$0 Learning vs. $100K Learning vs. $1M Learning: How Do The Rich Learn New Things?

"Every year you don’t know how to make $1 million costs you… $1 million."

That’s not a metaphor.
That’s the math.

So if you’re planning on being alive another 10 years and you don’t figure this out?

That’s a $10,000,000 opportunity cost.

Over the last 3.5 years, I’ve spent $527,000 learning how to collapse time.

Not on college. Not on theory.
On real-world, skin-in-the-game, high-level education.

And through that journey, I uncovered a pattern:

Every successful person I’ve ever interviewed

(multi-millionaires, 8-figure founders, world travelers, investors, you name it)…
Has one thing in common:
They don’t just work harder. They learn faster.

But they don’t learn the way most people do.

They go through 5 very distinct stages.

And once you know what those are, you can stop spinning your wheels at level 1 and finally start making serious moves.

The 5 Levels of Learning

Each level requires a different investment of time, money, energy, and focus.
Each level has its own ceiling.
And if you don’t level up—you stay stuck at the ceiling you chose.

Let’s break them down:

🧠 Level 1: Passive Learning

Where everyone starts. Few ever leave.

You’re here now: reading emails, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube, maybe reading my book or scrolling Instagram clips.

It’s free financially.
But it’s incredibly expensive with your time.

You’ll hear about:

Land flipping
Rental properties
Business buying
Commercial real estate

And it’ll all sound amazing…

But the dopamine hit you get from consuming tricks your brain into thinking you're making progress—when you're just standing still.

This is where “mental masturbation” lives. You get a dopamine kick from "learning but not doing".

And most people stay here for years.

🔁 Level 2: Interactive Learning

Now we’re moving.

You buy a course.
Attend a bootcamp.
Join a weekend workshop.

You start seeing frameworks. You're beginning commitment here.
You’re no longer consuming—you’re engaging.

But… you’re still doing it in isolation.

No accountability.
No feedback.
No one’s pushing you or checking your blind spots.

This level is good enough to get your first win—
Maybe a rental property. Maybe $500/mo in cashflow.

But it’s not enough to build real freedom.

It’s the gym membership without a trainer.
You’re showing up—but are you lifting correctly?

🚀 Level 3: Immersive Learning

This is where the game changes.

You’ve got:

Community
Coaches
Feedback loops
Implementation deadlines

This is where 6-figure earners turn into 7-figure business owners.

Masterminds. Group coaching. 1-on-1 programs.

You’re not just learning…
You’re applying in real time—with people keeping you accountable.

This is where I’ve spent the majority of my $527,000. Here and coaching.

Because when you have a group of high-performers expecting results from you each week?

You stop making excuses—and start making moves.

🧱 Level 4: Apprenticeship

Want to know the fastest way to win?

Don’t do it alone.
Do it with someone who’s already won.

This is the oldest model in human history—and it still works better than anything else.

You want to buy a hotel?
Cool—go partner on one with a mentor who’s bought 10.

Help them underwrite, fund, or operate the deal.
Earn 10% of the equity.
Get your reps in. Learn the ropes.
Then take those relationships, results, and confidence into your next one—solo.

The Action Academy is built around this model.
Because it works faster than anything else we’ve tried.

You’re not watching from the bleachers.
You’re on the field. Playing the game. Building your track record.

💎 Level 5: Proximity & Access

This is where the rich get richer.

Not because they’re smarter—
But because they’re in better rooms.

There’s no curriculum here.
No checklist. No modules.

The room is the curriculum.

You sit at a $10,000 dinner with someone who can write a $1M check into your next deal.

You play golf with a founder who shows you how they built and exited for 8 figures.

You’re not paying for information anymore.
You’re paying for transformation through osmosis.

I call it conversion through immersion.

So… what should you actually invest?

Here’s a simple rule I created thats been true for me:

Invest ~10% of the income you want to annually earn… to learn how to earn it.

Want to make $100K/year? → Invest ~$10K into education (levels 3-5)
Want to make $1M/year? → Invest ~$100K into education, masterminds, network (levels 3-5)

If those number scare you, I get it.

But you’re already paying something—
You’re just doing it with time instead of money.

You can spend 10 years learning slowly for free…
Or collapse that into 12–24 months by paying for speed, relationships, and results.

Your call.

💸 What It Costs to Learn Each Skill

I've either paid for each of these skills or am friends with the top investors / creators in each space / asset class.

Here's what you can expect to pay to collapse time and learn each of these skills associated with real estate and business.

View this as your "vending machine" to select from where you don't need to do sales calls with each group.

This is how much most skills cost:

Note: These aren’t “Action Academy prices.”
These are industry-wide numbers. I’ve paid most of them. I know.

You’re either going to:

Learn the skill and get paid for life
Delay the learning and stay where you are

That’s it. That’s the trade.

So ask yourself:

Am I actually investing to become the version of me that earns 6, 7, or 8 figures?
Or am I scrolling, consuming, and calling it progress?

It’s time to stop dabbling.
Time to stop Googling your way to freedom.

Pick your path. Pay the price. Build your life.

Let’s get it.

P.S. If you want to move beyond passive learning and build wealth with a real community, mentors, capital partners, and opportunities all in one room—Action Academy is that room. We cover about 80% of the above skills, through just one annual due thats a fraction of the investment above.
→ [Book a free intro call here.]

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