Financial freedom is something many people covet. However, for those who choose traditional careers, the path may end up taking too long. Although they may finally attain their goal, they might miss out on many family moments. Gentry Chidester, CEO of Elite Closers, is happy his plans fell through and he missed out on his dream career.
When Chidester was young, he knew he wanted to be “wealthy” when he grew up. Although his family was not in terrible shape, seven kids surviving on a teacher’s salary was not very comfortable either. So when it was time to choose a career, he chose the traditional path: He was going to become a doctor.
However, life had other plans for Chidester. At 20 years old, he met his now-wife, Andrea, when he was going to school. On his 21st birthday, she informed him he would become a father, which made him reconsider his options. He had 14 more years to go if he still wanted to become a doctor, but he was not willing to miss out on his family for that long.
Chidester quit school and got two full-time jobs to prepare for his new baby. He sold phones and internet for Comcast during one shift and did online health coaching later in the day. He worked 19 hours a day, from 5 a.m. to midnight, because he wanted his family to be OK when the baby came.
Soon after, Chidester was introduced to high-ticket online sales, and his path changed again. He was hungry for success and had nothing to lose, so he gave it his all. His natural knack for sales shone through, and he started selling $3,000 to $6,000 online coaching programs, too.
Within 30 days, he’d earned five times his previous income and never looked back. Since then, he has done more than 10,000 high ticket consultations and over $35 million in sales. All of this happened in three years and before Chidester’s 24th birthday. Today, he is a CEO and has made more money than he could have made as a doctor.
From his own experiences, Chidester knows how hard it can be for people who crave financial freedom but also want to be with their family. However, he is proof that you can choose both and achieve success on both fronts. There are three things to keep in mind before then, though.
One, you must take control of your reality. Despite what society says, there is no single route guaranteed to satisfy you in life. Take action your way, and find out what life has in store for you.
Two, you can be great if you choose to be. However, greatness does not come prepackaged in containers you can buy at a store, so you must work to find out what you are great at.
Three, the path to what you want might not be evident at first. Therefore, you must be willing to look in places that may be uncommon. But if there is a will, Chidester believes there is a way.
He currently has an e-learning course through which he shares how he accomplished so much in a short period. He shows people who are feeling stuck as he once was the skills he used and helps them master these. If he did it with no prior experience and a new baby on the way, then it is doable for others.
The news and editorial staffs of the Chicago Tribune had no role in this post’s preparation.
