I knew I couldn’t stay in that cubicle
Right after graduating college, I wasn’t sure what direction to go.
I had my real estate license but was still learning how that space worked.
And like most people in their early 20s, I had the pressure of student loans, rent, and bills waiting for me… so I took a job at State Farm.
It paid well as an entry job. And I figured maybe insurance would give me some clarity on what I wanted to do. Maybe it’d be a stepping stone.
But when I got there, I looked around and saw people in their 40s and 50s who had been there for decades and none of them looked remotely happy with what they were doing.
It hit me hard: This is what “playing it safe” actually looks like...
I knew I didn’t want to end up like the people I saw stuck in the cubicle farm.
And in that moment, I realized that playing it safe doesn’t just cost you time. It costs you your energy, your drive, and your ability to even imagine a different future.
So after a month, I quit.
I didn’t have a crystal clear plan…
But I had a real estate license, some cash saved up, and enough courage to bet on myself.
And worst case? I knew I could always find another “safe” job.
But I knew I’d regret never at least trying to pave my own path.
No One Was Coming to Save Me
Nobody gives you a roadmap after college.
You graduate and suddenly you’re tossed into this wide open space where anything’s possible but nothing is certain.
Most people don’t end up working in the field they studied.
Most don’t know what they really want to do.
And most (if we’re being honest) spend those early years just trying to survive.
But I also knew no one was going to figure it out for me.
I could look for mentors. I could search for advice. But when it came to actually building the life I wanted, I knew it was on me.
Especially with money.
No one was going to swoop in and handle the bills, the student loans, or build the long-term plan.
I had to be the one to pave the path.
And I think part of that mindset came from something deeper… being Type 1 diabetic.
When you live with a condition like that, you don’t get the luxury of waiting for someone else to help.
You become your own support system and backup plan.
That’s where my desire to get my money situated and take investing seriously really started.
Not because I was trying to become a billionaire, but because I wanted financial wiggle room.
I wanted a life where I wasn’t always reacting.
A life where I could absorb life's curveballs because I’d built something solid beneath me.
When you take full responsibility for your future, it doesn’t just protect you. It energizes you.
You start making moves from a place of power instead of panic.
And that shift is what The Market Hustle is built to represent.
Everyone Said It Wouldn’t Work
The Market Hustle didn’t start with a clear business plan.
It started in my bedroom as a hobby.
At the time, I was working in real estate helping first-time homebuyers understand the process.
And I started to realize that people didn’t just need help buying homes. They needed someone to explain how all this stuff actually works.
Everyone is told to buy a house but most people are still clueless to what investing and ownership even means.
So I started posting.
At first, it was mostly real estate tips.
Then I began talking about business news, the stock market, and the bigger picture. The stuff I cared about and what I felt people weren’t being told.
Naturally, the doubts came rolling in from family and friends...
“People don’t want to learn on social media.”
“Just stick to what you’re doing.”
“No one’s trying to think on Instagram… they want cat videos.”
But I knew what they couldn’t see:
That this wasn’t just about making random content. It was about building something I knew many people actually needed.
And to be honest, their comments didn’t really mess with me.
Because deep down, I already knew the worst-case scenario: it might not work.
But I’d rather swing and miss than sit in the bleachers and wonder what could’ve been.
The real risk would’ve been never trying.
People often project their own fears when you try something bold.
That’s because they view your moves through the narrow lens of their own comfort zone. Usually they mean well, but they don’t know the vision or grit you’re carrying.
That’s why trusting yourself matters more than relying on external validation.
You have to be your own biggest fan first.
You have to be willing to walk the path alone.
Because eventually, the same people who doubted you will say:
“Damn… you actually did it.”
And by then, it won’t even be about proving them wrong.
It’ll be about proving yourself right.
So What’s Next?
Over time, The Market Hustle started to grow.
From showing up consistently and posting 3-5 times per day for years.
The Market Hustle has now helped thousands of people start their investing journey.
Our podcast is nearing 100,000 downloads.
And through Money Mastery, I’ve built a program that’s already changed lives. Helping people rise above the noise, skip the financial advisor middleman, and build wealth through the stock market in a way that makes sense for where they’re at in life.
But this is just the beginning... The Market Hustle isn’t just an education brand. It’s a movement.
A movement built to:
Cut through financial confusion with simple tools
Eliminate overpriced gatekeepers (goodbye to 1% fees and $5,000 masterclasses)
Equip people with 20x more value than they paid for
Build the clearest investing system online (with a full refund guarantee) because I’d rather give money back than take it from someone who didn’t find it impactful
And over the next year, we’re going bigger:
I’m working with an engineer friend to expand the Money Mastery portfolio tracker into a full-on software platform. One that will let you link your investment accounts, see your risk exposure, understand your diversification at a high level, and make better investing decisions without needing a financial advisor to explain it all.
We’re also exploring school curriculum partnerships to help students build actionable financial skills early in life.
And eventually? I’d love to bring this community into the real world through meetups, partnerships, and local investment groups that bring like-minded people together.
Whether it’s content, courses, software, or the community… My goal is to keep making things just 1% better every day.
A while back, I stopped tracking The Market Hustle follower count. It felt like a pretty meaningless KPI after a certain point.
But I still remember back when I first started The Market Hustle, I had this dream of hitting one million followers on Instagram. And now, we’re just 7,000 away...
More than the number itself, it’s the impact that hits me.
How far this community has reached. How many people it’s helped get started. How many new conversations it’s sparked about ownership, freedom, and investing on your own terms.
To everyone in this community, thank you.
To the people who’ve supported, shared, and challenged me.
To my podcast co-hosts, guests, and listeners.
To the connections I’ve made through this platform.
I truly can’t thank you all enough.
And the best part? We’re just getting started.
I'm more excited for the next few years than I've been in a long time.
So let's keep stacking.
