First to a Million: A Teenager’s Guide to Achieving Early Financial Independence

Change the way you look at money before you turn 20―and become a FI Freak!

Most teenagers are told about only one financial path: Work until you’re old and then retire. But what if you want to spend your adult life traveling, creating, or bettering the world instead of working all day, every day?

Financial independence (FI) is the only way to win the resource you can’t rewind: time. Time for yourself, time for your family and friends, and time for your dreams. Build the freedom to define your own future by building a strong financial base―which means saving more, spending less, and starting to invest as soon as possible.

First to a Million explores the many advantages of FI while explaining the secrets of investing, living frugally, and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. Treating your finances differently than the average teenager will put you miles ahead of your peers, and with time (and compounding) on your side, you can win the game before it even starts!

Inside the Book, You’ll Learn:

Why the typical American Dream pathway is not for everyone

How a FI Freak can take control of their financial future

The Four Mechanisms of Early FI (Spoiler: They’re ridiculously simple!)

How to make more money as a teen with creative jobs and side hustles

How to be frugal and live richly with a life full of happiness and flexibility

The difference between income and wealth, real and false assets, and good and bad debt

Personal finance basics―like tracking income and expenses, building a credit score from the ground up, and calculating your net worth

Investing basics―like earning passive income, understanding the power of compound interest, and how index funds and real estate can build your wealth

Dan Sheeks is the owner and founder of SheeksFreaks LLC, an online community dedicated to helping young people live their best lives by making smart money decisions. He has been a high school business teacher in Denver, Colorado, for eighteen years, and he’s passionate about teaching teenagers personal finance, passive income, real estate investing, and early financial freedom strategies. Dan and his wife own fifteen units and have enjoyed success with multifamily, short-term rentals, and the BRRRR strategy. In his free time, Dan likes to run, bike, cross-country ski, and attend bluegrass music festivals.