5 Little Guys that Got Rich in Bad Times
By Joshua Boswell

Last week I told you that wealth is not actually destroyed … rather, it transfers from one group of people to another.

This is happening all the time, but it happens the fastest when there is a great economic crisis.

For example, since 2008 — the second worst market crash and economic crisis in the history of the United States — Apple has gone from earning around $25 billion to ending this past year with over $105 billion in revenues.

In the same period, their stock has gone from around $80 a share to around $560. It is estimated that they have a cash reserve of $112 billion sitting in the bank right now. (That is about the national GDP of New Zealand, just for comparison … )

Where did they get all that money? I thought everyone is out of work and broke?

They saw where the money was moving and created a couple of buckets to capture it. We call those buckets the iPad, iPhone, and iPod.

Big companies are not the only ones capturing the transfer of wealth.

Meet 5 “Little Guys” Doing Just Fine …
In 5 VERY Different Industries

For example, I recently read an interesting article about a bed company in New York (Long’s Bedding). They have been a family business since 1911. That means they have outlived both World Wars, the Great Depression, the 2008 crash, the current batch of scoundrels on both Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue … and everything in-between. Pretty impressive for a little bedding shop.

The article talked about a number of strategic tactics they have used to last so long and remain profitable through it all. This year, their profits are up more than 25% and the owners are financially stable enough to retire at any time.

Their latest round of major growth happened because of the recession. They figured out how to scoop up the transfer of wealth that was happening.

A Little-Known Internet Marketer Making Bank

Their success story reminds me of some Internet marketers I know.

I’m sure you’ve heard of big names like Perry Marshall, Frank Kern, Rich Schefren, Brendon Burchard … and you’d expect them to be wildly rich and famous.

But what about my friend Kevin Thompson? Kevin used to make his living salmon fishing in Alaska. When he almost lost his life during a storm in the Bering Sea, he switched to a much safer occupation … carpet cleaning.

It was safer physically, but not as much financially. When he just about lost his home and his shirt because of the recession, he figured out a system for riding the tidal wave of money movement, instead of being crushed by it. He moved to higher ground and started scooping up the money.

Today, he lives a life of total financial freedom from his home in Washington. He travels to third-world countries regularly with his family to do missionary and charitable service work. His income grows while he’s gone.

Another example comes to my mind …

Enjoying Wealth in a “Dying” Financial Market

Do you know the name Garrett Gunderson? Garrett is another of my good friends that is masterful at capitalizing on the transfer of wealth.

As a boy, Garrett grew up in a small mining town in central Utah. He was just about the only Catholic kid in a Mormon community. Can you say awkward and intimidating? At any rate, you can guess they were very, very poor.

Garrett struggled for years to get ahead, until he discovered — and then mastered — a number of powerful principles that let him cash in on market troubles and turbulence.

When I met Garrett in 2008, his company had just been listed as a “Fast 50” and hit the Inc. 500 List for the first time. His three-year growth rate was 650%! Since then, his company has exceeded that growth and continues to be strong and viable.

Now, 650% growth is pretty impressive … but let me give you two final examples of people that figured out how to make money in a tough economy and position themselves to retire anytime they want.

Is This What Money Smells Like?
It Does for Orville and Heidi …

In 2004, Orville and Heidi Thompson (no relation to Kevin, as far as I know!), were struggling running the family sheep farm in central Idaho. It was then that they bought the company Scentsy, including the entire inventory that fit in the back seat of their car.

Today, that same company does close to $500 million in revenues and has a three-year growth of 8,094%! As you might guess from the name, they sell candles and other good-smelling things. Can you imagine becoming a multimillionaire in under 8 years, in the middle of Idaho, during the second worst recession in history … selling scented candles?

It’s crazy, but that’s what happens when you know how and when the money is moving.

It goes without saying that Orville and Heidi don’t need to work for money anymore.

My last example is equally crazy to me …

Massive Profits from the Law of Scarcity

In 2007, Paul Hurley started a website selling non-essential junk. Okay, that is what I call it. Most people call it accessories, travel items, bags, and knickknacks. (Okay, to be fair, that’s how he started out … today there’s more stuff than that … ) Every day, he has a sale that starts at 12 noon ET and runs for a certain amount of time and/or quantity.

Today he has over 5 million members and is growing at a staggering rate of 40,882%. That is not a typo. Forty thousand eight hundred and eighty-two percent growth!

Do you think he figured out how to scoop up the money as it moves? Do you think Paul can afford just about any lifestyle he wants?

Yes!

(BTW, his site is ideeli.com … I can’t even figure out how to pronounce it … lol — Who says branding is everything?)

Wealth Distribution from 1923 Until Today
Who Controls the Money?

Internet marketing, e-commerce sites, financial services, candles, furniture … all of them have been able to create massive wealth during very tough times.

For the owners, this means the opportunity to retire rich and much earlier than the average person would think of retiring.

I’ve given you specific examples of people in different industries that have grown wealthy during tough financial times, but now let me give you some statistics.

Before the Great Depression, the top 1% of the income earners in the United States controlled about 15% of the wealth. In the heart of the Depression, this number had risen to around 23.8%.

Over the next 45 years — during a time of widespread prosperity, wealth became more evenly distributed. By 1979, the top 1% controlled just 8.9% of the total wealth in the USA.

Today, after close to five years of general economic trouble, the tables have radically shifted. The top 1% now controls 23.5%.

In other words, as most of the world was suffering from financial distress, the wealthy were becoming exponentially wealthier. Wealth did not disappear … it moved. It transferred from one group of people to another.

Now, these facts may upset you. They may make you want to run out to a nearby park, live in a tent, and protest against the injustices of life.

We have seen that recently. But, the reality is that this kind of social/economic imbalance has always existed and will always exist … no matter what governments do.

There Will Always Be An Imbalance.
So, Where Will You Stand?

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Pareto Principle? It is also known as the 80/20 law. In 1906, in a strongly socialist British Empire, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto noticed that 80% of the wealth was controlled by 20% of the population.

The French noticed this imbalance in the late 1700’s and revolted. Of course, after the “citizens” lopped off the heads of the aristocrats and assumed control, they quickly made sure that they controlled the wealth and the imbalance was safely restored.

Even Aristotle noticed the imbalance in the Grecian Empire in 320 BC. If you read Genesis, you’ll discover that Cain was mad at Abel for having a better crop and job, so he slew him.

It is not ever going away, no how many revolutions we wage or downtown parks we occupy.

Wealth transfer will always happen.

The question is, which side of the equation are you going to be on?

As the wealth continues to move, will you be left holding an empty bag, wondering why life is unfair?

Or, will you move to higher ground and be in a position to scoop up the wealth as it flows?

5 Principles for Profiting When the Money Moves

If you choose to scoop it up (and I really hope you do), you will find that not only will you become wealthy in the moment, but you’ll have the ability to stop worrying about money. You can retire early (or at least have the wealth to do so if you choose), and continue to be rich and prosperous the rest of your days.

A prime example of this that comes to my mind is Mark Ford. I have an awesome picture of Mark as a little boy. He is standing with his big sister in the middle of the road, in front of a run-down New York City apartment. From the looks of it, they are playing in a dirty puddle of water.

If you go to www.PalmBeachLetter.com, you will see a series of awesome pictures of Mark flash across the screen. He does not live in a scary NYC apartment building and his little puddle has turned into prime oceanfront property all over the world.

Mark can retire at any time and never worry about money again.

That is the kind of life that I want for you and me.

Over the past few years, I have been studying the lives of men like Mark. I have been researching their business practices.

There are a number of things they do to make their wealth grow when others are struggling.

Next week, I will share with you the first of these money-making principles.

In fact, I believe that using the ideas I’m going to present to you, you’ll be able to scoop up the wealth that is moving now … and retire early and very rich.

Here’s a Lazy Man’s Way to $26,700 a MONTH

In my ongoing effort to find opportunities for you to create wealth and security in your life, I have come across another incredible opportunity.

This man named Paul has officially declared himself “lazy” … and insists on only working about 4 hours a day … sometimes much less.

Yet, with all of that sitting around and playing, he still manages to make in excess of $26,700 a MONTH.

Clearly, Paul has discovered where a nice chunk of the money is flowing and has made a very nice collection bucket for himself.

Watch this video and see how he does it. I think you’ll be surprised.

Who knows … maybe you could be enjoying a $320,400 annual income being lazy as well …

Watch the video now.