Direct Selling Success

Chapter 17 Becoming Wealthy, Not Just “Instagram Rich”

Ever see those movies where some poor urchin from the street becomes wealthy and doesn’t know how to act? (Like when Richard Gere took Julia Roberts to that fancy restaurant in Pretty Woman?) It’s a timeless trope in Hollywood, guaranteed for good laughs.

That was me.

There’s even a catchy name for it: nouveau riche. (The English equivalent is “new rich” or “new money.”) It’s a derogatory term to describe those upstart people whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than inheriting it from their rich, prominent, and illustrious family.

I’m nouveau riche. Or, as I preferred to be called, “white trash with cash.” Some people whose families have generations of wealth look down on the newly rich. They seem to believe there is more honor in having your parents give you wealth instead of earning it yourself. How weird is that?

One of the terrific aspects about our profession is how many people are able to create wealth for themselves and their loved ones. But that does bring a few challenges.

The first of these is helping these newly wealthy people deal with the changes and responsibilities that come with wealth. For years I’ve been contemplating writing a book titled What to Do When You Get Money. Seriously.

When you start out poor and become rich, everything changes. The number of weddings, birthdays, ...