So You Want To Be A Baller? The Comprehensive Guide To Go From Broke on the Bus to Balling in a Benz

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So You Want To Be A Baller?

The Comprehensive Guide to Go From Broke on the Bus to Balling in a Benz

By Nicholas A. Brown

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Pip N Pens Literary Publishing & Writing Firm

Miami, Florida

Copyright © 2017 by Nicholas A. Brown

All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-1979348942

Printed in the United States of America

Some men must not only battle personal demons and fight an army of doubters, but they must also slay dragons and combat the negative spirits that lay ahead.

-Nicholas A. Brown, author of So You Want To Be A Baller?

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Will this book help me get money? - The inspiration 

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1:

Belief + Vision + Hard work = Reaching the stars, if not the Moon

Chapter 2:

Setup Your Chess Pieces

Chapter 3:

All Go, No Quit...Even When You Fall

Chapter 4:

Avoid the Big Mistake

Chapter 5:

Don’t be afraid to Work

Chapter 6:

Don’t cut corners...Quality over Quantity, Integrity over Deceit

Chapter 7:

Don’t mess up the money!

Chapter 8:

The Connections and the Deals

Chapter 9:

Keep Positive, Stiff-Arm the Negative

Chapter 10:

Accepting and Embracing Your Success

Chapter 11:

Competition

Chapter 12:

Pay off & Give Back

Chapter 13:

Carefully Expand, Wisely Invest & Eventually Grow

Closure

Preface

There are no straight lines to success. But there are patterns–little steps and moves that nearly all rags to riches stories follow. Like how Robert Greene (author of The 48 Laws of Power), prior to success, never held a position of power but noticed recurring themes with each person mentioned in his work. Besides having talent along with a positive outlook, certain crucial factors must be present, but recognize them or find yourself climbing a slippery slope without support. Nobody aims to be broke in life, yet remaining so is either through lack of ambition or opportunity. Along with this observation is the fact most people in this world are shown images of what the good life is said to be. Expensive cars, homes draped in opulence, gold and jewels become what one wants—thinking this will free them from mediocrity.

Not everyone wants a lavish lifestyle. Some feel a religious or spiritual path is more gratifying than gaining what is worldly. And yes, you cannot take all your wealth with you after passing, but you can pass wealth over to your children for them to live a promising life. Being poor in a developed country like the United States means living near people who lost hope, and poverty is the root of all evil because it fuels in some a criminal thirst for what will manifest a meal into their stomachs. If you’re without the resources, where can one live life without worry? As we’re told not to focus on money just become rich in religion, places of worship need funds to keep their doors open and lights on.

Male ballers are forgiven more—viewed as attractive to women. There are ladies I’ve met who claimed to want an honest working man, but wouldn’t mind being the second woman to a rich man. As long as the rich man made enough time for them, isn’t controlling, and they felt like number one in his life, they would embrace him over a working man who is romantic, period. Love is a wonderful feeling, but financially worry free is paradise to a woman. She knows a beautiful home, access to her favorite activities, stability, safety, and getting what she needs without question comes with a man of means. And if this baller of a man has power and influence then her attraction to him can increase. 

In the last quarter century prior to the creation of this book, since women have more say in their financial destinies, if they aren’t taking leadership roles in large multi-national companies then they’re listening to their entrepreneurial spirits. I’ve seen from reliable sources how more women are getting college degrees—starting up their own companies, or branching out into projected growth areas such as technology and computer sciences. Women who’re single are taking charge, and ain’t waiting for nobody. Many of these young women figure they’ll postpone finding a mate and starting families, concentrating on endeavors. It’s a balancing act for today’s career or business oriented woman, with a family and/or husband but they’ve found ways to get much of what they want. She has a shot at having her version of a baller lifestyle come to life, but a support system is required.           

The wanting for greater lives within human beings, it’s too bad the appreciation of learning from those who actually reached their goals is undervalued. The unproductive hate the successful to the point where rumors are created due to jealousy. Rather observe what information can be utilized for their own gains, people tend to solely entertain gossip. The he said-she said and living vicariously is the number one activity among the working class. Fear can cause insecurity or hopelessness in a person—fear can be in the form of not having job security, or feeling their idea(s) won’t work. Those from working class or impoverished areas may fear their own success, or not being able to help everyone they grew up with—or robbed by someone close to them once successful. But not all fear is bad. The fear of never trying, or not knowing what may be possible should be a motivational tool. When employed as a motivator or faced then conquered, the journey to fulfillment will be easier.

Lack of passion causes one to abandon working on an idea. The truly passionate toil, stumble and regroup until the right path is revealed to them. Passions in a positive capacity does wonders, so not locating this is like leaving a fresh canvas untouched. The passionless will always be servants to other people’s impulses or whims—trends they may enjoy, envy, chastise or complain about.

Originally a baller meant someone skilled at playing a sport such as basketball or football. Later, as high paying contracts were given to superstar ballers, the term included one being well paid. Wanting to be a baller became synonymous with wanting to be rich, but like a player you must work on many facets of your game. With this manual I hope to inspire people from working class, broken, and disenfranchised areas with tales, anecdotes, and accounts of who came from the bottom of the social order.

I have done my due diligence relaying this priceless information you can share with like minded folks in need of hope. Your circumstances may be different from figures researched within the pages of this manual, but that’s fine for it reminds you that everyone had a beginning. Many who were successful recognized we are here but for so long—so they dictated their existential thoughts which turned into actions, pushing themselves every day. Learn as you read carefully, these instructions toward what I hope is your own freedom. Be steady with your planning, but quick to act on your machinations.

I heard a rich man say his first million was the hardest to get because he had to learn how to make that million dollars. But upon achieving this goal, he knew what not to do in order to make another million dollars, constantly retuning his system. I hope this manual shows you that though you may not reach the stars, you can at least touch the moon, seeing that the sky’s level is only 50 percent in what you’re capable of doing. Be smart, work hard when needed, and always let your imagination and goals be so lofty, they are viewed as unattainable to those choosing not to believe in their own greatness.

So You Want To Be A Baller?

Chapter 1:

Belief + Vision + Hard work =

Reaching the stars, if not the Moon

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. - Wilma Rudolph¹

When I was a kid I saw the movie Strictly Business. The film starred Tommy Davidson, Joseph C. Phillips, and a then up-and-coming actress Halle Berry. This comedic picture held significance to me since it was about black people making way in their respective fields.³⁹ Seeing Waymon Tinsdale III (Joseph C. Phillips’s character), dressed in a suit and making moves had me think, I don’t know how I’m going to do it but I got to be in business. I thought maybe I could get money, date a Halle Berry, and drive a BMW like Waymon.³⁹

Other urban films from that era such as Livin’ Large (1991), Boomerang (1992), Malcolm X (1992), grouped with television shows like Martin, A Different World, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air showed that people of color from anywhere can prosper. In fact, my favorite movie scene ever was in Malcolm X. Malcolm (played by Denzel Washington) and a rowdy mob of black people were in front of a police station, forcing the cops to bring one of their beaten Nation of Islam brothers to the hospital.⁴⁰ After finding out that their brother received medical care, with two simple hand gestures, Malcolm X made the angry crowd disperse.⁴⁰

That was Brother Malcolm?! Dog, that was Brother Malcolm?! Yo, Brother Malcolm was a baaad man, was my reaction.

These images, either reenactments of real life experiences or stories created in writers meetings, utilized the human mind’s ability to make real what’s abstract. Almost everyone breathing has potential but so few felt they had what it took. It’s our exercises in fear that cripples endeavors regardless of how foolproof the plans. 

Broke on the Bus

A goal without a plan is just a wish³

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There are no rags-to-riches stories of people who didn’t believe in their goals. Successful people have lost faith in what got them recognized, but they still made a name for themselves beforehand. I place heavy emphasis on calling what you realistically want to attain as goals. I despise titling them dreams, for dreams require you to be asleep. And since those who accomplished what they wanted made plans, or at least put together a to-do list, then they must be considered goals. The problem is we have so many people not believing in anything—stuck on the negatives. 

Everyone who said they wanted more, but never went for it – everyone who felt that their goals were pipedreams, subconsciously made plans towards keeping them unfulfilled. Obituaries are filled with stories you’ll never hear about because those people made no grand efforts. There are plenty that passed away wanting a simple life, who also insulted those thirsting to achieve the so-called impossible. These same non-believers, who belittled someone going for greater, co-signed those who downgraded their own higher aspirations. Yes, they may work a decent 9 to 5 with benefits and a 401K in place. But why aren’t they happy with their success? The people wanting a simple life, that don’t bad mouth others, are not who I’m referring to here. It’s the ones who are dissatisfied working paycheck to paycheck, so they spread hate and venomous lies in the form of gossip—in order to feel good about their selves.

Listening to non-experts with opinions on how you should run your business, or talking with those wasting your time about useless information is who you must avoid. It’s okay to have quick conversations, or say hi and bye to someone you know, but don’t spend any more than 60 seconds with that person. You got better things to do with your time.

Former Manager at Albertsons

For most of 2004, I worked at Albertsons Market in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on the corner of Pines Boulevard and University Drive, deli department. I was twenty-three, and nearly all my co-workers, we were close in age. They came from upper middle class homes, with parents that bought them their first cars fresh off the lot. While I drove an old beat up 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis without power steering, I scraped and saved for. I got along with them for the most part, but the managers were a whole other lot.

One Sunday during my first month on the job, after eating lunch on the store’s bench outside, the stocking manager came and sat beside me to have a cigarette. He offered me one, but I declined because I didn’t want my breath to smell. I planned to flirt with one of the lady cashiers on my way back to the deli. He was a tall and svelte white man, standing at around six feet three inches, and a hairline that receded in the back and front of his head. The man with his unorganized auburn colored 5 o’clock shadow, asked me was I in school like everyone else.

I told him I had some credits under my belt, and waited until the summer semester to sign up for classes, since my financial aid forms needed revising. I also informed him on my taking a real estate course to gain insight for when I wanted to buy a house. When finished, I stayed quiet and let him say what he wanted as he smoked.

You know, I tried going to college when I left high school about nine years ago. I did like two semesters and said ‘to hell with it.’ I saw this place needed an assistant manager in an ad and applied—been here ever since. I think that school stuff is a waste of time.

In hopes for a positive conclusion to our one and only conversation, I retorted with a question that I hope he took as advice.

You ever think about going back? I mean not for a major but anything else like real estate or a trade, something you can probably get paid more than here?

Nope, I guess if I have a kid then maybe. But no man I’m good. Hey, I’ll see ya around, he said while putting his cigarette into the mounted ashtray, and stepped into the liquor store portion of the market.         

The days following that exchange until being fired seven months later, I only offered that manager greetings and farewells. His whole aura read he had given up, and remained unenthused about higher learning. I know that school isn’t a guaranteed thoroughfare toward success. But to have no ambition doesn’t make life any better. There were other managers with families they provided for, but they at least encouraged those who were in school to finish, and even threw parties for young workers that did well or graduated. Around 2010, the word got out about this and four more Albertsons scheduled to close.⁴ I don’t know what happened to my former co-workers. But I prayed they, including that manager, made it to greener pastures.

Quick Advice: All things you see around you were once an idea or abstract thought. Never think what you have in mind can never be achieved. From the chair you’re sitting on, the bed you’re sleeping in, the phones we use, to the sidewalks we stroll on—all thoughts at one point. The next time you come up with a great idea, write it down on something. If you must, send it as a message to yourself to jot down later, but do so. Putting it on paper is the first step toward formulating plans and goals. You may not succeed with your first attempts, or at making your idea