About RileyYounger.com
Discover my origin story. How I’m here now, writing to you.
I was a normal kid growing up.
Middle-class family. Except I was shy, you could even say (borderline mute). Now, later in life, I’ve discovered I’m (if you have to label it) an “introvert.” Actually an INFP on the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator (but be careful before boxing me in and yourself too)… One of the big contributing factors (I think) to my “shyness” was that I wet the bed for over a decade (nearly 12 years) as a little dude. Kinda funny now but it was like Chinese water torture on my self-esteem. Haaa. Especially for a lil’ guy. Just day after day slowly beating down my confidence. I think I internalized a great deal of shame and guilt. How can you NOT as a tiny human who doesn’t know any better? I wasn’t “normal” like everyone else and as a result, I just kept to myself. Later – when I was older – my problem went away but the damage was done. My self-image (the most important thing) was broken. I wasn’t good at making friends because I had no self-esteem. It was a terrible feeling and I believe it manifested itself when I was 16. I became a rebel. And I started hanging out with the rebels, the misfits. The square pegs in round holes.
I became a rebel.
I like to believe it’s in my “nature” or in my blood (because I might actually BE related to the infamous 19th-century gang of American outlaws The Younger Brothers who partnered with Jesse James and robbed banks, trains, and stagecoaches).
I know. Badass, huh?
It’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
Ol’ Bob looks eerily similar to my Dad
By the time senior year rolled around in high school, I was ready to drop out. But not because I was lazy… It was because I was beginning to see how broken the education system was. Again… that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The “logical lie” was to stay in school, get good grades, go to college, get a “safe and secure” job, and invest in a 401k. Essentially be a slave for 40, 50, 60 YEARS. Maybe, hopefully, (probably NOT) live a GREAT life in retirement (who believes this sh*t??) This didn’t make sense to me because I was an entrepreneur (but I didn’t know it yet). I was a REBEL. I wanted to live and experience LIFE NOW. I wanted to get to the MONEY now, before I was too old to enjoy it. Doesn’t everybody? But we settle for the trick. We settle for the most logical path we think will give us the best opportunity to enjoy our lives.
I discovered a new world through a book.
… you’ve probably heard of it: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki: What the Rich Teach Their Kids that the Poor and Middle Class do not. It was sitting on my parents book shelf, go figure. Sometimes the things we’re looking for are right in front of us. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. After reading this book I discovered that I was an entrepreneur and I needed to make the switch from the left side of his Cashflow Quadrant (employee or self-employed) to the right side (business owner and investor). My financial and entrepreneurial education was born and my dream ignited. This confirmed to me even more that I needed to drop out. Luckily, my parents said NO because we came to a compromise–online school–and it changed… everything.
Enter addiction and fantasy land.
Despite my addiction for shiny-objects (more information, tips, tricks, hacks)… I discovered “the way” for me. Or so I thought. Two worlds collided. With my new found time and freedom, the leverage and power I gained by “going to school” from the comfort of my room (through my laptop and the internet)… communicating with my teachers only by email… I stumbled across another book. Internet Millionaire by Jeff Usner. I thought this was it! I’ll create a business online. Live happily ever after. Little did I know I was in for a rude awakening.
In the pits of my neurotic behavior I had my FIRST tangible win.
Despite my addictions (not to mention living in fantasy land) I managed to build a website, slap some Google Adsense ads up on it and set up some Bing PPC ads. I drove some traffic to it and what happened next changed me forever. I made $13.46. Online! And I didn’t do much (hard work) to earn it! See, I don’t think you understand. I grew up on a ranch where I learned to work my ass off. Working for free. And then later on working my ass off (manual labor) for money. Like how most of us do. So… to make money online, with not much effort? It changed me on an emotional, physical, spiritual, and cellular level… lol. Funny thing is… it wasn’t even profit. I spent $40 or $50 on the Bing ad. And made back $13. I was in the RED. But it didn’t matter. The proof of concept was real and it worked.
I spent over $33k at my “slot machine” (laptop) hoping to hit the jackpot.
Bad thing was, like a gambling addict at his slot machine (me at my computer) I couldn’t stop seeking, searching, digging, for better ways to do that again but this time–make a profit!
I bought damn near every book. Course. Workshop. Product. Webinar. I studied every trick, hack, tactic, strategy. I read. I listened. I watched. I filled notebook after notebook, writing down what I’d learned. Hours upon hours upon hours every day…
And then…
My epiphany, my turning point, my rock bottom.
Two of my best friends died. They took their own lives. Within a couple of years of each other. It crushed me. Sent me even further into addiction and depression.
The wake up call you don’t ever want to get. Twice. It was time to find deeper meaning. Answers. Solutions. What happened? What was I doing? What was I doing with my life?
Chasing this high. This fake dream of having “riches” and the cars and houses and the freedom and thinking it would fulfill me.
It was time I make some hard decisions about what was important. I realized nothing matters if you’re not healthy. I realized nothing matters if you’re not in touch with yourself. I realized most people are not healthy because they’re not pursuing what their soul is calling them to do (GROW). Love. Forgive. They believe the LIES of society and the lies in their OWN mind saying, “I’m not good enough. I’ll never be happy.” I decided I was going to learn and grow. I was going to find answers.
The guaranteed path to success.
I went back to the basics and discovered truths about life. With a focus on self-education, self-LOVE, personal-development and personal growth, mental health, diet, and exercise…
I had epiphanies that wealth, health, wholeness and happiness are already within us. It’s created from within, and then more is given to “those who have.”
I built my self-esteem back up from the ground. I sought to understand pain and trauma and addictions. I focussed on giving, on loving. And I found mentors who had my best interest at heart. I discovered (and fell in love with) powerful, valuable skills, ideas, concepts, and strategies like storytelling, marketing, sales, psychology, copywriting, NLP, and persuasion. I realized all these things are connected to everyday life, relationships, health, as well as business.
Realizing… YOU already are a “SUCCESS.”
The odds of “becoming” human are 400 trillion to 1.
There is nothing to “get” or attain. YOU are what you’re searching for. You are everything you’ve EVER wanted.
… and by realizing this you will naturally act on and attract your dream life, beyond what you can even imagine now.
The simple things in life are THE BEST things in life, please understand this. And when you discover this, you might just make an impact. When you discover YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH as you are. You can begin learning the truth… and not only work hard, but smart. You can get more here on my free email list. And if you really want the best of the best I’ve discovered – the things I’m doubling down on – you can, here inside my paid email list.