The decision that separates people who build wealth from people who don’t

Good morning!

Today I’m going to share a story about one major decision that separates those who become successful from those who don’t.

Around a decade ago I was in the Army, assuming that was my path indefinitely.

In 2020 I didn’t own a single business.

Today, I have eight.

None of it felt like it was happening quickly in the moment, but looking back, it all went by in a flash.

The biggest thing I’ve taken from the last ten years?

You don’t get to pause the clock while you figure things out.

The best time to start looking for your first acquisition was yesterday. The second best time is today.

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When I was in my mid-20s, I operated like I had unlimited runway.

I’d get serious about money later. I’d think about what I actually wanted from life later. I’d start building something real later.

The problem with “later” is that it has a way of becoming never.

What I eventually figured out - and what I wish I’d understood much earlier - is that the version of yourself you become in your 30s and 40s isn’t some separate, upgraded person who magically appears.

It’s just the accumulated result of the choices you made in your 20s, repeated over and over until they became who you are.

You don’t wake up one day and become disciplined, intentional, or financially free.

You either built those habits, or you didn’t.

(The decision to take control of your financial future is one thing. But knowing exactly how to act on it is another. Inside Acquisition Ace, 2,000+ members are learning how to buy their first business and build toward the kind of life they actually want. If you’re ready to stop waiting for the right moment, book a call with our team here to see how the Acquisition Ace community can help you achieve your dream life.)

Here’s the other thing nobody tells you

Taking responsibility for your future doesn’t make life smaller!

I have more genuine enjoyment in my mid-30s than I did in my 20s, not because I have more money, but because my time is spent on things that actually matter to me.

• My kids

• Work I find meaningful

• Building something I’m proud of.

That shift started with small decisions that didn’t feel significant at the time, like choosing to invest instead of spend, or act instead of wait for the right moment.

Those decisions compounded.

What this has to do with acquisitions

In 2020, I was working a job that wasn’t fulfilling me, with a growing family counting on me, and no clear path to the life I actually wanted.

I didn’t wait for the perfect conditions.

Instead, I bought my first business while still employed, and that decision changed everything.

Not just financially, but in terms of how I spend my time, what I’m building, and what I’ll eventually be able to pass down.

That’s what I’ve been helping people do inside Acquisition Ace ever since - take genuine ownership of where their life is headed.

If that message resonates with you, even if you’re just starting to explore what this could look like…

Join the Acquisition Ace community, where we help thousands of members go through the process of finding, negotiating, and closing their first business acquisition.

👉 To see if it’s a good fit for you, book a call with my team here.