We may receive commissions for affiliate links included in this article. This is a sponsored post. Future Sharks makes no warranties about the statements, facts and/or claims made on this article. These are the opinions of the author. Read our advertising and contributor disclosure here.
Corporate America is not for everyone. Having a 9 to 5 job in an office working for a big company is not everyone’s dream.
Tony Camilleri left corporate America years ago to start investing in real estate. He had no experience in real estate investing, so he made a lot of mistakes at first. He trusted the wrong people and was not cautious enough with contracts. After a few years, he had been scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Even after these tough lessons, I still pressed on and found a way to succeed.” Tony says.
Tony is very competitive and driven to get the life he desires. Today, he is an Executive Vice President at a network marketing company that sells financial services with a focus on helping people improve their credit and get in a better position financially. Besides this, he runs a real estate business through which he helps realtors make three or four times what they were making, in less time by introducing them to the fastest growing real estate model in history, which allows realtors to recruit and get passive income from their sales. He also still services his real estate clients whom he is passionate about helping.
“I knew from day one at my first corporate job that I didn’t want to work for someone else and build their dream. I always wanted success on my own terms.” Tony recalls.
The main challenges when starting a business, according to Tony, is the fear of the unknown, the lack of a support network, and external pressures. Business owners often have to overcome family and friend pressures, as well as work on their own without an established network.
“To overcome these challenges, you have to have total belief in what you are doing.” Tony advises.
Tony was inspired to get into the real estate industry naturally as it fit his interests. With the credit repair network marketing company, he found a way to help more people enjoy home ownership and make additional income. Through credit repair, he has also been able to build a team and see people in his team succeed.
Mindset is an important element when it comes to starting a business, Tony argues, because things will go wrong and it is important to be positive and strong enough to withstand storms and failures.
“My advice for those starting their business is first, to make sure you are passionate about the business you are starting. Second, to do sufficient due diligence: talk to others who have had success in the business to learn about what to expect so that you are prepared mentally as well as financially. Third, make sure you have good credit because you need to have the ability to get financing at some point. And finally, always get tight contracts that are reviewed by a reputable attorney before you invest money or move forward with a partner.” Tony advises.
According to Tony, not having an attorney look over contracts is something anyone would eventually regret. In fact, having someone look over contracts can also tackle the fear of the unknown, which causes business owners to think that their project may not work.
“Whether you win or lose depends on how you think and talk. Everyone deals with fear differently. I face fear head on because on the other side of that fear and discomfort there is success. Even when it seems like everything or everyone is against you, you can never give up on you. No one is going to look out for you or fight for you harder than you.” Tony adds.
For him, success is to live the life he had envisioned while continuing to earn money. It is not just about the money, though, it is about the lifestyle. Tony enjoys being able to travel, for example, and having built a team of people who are growing with him.
At the moment, Tony is working on some real estate projects, he will be opening an adult foster care facility, and he is also continuing the expansion of his organizations including his credit repair enterprise, as well as dedicating some of his time to public speaking. To follow his journey, go here.
➡ Looking to get featured on Future Sharks?
