When I was young, if someone had told me that I would grow up to run my own business and become a millionaire in my 30s, I wouldn’t have believed them.
I was raised by an extremely frugal single mom, and being rich was never the kind of success that I thought was possible. I also didn’t have a mentor when it came to my finances.
That’s why it was so important to me to start my personal finance site, Parent Portfolio. I want to help others feel confident about money, whether it’s paying off debt or retiring early.
Looking back, these are the key habits that helped me get to where I am today.
1. I audited my beliefs about money
For a long time, I thought that being rich was something that only a select few could achieve. Over time, I realized that true wealth isn’t just about how much of money you make — it’s about how much time your money can buy you.
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Rather than fixating on an arbitrary dollar amount, I turned my attention to cultivating assets that would make my life more flexible, which in turn helped me boost my income.
Sometimes our perceptions about money can hold us back. For example, if you have a negative opinion about having money, it’s natural that you might avoid situations where you might become wealthy. But where do these feelings come from? Are they nurtured by your parents or your environment?
Now, when I work with my financial coaching clients, I’ll often ask them these kinds of questions to help them get to the root of their beliefs, and reframe them.
2. I prioritized rest
For many years, I thought I had to stay up late and work at all hours in order to be successful. But I paid the price and constantly felt exhausted and unproductive.
Eventually, I hit a breaking point, and the routine became unsustainable. I realized that trying to be superhuman was only making me and the people around me suffer.
Rest is essential, and admitting your limitations is not a failure. Once I understood that, my work performance improved, I had renewed energy and I made better decisions with a clearer head.
3. I learned something new every day
I often attribute the growth of my own wealth to a love of reading books that introduce me to new perspectives and skills.
That curiosity was one of the reasons why I started a personal finance blog. It was a chance for me to explore the biggest questions I had about money, and the concerns of young families like mine.
Developing that blog, Parent Portfolio, into a business has been one of the greatest joys of my life because it opened up a whole new world to me.
I had to learn, often on the job, about things like hiring, when to outsource and when to keep projects in-house, and how to develop strong partnerships.
4. I mastered an in-demand skill
I’ve found that honing an in-demand skill that adds value to other people’s lives is one of the best ways to earn more money.
When I first started sharing my writing online, I would write guest articles for free just to get my name out there. Over time, I discovered more demand for personal finance content. I was able to apply my real life experience and charge more.
All the money I made writing for other media platforms, I reinvested back into our site.
Today, I love paying it forward and recommending all of the people who worked with us to help our business evolve.
5. I always showed gratitude
No matter how hard I worked to grow our business, I needed a lot of support along the way. People gave me their time, offering advice and sometimes simply listening.
Having those people in my corner has been invaluable. Their encouragement provided the courage I needed to keep moving forward.
That’s why I always make sure to express my gratitude. Creating this network helped me grow as a person and opened so many more doors, all of which helped me achieve my financial success in the long run.
Jonathan Sanchez is the co-founder of Parent Portfolio, where he helps readers take control of their financial future and build wealth for the next generation. He was raised with frugal habits and by practicing wise money decisions, became a millionaire in his 30s. Follow him on Instagram and join his newsletter at Parent Portfolio.
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