DON’T LET A LACK OF FORMAL EDUCATION STOP YOU

A note to all my faithful readers with advanced education and degrees – Congratulations, that was quite an accomplishment.

And now, a note to all my faithful readers who do not have that advanced education or degree: That’s okay; you can still be a billionaire. 

An intelligent.com report I found in The Hustle newsletter found that the job market is evolving. In 2024, 45% of companies plan to remove bachelor’s degree requirements from some job postings. This shift is aimed at fostering a more diverse workforce and increasing applications. It's a trend that started in 2023, with 55% of companies removing degree requirements, especially for entry-level and mid-level roles. This means more opportunities are opening up for you, my dear readers. 

So, why is this happening? Companies' HR departments know something that most small business owners already know. In most cases, life experiences, work ethic, and passion for a vision are every bit as valuable as a college education. For whatever reasons, many people did not get the opportunity to go on to college, me included, choosing to or being forced into the workplace as soon as possible in order to survive, support a family, or just get started on their dreams and vision. So, remember, your life experiences are your unique selling point. 

Their next step is critical, though. One of my most beloved mentors once told me, “The world is full of educated derelicts. Contrary to popular belief, Knowledge is NOT power. The APPLICATION of knowledge is the real power.” In other words, education is not enough. At some point, a person must put that education and knowledge to the test. To go into the world and apply that knowledge. To make mistakes yet learn from them. Then, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and endeavor to go out and do the task again, but now with the new knowledge you have from the mistake. 

The key is that whatever your situation, you must have a dream and a vision for yourself. I do not care what your education level is; you're lost if you don’t have a dream or a vision for your future self. Case in point: some of the biggest names in business have no college education, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Oprah, Michael Dell, Brad Pitt, and even Albert Einstein. If you don’t believe me, all you do is GOOGLE Famous people without an education. Their one thing in common: they all had a fire and a passion for their vision. 

Knowledge is essential, but its application is even more critical. We can make up all kinds of excuses for not progressing in our lives, and most of us have. We say things out of fear, like, “I don’t have an education, so I can’t be successful.” Or “I came from a poor family, so I won’t succeed. No one in my family is.” And, on and on. I’ve heard them all as a Master Business Coach. 

But what I will tell you is as accurate as the day is long. You can achieve anything that you believe you can. You can be anyone that you want to be. Whether you have that degree or not, you must dream, think, and work for it. 

I have been fortunate to have met and learned from six billionaires. And each has told me in so many words this statement:

“If you focus on doing only the things that will get you towards your dreams and visions, and always creating massive value when doing them, you CANNOT AVOID a new level of wealth and success!” So don’t let anything get in the way of your dreams because the lessons you learned in getting your degree or what you’ve learned on the streets working your rear-end off will pay off if you apply them and put them to work every day. 

You can do it. I guarantee that! I’ve done it.