Today, as we celebrate Freedom with fireworks, parades, and parties, we should pause to acknowledge, honor and remember the many “Founding Fathers” (and Mothers) who made our Freedom possible. Most of us know about the most famous leaders of that momentous time – Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and John and Abigail Adams.
56 men signed the Declaration of Independence.
9 signers paid the ultimate sacrifice (their lives) for the cause of Freedom. 17 (almost 1 for every 3 who signed) lost everything they had and every piece of property they owned. Yet not a single one recanted on their pledge to stand for the support of this Declaration against the tyranny of the King of England, George the 3rd.
Beware! Your Freedom is in peril!
Big money (insurance and Wall Street corporations) are rapidly enslaving you! The tipping point has been crossed and the next decisions that you make (or fail to make because of fear, procrastination or denial) will be the most important of your life.
You may not foresee pending death or confiscation of all of your personal property, but you are incredibly vulnerable. The market disruption experienced in health care and dentistry that have occurred over the past several decades is well-entrenched. There's no turning back the tide. The only unknown is how you will fare – and that comes down to what you do! Please don’t place your bets on the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists, or a local grassroots rebellion.
Take control of your personal Freedom, and then you will have the absolute power to help others!
The Dentist’s Pyramid.
There is a population pyramid for every group. As highly educated professionals, we are at the top 2% of the general population pyramid.
The pyramid above shows the “income side” of the pyramid. As professionals, we have the license and ability to “work” and produce a better income than 98% of the general population. That should be enough, right?
Not if it doesn’t set us free… not if we have to get up and work another day to produce another day’s worth of income. Toss in the high business overhead, high taxes, stress and long hours and we begin to question, “what was this all about?”
Within that small 2% triangle lives another full-blown pyramid…
- The top 1% – very wealthy and will have no financial worries for the rest of their lives.
- The next 4% – also wealthy enough and notwithstanding a serious error in judgment (gambling, drug addiction, divorce, lawsuit), they also have no worries.
- The next 15% should be “okay.” As long as they maintain prudence in their lifestyle burn rate (living expenses), life will be good enough.
- The next 60% is a large group representing the majority of professional practice owners. This group is NOT financially free and is left with the choice of working much longer and harder than desired (if physically able) and/or facing a much diminished lifestyle for their remaining years. They are dependent to a significant degree on third-party assistance (social security and Medicare) for financial support.
- The bottom 20% – sadly, even in our profession of high-income earners, there is a segment of our population that has not done well for various reasons, the majority of their own doing. Bad plans, no plans, addictions, divorce and lack of financial discipline leaves this group in a very difficult and hard-to-believe position.
The big question is, WHERE ARE YOU in the pyramid? More importantly, how are you going to move up and how quickly do you want to do it?
If you want to be in the top 5 or top 20% of the pyramid, you’ve got to take a different path than the other 80%.
You may think you are, but how do you know? How do you really know?
Making money is only the beginning – it’s the catalyst. It’s what you keep of that money and, most importantly, what you do with the extra money you are not spending on your lifestyle after taxes and overhead. (Plus not ramping up an entitlement lifestyle early in life).
How you make your money go to work for you (or not) is the key to your Financial Freedom.
The Problem With Traditional Financial Models.
The well-educated and high-income producing professional has to overcome a significant liability. He can’t know everything about everything. There just isn’t time – and there’s the rub. Our focus is on what we know and how we can improve our technical skills and efficiency (that is, our labor-producing active income.)
That’s fine until we want some time off, or want (or need, like I did) a different life altogether, that’s not dependent on the work that we do.
For most, our financial future is offloaded to various financial advisors, CPA’s and money managers who set up 401K’s, annuities, stock and bond portfolios…
They all make a living selling advice and products – not that there’s anything wrong with that. But do they have “the plan” that will set you free?
How do you know? Because everyone else does the same thing? You feel more secure because you are on the same path as your colleagues?
But what about the population pyramid? Just because everyone has good intentions of being at the top of the pyramid, the facts are that very few will actually make it. How do you know you will be at or near the top with your Financial Freedom when you want it? The fact is, you don’t, because you don’t have a proven plan to achieve financial independence.
You need a Plan B – and you need it now!
Freedom isn't free. The Freedom you envisioned as a young student and doctor after many years of education, testing and licensing remains just that – a vision.
Many of us believe that a better future exists…“somewhere out there if I just keep working harder, longer, faster, become a better clinician, buy more technology, offer more services…”
The fact is, most Plan A’s fail.
There are simply too many variables in life, business, and the economic and political markets to be able to plan and offset all possible contingencies.
That’s why having a Plan B is essential! That gives you two paths to Freedom instead of one. If Plan A works, then Plan B will get you to Freedom just that much faster. If Plan A fails, Plan B is there to pick up the slack. You’re covered either way.
How much does a Plan B cost? Wrong question.
Not having a Plan B can cost you your Freedom.
How much is Freedom worth to you?
Another way to look at it is that Plan A generates the capital to start your Plan B. You work both Plans together until you reach “your number”, and then YOU GET TO DECIDE where you go from there. You have options!
The Freedom Curve
How To Build On The Foundation Of Your Practice To Create Real Wealth And Freedom!
The Freedom Curve follows the 80/20 Pareto Principle – you get 80% of your results from 20% of the effort.
But we all have to start with the 20% – in this case, our practice (business, aka “job”). This is the foundation that drives to the deflection point of the curve, when our practice is no longer dependent on us (either we sell partnerships, bring in associates AND we build Plan B wealth through real estate).
It is at this point in the curve (Wealth Building) that we start the acceleration toward Freedom – when we “work” only when, with whom and where we want to work. Work is no longer work – it is a passion – it is fun.
The problem is that our societal and educational indoctrination has us focusing ALL of our efforts on the 20% foundation so that very few (less than 5%) ever make it very far into wealth and ultimately to Freedom – and those who do often don’t get there until late in life when health and other circumstances prevent them from ever enjoying the fruits of their labor.
My personal tipping point. From Plan A -> Plan B.
I thought I had been doing the right thing. I believed that working harder and longer to provide security for my family was the right thing. I believed that if I continued down this path long enough that “someday” I would find Freedom and could begin living my life.
But my daughter, Jenna, would not wait for someday. In 2004, that someday was NOW!
I had no Freedom.
I was blessed to be able to work hard and trade time for dollars as a dentist, but that didn't provide Jenna what she really needed…a father. A father that could spend time with her whether she was sick or well.
And that's when I decided…I decided NO MORE! I decided to sell the practice and leave clinical dentistry so that I could spend all available time with Jenna.
Risky? Perhaps. But I had resolve.
I had a compelling “reason why.”
I had a mission that I would accomplish one way or the other. There was no other alternative in my mind. I had to seize the day and never look back!
And my Plan B real estate investment was producing enough residual passive income that I could let go of my active dental income. That’s why Plan B is essential.
The real estate that I had acquired over my first 7-10 years in practice was producing $15,000+ per month in income that I didn’t have to go to work to produce! And that was enough for me to say “Enough!”
What about you? I'm not saying that my decision or the decisions that you now face are the life-threatening decisions or sacrifices that our forefathers had to make. But what is a life not fully lived? What is a life dictated by others?
How do you personally define Freedom in your own life?
Is it more money? A bigger house? Multiple houses? Luxury automobiles and vacations? Belonging to the right clubs and societies? Being affirmed for being “accomplished?”
My point is not to judge your life, but to ask you the very pointed questions, “Do you know what it's all about? Do you know why you do what you do? Are you making the right sacrifices? How do you know?”
Our Founding Fathers had reached their tipping point and they had a compelling reason why. Have you reached your tipping point? Do you have a strong enough reason “why” to move you to action?
The Key to Your Financial Freedom
Financial Freedom occurs when residual passive income replaces your lifestyle burn rate (lifestyle overhead). Traditional financial planning models fail to produce residual passive income. Instead, this model is based on depletion of the capital nest egg over time with the hope that it doesn’t run out before the end of life.
Capital Assets (real estate or real businesses) produce residual passive income predictably and with sustainability indexed to inflation.
Transactional income that is not over time replaced with residual passive income results in one running on the hamster wheel indefinitely. This is the bad news that I must too often explain to 59 year-old dentists who call me and want help with their financial predicaments. They’ve worked hard all of their lives and yet can’t let go for fear of running out of money.
Success Leaves Clues.
The Key to Transforming to a Life of Freedom.
“You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn.
The key to your own transformation to Freedom is a change in your environment.
Divest yourself of the friends, family, and peer groups who are holding you back, and replace them with people who think as you do (or as you want to think) and who prove that by their own Freedom lifestyle.
Tip: never take general counsel from someone who is not authentically living the life you aspire to live.
Most of your current circles of influence don't have Freedom and never will. If you allow them to influence your life then you have limited your ability to achieve Freedom.
Our Founding Fathers were not average men (and women). They believed, they thought and they acted very contrary to their contemporaries. They put fear aside and Freedom first. They would never live a life of regrets.
What regrets are you living with today? What are you going to do to change your own life?
Are you willing to take the risk, even a small chance? Or have you submitted your life to mediocrity and accepted what life gives you?
Chances are if you've read this far, you're the former, not the latter. You do think differently and you do aspire to live a life of real Freedom. What you're lacking is a plan and the action steps to implement.
What you lack is a community of believers who aspire to Freedom,who have already taken the steps, and who have already reached Freedom or are well on their way. What you need is a change in your mindset.
What is Freedom Founders?
Because I am a former practicing dentist, I created Freedom Founders specifically for the professional practice owner. I also know the specific formula (my Freedom Blueprint) to break the chains of actively trading time for dollars.
I can show you how you can create Financial Freedom through capital asset (real estate) investment. I know how to help the average dentist do it in 3-5 years. It’s already been done and we have more knocking at Freedom’s door.
Freedom Founders is your Board of Advisors. We have Trusted Advisors with expertise in real estate, taxes, business entities, asset protection, marketing, and business development.
We believe That Your Network Is Your Networth.
Do you have the network to build the net-worth you desire?
We must pay to play
There is no free lunch in life. Freedom isn’t free. Everything and every decision we make have a price tag associated with them.
If you’re going to make a significant change in where you are on the Wealth and Freedom Pyramid, you’re going to have to invest some time and capital. It’s no different than the education you paid for to become a professional – only now it’s investing to become free!
If you want a Blueprint to move you from your practice (the 20% foundation) and accelerate you into wealth and Freedom, the Freedom Founders Mastermind was created for you!
My call to action for you on this Independence Day is to stop accepting an average life, stop being enslaved by others’ agenda, and take action against the tyranny (outside forces and your own self-limiting beliefs) that has put your Freedom in peril.
Ready to take the first step? Apply for a guest invitation to a Freedom Founders meeting. It’s a simple process. The 15 question application will take about 15 minutes. You’ll then be asked to submit an application deposit ($1497.00, fully refundable at any time). This is just to make sure we don’t waste each other’s time (yours and ours) with applicants who aren’t serious about the process. We’re only looking for practice professionals who are ready to commit to the hard work required to change their trajectory on the path to Freedom.
If that’s you, I invite you to apply for an invitation. Visit www.FreedomFounders.com/Step-1 and click the big orange “Apply For An Invitation” button to get started.
Here’s the bottom line. You don’t have time to hope. There’s a revolution going on all around you. There’s mayhem everywhere. Insurance and Wall Street corporations are deeply entrenched in our profession and will continue to control more and more of the marketplace.
How are you positioned? Have you defaulted to following the majority?
What’s going to change if you stay on the same path?
On average, a new member to Freedom Founders deploys $683,000 in their first year into various alternative asset classes, depending on their individual Freedom Blueprint. That average member is able to achieve their primary financial goals within 3-5 years with Freedom Founders.
We have members tell us that joining the Freedom Founders community was one of the best decisions that they have ever made.
Could that be the same for you?
We’re definitely not for everyone. We don’t try to be. We’re very selective – Membership is by application only. We’re looking for a specific kind of professional – one who is coachable and is looking for a different path.
Still skeptical? There are several steps to take that require very little action or commitment on your part. And for those who know this is their opportunity, there are faster ways to get connected to Freedom Founders.
No matter which path you decide to take (slow or fast), we make it risk-free. Your financial investment is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Yes, we’re that confident.
APPLY and take the first step toward your Freedom:
www.FreedomFounders.com/Step-1
(or call (903) 883-6734)
Carpe diem! SEIZE THE DAY! To your Freedom and for the generations that follow,
– Dr. David Phelps
P.S. – If you’ve been waiting in the wings… curious about the success stories you’ve heard, but not certain if Freedom Founders is right for you… now is the time to apply. Once the gathering economic storm breaks loose, it will be too late to join those who have prepared for it. There’s zero risk to apply and visit our mastermind as a guest today. You’ll get to meet the success stories you’ve read about, ask your toughest questions and see for yourself if this is the Plan B you’ve been looking for.
Apply now! www.FreedomFounders.com/Step-1
