Donald Trump, who is a famous multi-billionaire, is known for saying that “people should think big.” I agree with him 100%. While I do believe that you should start small, your ultimate goal must be to think bigger, and this is the key to exponential growth. While the business owner I referenced earlier is a shrewd business man on the local level, he doesn't think big enough to expand nationally or internationally. His arrogance, hubris, and poor money management skills will negate the occurrence of this scenario.
Once you've successfully closed your first deal as a cash flow investor, you should see this success as only being a stepping stone towards greater goals. As an investor, you can never afford to stand still. To succeed, you must always continue expanding, closing bigger and better deals. The money and experience that you will earn from one deal will allow you to expand into another one, and by reading and studying prior to buying an asset, you will be far ahead of those individuals who choose to “learn as they go.”
Once you enter the fast track, the possibilities are endless. You can own oil wells, gold mines, natural gas fields, huge pieces of real estate, and many other businesses. All these businesses will run on auto-pilot. There is little need for you to have to worry about physically being present to oversee anything. Your life now belongs to you, not to some multi-national corporation, and you are fit to do what you please.
I once talked to a wealthy guy who told me that, as you succeed, it gets easier. The reason he said this is because if you know how to manage your money properly, and you understand the fundamentals of investing, you can continue repeating the same formula that brought your initial success. However, as we reach the end of this book, it is important to consider how and why fortunes are lost, because becoming rich means little if you can't hold onto what you have.