[Freeda]

I would recommend to you the materials of Robert Kiyosaki; there are many people who are mentors of those who are truly entrepreneurial, who want both time freedom and financial freedom, but I think that he is one of the best. Read his books, such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which is the book that changed my entire direction in life; his CD and/or other materials entitled 'The Perfect Business' and others. Also, read Robert Allen's works, such as 'Multiple Streams of Income.'

At age 52 I had been practicing law for over 26 years, and I had been self-employed in a private litigation practice all but the first year, and had a great income, the big house, etc, and thought that I 'had it all'. Then, on top of that (I definitely needed to have my head adjusted) started another business, a tanning and wellness salon, which I thought would be another residual income stream for retirement purposes; but where in fact I ended up babysitting teens (no disrespect to teens), placing orders for tanning lotions at 2 AM (after drafting, beginning at midnight, some legal document that was due that day), and worrying about equipment breakdowns that usually seemed to occur when I was out for dinner on Saturday night and the repair service was closed for the weekend.

It took Kiyosaki and others to show me the difference between being an owner of a small business, which, as others have indicated, is really just like owning a job - and yet with all of the struggle, headaches and responsibility that employees don't have - and moving, instead, into big business, which is defined, as the materials I have suggested will teach, as a business that produces a true residual income; and that's what it took to get me off what I came to see as the plantation, when I compared my quality of life with others in that industry, in how I earned an income. I found out at age 52 that, instead of 'knowing it all' (which we attorneys, unfortunately, sometimes suffer from believing that we do - at least, I had a tad of that in me) I really was, in reality, totally in the dark - clueless - about what would provide the true freedom, and yet security along with it, that I wanted; which was the freedom of owning my time, and yet still having income to be able to enjoy the free time.

The network marketing/direct selling industry was what provided that to me; there are in that industry many, many wonderful, respectable, and highly successful companies (such as Warren Buffet's Pampered Chef, as just one example; and Citibank, and many other 'traditional' companies, do a portion of their business through the direct selling business model - I am not associated with either of these examples) that provide high quality services and products are beneficial to mankind, and who attract fascinating, brilliant people; and then, also, some more ordinary, but teachable, people, like me.

I share this because I only wish that that information had been revealed to me in my teens or twenties, as I would have never gone to law school (even though law treated me well and I still hold the highest respect for that profession, so I mean no disrespect to my colleagues), or have considered doing anything else; when done right, it is the finest, purest, most professional, most ethical, and most noble form of free enterprise; where people get as much (or as little) as they truly pursue, deserve, create, and earn; and based on the strength of their self-discipline and their willingness to help others; which is how success should occur. No other business model on earth is as powerful, or as certain, in providing freedom.

I also don't think that work should feel, or be, hard; working smart, to me, is better; and means doing work that you love to do because it is your passion and is personally fulfilling, and that, most importantly, doesn't take alot of what is one of your most priceless commodities, which is your time. Practicing law, though I loved it, and believed in it, and I think I was pretty good at it, was always unmistakably hard and mentally grueling work, at least for me; and it consumed too many of my weekends.