Up until this point, we’ve essentially been covering the requirements and prerequisite knowledge necessary to increase your chances of building a successful online business.
Today marks a turning point.
It’s time to begin focusing on your personal situation, and to turn our attention to your future business…
(Watch this video…)
Main points:
Without vision, your business probably won’t succeed.
I describe vision as being able to “see” a clear picture of your fulfilled goals in your mind.
It’s like the box cover of a difficult puzzle…
You must begin with the end in mind.
Almost every success in my life has come AFTER having a vision for it. (For example, when I won the state championship, and every time I launch a product)
The successful business owners that I’ve known ALL have vision.
It’s kind of like looking at the world from 30,000 feet. You see the big picture, and not the problems.
If you lose sight of your vision, you lose hope. And if you lose hope, it’s game over.
As we progress in the lessons, we’ll keep moving forward step by step, but if you don’t start by getting a vision, further efforts could be somewhat futile.
If you set your target too low, you may hit it, but there is almost no chance that you will exceed it. On the other hand, if you set your target too high, you may fail, but you will be further along than the “low” target. Therefore it’s better to set your vision higher.
One of the biggest things I see holding people back is a “victim mentality”.
“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop this picture. Never think of yourself as failing; never doubt the reality of the mental image. That is most dangerous, for the mind always tries to complete what it pictures. So always picture ‘success’ no matter how badly things seem to be going at the moment.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Many of us have taken on a “just get by” mentality.
The size of your vision will dictate the size of the result.
YOU are valuable. Don’t sell yourself short.
Here’s my “disclaimer” that I forgot to include in the video…. “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)
Action steps:
I want you to take a moment to tell me your vision for your business. The vision can involve other areas of your life too, but since we’re working on building your business, it should be focused on your business.
It’s important to write your vision down, so go ahead and post it in the comments below. This is YOUR vision, and there is NO wrong answer.
Focus on the big picture. Don’t worry about the details of how you will get there. We’ll worry about that stuff when we learn about goal setting and business plans, and I’ll be talking about those things in the next lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.
Have a great day!
Hi Eric, First I want to say great job on the lessons, you are covering a lot of the pieces that I am missing. My vision is to have one of the most popular web sites on the internet. It doesn’t have to be THE most popular, just that when anyone mentions SearchAllStore.com, everyone has either heard of it or has shopped there. I see myself buying my 7 year old granddaughter a brand new car when she graduates high school. I see myself telling my daughter not to worry about college expenses, because I will make sure all 3 of my grandchildren can go to the college of their choice, not because that is what is affordable. I see myself buying my daughter and son-in-law the dream home they keep talking about. I see all my family and friends at my ranch house on Christmas. This house sits on ten acres with a horse stable and room for them to run. just outside the grounds is a riding trail that follows a stream with lots of trees and wildlife not far from the house is a large fishing pond (better make it 20 acres huh?). The house itself is a ranch style 2 story with a full size basement, the up stair balcony circles the entire living room.(not real sure how to do that with the fireplace I want, I’ll leave that up to the architect I hire to build it). anyway you get the picture I hope, because I see it clearly, this is my vision. Pretty big vision considering my web site hasn’t made a dime yet. lol, but it will
Thanks Eric for a great lesson, just what the doctor ordered! My vision is to have a successful online bussiness revolving around my passion for food especially Indain food. This bussiness will generating 600,000€ yearly income that will give us financial freedom, giving us quality family time and enabling me to make generous donations to Asido (a special education centre for Down Syndrome) that has helped my son and given the whole family endless amount of suppport since our move to spain.
We will be able to take several holidays a year & give our 3 children a life they deserve as well put them through university without the financial worries.
My vision; To run and create several online businesses/websites generating enough revenue to work from home, invest in the market and others, and to leave something behind for my sons.
My vision: to build several successful websites/businesses that generate enough revenue to work from home and give some control to my family’s’ destiny. Eventually I would like to invest in various markets and in other individuals and most importantly, leave something behind for both of my sons.
I left the military after 10 years of service to give my life to missionary work, and have planted two churches in South East Asia (Singapore and Indonesia). It has sometimes been a struggle relying on a few churches to support me in the work, especially in these economic down times. With a wife and six children, …. it has been quite a challenge.
My vision is to have a sustainable five-figure-a-month (at least $15,000+) income through an online business so that I can manage my time with family and ministry; pay for my kids’ school/college; be able to own a house with enough rooms and space for the family, and most of all, to to help substantially towards establishing churches in unreached places, and help these churches in their building fund.
Next to the vision is where the rubber meets the road. I must strive on to learn skills in the online marketing business although it appears to be such a great uphill task. Good things don’t come easy, I know, and it will take much discipline and work, but nothing is impossible with God.
Mr. Eric Holmlund, I wanna thank you for your free tips. They are tremendous. I’m still following your videos, and envision myself reaching the target, hopefully soon.
Peace Eric,
My first comment. I like to sew and create unique one of a kind articles of clothing and accessories. My vision is to have an online business where people see my items and just have to have them for themselves and then tell other people about them. I want to have so many orders that I can’t keep up with them. I want to make enough money that I can assist the homeless and help the elderly in a big way. I want to be able to relax and do the things I like without worrying about how much it cost.
Be able to create a great source of income by providing reliable, interesting and updated information in particular niche(s)
THE VISION
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I am leaving somewhere in the southern parts of sunny warm Portugal. The stone house is built in acres of fertile land, with lots of fruit trees, vegetable patches and a water hole! I am using a lot of reclaimed materials and i am having such fun transforming them and giving them a new lease of life. Alternative energy is used. I am learning about the healing properties of herbs and i am striving to be as self sufficient as i possibly can.I am now in a position to help family, friends and close projects to my heart
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Still researching for “my” niche!!!..and have done so for the last 4/5 weeks, but i feel it will have some connection with my love for nature and arts.
Once again, Thank You for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
Stay Blessed
My vision is not to be rich, but I would like to be able to support my family and contributing my portion. I say it is better to be content because your happier and not so much worried about money. I do want to pay off debts and save some money and help my family financially when I can, to help them to succeed also.
My vision is go get rid of my debts through my online business that is going to earn me $500.000 per year.The money I earn will help me traveling the world and giving me the opportunity to learn things that are on my wish list like playing golf, windsurfing, buying a boat, going to the opera, just to name a few !
I love to post my visions and have them manifest,no doubt.I want to caution who we let see or hear us talk about our vision.When you do that the energy from that goes down…..just a word of advice….. But these are all great and I wish prosperity to all of you with good intentions.
My vision is to be debt free with all of my mortgages paid off. To be able to do ministry without the distraction of debt. An ongoing flow of income coming in to be able to give to others. To be able to travel and spend time with my husband. To be able to make at least $25,000 a month.
My vision is to build a business which can make $1million in 2years which will enable me to quit my day job, pay off my debts, take my family on vacation which we never had and live a comfortable life. I will pay my tithe and use the money to honour God in many other ways. Long term, I would like to make more money as the Lord opens more doors for me.
My vision is to profit at my mural and free lance art business (low start up), that will expand into hiring more people, so that I can expand my interests. I would like to then re-invest part of the profits into local real estate and into a manufacturing company that will provide jobs in my hometown as well as offering quality, affordable American made merchandise. Being incredibily wealthy would be great, but I am ok with being finacially secure. The biggest thing is I would like to be able to afford to make a differece.
My vision is to create an internet business orientated to psychological development for martial artists, which has both an on-line and off-line element and aggregates a worldwide niche. With this, I will aim to make a profit of £1 million in two to three years. I will also write my and complete my novel and get it published. I will become a successful investor and earn good returns. I will own an eco-house with land, including my own woodland.
My vision is my wife and I sitting working side by side,with multiple streams of income of a 100,ooo dollars a month.I am living secluded high in the mountains of Utah.I only work about 4 hours a day,I have no set hours.The rest of my day is spent with my beautiful wife and family.I really dont want to cut this short but the trout stream seem to be calling. Have a great day.
My vision is to set up an online business that will be able to make £500,000 within its first year. I also want to get some treatment for my depression that will help me to start leaving my house. Employ my son within my business. Have a family holiday one a year will do. I would also like to help people who are isolated and suffer with depression.
Hi Eric 1st off thanks for these lessons they are great.
My vision Is to be have an income around £1500 per week, and to grow my company including store based “Bricks and water” internationaly. I would like to provide financial freedom to my family and provide a top quality service to my customers.
I beleive that the goals I have set myself for acheving this will take 2-3years from now as i compleate my goals.
I once again would like to thank you for your lessons and thank other people for their posts
I want to earn a good income from so that i don’t have to work from morning to night in a company . Presently i am in college before i complete my college i want to earn from internet.
My vision is to create an extremely successful online marketing business dealing primarily with information products, the business will be infused with my passion of world travel, and I will have it automated, so I will be able to have the free time to do what I love, while traveling the world. This business will be up, running, automated, and generating the $2,000/per day cash flow by my 23rd birthday (July 2010).
Hi Eric,
I recently moved from Africa to Austria after marrying the man of my dreams. After the honeymoon bliss settled down it downed on me i cannot work as i barely know the main Language here (German ) and i just had a baby (1yr old)I was soul searching and read the ‘secret’ , and further got deeper into the law of attraction, which led me to (the science of getting rich ). and there it said i need to know what i want and have faith and the universe will open ways for me to receive it- i was only looking for a word defination in dictionary.com and there i got a link to ericstips, and indeed, working online is what i can do well, its what i love to do, but i had no idea how to begin.
My vision is clear- my long term earnings in 3 years will be 32,000€ pm, shortterm, i will start out with an income of 3,200pm- so far, i read your Ebay guide and have done my home shopping and selling that to provide my startup capital. its all going great!
I dont know if you get to read all your emails, but I just want you to know you are the answer to my prayers to set a way forward for me- Thank you and God bless you abundantly.
christine.
Hi Eric
My vision is to build a successful on line business which is inovative and constanly growing in quality and quantity.I would like this business to generate millions of dollars each year, which I would like to invest in other markets so that money will to a certain extent work for me. I would like to invest in the Kingdom of God, my family, travel, send my children to good schools and. buy a home
Hello Eric. My name is Terry. I am a 39 yr old man with nothing. It’s a long story but in short in 1999 I was a victim of ID. theft which wiped me out, I had nothing but I did have my health and a decent business. I was an Military E&I guy. Engineering and instalation of Fiber and copper Telecommunications equip. and splicing. Well in 2004 I had a very bad wreck which split my pelvis in half and a whole bunch of other stuff, after this everywhere I went had a reason they could not help me. Even the V.A. hospital turned me away and I am a war time vet. Anyway I went three yrs with absolutely no income of any kind. It took that long for me to get well enough to go back to work in Nov. of 07. Well in March of this year. I was working the Ice Storm in Kentucky when I gaffed out of a pole at about 35 – 40 feet fell and shattered my pelvis and bummed up my back again. I tell you this so you can have a little history.
I just got out of the Dallas Spinal Institute about 6 – 7 weeks ago now.
So first – I downloaded your program onto a used laptop I had. Well since then the laptop went poof. I have been able to get new pc which I am on now. But all I have are your emails. How do I get everything I paid for. Like the Ebay cash, or the resale info stuff, sorry trying very hard to remember what all I read back then. I hope someone reads this please get back to me..
Anyway……My Vision.
My vision is to do build a business around my life. What I mean is I am a drummer/percussionist. In the early 90s I had a little music success. But since then It was just a hobbie. Time to bring that back and build a record label, a recording studio, a booking agency, a theatrical rental company, and start a band or find one to manage.
I also have used just about every kind of cutting tool there is and I have always collected knives. So I guess I try to do something with that as well maybe not. I have not seen enough yet. And I just got my first pc in april 09 so I been taking time to get to know how to work one. And I have managed to get a paypal account ebay and what not. But I am hammering away in the dark so to speak. Please get back to me.
Hi Eric,
It has been a breath of fresh air that after 20+ thousand dollars in wasted money on multitudes of business’, over many years, i have realised my complete lack of knowledge in marketing to make them successful, hence why I am now on the right track with the right vision and education to see that vision become actual!
I visualise, having a totally successful online business, with many automated and low maitenance websites that will see me earn at least $5,000.000 a year +, that will see an end to dead jobs i have had where the pay is terrible, the hours you work, not enough, and staff cuts to make you do more and more, for less and less pay. I envision that I will be able to run a successful business, be very fair in all my business dealings and with my associates, give to worthy causes, and feel I could take a holiday at will, and be of a great benefit to others, in being successful despite having the multitude of disappointments I have had, but haven’t given up. My problem has always been the lack of confidence, but now being led step by step, there is hope of making it, and believing that it will happen.
Thanks for the lesson Eric, at the moment my vision of my future is still blur. But I hope I have landed on the right path.
Terry- just get in touch with my helpdesk and let us know specifically which products you bought and need to re-download. Thanks!
I hear ya about the trout stream 😉
Hi Eric, my vision is to be a sucessfull internet marketer. I can see my self in short time earning at least $5,000 a day from my verious internet ventures. I like to have multiple source of income mostly from internet. Have various sucessfull projects one of being helping others like me to be financially free. I will take many vacations and at any time and any place i choose. I will spend quality time with my family and friends and give back to community as much as I can. This may all sound not so clear but I have very clear picture in my mind of what I am about to do and where I am headed. Thanks again for your lessons they are great.
Hi Eric, my vision is to be a successfull internet marketer. I can see my self in a short time earning $20,000 a month from my verious internet ventures. I like to have multiple source of income mostly from internet. I will like to help children and some poor people in Africa , build some schools for some poor kids in Africa so they can get better education . Children are the future of this this world no matter where they come from . I will take many vacations at any time and any place that i choose to. I will spend quality time with my family and friends and give back to community as much as I can. This may all sound not so clear but I have a very clear picture in my mind of what I want to do . What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe , it can achieve . Thank’s for your lessons Eric , Keep them coming
Eric, my vision is to develop a successful online business which will deliver a monthly 5 figure income. I want to succeed by drawing on the experience and interests I have picked up in the last 50 years as well as learning the necessary new skills and knowledge to achieve this goal. I will spend whatever time and resources this new venture provides to live a more fulfilling life by traveling, spending time with family and friends, pursuing my personal interests, being a resource to help others to succeed.
Hi Eric,
My vision is to become debt free first and foremost. I want to have a 7 figure a year income from multiple automated websites in the self-help, weight loss and diet markets.
That kind of income will enable me to employ my dad to cut my lawns for $1000 a month cash because he is on a sickness benefit. It takes 2 minutes to cut them. I just hate doing it.
Also, I could live some of my dreams like having a white Christmas and taking my friends with me and me pay for it. Also, to help out so many of my friends who are worse off than I am.
With that type of income, I could have my ultimate job which is teaching people to surf, for free. Also, I would start a surf ministry with all the kids that dont have dads in my church. Because I LOVE to surf.
And to retire at a young age.
Hi Eric,
I do not yet have a website for my business but with your help I am hoping to do so at the end of my lessons with you. I think I will be better prepared to do so then.
My vision is to have a successful online business which would help me get out of all my debts that are really depressing me now and to allow me to own my home where my two sons can be confortable. Also to be able to pay for furthering their education.
I really enjoy helping people and one of my goals is to one day with the help of God build a shelter for abused children, where they could be cared for, educated both academically and spiritually and to experience what true love is.
Eric, I want to say a very special thank you to you for all that you have been doing for people like myself, so make sure that we succeed in our business. Rest assured that the almighty will bestow lots of blessings on you for sharing your knowledge with us.
May the good Lord continue blessing you and your family.
Hey Eric thats was awsome video i have ever gone through.
Let me tell you about my vision.
1) i want to earn min $50k/month from adsense mainly, any helpful tips will appreciated.
2) want to establish online business empire that runs on auto pilot.
3) i want to be independent and like to enjoy my whole life with my family.
4) I want to help the poor people around the world providing them food,shelter & source of income to live a good life.
Eric can you suggest something that will help me acheiving this vision.
Thanks
Mark.
my vision is to help people renovate there homes on the cheap;I’ve been doing this for 30yrs and now I work in a tile shop selling tiles to those renovating their bathroom, kitchen, you get the idea; but most people do not know the cost.
Right now I do(do it your self class) after work for the boss witch I enjoy, but I can see this needs to go further, yes I’ve seen the one’s on the net but nothing exciting;
So if you know of a site that I should look at to get some more inspiration, please let me know.
PS: I and my wife have renovated 36 house’s, and those are the one’s we did after work, we have done thousand’s for client’s over 23yrs.
Hi eric.
My Internet business vision
To be committed 100%, To become a successful online marketer. And to don’t give up until I accomplish my goal, I want to make 100k per month, and re invest most of it, building more wealth, and helping people, like my family, friends, church, and finally mentor people on how to make money,
con grads on your state championship. I used to be a distance runner too, my vision was to win league finals, that is why I never even had a chance to win state
Hey Eric,
As per your request…my vision.
In one year (2010) I will have three businesses that combined will net $375k. Each business will be protected via LLC’s and be insured for $1mil. The businesses own two homes, one stateside and another overseas, that I use for business reasons and pleasure. Likewise that businesses own two vehicles that I use to get around and conduct my personal and business affairs. The businesses offer high quality, meaningful products and services to my customers that they come back to time and again because they trust both me and the products to delvier as promised. My customers are not uptight but laid back and mature. Because the businesses are mostly automated and outsources for the most part I can concentrate on finding new ways of expanding them into peripheral services and products, I have chosen with great care these niches and dominate those markets because I have my finger on the pulse of my customers. I work about 35-40 hours per week on keeping these businesses growing to my ultimate goal of each clearing $350 per year by the end of 2011. At that time I will sell off the two weaker businesses for a handsome profit and turn my attention to the strongest business to make it a million dollar a year net business.
Being mostly automated and outsourced I can work from anywhere in the world, so vacations are whenever and whereever I want so long as I can stay connected. I have plenty of time to spend with my kids because I can work any time of day. My dating life is equally vibrant because of the ability to work anywhere and anytime.
All in all, this vision will happen because I am committed to see it happen.
Hi Eric,
I’m still relatively new to your training, but have soon discovered that I am very comfortable with the sincerity and ease of what you say and do.
Coming late to the party of IM, (just turned 51 yesterday), my vision is to establish a number of small but profitable affiliate websites. I am currently working on my first one, but as soon as I have ironed out some obstacles and it becomes profitable, I would like to duplicate the process to establish more and more of these websites. My financial goal is to supplement my current income with at least $3,000 per month by the end of 2010.
All of this must fit in within my overall vision to glorify the name of God.
Maartin Strydom
South Africa
I think building an online business would be one way to get there.
Hi Eric,
Like many have already said, “I wish I had found Erics Tips 2years ago when I started looking to make some money online!”
Even though I have learn’t a lot over that 2 years it’s good to find a course that actually starts at the beginning and builds a good business foundation first.
Congratulations!
My Vision:
In 1 year I see myself with an online business with several streams of income bringing in $5000/month. I will only be spending 2hrs/day running this business.
In 2 years my house will be completely renovated.
In 3 years I will be retired (age 55). I will have a new Trailer Sailer and be able to live a lifestyle of travelling with my husband and spending time with family and friends.
Cheers from Australia
Kaz
Hi:
My vision for my business is based upon our love for travel.I see myself actually building and owning a very successful travel business online. Travel is fun and it will be easy to incorporate this attitude into the everyday aspects of my business. Of course the end result will be great monetary gain leading to financial independence as well as the ability to take my wife on more holidays than we currently enjoy. I also want my wife retired. She works far too hard.
Hi Eric, I am up to date with everything so far although I do have some reading to do. I wish I had started going through your tips when I first subscribed. My goal for 2009 was to build a website – that I have done for another person but I didn’t include marketing so I didn’t set my goals high enough – so your tips are so valuable and I am delighted to set my goals now.
Initially I want to build an income of $30K within the first 3 months then to have an annual income exceeding $1mil. I will have income from a number of streams, affiliate marketing, adsense, sale of ebooks and options trading and other sources as they come within my radar. My passion is to build a website providing detailed and summarized information of all that is available for people to prevent and treat cancer naturally without the extremes of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Watching so many people, including my husband, suffer and die from this dreadful disease is heartbreaking when you know there are treatments available. So few people know what is available.
I also want to be a mentor for other people who want to develop their skills and become successful especially if they have a dream. The site I recently built was for a lady who had very little skill/knowledge of computers. She has added over 300 products to her site and has full control over it adding posts and editing existing ones. However I have failed her by not providing her with the marketing skills to build the business.
In my past I have been a computer trainer and would like to do that again however to larger audiences helping them achieve their goals.
My goal is to own my own spacious home with a plate glass window overlooking the ocean but high enough up so it won’t be flooded. I will spend my early mornings working with sufficient time to enjoy the company of family and friends. I will travel for pleasure and also work in relation to this new business. My goal for 2010 is to put a deposit on this home, build my own site by mid January and then to have another 50 by years end.
I will build a trust fund in my husbands name to assist poorer children achieve their potential. My passion is children and especially the under-privileged.
I want to be an inspiration to my own children and hopefully introduce this income choice to them.
Thank you Eric for sharing your knowledge and skills with us free of charge. I love that you have broken the lessons up into bite size pieces so we can work at our own pace.
I will share my vision.
I see myself making millions of dollars on the internet.It is my vision to write a check for one million dollars to support missions for the kingdom of God.
Hi Eric, I am doing my business plan and would like to check out what i had posted for my vision a few days ago. Is it possible to review our information?
Thank you for this invaluable information – I am loving it. Regards – Maureen
Hi Eric,
Thank you for your time and effort in these classes!
My vision is to have a successful online business making one million dollars a year. I will travel the country with my wife and work from my laptop. I will help others to realize there dreams, by sharing my knowledge of this industry and assisting any way I can.
Many times thanks, instruction is amazing
To Eric,
To make an income that would give my family financial freedom even in these hard economic times and get beyond the weekly grind. This financial freedom can then place me in a position to better develop my fine art contribution to society in my later years since I am a graphic and visual artist. Accumulating large amounts of money in itself has no meaning to me only as it is a necessary commodity in this society for material security and comfort. Therefore the higher goals such as providing opportunity for others, giving back to society and sharing the message of salvation, since I am a Christian is paramount. I do recognize and understand that poverty and economic worries are not what is good for a Christian or anyone else on this earth, therefore material success is a goal we should all strive for without a doubt.
Thank you,
James Dean, Jr.
Hi all,
My vision is to develop an internet business which will replace my income within the first six months allowing me to leave my job and spend more time at home with my family and focus on expanding my business.
I am aiming to make enough money in the first 18 months to pay my mortgage and car loan which will leave me debt and headache free.
I aim to manage my business in 15 hours a week or less and earn more than the average wage. With my spare time I am looking forward to spending it with my wife and children and I want the freedom to be able to come and go as please with minimal restrictions. When my kids have all started school I would like to volunteer with local a community program and do some work with kids who have cancer and be of some support to their families as this is close to my heart after losing my sister to leukemia.
Yes it should be posted now.
My vision is to have a successful online business. After spending a week and a half with my family during the Christmas holidays; I really enjoyed seeing my kids happy. That is my vision to see that they continue to be happy and that I spend more time with them and my wife. Secondly I want to help others help themselves to lesson like these to be self reliant. Now that the New Year is just around the corner what perfect timing it is to be thinking up a vision and writing it down. So clearly I want to be earning 100,000 and above. And create jobs or at least point people to the right direction on how to make money online.
Eric,
By the number of people posting their vision,it is obvious that your course is greatly appreciated–especially by me, as I am recovering from a large debt and only have a state pension as income. My vision is modest, a mere $20,000 residual income per month. I have pledged that as soon as I attain a profit of $2000, half will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation. I am at present concentrating on submitting articles to ezines with help from:
http://lysmamide.massarticl.hop.clickbank.net
Hi, Eric! I have a web-site and business already in place. It is http://www.securelywrapped.com. My husband and I are retirees…actually quite elderly. My husband has Alzheimer’s and may soon need expensive care. My vision is to be debt-free by the end of this new year. Our retirement money will run out in August 2010. By then, my business will be bringing in enough money that we won’t notice. Whatever the future holds for us, we will persevere….and conquor!
My vision is to have a successful online business selling and promoting Ebooks on tutoring basic math and writing skills and health and diet Ebooks. I will work less than 40 hours. Spent more time giving back to my community. Go back to school to obtain advance degrees. I will take lots of time off to travel all over the world. My final visions is that I will create an after school program for middle school students on how to be a successful business persons.