The Ramsey Show - App - Work Like No One Else So Later You Can Work Like No One Else (Hour 1)

Episode Date: January 18, 2022

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Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, it's the Ramsey Show, where dad is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. This is the Ramsey Show. George Campbell Ramsey personality is my co-host today. He's also the host of the ever-popular Fine Print podcast right there on Ramsey Networks, and millions of you have tuned into that. Thank you very, very much. Today we're going to be talking to you about your work. We're going to be talking to you about your relationships, and we're going to be talking to you about your money, and we're going to be talking to you about your money. And we're going to be talking to you about you right in front of you. Open phones at 888-825-5225.

George is in New York City to start off this hour. Hey, George, what's up? Hey, how are you? It's great to talk with you. You too, man. How can I help? I'm calling because I'm struggling with figuring out how to balance growing a business I recently started while also doing a lot of the home care with my two young children and the third kid on the way

and probably needing to pay for some child care. I'm trying to get out of about $225,000 of debt with my wife and we're having a hard time figuring out how to do that quickly and efficiently without my having more time to grow the business. Okay. What kind of debt? A lot of student loan debt, a lot of mistakes and paying way too much for school. I'm a psychologist and I spent over $300,000 to become a psychologist. And so I think you say a lot of stupid things I've heard you say before. Yeah. What's your business?

You open a practice? So I did. I, for a long time, was going to do the public service loan forgiveness, but you all were part of my inspiration to decide not to do that and to pay back what I borrowed. My wife and I have paid back over $100,000 of that so far, and we have $225,000 left. Well, we inspire people to pay back what you owe, for one thing,

but it's also important that we also give you information. The student loan forgiveness is a complete fraud that only 4,000 people have actually gotten it while almost 300,000 have applied for it. So we need to keep that in mind. It wasn't going to work, so there's that. So way to go, man. You've got a got a lot of balls in there you're a busy man uh that's i appreciate you saying that because it sure feels like it how's the business doing

uh it's been fantastic thank you um i feel very fortunate that i've been able to do that and without knowing much about ken's proximity principle uh that's kind of how I grew it and did it slowly and then took a small step instead of a big leap. And it's doing very well. I'm very happy with it. I'd like to help grow it to be able to pay off the debt faster. But with myself doing a lot of cooking, doing a lot of picking up kids and getting here to there,

I feel like I only have so much time. And why are you doing all the childcare? My wife also works. She's a school teacher, and she provides us our health benefits. And she's an amazing woman, and I appreciate everything she does. But with the flexibility I have with my schedule, that's where I'm kind of picking up. And so that's where the dilemma is okay what will your business make this year uh revenue just the last at this last year was just

under three hundred thousand dollars and what does she make teaching school she takes home uh she makes a little over $70. She takes home about $50. Okay, so the person making $300, guy or gal, is taking time off from making $300 because the person making $70 doesn't have time. Correct. Yeah. That's real sweet, but it's stupid. It's real nurturing, but it's economically stupid, and it's part of why you're stressed.

I mean, and she's also pregnant, you said. And we just found out we have our third child on the way. Just found out. Okay, so first trimester. Well, awesome, man. Hey, listen, here's the thing. None of this lasts forever. And so when you're burning the candle at both ends, as long as it is not a 10-year prescription, you can get away with it.

But you can't get away with it if there's no hope that it's going to end. Okay? And Christy Wright talks about it in the book we did with her called Take Back Your Time, that balance is not doing an equal amount of everything. Balance is doing the right things at the right time. And so in this season that you're in, you've got to decide, here's what we're going to do. And in the next season, we're going to do X. Let me give you an example.

Okay, I'm just making this up. This would happen at the Ramsey house, as an example. We're old school, though, Let me give you an example. Okay? I'm just making this up. This would happen at the Ramsey house as an example. We're old school, though. I'll warn you ahead of time. All right? Sharon, in the first trimester, would take on more of the kids' stuff, and I'd put the wood on the fire over at work. By the time she gets to the third trimester, she's going to need some relief for sure and working.

Okay. And so, yeah, you're going to have to dial back work then and step in as super dad again. But super dad right now, yeah, maybe not. Maybe not. Maybe your version of super dad right now is you throw wood on the fire and get some of this paid down. And then when the baby comes, you're probably going to slow down a little bit too because she's got three and she's going to be recovering from delivery. And so you've got about nine months, about the last three months of pregnancy plus the first six months of the new baby that you're going to be in super dad mode.

And so you've got to turn it back and turn it on and turn it off a little bit and just go, this is for this season. And you two sit down and talk about it together. She may not be willing to do that, but that's what Sharon would do. And she would be going, listen, matter of fact, she would kick my butt out and go get the work done. You're the one making money. She didn't have any tolerance for – I mean, we had Rachel the year we filed bankruptcy.

So I kind of stopped by the hospital, saw the baby, went back to work. I mean, it really wasn't like – Rachel doesn't remember that yeah it didn't affect rachel at all i mean sharon but sharon's like old school she's like what are you doing here you're supposed to be working we need money so uh yeah but that's uh uh but it's a temporary thing i wasn't an absentee dad the entire time my children were there but i really when i was starting the business there was a time there was a season that i poured on the wood and then there's a season that you have to be there as a dad more so like to help your wife in these things and there's a season she has to help yeah and it's back and forth and back and forth and then there's also a season where it's just freaking

crazy and it's just not forever and we can hold on by the skin of our teeth and just grit our teeth and push through it yeah i mean you guys are making 370 grand there's no reason you can't get some child care get some help here so that you can focus on work because you're going to make more than you would have if you were staying home taking care of the kids versus putting them in some kind of child care for this season like dave's saying and you can pay this off in under two years with your income this is easily, but it feels like a lot right now when you're juggling it all at once. But her third trimester through the first six months of the third child being born,

your business is going to suffer because you need to be there with your family. But during the next six months, your family is going to – you're going to have to make some other adjustments maybe. I don't know. That's one way you could look at it. The point being, if you'll take the pressure off of trying to be everything to everyone all the time and say, okay, for this season, we're going to do this. For this season, we're going to do that.

For that season, we're going to do this. And then by the time when all this is over, here's what it's going to look like. And we get to go to Disney, you know, or whatever it is you all do to celebrate. I didn't go to Disney to celebrate. I did take the kids one time after I was gone 60 days on a book tour. There we go. That was a season. I was gone 128 media stops all over the United States. I was gone.

But it was a number one. Got the career launch. Got the book launch. Came home. Took the kids to Disney. That's what they remember, don't they? They didn't even know it's gone. In an uncertain world, being a good steward of your money is more important than ever. While some circumstances can't be controlled, there are items within your budget you can take charge of, such as your health care costs. For nearly 40 years, Christian Health Care Ministries, or CHM, has provided a budget-friendly means of sharing for medical bills when our members need it. Learn more by visiting chministries.org slash budget.

That's chministries.org slash budget. Christian Health Healthcare Ministries is a Ramsey Trusted Provider. It is resolution season, and if you're like most people, you make resolutions on New Year's Day, and by Valentine's Day, they're done. If you don't believe me, look at the gym. The gym's empty by Valentine's Day. You can't find a machine to work out on until Valentine's Day, and then they're all available. If you've decided to actually get control of your money, let me help you. We want to walk with you way past Valentine's Day because it's going to take more than Valentine's Day to get you there.

And so you need to get into a financial peace university class we'll walk you through the proven plan the proven process that about seven million families about 10 million people have been through it works there's hundreds of financial peace university classes getting started right now in person and online so don't do a lame old resolution actually set a goal there's a difference in a lame-o resolution. Actually set a goal. There's a difference between a goal and a resolution. And get signed up, RamseySolutions.com slash FPU. That's RamseySolutions.com slash FPU. George, I want to revisit the last call for a second and set some principles in place for everyone out there on this whole idea of work and time balance

and being there for your family. To start with, we need to understand that family, if you're around Ramsey, is of primary importance. Having said that, there are a lot of ways you serve your family. One of them is making money by working, and that's the way you serve your family. And this idea that if you are working and making money, by definition, you are not nurturing or you are not there for your family or you're selfish is not a true idea. It's a falsehood. Now, completely abandoning your family's emotional needs and spiritual needs

and psychological needs in the name of work is not something we would recommend. Family is primary. As a matter of fact, one something we would recommend family is primary as a matter of fact one of our core values here is family at ramsey it's one of our 14 core values family and it doesn't mean that we're all family although we all treat each other like family but uh or the majority of us do but the uh uh but we put family first. Having said that, there is a mindset that floats around out there in the culture right now that says, to the extent I work, I am abandoning my family. And so if I really pour on the coals to get out of debt for six months or a year or two years and I work five jobs, then I'm not a good dad. I'm not a good mom, and that is simply not

true. Agreed? Oh, yeah, and it's interesting because a lot of the, you know, the call we had from George in New York City, I could tell his struggle of, I want to be a good dad, but I also feel like I need to provide for the family, but I don't want to be that dad who abandons his family in the name of work like you're talking about. And I don't see it as this either or. Either you get to be a good dad or you get to provide for your family. You can do both and they're going to be in seasons. And while they're young like this, I don't remember anything from when I was three years old if my dad was working a lot. But if you can get out of debt in these two years while the kids are young and you can be there for them for the rest of their life, that's a game changer. Instead of being broke for the next 20 years in the name of being a good dad and being there for them.

My kids and in the Ramsey family have traveled all over the world with their dad and mom, have seen and done things I never even dreamed I would do as a little redneck kid growing up. Much less get to do that for my kids. And for that matter now with their spouses. Yeah, and the grandkids. And now the grandbabies. We get to share a lot of things and a lot of experiences because of the price that was paid when they were tiny. Exactly.

And living like no one else so that later you can live and give like no one else. So we are not anti-family, but I also will not allow you in the marketplace to use your compassionate, nurturing heart as an excuse to not get your freaking work done. Because there's a season, and during that season, you do what it takes. And the season is not forever forever it's for a period of time you work like no one else so that later you can work like no one else and you uh you know and sometimes you know a baby's on the way so you don't get to work because you got to be there you got two little kids and you know she's in her third trimester she can't she he needs to be there for that yeah he needs to be there he can't shut

down his entire practice but he doesn't need to be working 80 hours over there she's going to need the uh logistical support in that household and um but but it there's this idea that one means the other is not happening and it is a both end because you do it in seasons. Yeah. And workaholism is you get your identity from working, and so you work all the time forever. That's not a season. That's an illness, and that's a misperception of work. But being afraid of hard work or avoiding hard work, because by definition that means you're not a good dad or good mom,

that's also a falsehood yeah so the real balance is am i willing to sacrifice for 18 months to get out of 225 000 in debt so that i can be there for the next 18 years yeah that's that's the trade or do we do i mean we did some wacky stuff while we were on the while our back was against the ball while we were at rock bottom whatever metaphor we want to use here right i mean we did some wacky stuff to just survive much less hoping to prosper in the future and um you know so you there's some things you're gonna do for a period of time you're gonna put grad school on hold until you get this done, and then you go back and do it later, finish it later.

You're going to not work at the $70,000 job for two years while the practice gets built and you raise three little ones, and then you go back into the classroom, maybe. I'm not saying that she has to, and it's not a man or a woman thing. It's not a sexism thing. It's not anything to do with that. It's a simple trade of time for money and being present when you are home. The other thing you can do is you can work like a maniac if you'll turn off the television when you're home.

And you'll actually be present in the conversation. Put the phone down. Look your kid in the eye when you're at home. Yeah. Because most people, you know, they, I don't want to work me 40 hours. in the conversation put the phone down look your kid in the eye when you're at home yeah because most people you know they i don't want to wake me 40 hours and then they sit and watch hbo reruns while the kids dancing around they don't even see the kid now that's that's asinine that you said oh i'm you're not nurturing you're an hbo addict you know only talks about this all the time of

hosing the boots off before you walk in the door and really be present for the kids. Yeah. Even if you're tired, take a moment to reset. And it doesn't take long. No. It doesn't take much. I mean, you get emotional credit with kids that is beyond belief. An example was we had a guy come talking about parenting, especially dads and daughters.

One time at our church many thousands of years ago, my girls were a bitty he said take your daughters on a date get them all dressed up you get all dressed up and go to a fancy place and take them on a date you know get a rose you know do the whole thing have a date night i thought hey i'm doing that i'm doing that if you ask rachel and denise we went on dates through their whole childhood. Wow. In their minds. This was happening all the time. Five times, maybe. Wow. But it was so memorable.

Maybe ten. It stuck with them. But you would think, I got a lot of credit that I didn't earn. This was weekly for 20 years. That I didn't earn. Yeah. You know, I really did. Because it makes such, because you're actually not on the phone. You're not on email.

You're not got HBO on. You're not got a football game on in the background. It's just you and the little girl. And you're at this nice restaurant. And they don't even like the food. Yeah. I did, but they didn't. And, you know, you get french fries at a nice place. You get an eye roll, right?

Get the kid's menu. But, I mean, do that stuff because you get more credit for it than you earned. get an eye roll right but get the kids menu but i'm yeah they get the yeah but i mean that's do that stuff because you get more credit for it than you earned and uh but it's about intentionality and it's about being present in the moment hosing your boots off as deloney says and um so i i want you guys to have permission to for a season work like a maniac and not walk around acting like you've done something wrong. You didn't do anything wrong. Matter of fact, you did a lot of things right in a culture where a lot of people don't even know what hard work looks like. I mean, let's face it.

When we work hard in America, it's kind of a joke compared to working hard around the world. Very few of us really do hard, hard work. I mean, I signed like a thousand books the other day with this book launch. And they're like, weren't you tired? And I'm like, if I gripe about this, God's going to make me do real work, you know? Oh, that's good. My wrist is tired. Oh, you know what I mean?

Come on. I might have to carry like a tray full of food if I whine about that, right? So that's like real work. I'll make you do some real work. Yeah, I don't want to do real work. Some great reminders. I used to cut grass. I know what real work is.

No, thank you. I don't want to do real work. This is The Ramsey Show. Bye. George Campbell Ramsey personality is my co-host today in West Hampton, New Jersey. Alfred and Aisha are with us to do their debt-free scream, according to my screen. What's up, guys? Hey, Dave. Hi, Dave. How are you? Better than I deserve. Way to go.

How much did you pay off? $34,000. Love it. How long did this take? Took us about two years. All right. And your range of income during that time? And it was about $100 hundred thousand at that point and um but now that we are out of debt we are up 35 oh so now you're at 135 what do y'all do for a living i am an educator and i auto detail love it love it cool what kind of debt was the 34 lots of everything right bad decisions david it was uh let's see a car loan credit cards

student loans you name it phone we didn't deserve yeah okay cool what was the uh what was the wake up call that started this two years ago great question dave um actually i was working in radio one of my passions. So thank you for having us here today. It's a completely crazy story. But I picked up one of your books and I started reading it. And I never even thought about that at this point. Wasn't even a thought in my mind until I opened your book, changed my life. And I tried to convince my husband at first. And honestly, he wasn't ready to receive and um but then he did change when he watched one of your videos oh yeah what did you watch alfred so uh one day

she just said i just want you to watch 10 minutes of this and it was your um it was like a um you had a financial peace university uh seven baby steps and what changed was like the way the numbers were just adding up. And I was just like, wait. And I just turned to her. I said, wait, this doesn't make sense. She was like, it does. It really does. So we ended up watching the whole thing. And then after that, like you said, Dave, I went gazelle mode. We went gazelle mode. And then it got us to this point now. Wow. That's incredible incredible so it sounds like the the video was part of it but you know aisha did a great job convincing you that this would work

and you know what she didn't she didn't let go she stayed on top of me about it and i think that was the the blessing in it that she stayed on top of me she didn't give up on me never persistence that's very cool good for you guys so what does. This is very cool. Good for you guys. Thank you. So what does Gazelle Intense look like for you guys? What were the sacrifices along the way where you really went all in on this thing? Seven working seven jobs together. We worked every job that we worked, we worked them together. My husband, he started his own business.

We worked that together. So the auto detailing? Yes, auto detailing. So, Aisha, you're out there doing the cars. I'm out there doing the cars. No, Aisha. Yes, and I was with him. Yes, I was, Dave. Yes, auto detailing. So, Aisha, you're out there doing the cars. I'm out there doing the cars. No, Aisha. Yes, and I was with him. Yes, I was, Dave. Yes, I was.

I got a picture of you right here. I see you detailing. That's right. That or you're praying beside that car. I can't tell which it is. That's what we did. We did everything, Dave. We did that.

We did DoorDash. We did Amazon. And the car. We did everything. You name it. Gazelle Intensity, we got it done. And we made a lot of sacrifices and a lot of the same meals every single week. And we know about rice and beans.

We know about spaghetti every week. We do what we have to do. So we made a lot of sacrifices. And our kids, they were phenomenal in this journey with us. They truly were. Our daughter's nine and four years old at this time, and they have been phenomenal in our journey. And they're all okay.

They're not scarred. No, they're not they have learned and our daughter actually just gave us a goal for us to she said our next goal because we just finished our emergency fund is a 100,000 and we we've had to take a deep breath when she said that we said you got it we're gonna make that happen i like this kid that's impressive yeah so thank you anaya and amara that's the biggest number she knows. She's like, $100,000. Let's do this. That's incredible. What I love about this, I don't know that I've heard this before. They were so on the same page and such a team.

They even did the side jobs together, all of them. That's cool. That's very cool. During the pandemic. Yeah. During a pandemic. During the pandemic, and my husband switched careers, and I wasn't happy with my job. And you know what?

I didn't complain about it. Instead, we said, what can we do? And with God, anything is possible and everything is possible. And that's first and foremost. If you would like to be on this journey, you have to make sure you're doing it the right way. And that's how it lasts forever. Amen. Amen.

Well done. Well, you guys are the kind of people that you happen to things instead of things happening to you. Yes. And once you get on that side of things where you say, you grab destiny by the throat and say, you're mine, I own you, instead of going, oh, I don't think I'm stuck. You know, you ain't ever been stuck in your life, either one of you. You just needed somebody, you just needed a plan, and we we just showed you made you believe the debt thing would work and you

applied what you were already doing to that yes you need a little discipline that's it that's discipline and that's right and it was the plan you're right because we have been taught some certain things about money our parents have taught us certain things about money but having a direction and not being directionless and being able to follow step by step. This is what you do. And then this is what you do. And then if you have that patience, patience attains everything it strives for. So you're going to get that if you stay on those baby steps.

And of course, we became impatient at times. But if you stay on the steps, you don't get lost. Yeah. You know where we're going. We know. Was it worth it? Wow. Our marriage, just like you said, we're a team now,

but we didn't get here because of where we were before. We had to let go of a lot of things in order to gain everything, and we're only getting started. So it's given us everything. Peace. It's given us peace. It's given us peace. It's given us financial peace.

It's not a joke people it's easy financial peace i love it well i'm so proud of you guys you're amazing couple you're a lot of fun to talk to you have inspired a lot of people listening and watching this right now that it's it's doable and uh you can knock it out and it's just a it's it's spaghettios and beans and rice baby bring it i don't even debt, and I want to get out of some. That's how on fire I am after talking with y'all. That's awesome. That's true because it is a fun journey.

What do you tell people the key is? I mean, we heard a lot of them in the conversation already, but what do you tell people the key to getting out of debt is? I would say God, first and foremost. Secondly, I would say discipline. And then humbling yourself. Humbling yourself, yeah. Humbling yourself.

To know that you don't need a lot of these things that you think you need. You know, just humble yourself and know, live below your means so that you can live comfortable for the next 30 years. And your grandkids can live even better than you and your great-grandkids your great great grandkids because it's not just about us we're doing this so that we can continue this foundation to break these generational curses and to build generational wealth so that that's our why and we're going to continue to do that there it is a godly man leaves an inheritance to his children's children you're amazing you guys are on fire man you're You're so fun. I am so – I'm so pumped at where you're going to be. You just don't do anything halfway. I mean, you go wide open.

I love it. That's – just turn me loose, and that's all we do, you know. Well, thank you. You have been an inspiration to us. Thank you so much. Y'all are inspiration to everybody. Well done. We got a copy of Baby Steps Millionaires for you,

How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth, How You Can Too. That is definitely the next chapter in your story. I have a prediction beyond your child's prediction. I'm going with a million, not 100,000. I think that's what's coming here. So you're going to be there before you know it, and also send you a copy of the Total Money Makeover to disrupt someone in your family or disrupt a friend that's looking at you.

They're giving you the side eye right now, and you're going to go, oh, no, this is what I did right here. This is what I did right here. You just read this and then shut up, okay? Yeah. All right, Alfred and Aisha from West Hampton, New Jersey. $34,000 paid off in two years, making $1,000 to $135,000. Count it down.

Let's hear a debt-free scream. Three, two, one. We are debt-free! Woo! Yeah! Wow. That's how you do the phone debt-free scream right there. That's the way you bring it.

You bring it all on. Hey, they don't do it halfway, man. Her phone carrier is going to charge her more for that. Data overload. I love it. That's as good as it gets, though. I need friends like them. They're awesome.

Hey, you know, you do become who you hang around with. Can you imagine having dinner with them and then not going and getting out of debt? It can't happen. No. It can't happen. You become who you hang around with. Be careful. Choose carefully. Or you can hang out You become who you hang around with. Be careful. Choose carefully.

Or you can hang out with someone who Eeyore is their spirit animal. Oh, well, you can't get ahead in America today. Try telling that to those two. That's a good impression. This is the Ramsey Show. We'll be right back. George Campbell, Ramsey personality, host of The Fine Print on Ramsey Networks. Don't miss that podcast. Season one is available for listening now. Don't miss that podcast. Season one is available for listening now. Brian is in Panama City. Hey, Brian, what's up?

Hey, how are you today? Thanks for taking my call. Sure. How can we help? My wife and I are in the process of selling our primary residence, and after that sale, we will profit approximately $470,000. And my question is... Very cool. Yeah, my question is, what money should we budget for

plus the additional cash we have to purchase a new house? How much cash do you have? We have about another $180,000 in cash. Okay. And so you've got like $655,000, right? Or $755,000. Correct. Yes, and our goal is to truly be debt-free.

So you're going to buy a $655,000 house? If that's – that would leave us with no reserves, nothing besides retirement accounts. Okay, well, you wouldn't do that. You'd have an emergency fund. Right, right. Out of that then. So that's every dime of cash you have then? That is every dime of cash, yes.

And so if we set aside $30,000, then you'd have $625,000, right? Right, and I guess my question was is because obviously if we're not carrying a mortgage, then you'd have $625,000, right? Right. And I guess my question was is because obviously if we're not carrying a mortgage, that emergency fund we can fund a lot quicker. So I didn't know. No, I wouldn't fund it quicker. It could be smaller. Okay.

Because you don't have to cover a mortgage. But I'm not going to have you spend your emergency fund on a house. So you're talking about paying cash. You're not talking about putting the 625 000 as a down payment and then paying off a a mortgage quickly that is correct we've always my wife and i we've always had never lived truly debt-free we've always had a mortgage and with the sale of this house, it is an opportunity. So what did the house sell for total? It's $920,000. So you're talking about moving down?

Correct. And everybody's okay with that? Everybody's okay with that. How old are you guys? 42. Cool. Have you found a house that you like that's in that price point, about $625? Yes, yes.

Yeah, we think we can be in that price range. What do you make a year? Well, I stay at home, and my wife makes about $150. So if I went back to work, currently it's $150. If I went back to work it'd be 300 okay i like it i'd buy a six and a quarter and if you don't like it if you kind of have a little bit of regret from doing that and you want to move up to a million i think you can do that with cash in a matter of a couple of a couple of three four years if both of you pour the coals back on right yes with no house payments you can save like crazy years if both of you pour the coals back on, right? Yes.

With no house payments, you could save like crazy people, and both of you working again. If you wanted to, you could move on up in-house real easy. My point is the 625 might not be for 30 years. It might be for three years. Yeah, I guess that's a great way of looking at it. To this point, I haven't looked at it this way. It gives you a little freedom like you're not trapped. Yes. Yeah, I guess that's a great way of looking at it. And to this point, I haven't looked at it this way, you know.

It gives you a little freedom like you're not trapped. Yes. If you don't look at it as it doesn't have to be permanent. I don't like moving every three years. I don't like moving at all. I've moved about every 13 to 15 years in my adult life. I was in the real estate. My mom and dad were in the real estate business growing up. Our furniture was trained to jump on the truck so it was ready to go but like you know there you go

and um we had one couch that could really really leap and um but the um but yeah the the idea like you guys bought the townhouse that you bought and you just paid it off and you all are 100 debt-free mortgage and everything but you didn't buy that going we're going to stay here 10 years no we knew this was a it was it was we're going to get in and get it paid off house exactly and we've got our dream you know not forever home obviously because that's not a thing but we've got our sights set on what's next and we'd love to pay cash for that and with brian shovel 300 grand if he gets back to work and they have no payments including a mortgage payment you should be able to do you should be able to move quickly with brian shovel yeah let's go let's go he's gonna send it to you i'd love that but when you can put you know 200 grand away a year yeah even

after tax i mean you got no expenses at this point except food you know keeping the lights on all that stuff that's fantastic you could save up by a million dollar home in a few years yeah it's it's uh but and that 650 will have gone up appreciate it would have gone up so you're in a great spot i love the heart though if they want to pay cash they want to do this we're never mad about exactly what i would tell you to do but i'm just questioning because i'm making sure you know we don't get halfway into this plan and somebody throws a grenade on it you don't want regret involved exactly daniel's in birmingham hey daniel welcome to the ramsey show hey how's it going good man what's up um i am self-employed i'm an hvac contractor in alabama i've been doing hvac for about seven years now

and i got life uh licensed last year my question for you, I have an opportunity to become a W-2 employee again, but I'm really entrepreneurial. I like working for myself. Problem is, because I just started a new business, it's very volatile. And I made a lot lower. I mean, we pretty much just scraped by last year. I've met some clients, I've met some people who have a lot of investment property and they'd like for me to do their HVAC and so you know I'd like to say yeah I'll make great money this year but we don't know what the future holds for this year until it happens and with me and my wife trying to go like we're finishing up baby step one right now and trying to finish that up i'm like should i become a w-2 employee while i'm in the sick of paying off debt so it's stable or no no what do you think you're going to make this

year really uh really i think i can make 80 this year and what's the w-2 offer um 72 Um, 72. Okay. So you'd have to be wrong by 50% to really have made a stupid, but decision. Yeah. Okay. So here's what I want you to think about. Um, and you can make your own decision. I answered it like if I was in your shoes, okay? Right.

I'd keep going. And, okay, there's a couple of things I want you to walk away from this conversation with. One is you're good at heat and air, and you're not yet good at running a business. Right. There are two different skills. Right. One element of running a business is marketing and getting new clients and if you have a steady stream of new clients coming in you can keep their heat and air fixed because you know how to do that yeah and you'll probably figure out a way to cash their checks

okay so uh you'll figure it out if you can get a steady stream of marketing going in so you've got to as a part of your commitment to stay self-employed learn how to run a business this coming year and that includes marketing getting new clients you're going to allocate time every day to getting new clients that's good yeah and reading about learning about talking to heat and air people and how they get new clients if they're not if they're in a different city and they're not a competitor of yours and will share their secrets with you um making sure to ask every single client hey i'm a i'm a one-stop shop it's just me i need your help please tell your friends about me it would mean a lot and then the person

that sends you five new clients make sure they get a free steak dinner that's really good that's good marketing strategy this kind of stuff i'm encouraged to hear this because yeah i know that you are about security and securing the home no and let me tell you that's the second thing i was gonna no that's the second thing i was gonna tell you is security when you work for someone else is an illusion. Yeah. Because they have to make payroll. They have to run the business and they have to go into an insecure marketplace and bring in money so that you get a check and you have the illusion of security. Mm-hmm.

There is no security. Your only security is your ability to leave the cave, kill something, and drag it home. That's your only security. Yeah. And we know you can go take a – we know if the whole world falls apart and you're the dumbest guy on the planet by the end of this time next year, you can go take a job as a W-2 making 80. You can get a job making 80 as W-2.

And so I want you to work on marketing a certain number of hours a week. I want you to work on learning to run a business this year. And I want you to understand your security comes from you and from God, not from working for somebody who is insecure, who's supposed to pay you money. And that's how payroll actually works in the real world, boys and girls. There's very few places you work that are actually secure. That's just an illusion. So hold on.

We're going to send you a copy of the book, Entree Leadership. And if I were you, I'd keep running my business. I think you're the dog. Yep, absolutely. That's the way to do it, man. Good luck. Have a friend or family member that needs a daily dose of Ramsey advice in their life let them know about the Ramsey call of the day podcast it's a quick hit of advice about life

and money in under 10 minutes check out the Ramsey call of the day podcast wherever you listen to podcasts