I made a lot of money in different times. Very different times. I had to worry only about my brick and mortar competition down the street. There were multiple layers, i.e. markups from manufacturer to customer with everyone making decent margins. Your advertising was simpler and more focused. Your retail property alone soared in value. Made a lot when I sold out to a major retailer.
The search engine I had in conjunction with goto was a ppc money printing machine. That stopped overnight when goto changed. I mean overnight, $1X,XXX a day to zero. The two young guys who were my partners have never recovered. Their lifestyles drained them quickly.
Don't know if I could do it today. The business climate then had more to do with my success than my actual abilities. The amount of money I went thru was disgusting in retrospect.
The best advise I can give you is work hard like you can only do when you are your age. Do not spend frivolously. Live modestly but very well. Pay cash for used vehicles, have a nice comfortable home you own. Save and take pride in what you have that others don't know about.
If you own your own home and vehicles even a job flipping burgers will pay for utilities and property tax should shit hit the fan career wise.
Be below the radar with women. Don't accidentally have children you haven't planned for. And not to be a dick but realize you aren't special, the woman you fall in love with isn't special and your "love" isn't special. The odds you will split are very high. Don't lose half your shit. In fact unless she has more to lose than you don't get married without a pre-nip.
And yes, the old adage "If I had know I was going to live so long I would have taken better care of myself" is true.
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