Advice To Your 16 Year Old Self??

[Jackson Cole]

Hey everyone, this is my first post on the BiggerPockets forum! Looking forward to hopefully getting a response or two.

I'm jumping on here to make a post today because I want to be successful in the real estate/finance space someday. But to do that you have to have elite knowledge and connections. Which is why I come to you to ask... if you could do it all again, if you could be 16 years old one more time what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

As hinted at in the title I am 16 years old, going to a good highschool and living without expenses. Plus not to brag, but from what I've heard from peers and family members I'm pretty driven and a hard worker. My biggest fear is that my drive and passion could go away at some point in my life and I'd be forced to settle with a boring, average job while living a boring and average life. Real estate is fun and not boring due to the amount of risk that must be taken. Lol.

So with all that being said, what advice do you have? What opportunities do you see for young people to make money or start an entrepreneurial venture in this day and age?

Can't wait to hopefully hear a response or two but glad I joined this forum and hoping to learn a ton from y'all!

[Mohammed Rahman]

That’s a solid first post, Jackson, and the fact that you’re even asking this at 16 already puts you way ahead of the game. If I could go back to that age, I’d tell myself a few things:

First, don’t underestimate time. Compounding is your best friend, whether that’s compounding money in investments or compounding knowledge and relationships. Start stacking skills early—sales, communication, finance, negotiation—because those never go out of style and transfer into every business you’ll ever touch.

Second, get into the habit of saving and investing right away. Even if it’s just a couple hundred bucks from a part-time job, get used to living below your means. At 16, you have zero expenses and tons of time, so build the discipline now.

Third, get around the right people. You can shortcut years by finding mentors, working under investors, or even offering to help for free just to be in the room. Don’t chase money in your first job, chase the skills and network.

Lastly, don’t let fear of losing passion stress you out. Passion tends to come from competence—you’ll stay excited about real estate or finance if you’re good at it and seeing results. Just keep trying things, stay consistent, and keep moving forward.

If I were you today, I’d start some kind of hustle that builds cash flow (even small), consume everything you can on real estate and finance, and find people in your area already doing it. By the time you’re 21, you’ll be lightyears ahead.