What’s the one thing you should never do? Put all your eggs in one basket. In this day and age, we need to be prepared for anything. The cost of living is skyrocketing, and wages are not keeping up with inflation. Many people who work a single job today live paycheck to paycheck, which is not the way to be successful in life. If you have a single income stream, it’s really easy to fall into debt or be unable to cover necessities if something happens. Luckily, there are countless opportunities these days for people looking for ways of generating multiple streams of income. Brian Waldron, a 26-year-old self-made millionaire, is proof anyone can be successful if they want it badly enough.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Brian fell in love with the business world early. In grade school, the budding entrepreneur did everything he could to make an extra dollar. He went from selling cards and candy to sneakers and waiting tables at an Italian restaurant. Afterward, Brian’s family moved to Queens, and he began to help out at their smaller event location in Brooklyn. As he got accustomed to the business, Brian realized something that changed his life: he could rent space out for small events. He acted on that idea, and within a year, he acquired 3 event spaces and began servicing hundreds of events in New York City. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, everything ground to a halt.
Like most people, Brian was directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The business he’d spent a lot of sweat and tears on closed down, and Brian was distraught. However, he quickly adapted and pivoted. Brian transitioned into teaching by hosting his first-ever online class via Zoom in August 2020. He shared his wisdom on starting, scaling, and automating a business in the events organization space, and his business took off. Since then, Brian has helped thousands of students succeed with their own event businesses by sharing actionable tips and wisdom from the industry. He did not stop there.
The way Brian sees it, the idea of having a single income stream has become increasingly obsolete. “One stream of income is too close to none… If there’s no seat at the table, build your own—but you need at least 4 legs to do that,” Brian shares. That’s the same strategy he applies in his business interests. With the success of his first major venture, he started exploring and branched out into other streams of income. He has tried his hand at Airbnb, real estate, and even e-commerce. In real estate alone, Brian has amassed almost $2M in real estate, an impressive feat that made him a millionaire at a young age. Now his goal is to scale further, explore more opportunities and help others succeed.
At the moment, Brian’s primary goal is to retire his family, particularly his mom, who worked too many hours when he was small. “She’s worked enough,” he says. “She deserves to relax now.” After family, Brian hopes to take up philanthropy and build a place where kids can acquire crucial financial stewardship skills. His focus areas will be tax, credit, and passive income, topics he believes need to be taught in society today.