How I solved all my money problems permanently (Before I had money.)

Travis Sago

Jan '24 (edited) • General discussion

How I solved all my money problems permanently (Before I had money.)

I'm good at solving problems.

I'm especially good at solving problems other people haven't been able to solve.

It pissed me the fuck off that it took me so long to solve my money problems.

But then it hit me...

I wasn't tackling my money problem the same way I wiped out other problems.

Once I changed my frame and approach...

I stopped having money problems.

… it works for just about anyone.

…who are willing to change perspective and practice.

As you know...I was an electronics tech in the Navy.

Surprisingly, studying and practicing how energy flows and stops flowing in electronic systems and a 6-step troubleshooting method was the frame/model that was like a magic trick to solving all kinds of life problems.

After I got out of the Navy...

I took a job as a computer repair tech for a company that sold POS (point of sale) systems to restaurants.

It was pretty easy with my training to fix these "computer" problems fast.

But the company itself had some real problems the 2 owners had not been able to solve.

We covered all of Arkansas and had 6 techs.

It was common for us start work at 7 am, and we might not be back home until 7 pm (or later).

We also worked weekends and on-call like doctors.

It was grueling.

Turnover was high because most folks can't handle the time AND pressure.

You can't imagine the pressure cooker when a POS system goes down on a Friday night!

The 2 owners had run this business for over 2 decades...

And they couldn't solve this problem.

The owners were both bright, disciplined and organized.

The culture was very militaristic, which I didn't mind and actually enjoyed.

But all their good "traits" and brains couldn't solve the long hours, turnover and profit destroyers in their own business.

Here's why the owners couldn't figure it out...

They were trying to solve for the wrong problem and were looking at the problem through "money goggles".

The techs couldn't solve it for many of the same reasons...

The techs were all on salary and the way they viewed the problem was largely through "how do I get home faster" because I get paid the same if I am home by 7 pm or by midnight.

Stay with me here:-)

This scenario was the beginning of the end of my "money problems".

Here was a typical scenario...

A service call would come in for a Wendy's in El Dorado, Arkansas. This was about 4 hours from our hometown...which meant 8 hours of driving minimum.

The tech would leave early so they might have SOME chance of getting home before the sun went down.

The tech would get to the site...

Fix the problem as fast as possible...

Then haul fucking ass back home.

The goal and frame was, "save time".

Our bosses goal and frame was pretty much the same because they knew late nights and long drives didn't make the techs happy and they'd lose them.

The owners also viewed everything through a "money lens".

Since most restaurants were on a service contract, the LESS money spent replacing/repairing equipment the more profits they made.

What would happen is...

The next week...

The SAME store would call in with a different problem.

or a restaurant just down the road.

Then the cycle repeats itself.

Until techs burned out...

Quit...

Then service calls would stack up for DAYS.

Customers weren't happy and the whole shit snowball just rolled down hill.

To make a long story shorter...

The problem wasn't solvable looking through a lens of "time" and "money" problems.

I came along with a new pair of "goggles".

Energy goggles.

These goggles were like "night vision" goggles when it came to seeing the issue and how to solve it.

Where has ENERGY already been expended?

How/where can we get a lopsided RETURN ON ENERGY (ROE)?

We already SPENT 8 HOURS driving to and from the site.

What if we INVESTED 15 minutes to actively SEARCH for other issues that might occur?

What if we INVESTED a few dollars on high failure rate parts that only cost less than $50 to replace? Like CAT 5 connectors over a a greasy stove? (LATER INVESTMENTS; stop installing Cat 5 connectors in greasy, humid places.)

What if we made another 1/2 hour or 1 hour investment to the restaurants we service next door? To check on them and PREVENT future calls?

Later on we got thermal printers which only had 4 moving parts versus 200+ moving parts in the older more mechanical printers. What if we sold them at or even below cost to sites that are more than 2 hours away? The ROE would be phenomenal even if the initial investment cost a few bucks.

Then...

Following ROE...

We could leave LOANERS on SITE instead of back in Russellville.

(This was the HARDEST move to convince the owners to make. All they could see was the "cost" of the printer or part going out the door. But just gas savings ALONE made one or two saved trips just about cover the cost. The ROE was phenomenal though. Our techs were happier, customers were way happier, they renewed service contracts at a higher price even.)

it took time...

But the owners finally started seeing things through a new frame.

About 2 years after we started practicing ROE…we only needed about 3 techs (instead of 6)...we'd get home by supper a LOT too.

I got "promoted" several times.

I finally saw MY money problems weren't money problems too.

I started looking for Returns On Energy (ROE).

I realized because I didn't have a lot of assets at the time...

I could get ROE for OTHER PEOPLE.

All I needed to do is look at where ENERGY was already flowing...like customers, traffic flow, etc...

or where energy was ALREADY EXPENDED and not being fully utilized.

We all have ENERGY PROBLEMS, not MONEY PROBLEMS.

I know this seems radical, but...

If we had INFINITE ENERGY we wouldn't have money problems.

Right?

If we lived forever and didn't need to sleep etc...we could make all the money we wanted, even if it took 100 years.

But...

If we had infinite money, but were dying tomorrow...we'd want more ENERGY...not more money.

OUR CONSTRAINT IS ENERGY...not money.

This is why I "label" most everything with the word "Mojo".

It's a reminder of what to focus on.

Return on ENERGY (ROE).

If you want to go from 0 dollars a month in passive income to $10,000 a month in passive income...

It's hard AF to do it focusing on MONEY.

But EASY when you focus on where is energy already flowing? Where has it already been expended? How can I piggy back on that?

Ronin can take over FB groups, lists, IP, customer lists, etc THIS WEEK that took folks YEARS TO BUILD!

We don't want to focus as much on being "business owners" as practice being an "investor".

And we want to PRACTICE getting outrageous ROE!

The great news is we don't need money to practice being an investor when we focus on ROE!

The fun news is...

Not only do we solve our "money problems"...

We seem MAGICAL at solving other people's problems that they haven't been able to solve on their own.

And it's what we FOCUS ON and not IQ, self discipline or credibility that is the POWER TOOL.

I "waste" a fuck ton of time.

I am rewatching The Wire!

When you're a great INVESTOR in something...you end up with A LOT of the thing.

Loafing time is a BYPRODUCT of learning how to invest for ROE!

It just so happens...

The REASON everyone wants money?

... is for more (or a better quality of) ENERGY!

Go get access, CONTROL or ownership of an asset that took someone YEARS to build and you've "saved" all that time and energy and you will make money incredibly quickly.

Doing it all yourself is ANTI-ROE.

This is optimizing for "money".

Get control.

2. Cash flow - Make sure there's so much ENERGY MARGIN you can get other folks to do the "work". Set it up so there is GLOBAL ENERGY LEVERAGE (GEL)...that means everyone involved gets a huge ROE!

3. Live free!

We only want to invest a thimble full of energy and get a truckload of energy OUT.

When we PLAY the ENERGY GAME, we will have all the money we could EVER SPEND!

And we'll have all the loafin' time we want too!

Everyone will wonder how the fuck you're doing it too!

Now, ya know!

Rooting For Ya,

Travis

PS FUNWORK: This practice starts with small things. What can you do today that will give you a ROE tomorrow? Put ONE THING in the comments below then go get her done!

PPS: This post is my ROE thing today. I already expended the energy for the experience. By putting it in written form, I can leverage it in infinite ways!

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