So today I'm gonna be talking about how passive income allowed me to go from a normal teen working a nine to five job to becoming a millionaire in my twenties.

所以，今天我要談談被動收入是如何讓我從一個朝九晚五的普通青少年變成二十幾歲的百萬富翁的。

I'm gonna be sharing with you all the strategies that actually worked for me, as well as lots of my mistakes that hopefully you can do even better.

我將與你們分享所有對我有效的策略，以及我的許多錯誤，希望你們能做得更好。

This is the story of how I went from a small English town to the rolling hills of San Francisco and the bustling city of Shanghai, China, including all the challenges I faced along the way.

這是我如何從一個英國小鎮到舊金山連綿起伏的群山和中國上海繁華都市的故事，包括我一路上面臨的所有挑戰。

Who knows by watching this video to the end, it may open up a new pathway for you that you might wanna walk down.

誰知道呢，看完這段視頻，也許會為你打開一條新的道路，讓你想走下去。

You'll also find out why a simple desk like this can mean so much to me.

你還會發現為什麼這樣一張簡單的桌子對我來說如此重要。

If that sounds good, then give that like button a smash and strap in for the wild ride that is my life.

如果聽起來不錯，那就按一下 "喜歡 "按鈕，然後坐上我的狂野之旅。

Let me tell you back to 1985.

讓我把時間拉回到 1985 年。

That's the last time I walked out of those gates.

那是我最後一次走出大門。

I was 16 years old.

那年我 16 歲。

I was tall, skinny, and I had ginger hair and I was broke, unfortunately, but I knew I wanted to make my mark on the world and there was no way I could do that sitting in lessons, learning about things I wasn't interested in.

我又高又瘦，還留著一頭薑黃色的頭髮，不幸的是我破產了，但我知道我想在世界上留下自己的印記，我不可能坐在課堂上學習我不感興趣的東西。

So I went out to seek my fortune.

於是，我出去尋找我的財富。

But before we get there, let me take you back to my teen years.

但在此之前，請允許我帶您回到我的青少年時代。

I was always looking to make money.

我一直想賺錢。

I know it's a little cliche, but when I was a teen, my main side hustle was selling candy and cans of soda to all the other kids in the playground.

我知道這有點老套，但在我十幾歲的時候，我的主要副業就是向操場上的其他孩子兜售糖果和汽水罐頭。

On the weekend, I would also go fishing and catch hundreds of mackerel, which I sold around the neighborhood.

週末，我還會去釣魚，釣上幾百條鯖魚，在附近賣掉。

I remember knocking on every single door possible.

我記得我敲遍了所有可能的門。

I was offering a great deal, 10 fish for $1, but unfortunately, no one wanted 10 fish.

我提供了一個很好的交易，10 條魚 1 美元，但不幸的是，沒有人想要 10 條魚。

So I was forced to go back to the drawing board and restructure my business with a new strategy.

是以，我不得不回到繪圖板前，用新的戰略重組我的業務。

I decided from now on, I'll be selling five fish for $1 and I was shocked by the results.

我決定從現在開始，五條魚賣一美元，結果讓我大吃一驚。

Everyone wanted some.

每個人都想要一些。

Looking back now, these years were so important as I was practicing some of the most important life skills out there, sales and confidence.

現在回想起來，這些年是如此重要，因為我在鍛鍊一些最重要的生活技能，如銷售和自信。

Without these skills, I don't think I'd have been able to achieve success in later life.

如果沒有這些技能，我想我不可能在以後的生活中取得成功。

So if you just take one thing from this video, then it should be to start honing your sales skills and being confident.

是以，如果你能從這段視頻中得到一點啟發，那就是開始磨練自己的銷售技巧，並變得自信起來。

This brings me back to these school gates.

這又讓我想起了這些校門。

When I left here, I had several paths that I could follow.

離開這裡時，我有幾條路可以走。

I decided I wanted a nine to five job.

我決定要一份朝九晚五的工作。

I needed to learn a skill that set me up for life.

我需要學習一門技能，為我的人生奠定基礎。

Going to work at 9 a.m. and finishing at 5 p.m. was the life that school had been drilling into me for years.

早上 9 點上班，下午 5 點下班，這是學校多年來一直灌輸給我的生活方式。

So I really threw myself into it and actually lined up five different jobs because I was so keen to be successful.

是以，我真的全身心地投入其中，實際上還找了五份不同的工作，因為我太渴望成功了。

I had the choice between being a builder, an electrician, a refrigeration engineer, a shop assistant, or a carpenter's apprentice.

我可以選擇當建築工、電工、製冷工程師、工廠中的房間助理或木匠學徒。

It was a tough decision, but in the end, I decided on becoming a carpenter.

這是一個艱難的決定，但最終我決定成為一名木匠。

The pay wasn't great at around $2 an hour, but I was learning a skill and I could see the potential for moving up in the company.

工資並不高，大約每小時 2 美元，但我正在學習一門技能，而且我看到了在公司晉升的潛力。

And I really thought that this was my ticket to success.

我真的以為這就是我成功的門票。

I really threw myself into my carpentry apprenticeship and I learned everything I could.

我全身心地投入到木工學徒期，盡我所能地學習。

I even won leadership awards and I really felt like I was moving forward with my life.

我甚至還獲得了上司獎，我真的感覺自己的人生在不斷前進。

I finished my apprenticeship with honors from the college and thought, here we go, all the big jobs are coming my way.

我以優異的成績完成了學徒培訓，心想，來吧，所有的大工作都會向我走來。

But unfortunately, my manager seemed to take a dislike to me.

但不幸的是，我的經理似乎不喜歡我。

Maybe he started to feel a little bit threatened by my success and therefore decided to give me all the bad jobs.

也許他開始覺得我的成功對他有點威脅，所以決定把所有的差事都交給我。

For months on end, he assigned me to making wooden trash cans in the back room.

連續幾個月，他指派我在裡屋製作木製垃圾桶。

This gave me no ability to show off my skills that I'd learned and prevented me from working my way up the company to a higher paid job.

這讓我無法展示我所學到的技能，也讓我無法通過自己的努力在公司裡獲得一份更高薪的工作。

I thought to myself, I hadn't really studied all this time to make wooden trash cans.

我心想，我還真沒學過這麼長時間的木製垃圾桶製作。

Nowadays, it's a sort of repetitive job a robot would do.

如今，這是一種機器人會做的重複性工作。

What was even worse is when I looked around the workshop, I saw many other people doing lots more interesting jobs.

更糟糕的是，當我環顧工廠中的房間四周時，我看到許多其他人在做著更有趣的工作。

So I asked to speak to the manager and where we're filming this is the exact spot where we stood.

於是我要求和經理談談，我們拍攝的地方正是我們站的地方。

I said, I needed more of a challenge.

我說，我需要更多的挑戰。

I couldn't keep making these bins.

我不能再繼續做這些垃圾桶了。

And you know what he said to me?

你知道他對我說了什麼嗎？

He said, you're making these bins today, you'll be making these bins tomorrow.

他說，你今天做這些垃圾桶，明天也要做這些垃圾桶。

We got a five year contract with Walmart.

我們與沃爾瑪簽訂了一份為期五年的合同。

You're gonna be making a lot of these bins.

你會做很多這樣的垃圾桶。

Now that's when I realized I was completely powerless working a nine to five job at the mercy of whoever was in charge.

這時候我才意識到，朝九晚五的工作讓我完全無能為力，只能任人擺佈。

The pay was only just enough to cover my bills, which meant I couldn't just quit, but I was also unable to save any money.

工資只夠支付我的賬單，這意味著我不能就這樣辭職，但我也無法存下一分錢。

I was essentially trapped.

我基本上被困住了。

So I got a Saturday job working in a radio control model shop.

於是我找了一份週六的工作，在一家無線電遙控模型店工作。

I also started a side hustle flipping cars, which basically consisted of finding underpriced cars, fixing them up and then selling them for a profit.

我還開始了一項副業--炒車，主要是尋找價格偏低的汽車，把它們修好，然後賣掉獲利。

To this day, I still own this Ford Fiesta XR2 Mark 1.

時至今日，我仍然擁有這輛福特嘉年華 XR2 Mark 1。

It's a 1985 model.

這是 1985 年的型號。

And the cars I was buying at that stage were costing me two to $300.

而在那個階段，我買的汽車要花 2 到 300 美元。

And I was usually flipping them for, I say 500 to $600.

我通常以 500 到 600 美元的價格出售。

This little beauty is worth a little bit more than that now though.

不過，這個小美人現在的價值可不止這些。

As well as doing all of this, I was also teaching people to fly radio controlled helicopters on a Sunday.

除了做這些事，我還在星期天教人駕駛無線電遙控直升機。

There was a huge demand at the time and all Sunday I would be booked out as long as the weather was good.

當時的需求量很大，只要天氣好，整個星期天我都會被預訂一空。

Having these multiple side hustles allowed me to finally build out some kind of emergency fund.

有了這些副業，我終於建立起了一些應急基金。

This is so important that it gives you the freedom to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way without having to worry about paying your bills.

這一點非常重要，因為它可以讓你自由地利用任何機會，而不必擔心支付賬單的問題。

There is a huge opportunity cost that comes from living paycheck to paycheck.

靠工資生活會帶來巨大的機會成本。

As you're so focused on next month's wage that you end up going through life with your eyes half closed and passing up on many opportunities without even knowing it.

因為你一心只想著下個月的工資，結果半閉著眼睛過日子，錯過了很多機會而不自知。

One day at work, the boss asked if anyone wanted to help install this beautiful staircase at a customer's house.

一天上班時，老闆問有沒有人願意幫忙在客戶家安裝這個漂亮的樓梯。

I jumped at the chance.

我抓住了這個機會。

It was one of the most impressive houses that I'd ever seen.

這是我見過的最令人印象深刻的房子之一。

It had everything.

它應有盡有。

I'm talking marble floors, chandeliers, a private swimming pool and a garage full of beautiful sports cars.

我說的是大理石地板、吊燈、私人游泳池和停滿漂亮跑車的車庫。

It was my dream house.

這是我夢寐以求的房子。

I started daydreaming and adding up how many years it would take me to earn enough money to buy a place like this.

我開始做白日夢，計算要花多少年才能賺到足夠的錢買下這樣一個地方。

And I got gradually more and more demoralized as even with all my side hustles, I realized I still would never have enough money.

我逐漸變得越來越沒有鬥志，因為我意識到，即使我做了這麼多副業，我的錢還是永遠不夠用。

It was so close, but just so far at the same time.

它是如此之近，但同時又是如此之遠。

And I felt there was really nothing more I could do to achieve it.

我覺得我真的無能為力了。

I was absolutely exhausted physically and mentally.

我絕對是身心俱疲。

I was working every hour of every day.

我每天每時每刻都在工作。

While installing the staircase, I would often look out the window and see the owner relaxing in the garden or going off to play golf.

在安裝樓梯時，我經常會從窗戶望出去，看到主人在花園裡休息或去打高爾夫球。

And I really couldn't understand how this guy managed to have the life that he wanted and go and have fun whenever he wished.

我真的不明白，這個人是如何過上自己想要的生活，並能隨心所欲地去玩樂的。

So I had to ask him a few questions and he told me all about how running his business gave him the ability to make money while he slept.

於是，我不得不問了他幾個問題，他向我講述了他是如何經營自己的生意，讓他有能力在睡覺時賺錢的。

This is when I first discovered passive income.

這是我第一次發現被動收入。

I'd never thought this was really possible for me as school had only ever taught me one way of making money and that was working a normal job.

我從未想過這對我來說真的有可能，因為學校只教過我一種賺錢的方法，那就是做一份普通的工作。

This concept of making passive income was so alien to me, but it really got the wheels turning in my mind.

賺取被動收入的概念對我來說是如此陌生，但它確實讓我的思維開始轉動起來。

If this was a normal guy and he was able to do all this, then I was pretty sure that I could do it too.

如果這是一個普通人，他能做到這一切，那麼我敢肯定我也能做到。

I started thinking back to my school years and selling those fish.

我開始回想起學生時代賣魚的情景。

That was my first real experience of running a small business.

那是我經營小企業的第一次真正經歷。

And I'd loved every second of it, from sourcing to selling the product.

從採購到銷售產品，每一分每一秒我都愛不釋手。

I couldn't believe that I'd been suppressing this for years and trying to conform to what society wanted me to do.

我簡直不敢相信，多年來我一直壓抑著這種想法，並試圖順應社會對我的要求。

Nowadays, passive income has become a bit of a buzzword on the internet and I don't completely agree with the term as it can sound a little misleading.

如今，"被動收入 "已成為互聯網上的一個流行詞，但我並不完全同意這個詞，因為它聽起來有點誤導。

Kickstarting passive income is certainly not an easy thing to do, but the idea is that you can do something once, like setting up a business or investing some money and then earn from it even when you're not working.

啟動被動收入當然不是一件容易的事，但我們的想法是，你可以只做一件事，比如建立一個企業或投資一些錢，然後即使不工作也能從中獲利。

Of course, this requires some maintenance, but in my opinion, it's a better way to make money than working a nine to five job if you want to be successful when you're younger, as your time is limited and therefore your income is capped.

當然，這需要一些維護，但在我看來，如果你想在年輕時獲得成功，這是比朝九晚五工作更好的賺錢方式，因為你的時間有限，是以收入也有上限。

So now I knew that passive income was the answer.

現在我知道，被動收入就是答案。

I devised a plan of escape to have the best chance of success.

我制定了一個逃跑計劃，以獲得最大的成功機會。

I knew it was important to create a business in an industry that I was both familiar with and also passionate about.

我知道，在一個我既熟悉又熱衷的行業創建企業非常重要。

And I was lucky, I had the perfect idea.

我很幸運，我有一個完美的想法。

The shop I was working in on Saturdays was a radio control model store.

我週六工作的商店是一家無線電遙控模型店。

Over the years that I'd been working there, I spotted lots of things they could be doing differently and all the mistakes that they were making.

在那裡工作的這些年裡，我發現了很多他們可以做得不同的事情，以及他們正在犯的所有錯誤。

I researched and found the perfect location for a store.

我經過調查，找到了開店的最佳地點。

I even came up with the perfect name, which was inspired by an old TV show I used to watch when I was younger, Model World.

我甚至想出了一個完美的名字，它的靈感來自於我年輕時常看的一部老電視劇《模特世界》。

I could really see the potential with this shop and how it would eventually operate without me even having to be there, essentially creating passive income.

我真的看到了這家店的潛力，以及它最終將如何在我甚至不需要在場的情況下營運，從根本上創造被動收入。

It finally gave me some hope and direction while I was working my normal job, as I knew that it was now only a temporary situation.

在我正常工作的時候，它終於給了我一些希望和方向，因為我知道現在只是暫時的。

Unfortunately, not a lot of people believed in me.

不幸的是，沒有多少人相信我。

I came from a working class background and I had little to no qualifications.

我出身於工人階級，幾乎沒有任何資歷。

So no one thought I'd be able to break into the market, except for one of my friends, who I told my entire plan to.

是以，除了我的一個朋友，沒有人認為我能打入市場，我把我的整個計劃都告訴了他。

I couldn't wait to quit my job and get started so I could prove everyone wrong.

我迫不及待地辭掉工作，開始創業，這樣我就能證明所有人都錯了。

I just needed to get enough money to get reversed.

我只需要弄到足夠的錢就可以倒車了。

Within a few months, Model World shop was up and running, but it was nothing to do with me.

沒過幾個月，"世界模型 "商店就開張了，但與我無關。

My friend had stolen my idea and done it himself.

我的朋友偷了我的主意，自己做了。

I felt so betrayed and frustrated that I trusted him with all my plans.

我覺得自己被背叛了，很沮喪，因為我把所有的計劃都託付給了他。

I even started thinking to myself that maybe being an entrepreneur wasn't actually right for me.

我甚至開始想，也許創業並不適合我。

I was stuck in my nine to five job being ordered around by my manager with every bit of hope shattered.

我被困在朝九晚五的工作中，被我的經理使喚來使喚去，所有的希望都破滅了。

The worst part was watching my friend live in my dream.

最糟糕的是看著我的朋友活在我的夢裡。

I felt like a sprinter chained up in the starting blocks, unable to release all that energy.

我感覺自己就像一個被鎖在起跑區的短跑運動員，無法釋放所有的能量。

It was one of the worst feelings in my life.

這是我一生中最糟糕的感受之一。

The whole future I built in my head started to come crashing down.

我腦海中構建的整個未來開始轟然倒塌。

Looking back, this was a great life lesson for me, although I didn't see it like that at the time.

現在回想起來，這對我來說是一堂很好的人生課，雖然我當時並不這麼認為。

If you have a great idea, then it's best to operate in the shadows.

如果你有一個好主意，那麼最好在暗處操作。

Maybe tell parts of your plans to different people, but don't give the whole game away like I did.

也許可以把你的部分計劃告訴不同的人，但不要像我一樣把整個遊戲都洩露出去。

After this huge setback, I decided to pick myself up and keep working.

經歷了這次巨大的挫折後，我決定振作起來，繼續努力。

I grinded as hard as I could and bought my first apartment to build up my credit score.

我拼命工作，買了第一套公寓，以積累信用記錄。

I thought I was working hard before, but this was really the next level.

我以為我之前已經很努力了，但這次真的是更上一層樓。

I worked every hour under the sun as I wasn't gonna let my financial situation leave me open to having my dreams taken away from me again.

我拼命工作，因為我不想讓我的經濟狀況讓我的夢想再次離我而去。

This just shows the path to passive income is by no means easy.

這恰恰說明，通往被動收入之路絕非易事。

There can be a lot of setbacks along the way, but if you stay focused, then opportunities will present themselves.

一路上可能會遇到很多挫折，但只要你保持專注，機會就會自己出現。

As if by magic, one day I heard some great news that my friend wanted to sell Model World.

就像變魔術一樣，有一天我聽到了一個好消息，我的朋友想出售 "模型世界"。

I'd visited a few times and noticed that he wasn't giving it the attention it needed.

我去過幾次，發現他並沒有給予它應有的關注。

It had huge potential, but his passions were not in the business.

它有巨大的潛力，但他的激情不在業務上。

I knew I needed to buy the shop and get my dreams back on track.

我知道我需要買下這家店，讓我的夢想重回正軌。

This was the opportunity that I'd been preparing myself for, and I wasn't gonna let it slip through my fingers again.

這是我一直在準備的機會，我不會再讓它從指縫中溜走了。

I had a little bit of money behind me, but it still wasn't gonna be enough, nowhere near enough, but I'd built up a good credit score.

我有一點錢，但還是不夠，遠遠不夠，但我已經建立了良好的信用記錄。

So I thought, I know what, I'll leverage the money I had and see if I can get a bank loan.

於是我想，這樣吧，我利用我的錢，看看能不能從銀行貸到款。

He'd taken my great idea, he'd taken my name, but the one thing he couldn't take from me was my passion.

他奪走了我的偉大創意，奪走了我的名字，但他奪不走的是我的激情。

And I knew that was a secret ingredient to making this business a great passive income generating machine.

我知道，這就是讓這項業務成為一臺偉大的被動創收機器的祕訣所在。

So I created the best business plan I could and got a meeting with the bank.

於是，我制定了一份最好的商業計劃書，並約見了銀行。

I'd banked there since I was a kid and I had a good credit score.

我從小就在那裡存錢，信用記錄很好。

So I was hoping that everything would go smoothly.

所以我希望一切都能順利進行。

Within 10 minutes, I'd been denied the loan.

不到十分鐘，我就被拒絕了貸款。

It was the worst interview of my life.

這是我一生中最糟糕的一次面試。

I felt like I'd been kicked out of the bank.

我感覺自己被銀行趕了出來。

It was unreal.

這太不真實了。

My head was down, I was walking back to my car.

我低著頭，走回車裡。

Do you know what?

你知道嗎？

I really didn't know what to do.

我真的不知道該怎麼辦。

It was like being back at that house again.

我彷彿又回到了那所房子。

So close, yet so far.

如此接近，卻又如此遙遠。

I had to pick myself up and as luck would have it, the next building I stumbled on was this bank here.

我不得不振作起來，幸運的是，我偶然發現的下一座建築就是這家銀行。

I hustled my way in and I got a meeting right there and then with the manager.

我急急忙忙跑進去，當場就和經理見了面。

He actually said it was a very interesting idea and not only gave me the loan, but promised to be one of my first customers.

實際上，他說這是一個非常有趣的想法，不僅給了我貸款，還答應成為我的第一批客戶之一。

I have since asked him what made him take a chance on me?

我後來問他，是什麼讓他冒險選擇了我？

And he said he was always eager to help out the younger generation.

他說，他總是熱心幫助年輕一代。

And when he saw how passionate and hardworking I was, he just couldn't say no.

當他看到我如此熱情和勤奮時，他無法拒絕。

This is a perfect example of where preparation and resilience meets opportunity.

這是一個完美的例子，說明了準備和應變能力與機遇的完美結合。

You never know when your next stroke of luck is around the corner.

你永遠不知道下一次好運何時到來。

And for me, it quite literally was just around the corner.

而對我來說，它真的就在不遠處。

So without any hesitation, I closed the deal on Model World, the rights to the name and all the products they had.

於是，我毫不猶豫地與 "模型世界 "達成了交易，獲得了該公司名稱和所有產品的使用權。

It was finally mine.

它終於屬於我了。

I knew the hard work was yet to come, but it was mine.

我知道艱苦的工作還在後面，但這是我的工作。

The first day I opened the shop, I had a sleeping bag behind the counter because I knew if I didn't make enough money that day, I'd be sleeping there because I certainly didn't have enough gas to drive the car home.

開店的第一天，我在櫃檯後面放了一個睡袋，因為我知道，如果當天賺不到錢，我就會睡在那裡，因為我肯定沒有足夠的汽油開車回家。

Luckily, the first day was a great success.

幸運的是，第一天的活動非常成功。

All the selling and negotiation skills I'd learned when I was younger came in really useful.