BrandVoice
“I believe that, as humans, we are meant to do more than spend 40 years of our lives working at a 9-5 job”. This thought must have crossed most people’s minds, but not many know how to take action. This is where Austin Zelan enters the picture.
Born in Renton, Washington, Zelan loved going to school as a kid. “I appreciated the opportunity to learn new things every day. It was always something I was passionate about and it carried into my adult life as well”.
He started his career as a consultant at Microsoft before he realized his life purpose. “There were so many things that I wanted to do with my time besides sitting at a desk all day,” the 26 years old explains. “I wanted to have a positive impact on the people around me. I knew I was meant to help others”.
This revelation was the motivation Zelan needed to take a new path. “The first time I truly realized that it was possible to live off investment income alone was when I started investing in alternative investments like oil wells, real estate, and more. I quickly realized that if I was able to develop my investing skillset, I would finally be free from my job”.
With this new goal in mind, Zelan’s first step was to learn how to invest: “I’ve spent thousands of hours mastering my craft and after many months of trial and error, I finally reached a point where I was able to consistently generate investment returns,” he explains. “Once I had a base income coming in from my investments, I began to diversify both internally within each asset class, and externally in unrelated sectors. This gave me a balanced portfolio that performed year after year. My focus has always been on alternative investments because of their potential to return 50-100% annually”.
One Thousand New Millionaires
Today, Zelan coaches many people around the world on becoming financially literate through his brand, Cashflowpreneur. His focus is on investments that create cashflow for his clients and allow them to live the life they deserve. His mission is to create 1,000 new millionaires through his unique passive income strategies by 2027.
“This investment experience has shaped me to be the person I am today because I now have the time and freedom to focus on my passion – helping others.” Zelan reflects on what he learned along the way. “To me, the most important thing is the impact that I can have on the world around me and I have even created a mentorship program to do exactly that”.
He references minimizing risk for others who join in on his investments, as he has vetted the opportunities and tried them for himself. “It is extremely important to have a tested system or process when investing because it allows you to limit your risk and maximize your profits,” Zelan says.
For this reason, Zelan created a 4-Step Passive Income Framework that is able to transform an investment portfolio to the point where his clients can scale to 7 & 8 figures easily. “It is all about following a proven investment protocol that manages risk and creates profitable outcomes for the investor,” he says. “There should not be any guesswork when investing – only proven strategies and frameworks”.
“There were so many things that I wanted to do with my time besides sitting at a desk all day. I wanted to have a positive impact on the people around me”
Austin Zelan
Risky Business
When it comes to investments – even amateur traders know that, by nature, it is a risky playground. Zelan explains how he manages this uncertainty and helps others do the same. “It is extremely important to manage risk when investing because it protects investors during times of crisis,” he says. “Not only do we protect ourselves from losing, but we also give ourselves the opportunity to keep investing even if the market isn’t performing well.
I personally diversify into a minimum of seven unrelated sectors to keep my portfolio well-balanced. This means that even if one sector is not performing well, it is likely that the other sectors will still perform. This also gives me the peace of mind that I will have income coming in no matter what is happening in the market”.
Zelan believes there is a severe lack of financial literacy education in today’s world. “This has caused many people to be scared of investing and ultimately lose money due to inflation. If inflation is at 8% annually, we must be making at least 8% in order to just break-even. We are not even talking about profits at this point. If we want to make a profit, we must make much more than that”.
When it comes right down to spending – Zelan says it is as important to know how to spend as it is to learn how to earn. “Now more than ever, it is critical for more people to begin investing into opportunities that provide cashflow for their daily expenses”.
He explains that one of the biggest mistakes new investors make is spending too much of their active income on their expenses. “I always invest my active income first and then spend the passive income generated from the investment on the things I want to buy. I truly believe that if I can teach this concept to more people around the world, it will make a difference in their lives”.
A Word to the Wise
Many first-time investors approach Zelan in hopes of becoming more successful. His most important advice for them, whether they are in his program or not, is to hire a mentor.
“It is one of the biggest advantages you can have as an investor. By hiring someone who can teach you what they know, you are saving yourself from spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and possibly years of your life trying to figure it out. The smartest way is to find a mentor who has already done what you want to do with your life and hire them to help you.
That one relationship can catapult you 5-10 years ahead in your investment career. Surrounding yourself with people who know more about investing than you will help you grow your portfolio in ways you can’t even imagine. It’s amazing what one conversation with an expert can do for your investments”.
The Land of Milk, Honey, and Investors
When asked about his connection to the Holy Land, Zelan says that some of his best investment partners are based in Israel. “The first time I came to Israel, I knew I would do business with the people of this country”.
Zelan adds that as he began developing his investment portfolio internationally, he kept collaborating with Israelis. “In the investment world, we have so many different types of investments and as I started adding to my portfolio, I began to partner with some institutions from Israel.
This has blossomed into a healthy partnership and I look forward to doing more business in Israel. Eventually, it may even make sense to have an office in Tel Aviv for my team in Israel”.
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