I was on a school placement at 16 when I realised I'd be doing maths in a suit for the next 40 years.
I'd tried everything. Trading — lost money. Sneaker reselling — made £1k on Panda Dunks, then the hype died. AirPods, same wall. Every time I found something that worked, there was a ceiling I couldn't get past.
Then my brother put on a video. Niven. Talking about rent-to-rent. I didn't know what it was. I sat there for 20 minutes half-listening, then something clicked. I stayed up until 4am going through everything he'd posted.
By morning I'd made a decision. I DM'd him. Didn't ask for a job. Just said I wanted to learn and I'd work for free. I don't know why he said yes. But he did.
Six months. No salary. No guarantee.
I just showed up. Every week. Learning how he found landlords, how he structured deals, how he managed properties. Most people my age wouldn't have done six months of unpaid work. I didn't think about it like that. I thought about what was on the other side.
I was still 17.
Then came the networking event.
First one I'd ever been to. High net worth investors, people in property for decades. I was the youngest in the room by fifteen years. I found a deal that day. Sourced it. Found a buyer. He transferred the money the same evening.
£3,000. My first deal.
I'll be straight with you. My worst month I lost £6,000 — took a property without doing proper due diligence. My best week was £9,320. I'm telling you both — because anyone only showing you the wins is selling something.
Students have had their first deal in 30 days. Hit £2K months in their first property. Not because they're exceptional. Because the system works when you follow it.