What it means to be ‘Self Made’

‘We are all self-made, but only the successful will admit that.’

–Earl Nightingale

self-made
/ˈˌself ˈmād/
adjective
made by oneself.
"his self-made fortune"
having become successful or rich by one's own efforts.
"a self-made millionaire"

‘Self-Made Man’ was a phrase invented in 1832 by Henry Clay in the US Senate to describe individuals whose success lay within the individuals themselves, not with outside conditions.

If you were alive last year, you remember the headline that caused the world to flip the eff out- Forbes officially named Kylie Jenner the youngest self-made billionaire in the world.

That headline immediately caused controversy andbacklash, and the debate started over what it meant to be self-made, exactly, and if she is, in fact, self-made.

Side Note: Whether you believe she is self-made or not it doesn’t change the fact that she is the world’s YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE. Ever, Which is the real accomplishment!

However, the public (myself included – so no judgment) flipped out and the debate began on what it means to be self-made and whether a member of the most famous family in America fit that title.

What I found is we that are ALL SELF-MADE.

'You see, successful people have no problem accepting they are the creators of their destiny. They have no problem accepting responsibility when they fail, they just double down on their effort and they find a new way if they need to.
They learn the lesson and they make sure they turn it into a blessing.'

Hear me out…

Yes, some of us are born into families of privilege and lifestyles that can offer better opportunities and potentially open doors for us, at the end of the day it is up to the individual to step through those open doors and make something of those opportunities. Just being a member of a prestigious family isnt enough.

Going back to the Kardashian’s example, while the world was debating whether or not Kylie was ‘self-made’ I couldn’t help but look at her siblings. If Kylie’s success was solely because of her family, it would stand to reason that all of her siblings WOULD be billionaires as well.        

Right?
Her brother, Rob, is part of the same family. If success is solely dependent on being part of their family, he should be a billionaire now, as well as the entire family. You could argue that as the only male sibling, who was actually old enough to have watched and learn as his mom, step father and sisters make the business deals that grew their careers into what they are now, he should have made that Forbes’ cover long before Kylie.
(I personally think he had MORE of an advantage being the only male in the family.)

They were both born to the SAME FAMILY. Where is Rob’s Forbes’ cover?*

*Rob is still worth 10 million, which is pretty amazing but most of his money comes from his family’s businesses, appearences and generosity, through no personal effort or grit. In comparison, were it his passion and desire to really take advantage of the once in a life time opportunities offered to him by being a Kardashian, he COULD/SHOULD be worth a hell of a lot more. But everyone defines success differently and not everyone wants to push and work as hard as Kylie, Kim and Kendall.

Kourtney is another example. She is is the oldest in the family, was debatably the ‘hottest’ one in the OG years, and quickly created a reputation as being a health obsessed, chemical free, active mom. This was pre social media and is a brand in itself worth MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in todays health and beauty obsessed culture and . Yes, she did the store, endorsements, and appearences with her sisters and there is NO denying she is extremly weathly. But she was focused on a different path and only chose to REALLY do something on her own this year when she launched POOSH. And her net worth is not even near the net worth of her youngest sister.

The ONLY point I’m trying to make here is (I don’t even watch the Kardashians) Kylie learned from her family’s rise to fame, knew her strengths, maximized her audience, used her public platform, listened to her customers+followers and CHOSE to make decisions and learn lessons that led her to where she is today.

Oh –and she believed she could do it while surrounding herself with others who believed in her and no doubt supported her dreams. [More on the importance of self talk HERE].

Whether Kris Jenner or Tyga was in the background whispering to her what she should or should not do (Tyga has publicly said he made her into the powerhouse she is today, but don’t we all think that when our EXs started shining?) SHE is the one who chose to take action and put in the work. Period.

She chose to take that advice.
She chose to publicly share her struggles with self-esteem and the normal teenage insecurities we all have, and monetize that.
She did it- better than we have ever seen anyone do it before. So why are we trying to take that away from her because she was born into Americas First Family?

Take those hater blinders off and make some moves people!

Her determination, strength and willingness to learn from others earned her the MUCH
DESERVED title of ”self-made”.

Obviously there are many advantages to having a wealthy and famous family but, according to Forbes, 56% of Americas billionaires are self-made. Jeff Bezos has spoken about how advances in technology and the internet changed the opportunities available to everybody. There is free information available us at all times, to learn about any subject, any niche.

The person you are may have been shaped by experiences and people from your childhood, but the person you COULD be is completely up to you. Everything you are and everything you could be is determined by your mindset, which will determine your actions and the way you view yourself, your life, and therefore what you believe is possible.

You see, successful people have no problem accepting they are the creators of their destiny. They have no problem accepting responsibility when they fail, they just double down on their effort and they find a new way if they need to.
They learn the lesson and they make sure they turn it into a blessing.

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‘Everyone is self-made. But only those who like where they are will admit it.’ -Unknown 

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One MAJOR advantage that Kylie and people who have family advantages and those who don’t is mindset. To be rich you to think like a rich person. You need to have a strong money mindset. Growing up in a privileged family can have a dramatic impact on your finances and beliefs as you grow up.

‘A family’s attitude toward money, no matter how much they have, is hugely influential on its children. A parent’s relationship with money “forms their [children’s] money story—everything we know and feel about money,” financial analyst Anjali Pradhan

 

The good news is, you can always change your story! Become aware of the story you’re telling yourself. Pay attention to how spending your money makes you feel. The thoughts that pop in your head when an expected expense comes up or what you tell yourself when you cannot afford to purchase something. Look for patterns in your parents’ spending habits and you may find that you adopted and are repeating those yourself, without realizing it.

Write it down.

Burn it.

Basically, being self-made is a fancy way of saying you are self-aware. You are aware that you are where you are in life now because the thoughts, actions, and choices YOU made (whether influenced by others or not) previously.

I am currently reading Rich Dad Poor Dad (I know it’s a classic and I am WAY behind) but the main message that the author stresses over and over again is the importance of being educated & having financial literacy. When you know how money works, it won’t seem as impossible to get, nor as stressful to understand. You will make better choices because you will be better educated on the risks involved. You will know that the only way to make yourself WEALTHY (not rich, wealthy) is to figure out a way to make your money work for you- not work for your money.

Knowledge really is power.

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Here is the 14 important factors of the billionaire mindset:

‣ Thinking Deeply and Deciding Wisely
‣ Learning from Their Mistakes
‣ Associating with Successful and Positive People
‣ Being Aware That You Don’t Know Everything
‣ Saving Your Money and Making More Money from It
‣ Independency
‣ Being Super-Active
‣ Having Big Goals
‣ Dividing the Big Projects into Small Stages
‣ Programing Your Minds Toward Success
‣ Forecasting the Obstacles and Problems
‣ Looking at the Problems as Opportunities
‣ Having Faith on Themselves and Their Abilities
‣ Never Give Up