It’s no secret that many entrepreneurs have hidden agenda that goes beyond money and success. While they start their journey chasing their dreams, either inadvertently or with full-blown intention, they end up changing the world. Their passion and ingenuity are the driving forces that shape the world each day, but those who want to leave a real legacy behind know one truth – they need to pass the torch one day to the next person that will continue in their steps.
As Justin Giles, a veteran real estate investor, points out, that is the most likely reason behind all philanthropy and charity work the world’s successful people are dedicated to; at least, that was his reason for starting the Top Fund Project.
“I believe it’s selfish to hoard the knowledge, as it is meant to be shared. Success is rewarding by itself, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling when you use your success to improve the lives of people around you,” he says. “But you don’t want to ever give people handouts; you don’t want to be a person’s crutch. That’s not a way to really help them. You need to show them how to stand on their own.”
With that in mind, Giles started the Top Fund Project, a non-profit organization where he teaches teenagers how to invest in real estate and equips them with some other skills they might need down the line. There is so much that his 60+ enrolled kids can learn from Giles, as he has over 17 years of experience in the industry. With so much time spent building his career, it’s pretty safe to say that Giles has left no stone unturned.
“The main goal is to show these kids the ropes of real estate investing, but we are also teaching them different trades. For example, we teach them how to put up light fixtures, how to do plumbing, how to paint, and even carpentry,” says Giles. “This way, they don’t have to go work for $10 per hour because they can easily charge somebody $50 to put up a ceiling fan in a few minutes.”
As for real estate investing, Giles says that kids are in for a treat, as he is not withholding any information. All of his trade secrets are out for these kids to use and build a better future for themselves and their peers. And there are few prodigies there who took the matter seriously enough and even earned some serious money. A 16-year-old girl enrolled in the program earned an easy $7,000 just for finding a good deal.
“We had a lesson on sourcing, and I was explained that the most effective thing is word of mouth, and the way to do that is to go around saying something along the lines of, “If your looking to sell your house I can help.” The next thing I know, this young girl came with the info of a woman looking to sell her home. We went through the whole deal, and she got her cut $7000!,” says Giles. “And it all boils down to the old saying – If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he will eat forever. That’s why I don’t want to give handouts, as I’d rather show them how to achieve financial freedom on their own, so they can eat forever. I couldn’t be more proud of them all.”
