, 
Between someone making $1,000/month vs. $10,000/month. 
 
→ Educating people about their finances sells. 
Not the fee structure. 
 
→ Your history and your mission are both crucial, 
And bridge both of these with your story. 
 
→ Money is still a taboo topic, 
even in high-income households. 
 
→ Your salary on paper does not matter. 
It's your bank account balance that does. 
 
 
The only way to freedom is through education. 
 
So get literate to be liberated. 
 
Message me today to take the first step.

A potentially illegal Roth IRA hack that hasn't been discovered yet.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice.

Father has a Roth IRA. Son has a Roth IRA.
Father makes $82,000. Son makes $76,000.

Father pays for everything, has nothing to save at the end of the month.
Son is single and lives at home, 80% of his income is discretionary.

Son maxes out his Roth IRA. 
Son maxes out Father's Roth IRA.

Son is 27. Father is 58.

There's a mutual understanding between Father and Son that Son will inherit the Roth upon the Father's passing.

Let's assume Father lives till 90.

Which means Son has 32 years of compounding interest on $15,000/year of contributions.

Considering they start from $0, and max it out every year,
that's a combined Roth Account of $2M completely tax-free.

With the 4% rule, that's $80k/year in tax-free retirement income for the son.
Even higher with an Annuity.

To any tax pros, is this legal?

P.S: This may or may not be an real life scenario. 👀

Shreya and I spent $2,134 on our trip to Portland, Oregon in December.

Here are the 2 financial rules that help us travel every month:

1. Systems create peace.
2. Memories > Money any day.

Let me lay out the scene:

→ United Economy to Portland.
→ Diamond status got us an Upgraded room at Hilton.
→ Waterfalls, Mountains, beaches and mouth watering food.

The best part? 

I was swiping my card like a Kardashian.
I never swiped thinking, “Can I actually afford this?”

The actual difference between budgeting and building a system.

Budgeting is like trying to count calories while you’re holding a plate of warm cookies.
Systems are the reason you don’t even keep cookies in the house.

Before the trip:

→ Travel fund? Funded.
→ Investments on autopilot as always.
→ Houses on rent so no worry on the mortgage.
→ Business cash flow still operating despite 4 days off.

So this trip was a nice getaway for us to treat ourselves.

I had the peace of mind that my money was working for me.
I was spending time with Shreya, last few months as fiancées.

Just 2 D.I.N.K's with a good financial system.

But this is where most sales reps struggle.

One big commission check hits and it feels like winning the lottery.
The next month, income dips and panic sets in.

That volatility isn’t the problem—it’s the lack of a system to handle it.

So yes, we spent $2,134.

But what I really bought was peace of mind and memories with the best.

Sales doesn’t have to feel unstable.
You just need a structure that makes the unpredictable... predictable.

Want a masterclass in business and finance?

The Chainsmokers make 7 figures/year for a 245 second song from 2016.

TikTok has the "2026 is the new 2016" trend going on.
And it brought back Freshman year memories.

The biggest flashback was screaming,
"From your roommate back in BOULDER, we ain't never getting older."

And I realized, they recorded "Closer" 9 years ago.

And it still pays them millions.

Every stream. Every radio play. Every TikTok video.
They get paid.

If only we taught that to everyone, because most people trade time for money:

Work 40 hours → Get paid once → Repeat forever.

But the smartest people build assets:

Work once → Get paid forever.

Here's what that looks like:

• Invest in assets that pay dividends
• Write a book that sells for 10 years
• Build a course people buy on repeat
• Create content that generates leads daily

The Chainsmokers aren't special.

They just built something once that keeps working for them.
You can do the same thing.

Stop chasing the next paycheck.
Start building something that pays you long after the work is done.

Because the goal shouldn't be to work harder.
It's to work once and get paid forever.

What's one thing you're building today that will pay you for years?

I sobbed the entire night after I got laid off.

It made me accept the reality which I was avoiding.

Here's what I chose to ignore:

I worked at a company that paid me just enough to keep me comfortable.
And I gave them just enough to hit quota and stay off the radar.

I was checked out. 
I was wondering "is this it?".

I did what many corporate employees do:

* Hit my numbers.
* Met expectations.
* Waited for the next cycle.
* Played the promotion game.
* Hid behind my Zoom camera.

From the outside, everything looked fine.
Inside? I was uneasy.

This arrangement was bad for everyone.

I wasn’t building real leverage or skills.
The company didn’t get my full potential.
And my motivation slowly eroded quarter after quarter.

The layoff was brutal. But it forced honesty.

Today, I’m genuinely grateful for the environment I work in now.

One where:

* You’re rewarded for impact, not just tenure.
* Ownership matters more than politics.
* Growth isn’t tied to a title change.
* Effort actually compounds.

If you’re feeling that low-grade dissatisfaction between performance reviews and promotion cycles, pay attention.

That feeling isn’t burnout.
It’s misalignment.

You don’t owe your career another year of playing it safe.
You owe your future another year of building your heaven on earth.

P.S. If this sounds like you, trust me—you’re not broken. You’re just ready for more.

Open to other opportunities? DM me "Open" because I'm hiring 3-5 motivated people for 2026.

Trump wants Credit card companies to slash rates to 10% for 1 year.

Here's how it affects you:

Let's take the Average Joe:
Joe has $6,000 in Credit Card Debt.

Current rate (22%): $1,320/year in interest
Proposed rate (10%): $600/year in interest
Savings: $720/year

That's real dollars back in your pockets.
But it's what I call "invisible money". 

You will be happy with a reduction in interest charges, 
but unless it is consciously put to use, this is money that will be spent on something random.

And here's the other side:

Credit card companies make $120B/year in interest.

A rate cap would cut that in half, which results in:

→ Fewer rewards programs.
→ Higher fees to offset losses.
→ Stricter approval requirements.
→ Lower credit limits for existing customers.

There's one thing I can guarantee you:
Banks will not absorb the losses (why would they?).

They will pass them down.

The people who need credit the most?
They'd have the hardest time getting it.

So who actually wins here?

Companies lose revenue.
People trying to build credit get locked out.
People with existing balances get temporary relief.

With no guarantee of them actually getting out of debt.

To me, the real question isn't whether 10% sounds better than 22%.
It's whether we're solving the problem or kicking the can down the road.

What do you think—would this help or hurt more people in the long run?

I left corporate, built my own paycheck, and found my sense of freedom.

Would you like that too?

2025 was a year of growth for me:

- Got engaged 💍
- Caught 7 flights 🛩️
- Moved back home 🏠
- Better Systems and Ops.
- Finalized our dream wedding.
- $200,000+ revenue generated.
- $10,000,000+ AUM accumulated.

All this without:
- Worrying about a job loss.
- Hesitating to take time off.
- Applying to jobs because mine sucks.
- Responding to slack messages on vacation.
- Moving my mouse because PTO wasn't approved.

Now 2026, I have only one goal:

- SCALE.

But there's a problem. 

I, like everyone else, have only 24 hours in a day.
And I'm at a point where 12 of those are already taken up by my clients.

Which means, if I want to positively impact more people, 
I have to hire more people.

So, I want to help you create a life just like mine.
(It's hard work, but I think it's worth it 😉)

Here's what I'm looking for:
- Someone who wants to positively impact their community.
- Someone with a passion for Finance but doesn't know how to get started.
- Someone who's dissatisfied with their career and are open to other options.
- Someone who's always dreamt of being a business owner, but never had the opportunity.

You'd be introduced to a team that:
- Have backgrounds in Engineering, Law, Finance, Sales and Medicine.
- Are collectively pushing $400MM in Asset Under Management.
- Have worked at KPMG, Deloitte, Arther-Andersen, Booz-Allen Hamilton etc.
- Want to take a chance on you making it.

It's only 16 days into 2026. Imagine what this could look like 349 days from today.

Don't underestimate how long it might take you to be successful. 

We all have to start somewhere. Might as well, be here and be today.


Interested? We're interviewing people that fit the above criteria. DM me "FA" and I'll reach out to you to set a time.

If you're not interested, send this to someone you know who might be a good fit.

Instagram's CEO claims "Quality content is dead."

If you're creating content in 2026, here's what you should know..

Everyone and their mom is using AI now.

Templates structure their posts.
ChatGPT generates their hooks.
Claude writes their captions.
Grok fact checks the result.

And it sounds as perfect as Celine Dion's Voice.

We're more connected than ever before but we've never felt more disconnected emotionally.

I've seen it happen:

Someone posts 5 times a week with AI-written content.
Gets 8 likes, 12 comments.

And then crickets....

But posting about what happened to you when you were 14, and how that impacted you today?

DMs flood in.
Comments blow up.
People finally feel something.

Because it was authentic.

Stop trying to sound smart, start sounding like you.

Share the messy parts.
The failures.
The "I have no idea what I'm doing" moments.

AI can write your posts.
But it can't tell YOUR story in your voice.

Every time your audience reads your post, if they can't imagine you saying it, you've lost.

And that's the only thing people actually care about anymore.
Your voice.

What's one thing you've been afraid to share because it's "too vulnerable"?

High Taxes? Real Estate is the answer to everything.

I wouldn't touch real estate with a 10 ft. pole if that was me.

Every guru screams the same thing:

"Real estate is the best tax shelter!"
"Depreciation writes off everything!"
"Buy rentals and pay zero taxes!"

Cool story. Let's take a quick peak behind the scenes, shall we?

You're trading tax savings for actual cash flow.

Let me break it down:

You buy a $500K rental property.

Depreciation saves you $7K/year in taxes.

But you're also dealing with:

→ $15K roof repair you didn't budget for
→ Tenants who stop paying rent
→ Property taxes that went up 18%
→ Insurance that doubled in 2 years

Your "tax savings" just got eaten alive by expenses.

And that's if everything goes right.

What if interest rates spike and your property value drops 20%?

What if you need cash and can't sell because the market's dead?

What if your tenant trashes the place and you're stuck with a $30K renovation?

Real estate isn't liquid.
It's not passive.
And it sure as hell isn't a guaranteed win.

I've seen clients lose more money chasing "tax benefits" in real estate than they ever saved.

They bought properties they couldn't afford.
In markets they didn't understand.
Because someone on Instagram told them it was "the smart play."

Here's the truth:

Real estate CAN be great.

But only if you have the time, the capital, and the risk tolerance to handle it.

If you're buying rental properties just to "save on taxes"?

You're doing it for the wrong reason.

And you're probably going to lose money.

Tax savings don't mean anything if you're broke.

What's your take—is real estate overhyped or am I missing something?

A simple X post made me rethink what doubt is.

Here's how it goes:

"The archer aims at the target, not the doubts in his mind or on his ears."

It's what I needed to hear that day.

Because here's what happens when you chase something big:
Everyone has an opinion.

"That's too risky."
"What if you fail?"
"Why don't you just stay where you are?"

And the worst part? You low-key believe them if you aren't confident in your skills yet.

You question yourself.
You second-guess every move.
You get paralyzed by what could go wrong.

Here's the reframe:
Doubt isn't the problem. Doubt is actually a good thing.

It means you're on a path that most won't tread,
which means lesser competition,
and a higher reward.

Focusing on doubt is the major.

Our brain takes a small piece of information and creates the scenario that's worse than death.

The archer doesn't aim at his doubts.
He aims at the target.

Every single day.

Your job isn't to eliminate doubt.

It's to ignore it and focus on the task in front of you.

Write the post. Make the call. Send the email. Face the rejection.
But show up again tomorrow.

None of that matters if you just keep aiming at the target.

Big goals aren't achieved by overthinking them.
They're achieved by doing the small tasks every single day.

America is at $1,130,000,000,000 in Credit Card debt. 
 
Here's how I helped John and Jane Doe eliminate theirs. 
 
John and Jane are very frugal: 
 
• John works in construction making $120,000. 
• Jane runs her own embroidery business. 
• Paying down a house and 2 cars. 
• Provide for their 2 children. 
• Yearly family trips. 
 
They just did one thing incorrectly. 
 
They paid for a wedding using Credit Cards. 
 
They admitted it themselves. 
"We were young, dumb and broke." 
 
But that was 8 years ago..... 
 
Since then they've paid off only $25k, 
and paid more than $30k in interest. 
 
They needed a way out. 
 
That's when they sat down with my team. 
 
Here's the plan we created for them: 
 
1. Consolidated the debt 
- They had 12 different cards, with variable rates balances. 
- Credit transfer onto one card with a 0% APR for 21 months. 
 
2. Negotiation 
- Believe it or not, some credit card companies are willing to extend promo periods. 
- We negotiated a 0% APR for an extra year (21 -> 33 months). 
 
3. Priority mapping 
- Do you want to keep your same lifestyle or pay off your debt? 
- Which one is worth the short-term pain? 
 
4. Take action 
- Stick the the monthly payment outlined. 
- Contribute any bonuses or extra amounts to the principal. 
 
They've been on their journey for 22 months. 
 
Yesterday marked $40k in debt paid off. 
 
They hit 1.5x in 22 months, 
than what they paid off in 7 years. 
 
That's the power of proactive debt planning.

How are you eliminating your debt?

Your job at Salesforce might impress your folks.

Big title. Big quota. But your bank account? Still small.

If I had to guess, you’re grinding:

* Consistently hitting quota
* Managing a team or region
* Exploring a side hustle "just in case"

On paper, you’re winning.

But in reality: 

* Taxes are quietly crushing your take-home
* Lifestyle creep followed the last promotion
* Tax planning feels reactive, not intentional

Here’s the hard truth I see with a lot of AE's and Directors:

You’re earning from multiple places,
but you’re running your money with zero system.

Common mistakes I see:

* Treating commissions like salary
* Running side hustles without tax planning
* Outsourcing everything except your finances

So how do you fix it?

Start here:

1️⃣ Separate operator money from lifestyle money
Your commission and side hustle income should follow rules.
Not vibes. Or your friends orders.

2️⃣ Automate wealth, not just savings
401(k), backdoor Roth, brokerage.
If it’s manual, it’s optional. And optional never scales.

3️⃣ Proactively Tax plan
RSU's, ESPPs, Commission Checks - need in depth planning.
Real Estate, Oil and Gas, Private Equity - need qualifications.

It’s not about closing more deals. You already know how to do that.

It’s about keeping more of what you earn
and making your money work as hard as you do.

Your dream life doesn’t come from a higher quota.
It comes from better systems.

P.S. If you’re an AE making $200,000+ but feel behind anyway, DM me "AE" if you want to lower stress, and higher bless.

Anthony Carlton

Founder @ CRE Digital | Helping commercial real estate funds raise capital with premium branding and investor acquisition systems

I built my personal brand to escape the corporate grind.

After working with clients across finance, private equity, venture, and real estate—I doubled down on one clear problem:

Most CRE firms struggle to raise capital online.

That’s why I founded CRE Digital — a content and brand strategy partner for capital raisers, fund managers, and private equity firms.

We turn your expertise into influence, using systems that drive:

• Brand authority that builds trust
• LP investor leads and committed capital
• Off-market deal flow and JV partners
• Speaking invites and top CRE podcast features

What sets us apart? 

We’ve sat on both sides of the table — advising high-net-worth investors and partnering with top CRE operators.

Now, we build digital brands that attract capital at scale.

If you’re serious about raising capital and want your brand to do the heavy lifting, book a call in my featured section or visit credigital.io

Founder & Brand Advisor

Build Your Brand @ FinGhost.io

Your independence isn't violently taken from you.

It vanishes with 100s of "safe" decisions.

Here's how it happens (and ends up becoming a cage):

Age 18: You choose the "smart" major.

• Law.
• Finance. 
• Engineering. 
• Computer science.

Your parents are relieved. You're rewarded with scholarships and summer internships.

Age 22: You take the corporate job.

Goldman. McKinsey. Google. Whichever pays most and has the best brand.

Your professors congratulate you. Your classmates envy you. You're rewarded with a signing bonus and an impressive title.

Age 25: You accept the promotion.

More responsibility. More money. More visibility to senior leadership.

Your manager says you're on the "fast track." You're rewarded with status and a salary that justifies the lifestyle inflation you didn't plan.

Age 30: You take the management role.

People report to you now. You attend 10-15 meetings a week. You have influence—or at least the appearance of it.

You're rewarded with prestige and the comfort of knowing you're winning the game everyone else is playing.

Age 35: You wake up.

Your calendar isn't yours.
Your decisions aren't yours.
Your time isn't yours.

You're unhappy and burned out, but you can't move because you have a mortgage, car payment, daycare, and stock options vesting.

Every individual choice was rational.

But somewhere along the way, your autonomy disappeared.

The trap works because it's not obviously a trap.

It's comfortable. 
Respectable. 
Safe.

It's what winning looks like from the outside.

But from the inside, it feels like you're capable of more...smart enough to see the problems but powerless to fix them.

Successful by every conventional measure.

But somehow still not free.

This is the trap to avoid. 
Now you know what it looks like.

What you are working on in 2026 for more personal freedom in 2027?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates.

Follow me Anthony Carlton for more posts on building wealth and independence.

I build media systems for operators who want influence, growth, & capital at scale | $50M raised through social | Founder & Writer

Don't quit your 9-5 to go "all in" as a solopreneur until you have 4 things: 
 
- Proven offer 
- Clients paying you 
- Results and case studies 
- Consistent lead gen systems 
 
Give yourself 6-12 months to build skills and undeniable social proof before you leap. 
 
In 2019 I quit my job, spent a fat chunk of my life savings, and failed at going solo. 
 
I had 0/4 essentials above. 
 
Didn't know how to write. 
Didn't know how to sell. 
Didn't know how to build. 
 
In 2022 I made a successful transition from 9-5 to building a full-time creator income. 
 
But I worked for 12 months alongside my 9-5: 
 
• Testing ideas 
• Growing on LinkedIn 
• Finding proof of concept 
 
I'm confident everyone who reads this can build a full-time income as a creator. 
 
But only if you set yourself up for success. 
 
That's why I write weekly guides giving actionable strategies for making the leap. 
 
Need a good place to start? 
 
Read this: https://lnkd.in/e-RX6KFj

“Set a goal to become a millionaire—not for the money, but for what it will make of you.”

Jim Rohn damn near invented the category of personal development.

This is one of his hardest-hitting quotes.

In one sentence, it shifted my mindset around goals.

Setting goals is less about the end result, and more about who you become in the process of achieving it.

Early in my career, I chased all the wrong things.

→ If I only got that raise...
→ If I could just get that VP title...
→ If I check one more big goal off my list...

I thought if I just hit the next milestone, then I’d feel free. Then I’d feel successful.

But learning from people like Jim Rohn, I realized:

The goals weren't a magic checklist.

The goals were about who I had to become to achieve them.

→ A person who can communicate better
→ A person who can be self-reliant
→ A person who can grow and improve

Writing did that for me.

It gave me clarity.
It built proof of work.
It opened doors that used to be locked.

But more than that, it forced discipline. It exposed gaps in how I think. And it helped me build leverage instead of just more output.

So yeah, set big goals.

But understand: the real win isn’t the number.

It’s who you have to become to earn it.

That’s where the compounding starts.

What's the WHY behind your biggest goal right now?

Anthony Carlton

Do you want to be impressive or independent?

99% optimize for an "impressive" cage.

Achievement looks like:

- Climbing the corporate ladder
- Adding prestigious titles to LinkedIn
- Hitting salary milestones
- Getting promoted faster than peers
- Building a resume that impresses strangers

Achievement is external validation.

It's playing a game someone else designed and winning by their rules.

Agency looks like:

- Owning your calendar
- Making decisions without approval
- Building assets that compound
- Disconnecting time from income
- Designing work around your life, not the other way around

Agency is internal freedom.

It's designing your own game and defining what winning means.

Here's the trap:

Achievement is measurable, visible, and celebrated.
Agency is quiet, personal, and invisible to others.

So we chase achievement because it's easier to see we're making progress.

We climb faster, earn more, get promoted sooner. And wake up one day realizing we built an impressive cage.

I spent my 20s optimizing for achievement.

• Better titles. 
• Higher salary. 
• More responsibility.

I looked successful on paper but felt trapped in practice.

Now I optimize for independence.

• More decisions I own. 
• Fewer meetings I didn't schedule. 
• Systems that don't require my constant presence.

It's less impressive to people on LinkedIn.

But infinitely more valuable to me.

The question isn't "How do I achieve more?"

The question is "How do I build for optionality?"

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates.

Follow me Anthony Carlton for more posts on building wealth and independence.

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