The BIGGEST Decision most of You have Already Made

Dylan J Marma
Jul 23, 2017 · 4 min read

Picture the following scenarios:

A. You are 22 years old. You have 50k in debt. You have no job lined up. Your best friends only reach out to you to drink on weeknights. You have a lot of great drinking stories. You have 4 years of education & you are aware 5% of it is going to be truly applicable if you’re fortunate enough to land a job anytime soon. You find yourself competing with everyone else your age to land a job & then you stay up at night praying that technology won’t replace your position.

OR

B. You are 22 years old. You have 50k in the bank/investments. You have an income higher than all of your peers who are just getting out of school. You have a circle of friends that love working together & achieving their goals. You share stories of struggle & triumph that always make you grateful for where you are today. You have learned a tangible skillset that will give you the confidence that as long as your health is in place you will have the ability to make a solid income.

Both of these circumstances are completely achievable for any US citizen based on the decision they make when they are 17–18 years old. Both of these paths require an equal amount of effort.

Example A. is someone that follows the path that our society praises, the government incentivize’s, the parents respect. This 18 yr old made the “right” decision. (Let’s not take into consideration if you look back 30 years ago college was 1/4 of the investment & a degree gave you a better opportunity to land a stable job that included a pension.) This student finds themselves getting sucked into going with the flow & they drink a few nights a week off whatever money they can scrape up until those 4 years are over. They know that once they have that piece of paper the world is theirs!

Example B. is someone who may be labeled as an “outcast” from societies norm. It may be assumed an 18 year old pursuing option B is from a low income background or just doesn’t quite have the ambition to make much of themselves. Option B portrays the path of someone who gets into sales, studies, & lives below their means. During their first year we can assume they struggle, maybe starting off door knocking selling knives or building MLM part time. Then after a year of rejection from their family, their peers, & their customers, they develop the resolve to succeed. They pick up the books, listen to the audios, & find mentors. Year 2, they start do sales full time. Year 3 they reevaluate & make the decision to stick with the path they are on or use their newfound skillsets to apply for a sales role in which they see greater opportunity (better product, company culture, compensation plan, etc.)

Which of the 22 year olds would you rather trade places with?

If you’re an employer, which of the 2 would you rather have on your team?

If you were to place a bet on who would be more successful as they launch a business, which would you bet your money on?

Times are changing. No matter how much technology changes, communication will always be the worlds most valuable skill set. Mark Cuban’s #1 tip for success in business is “Sales Cures all”. Warren Buffett still has a certificate from a Dale Carnegie speaking course on his wall. An ultra successful mentor of mine once told me if there’s any skill set he’d like his son to know it is sales & public speaking. Ray Kroc was selling milkshake machines until he blew up with McDonald’s.

I am a huge advocate for creating a reform in traditional education. Sales does not have to be the end-all be-all, for your career path — it is simply a vehicle which will launch you to achieve more of whatever your heart desires after you build yourself a foundation. I believe that anyone who is truly looking to create a life in which they live to their fullest potential can do so by avoiding the school trap & committing to studying/mastering the art of sales/communication. It is so much more than about the money — It is about developing true self confidence & resilience. The intangibles to success are not found through studying & taking tests, they are found through being faced with a challenge & learning how to overcome a challenge! I am a believer that the quality of your communication will determine the quality of your life.

I plan to continue to educate & present on this subject to create reform in modern day education. If you agree with this message, I encourage you too to begin to voice yourself on this topic with your family & community. Tell the kids in your family to stop & think before jumping blindly into college. Let them see clearly what their options are & make a fully informed decision. If you have already been through school and are not satisfied with what the harvest life has been reaping for you, then consider yourself going through your own “4 year school of sales”. I appreciate you for taking the time to read through my daily rant & I appreciate all feedback.

To your Success,

Dylan Marma

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