WORK TO LEARN—DON'T WORK FOR MONEY

Job security meant everything to my educated dad.

Learning meant everything to my rich dad.

A few years ago, I granted an interview with a newspaper in

Singapore. The young female reporter was on time, and the interview

got under way immediately. We sat in the lobby of a luxurious hotel,

sipping coffee and discussing the purpose of my visit to Singapore.

I was to share the platform with Zig Ziglar. He was speaking on

motivation, and I was speaking on “The Secrets of the Rich.”

“Someday, I would like to be a best-selling author like you,” she

said. I had seen some of the articles she had written for the paper, and

I was impressed. She had a tough, clear style of writing. Her articles

held a reader’s interest.

“You have a great style,” I said in reply. “What holds you back

from achieving your dream?”

“My work does not seem to go anywhere,” she said quietly.

“Everyone says that my novels are excellent, but nothing happens.

So I keep my job with the paper. At least it pays the bills. Do you

have any suggestions?”

“Yes, I do,” I said brightly. “A friend of mine here in Singapore

runs a school that trains people to sell. He runs sales-training courses

for many of the top corporations here in Singapore, and I think

attending one of his courses would greatly enhance your career.”

She stiffened. “Are you saying I should go to school to learn to sell?”

I nodded.

“You aren’t serious, are you?”

Again, I nodded. “What is wrong with that?” I was now backpedaling.

She was offended by something, and now I was wishing

I had not said anything. In my attempt to be helpful, I found myself

defending my suggestion. “I have a master’s degree in English

Literature. Why would I go to school to learn to be a salesperson?

I am a professional. I went to school to be trained in a profession so

I would not have to be a sales person. I hate salespeople. All they

want is money. So tell me why I should study sales?” She was packing

her briefcase. The interview was over.

On the coffee table sat a copy of an earlier best-selling book I wrote.

I picked it up as well as the notes she had jotted down on her legal pad.

“Do you see this?” I said pointing to her notes.

She looked down at her notes. “What?” she said, confused.

Again, I pointed deliberately to her notes. On her pad she had

written: “Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author.”

“It says best-selling author, not best-writing author,” I said quietly.

Her eyes widened.

“I am a terrible writer,” I said. “You are a great writer. I went to

sales school. You have a master’s degree. Put them together and you get

a ‘best-selling author’ and a ‘best-writing author.’”

Anger flared from her eyes. “I’ll never stoop so low as to learn how

to sell. People like you have no business writing. I am a professionally

trained writer and you are a salesman. It is not fair,” she fumed.

She put the rest of her notes away and hurried out through the large

glass doors into the humid Singapore morning.

At least she gave me a fair and favorable write-up the next morning.

The world is filled with smart, talented, educated, and gifted people. We

meet them every day. They are all around us.

A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled into a garage,

and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew

what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed.

I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I have

met brilliant, highly educated people who earn less than $20,000 a year.

A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling

me how many doctors, dentists, and chiropractors struggle financially.

All this time, I thought that when they graduated, the dollars would

pour in. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase: “They

are one skill away from great wealth.”

What this phrase means is that most people need only to learn

and master one more skill and their income would jump exponentially.

I have mentioned before that financial intelligence is a synergy of

accounting, investing, marketing, and law. Combine those four

technical skills and making money with money is easier than most

people would believe. When it comes to money, the only skill most

people know is to work hard.

The classic example of a synergy of skills was that young writer for

the newspaper. If she diligently learned the skills of sales and marketing,

her income would jump dramatically. If I were her, I would take some

courses in advertising copywriting as well as sales. Then, instead of

working at the newspaper, I would seek a job at an advertising agency.

Even if it were a cut in pay, she would learn how to communicate in

short-cuts that are used in successful advertising. She also would spend

time learning public relations, an important skill. She would learn how

to get millions in free publicity. Then, at night and on weekends, she

could be writing her great novel. When it was finished, she would be

better able to sell her book. Then, in a short while, she could be a “bestselling

author.”

When I came out with my first book, If You Want To Be Rich and

Happy, Don’t Go to School, a publisher suggested I change the title to

The Economics of Education. I told the publisher that, with a title like

that, I would sell two books: one to my family, and one to my best

friend. The problem is that they would expect it for free. The obnoxious

title, If You Want To Be Rich and Happy, Don’t Go to School, was chosen

because we knew it would get tons of publicity. I am pro-education and

believe in education reform. If I were not pro-education, why would I continue to press for changing our antiquated educational system? So

I chose a title that would get me on more TV and radio shows, simply

because I was willing to be controversial. Many people thought I was a

fruitcake, but the book sold and sold.

When I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in

1969, my educated dad was happy. Standard Oil of California had

hired me for its oil-tanker fleet as a third mate. The pay was low

compared with my classmates, but it was okay for a first real job

after college. My starting pay was about $42,000 a year, including

overtime, and I only had to work for seven months. I had five

months of vacation. If I had wanted to, I could have taken the run to

Vietnam with a subsidiary shipping company and easily doubled my

pay instead of taking five months of vacation.

I had a great career ahead of me, yet I resigned after six months

with the company and joined the Marine Corps to learn how to fly.

My educated dad was devastated. Rich dad congratulated me.

In school and in the workplace, the popular opinion is the idea of

specialization: that is, in order to make more money or get promoted,

you need to specialize. That is why medical doctors immediately

begin to seek a specialty such as

orthopedics or pediatrics. The same

is true for accountants, architects,

lawyers, pilots, and others.

My educated dad believed in the same

dogma. That is why he was thrilled when

he eventually achieved his doctorate. He often admitted that schools

reward people who study more and more about less and less.

Rich dad encouraged me to do exactly the opposite. “You want

to know a little about a lot” was his suggestion. That is why for years

I worked in different areas of his companies. For a while, I worked in

his accounting department. Although I would probably never have

been an accountant, he wanted me to learn via osmosis. Rich dad

knew I would pick up jargon and a sense of what is important and

what is not. I also worked as a bus boy and construction worker as well as in sales, reservations, and marketing. He was grooming Mike

and me. That is why he insisted we sit in on the meetings with his

bankers, lawyers, accountants, and brokers. He wanted us to know a

little about every aspect of his empire.

“You want to know

a little about a lot”

was rich dad’s

suggestion.