The Path to Financial Freedom

Gia Macool

10/3/2024

Turning an average paycheck into multiple streams of income requires serious discipline and patience. It demands an understanding that in the beginning you do without. Until you've experienced this firsthand, your grasp of what money means will be limited.

Many people today are natural consumers, because they struggle with money management. They haven’t experienced scarcity. Those who’ve had to earn their income the hard way, view money from a different perspective.

Here’s how I transformed one investment property into multiple income streams that gave me financial freedom I enjoy today. My first home purchase was a fixer-upper that I completely gutted. I learned how to lay tile and handle my own demolition to save on renovation costs.

When I flipped it, I took that gain and reinvested it into more properties, as well as these passive revenue streams:

  • Peer-to-peer lending

  • YouTube

  • Affiliate marketing

  • Dividend stocks

  • Rental properties

  • E-books

  • Online coaching

This approach allowed me to create passive income, giving me the freedom to pursue my passions and creativity today. I self-fund my own projects, and edit my own work which means I’m not limited by what I have to say or do online.

This is why I believe many influencers feel lost. They’re often controlled by their audience and sponsors, which can silence their true characters and voice. Most people assume my income comes from modeling, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

What you see = 2.6M followers

What you don’t see = 31,000 posts

10 years of consistent work.

Growing an online business isn’t easy and those who claim it is, have never paid their dues. Those who can’t monetize their social media platforms think posting images equals “validation.” Ignorance on their part.

It’s a business. If you don’t post, you don’t get paid. It’s just that simple.

Modeling was a way for me to express my creativity, travel, and earn money doing something I love. I started at zero, like everyone else.

My critics love to joke, “She’s been a fitness trainer, a model, a coach, what a grifter.” That’s just insecure people who are afraid of trying new things.

Your ability to exit your comfort zone reminds them of their inability to do the same. Be good at multiple things and never be afraid of trying new things.

Many think achieving financial freedom is complicated, but that’s often because they haven’t learned to live minimally for extended periods.

In my first five years, I worked seven days a week, often for 14 hours a day. I didn’t own furniture, eat at restaurants, travel, or even have a car. I learned the value of doing without. Discipline and patience are essential in every aspect of life.

Both men and women can master money management, but it often requires being pushed into survival mode. True financial wisdom comes from the lessons learned in the trenches.

Watch "Master Your Life" YouTube video: https://youtu.be/XtJjFIz5X00