If you are willing to work hard, there is no reason why you cannot become wealthy; this is certainly proven by real-estate mogul Sean Conlon, who worked his way up from poverty. Everyone could learn from his story, so let us tell you the story of this self-made man, so you can benefit from it too!
Journey to Chicago
Born in the small town of Rathangan in County Kildare, Ireland, Sean Conlon certainly did not grow up privileged. Together with his parents and numerous siblings, he lived in a modest home of less than 1,000 square feet. His parents struggled considerably to keep their family afloat. The bank even tried to repossess their house during childhood, so Sean certainly witnessed firsthand what financial struggle entailed.
In 1990, Sean decided to seek his fortune in the United States. He saved $500 and headed straight for Chicago, where he quickly took a job as an assistant janitor. He spent years cleaning during the day, but also painting apartments at night. Once he had enough saved, he decided to buy his first apartment.
The Safety of Real Estate
In an interview with CNBC, Sean stated that he saw a tangible path to wealth through real estate. When he started in the real estate business, the sale price of the property in question was only $20,000, but he sold it for $230,000 with a $4,000 commission. It was the largest amount of money he made in his life, since he only had an annual salary of $14,000 at that time.
Since he was not willing to drop his day job and still wanted the security from it, Sean decided to start selling real estate at night. Over a period of three years, he became one of the best real estate brokers in North America!
Sean states that his success is not down to sheer luck or simply knowing the right people, he made his way to success by working hard. He got up at 6 a.m. in the morning, worked as a janitor and then continued as a real-estate agent once he got home. He simply outworked his competitors!
Becoming a Broker
Outworking his competitors continued during his career as a real estate broker, because Sean eventually become a full-time broker in 1993. Many claim his hustle distinguishes him from the rest, but also his hard work and dedication.
Sean stated in an interview that he was certainly not smarter than his competitors, especially when you consider most of his competitors had the privilege to have attended an Ivy League School such as Harvard and Yale. However, Sean said that those Ivy Leaguers wanted to go home sooner and were usually unwilling to do the extra work. Thanks to their need to go home a little sooner, Sean could easily get a day ahead of them with each passing week, making him more successful over time.
Becoming a Millionaire
Through hard work and a lot of dedication, Sean Conlon became a millionaire in 1996. Four years later, Sean founded the company Conlon & Co, a real estate firm. He also created Sussex & Reilly, a high-tech real-estate firm that expanded quickly and rapidly, leading to a business with more than 300 employees.
Becoming a millionaire did not make Sean any less dedicated to his profession, nor did it affect his winning attitude. Sean decided to go back to school and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, which only made him more successful.
Of course, to stay on top of the game, Sean still needed to work hard and was willing to constantly look for opportunities. Success demands hard work, so sitting on the wealth you currently have is certainly no guarantee that you stay wealthy. Many millionaires claim that you must spend money to make money, but Sean has stated it takes hard work to make money. Therefore, a combination of the two might be your story towards success.
The Moral of the Story
Many people believe that becoming wealthy is down to sheer luck or having rich parents, but Sean Conlon proved that this is not always the case. He made the step and moved to America to find success. Even though not everyone is successful, Sean is living proof that is it possible to succeed if you are willing to work incredibly hard. So, even if you’re not born in wealth, it doesn’t mean you are doomed to spend your life in poverty!