My Parents Were Middle Class — Here Is How I Became Upper Class
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Chris Cluff
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Growing up in a middle-class household can instill a sense of financial stability and comfort, but for those with loftier aspirations, it may not be enough.
Ryan Crownholm didn’t come from money or privilege. He was a middle-class kid from a humble neighborhood in Northern California. His mom worked as a dental hygienist, and his dad owned a stationery store.
“They were both very successful compared to the way they were raised and provided a safe and healthy environment for my brother and I to thrive,” Crownholm said. “They instilled incredible work ethic in us, and this was the backbone of my success — although I used the work ethic in very different ways than they did.”
Today, Crownholm is a successful serial entrepreneur, as well as the author of “The Hustle Trap.”
Working Hard Is Not Enough
A strong work ethic is undoubtedly helpful, but it must go hand in hand with strategic decision making. Clocking in long hours at a dead-end job is admirable, but it’s unlikely to give you the results you want if your dream is to become upper class.
“In my early days, I outworked everyone around me, and this was invaluable when it came to getting off the ground,” Crownholm said. “I was never a good student; so, when I lacked direction as a young man, I joined the military. This was the first time I really discovered my work ethic. It allowed me to progress through the ranks quickly; and, when I got out of the military, I was ready to leverage this work ethic into the real world.”
After leaving the military, Crownholm established a successful junk removal business. However, a major accident and lengthy recovery forced Crownholm to rethink his approach. He realized that no matter how hard he worked, he could do only so much on his own.
“It wasn’t until a horrible accident where I was hospitalized and went through two years of surgeries that I Iearned how to create a business that could run without me,” he said. “Once I was forced away from the day-to-day hustle, I learned how to leverage my work ethic in a whole new way.”
Crownholm shifted to building a team that could operate without him. While he still worked hard, his focus was on empowering others rather than just grinding himself into the ground.
“Rather than one man out-hustling everyone around me, I created a team of people to hustle 24/7 on my behalf,” he said. “I know it’s cliche, but I learned to work smarter and not harder.”
Save 50% of Your Earnings
Saving half of your earnings is a crucial step toward building a substantial nest egg and achieving financial independence. This disciplined approach to saving and investing will compound your wealth over time, creating a powerful financial engine that can propel you into the upper class.
One major key to Crownholm’s upper-class status was splitting his income stream right down the middle — 50% for lifestyle, 50% for investments that would generate recurring income.
“This is a hard one for many but has been one of the key reasons I’ve entered the upper class,” Crownholm said. “I take 50% of my income to support my lifestyle and 50% of my income to go to work for me. This is through real estate deals, equity investments, debt investments and other financial instruments that create income. Those investments work for me 24/7 so I don’t have to.”
It’s easy to get seduced by luxury lifestyle creep as your income grows. Crownholm avoided that trap. Instead of blowing his gains on fancier cars or a bigger home, half of every dollar went to investments that generated passive income.
Your Time Is Finite
One of the biggest mistakes people make on the path to wealth is trading away their limited time for money. Time is the most precious and finite resource there is, and how you allocate it can make all the difference.
“Don’t trade something that is finite for something that is infinite,” Crownholm said. “Instead, use leverage to scale your time. Through outsourcing, systems and technology, you can clone yourself infinitely. It’s not about how many hours you work. It’s about how many hours are worked on your behalf.”
You must learn to prioritize your time effectively. Crownholm learned to outsource and delegate tasks that drained his time and energy. He had more quality time for himself, and he spent less time endlessly hustling.
“No one ever came up with a groundbreaking idea while having back-to-back meetings and sales calls all day long,” Crownholm said. “Creating space to be creative and to think was essential in my progression to upper class. I spend at least two hours per day walking. I listen to podcasts or just spend time with my own thoughts. I consider this to be my biggest return on my time and where the majority of my success has come from.”
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