Most people dream of making money, but the wealthy understand a secret: the real key to wealth is knowing how to use other people’s money (OPM) wisely.

The problem?

If you misuse it, you lose credibility, opportunities, and even your reputation. If you master it, you unlock faster growth, bigger deals, and true financial leverage.

Imagine you want to do a property development deal that’ll cost you $1M. You can:

1.   Save money: For some people, it can be a lifetime of savings.
2.  Use equity from your home: This could help you do one or two deals. But soon, you’ll be stuck, needing more money.

So, you’re left with private money lenders. 

These are the people who might be sick of the low returns they get from their savings account. They want their money to work for them and lending it to other people is an alternative option.

If you can learn to win their trust, you can unlock money and use that to make great returns for yourself also. But there are always ris...

Is financial independence just a myth, a distant fantasy that taunts us from afar? It's a question that's likely crossed your mind more than once, am I right?

I'd wager a bet that if I polled a crowd, a whopping 90% would nod in agreement. And you know what? They're not wrong.

Because let's face it

How on earth can you carve out a path to financial freedom when you're knee-deep in helping someone else achieve theirs? It's a dilemma many of us grapple with on a daily basis.

But here's the thing

There's no rulebook that says you can't shift gears and start working towards your own financial goals. None whatsoever.

The truth is, all it takes is that initial leap of faith – that decision to take control of your financial destiny and pave your own way to prosperity.

And in today's economic climate, where every rate hike and uptick in living costs feels like a blow to the wallet, the need to secure our financial futures has never been more pressing.

I mean, think ab...

Is it time to get hustling?

At Rising Star we often refer to a side hustle.

It occurred to me the other day when I was speaking to a student that not everybody knows what this is.

Plus, it's always been on my radar.

I firmly believe in the power of a side hustle to build wealth and lifestyle.

I have started two.

Both have been life changing!

My first side hustle was my property development company.

This allowed me to quit a job I didn't enjoy, earn more income, build my wealth, and achieve a lifestyle I wanted.

It’s now no longer a side hustle but my full time gig.

My second was a Rising Star Developer.

This one had the same intent - creating lifestyle and wealth - but not for me - for others.

By definition a side hustle is a small business or a gig that is started in addition to a full-time job.

It is a way to supplement income, pursue a passion, or simply have the freedom to make extra money.

The popularity of side hustles has skyrocketed in recent years, as more and m...