Someone called me a “self-made man” the other day.
I’ll admit — it felt good to hear.
But here’s the truth: it’s completely wrong.
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS SELF-MADE
I didn’t make myself.
And I definitely didn’t get here alone.
Let me tell you about some of the people who got me here.
CHRIS REYNOLDS
I was 17. He was starting an investment company. Thirty people. He gave me a shot.
He used to call me “Junior.” Said he saw himself in me.
I wasn’t the most responsible kid. One day, I smashed the company car. Couldn’t pay for it.
He gave me another shot.
That company now has over 1,000 people. And because he gave me a second chance, I got to witness that. I still think about what it meant that he believed in me when I didn’t deserve it.
SETH GODIN
He let me lead his community — 25,000+ people from the circle he built up over the decades.
But more than that, he taught me something I still carry:
Pick yourself. Don’t wait to be picked.
That one idea changed how I move through the world.
MY RABBI
I had a mentor a few years older than me. He was someone who saw me and invested time.
He taught me how to get committed to life. How to become someone I could respect.
I think about him every day.
MY PARENTS
They always believed I could do better. Not in a “you’re not enough” way. In a “we see what’s in you” way.
They never belittled me or my talents. That’s rarer than it sounds.
MY WIFE
Non-judgmental when things got tight. Sensitive to my needs. Always subtle. Always trying to build me up.
She’s also the one who taught me how to actually think about money choices. (My kids think she should be the financial coach. They’re probably right. 🤓)
FRIENDS, BOOKS, ANCIENT WISDOM
Too many friends to name. Ideas from places you wouldn’t expect — ancient wisdom, books that had nothing to do with finance. People who poured out their life’s work with a quill and candle.
I didn’t figure this out alone. I figured it out by borrowing from everyone who came before me.
SO WHY DO WE ACT LIKE MONEY IS DIFFERENT?
Here’s what I don’t get.
When someone wins an award, they thank everyone — parents, coaches, mentors, the person who believed in them when no one else did.
Nobody gets up there and says, “I did this completely alone.”
But when it comes to money?
We think we’re supposed to figure it out ourselves. Alone. In silence. Without asking for help.
Why?
THERE’S NO AWARD FOR BEING GREAT WITH MONEY
But if there was — and you got up to accept it — who would you thank?
The parent who taught you to save?
The friend who told you about a system that worked?
The spouse who didn’t judge you when things got tight?
The coach who helped you see the pattern?
You didn’t get here alone. And you don’t have to figure out the next part alone either.
WHAT DOES A FINANCIAL COACH DO?
I’m one of those people who helps.
Not because you can’t do it yourself. But because you don’t have to.
Managing money is 20% numbers and 80% mindset. And sometimes the mindset shift comes from having someone in your corner who believes in you — like Chris did for me, like Seth did, like my wife still does.
You’re not supposed to be self-made. Nobody is.
Wondering if I’m as awesome in person as I am on paper? Spoiler: I totally am. 😎
Don’t believe me? Book a free session and find out →
Avraham
Your Financial Coach
P.S. Yitzchok — tell whoever called me a “self-made man”: I had a lot of help. 😊
P.P.S. Who helped you get where you are? Hit reply to the email I sent you. I’d love to hear.
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