Stop being poor! π° How I became a millionaire at 26
Let me tell you the brutal truth: You're not poor because you're unlucky. You're poor because you make bad decisions.
At 20 I was broke. At 26 I'm a millionaire. What changed? My mindset. My decisions. My actions.
π« The 7 reasons why you stay poor
Reason #1: You're selling your time for money π
40 hours per week for β¬3,000 = slavery with extra steps.
The math: 40 hours/week Γ 4 weeks = 160 hours/month. β¬3,000 Γ· 160 hours = β¬18.75/hour. That's NOTHING.
The solution: Sell results, not time. Build systems. Use AI. Scale.
Example from my life:
2020: I managed social media for 5 restaurants. 40 hours/week. β¬3,000/month.
2021: I automated 80% with AI. Same work in 8 hours/week. Acquired 10 new clients. β¬30,000/month.
Same work. Ten times more money. That's the difference between rich and poor.
Reason #2: You're afraid of risk π±
"What if it doesn't work out?" - This question will keep you poor.
The truth is: The greatest risk is taking NO risk.
March 2020: I quit my job. β¬1,200/month. Everyone said I was crazy. Today I earn more in a day than I did back then in a month.
Reason #3: You surround yourself with losers π€‘
You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Your friends earn β¬2,000/month? You will earn β¬2,000 too. Your friends have no goals? You won't either.
What I did in 2021:
I canceled ALL my old friendships. Yes, all of them.
Instead: Joined mastermind groups (β¬5,000/year), attended entrepreneur events, sought mentors who earn 10x more, built a network of winners.
Result: My income increased tenfold in 12 months. Coincidence? No. Environment = Everything.
Reason #4: You consume instead of create πΊ
4h Netflix, 2h TikTok, 1h Instagram. Every day.
The calculation: 7 hours/day Γ 365 days = 2,555 hours/year. That's 106 days per year that you're wasting.
What I do instead:
Mornings (6-9 am): 1 hour of exercise, 1 hour of studying, 1 hour of deep work
Daytime (9am-6pm): Meetings, content creation, sales calls, strategy
Evenings (6-10 pm): Networking, side projects, skill development
Netflix? Maybe one hour on the weekend. Maybe.
Reason #5: You're looking for excuses π
"I have no money" - Bullshit. You need β¬0 for a service business.
"I don't have time" - Bullshit. You have time for Netflix but not for your business?
"I don't know how" - Bullshit. YouTube is free. Google is free.
"I'm too old" - Bullshit. Colonel Sanders started KFC at 65.
"I have no connections" - Bullshit. LinkedIn exists. Networking is a skill.
Reason #6: You want to get rich quick π°
The truth: Get Rich Quick = Get Poor Quick.
The reality is: It takes 3-5 years to become truly rich. But those 3-5 years will pass anyway.
The timeline that works:
Year 1: Learning, struggling, first β¬3,000/month
Year 2: Scaling, building a team, β¬10,000/month
Year 3: Automating systems, β¬25,000/month
Year 4: Diversify, β¬50,000+/month
Year 5: Financial Freedom, Millionaire
The question is: Do you want to still be poor in 5 years? Or do you want to be a millionaire in 5 years?
Reason #7: You're not starting π«
You read this article. You nod. You think, "Yes, that makes sense." And then? NOTHING.
95% of the people reading this will do NOTHING. They will remain poor. They will continue to struggle. They will continue to dream instead of taking action.
But you? You can be different. You can be among the 5% who actually follow through.
π° How I became a millionaire at 26: The exact strategy
Phase 1: Foundation (2019-2020) - From β¬0 to β¬3,000/month
Months 1-3: Learning skills
- YouTube tutorials: 4-6 hours/day
- Online courses: Udemy, Coursera
- Focus: Social Media Marketing & Facebook Ads
- Investment: β¬0 (everything is free)
Months 4-6: First customers
- Acquisition: LinkedIn, cold emails, local businesses
- Offer: Social Media Management for β¬600/month
- First 5 customers won
- Revenue: β¬3,000/month
Months 7-12: Optimization
- Standardizing processes
- Creating templates
- Reduce working time per customer
- Increase profit margin
Phase 2: Scaling (2021) - From β¬3,000 to β¬35,000/month
January 2021: Decision
- I sell my time = not scalable
- Solution: Build a team, automate processes
- Niche: E-commerce, Social Media Marketing
February-March 2021: Building a team
- 2 Content Creators (Philippines) - β¬800/month
- 1 Ads Manager (Germany, part-time) - β¬2,000/month
- Me: Sales & Strategy
April-December 2021: Growth
- April: β¬8,000/month (4 clients at β¬2,000 each)
- June: β¬15,000/month (7 clients)
- September: β¬22,000/month (11 clients)
- December: β¬35,000/month (15 clients at β¬2,000-β¬3,000 each)
Phase 3: AI Revolution (2023) - From β¬35,000 to β¬180,000/month
November 2022: ChatGPT Launch
I tested ChatGPT on the first day. After two hours, I knew: This is the future.
December 2022 - March 2023: Complete Pivot
- 8-12h/day ChatGPT, Midjourney, testing AI tools
- Automate all workflows with AI
- Training the team in AI
- New services: AI automation, AI content, AI chatbots
- Increase pricing: β¬10,000 - β¬30,000 per customer
Results Q1 2023:
- Efficiency: +300%
- Quality: +150%
- Profit margin: 65%
- Revenue: β¬180,000/month (April 2023)
Phase 4: ONLINE.BROS (2024-2025) - From β¬180,000 to β¬350,000/month
March 2024: ONLINE.BROS Launch
- Done-For-You Services: We build your business in 48 hours
- Bootcamps: 4 weeks of intensive training in Pattaya
- Membership: Community + Courses + Support (β¬97/month)
- 1-on-1 Coaching: Personal Mentoring
Today (December 2025):
- Age: 26 years
- Net worth: β¬2.4 million
- Monthly revenue: β¬280,000 - β¬350,000
- Team: 42 people worldwide
- Locations: Dubai, Pattaya, Germany
π₯ The 10 rules that made me a millionaire
- Facts > Feelings π - Your feelings lie. Data doesn't lie.
- Speed ββ> Perfection β‘ - Done is better than perfect. Always.
- High Risk, High Reward π² - No risk = No reward.
- Environment = Everything π - Your environment determines your income.
- Skills > Degrees π - Nobody asks about your degree when you earn β¬50,000/month.
- Leverage Everything π§ - Time, money, technology, people - use everything as leverage.
- Work > Balance βοΈ - In your 20s: Work-Work-Work. Balance comes later.
- Invest in Yourself First π - Best investment ever: yourself.
- Build in Public π’ - Share your journey. Build an audience.
- Never Stop Learning π - The day you stop learning is the day you begin to die.
πͺ What YOU need to do NOW
Step 1: Make a decision (TODAY)
Do you really want to become rich? Or do you just want to talk about it?
Step 2: Choose a skill (THIS WEEK)
AI automation, social media marketing, content creation, copywriting, or sales. Choose ONE.
Step 3: Learning (NEXT 30 DAYS)
Daily 4-6 hours of YouTube tutorials, 2 hours of online courses, 1 hour of practical training. Investment: β¬0 - β¬500
Step 4: First Customer (DAY 31-60)
LinkedIn: 20 contacts/day, cold emails: 50/day. Goal: 3-5 clients at β¬500-1,000 each.
Step 5: Scaling (DAY 61-90)
Automate processes, increase prices, acquire more customers, build a team. Goal: β¬10,000/month
π― How ONLINE.BROS can help you
Option 1: Done-For-You Business Setup (β¬999)
Complete business setup in 24-48 hours. Website, offers, pricing, initial customer acquisition strategy, 30 days of support.
Option 2: 4-week bootcamp in Pattaya (β¬14,997)
Four weeks of intensive training with me personally. Guaranteed profit or your money back. Lifetime access to the community.
Option 3: ONLINE.BROS Membership (β¬97/month)
All courses, weekly live calls, 2,300+ community, templates & tools.
π₯ The final truth
You now have two options:
Option A: You close this tab. You go back to your life. You remain poor. You die poor.
Option B: You make the decision TODAY. You start. You persevere. You will become rich.
The choice is yours.
But let me tell you one thing: In 5 years you'll wish you had started TODAY.
So, what will it be?
- Gerd Brako, 26, millionaire, founder of ONLINE.BROS