Ken Rusk - Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life

Dan Zadra, The 5 Book: Where Will You Be Five Years from Today? (Seattle: Compendium, Incorporated, Publishing & Communications, 2009).

To my wife, Nancy, the girl in the blue-jean overalls I met so very long ago in our high school lunchroom. Im so glad our birthdays are the same day, or who knows what would have happened. Thank you for so many thingsfor walking lifes path with me, for weathering the occasional storm, for our wonderful daughter, Nicole, and for pushing me to write this book. All that Ive accomplished, Ive done with your support, your encouragement, and the joy I receive from your laughter and your smile.

Contents

This may seem like an odd question to ask at the outset of a book youre already reading, but I can assure you, your answer will be one of the most important youve ever thought about. In fact, while you are thinking about that particular inquiry, let me throw a few more questions at you to help put you in the right frame of mind for what lies ahead in the coming chapters.

Whether you are nineteen or fifty, are you feeling frustrated living on the hamster wheel of just getting by or barely making ends meet? Making ends meetwhat does that even mean, anyway? Maybe you are faced with the difficult choice of whether to pursue an expensive four-year degree or jump into a trade school and learn a much-needed skill. Are you a college graduate who has found the job market challenging? Or better yet, are you the parent of a college-age child who just isnt college material and you are wondering what he or she is going to make of him- or herself? Maybe you are thinking of changing your currently well-established career to do something you are truly passionate about but fear the uncertainty?

IF THE ANSWERS TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS IS YES, THEN READ ONTHIS BOOK is for you.

SO IF ANY OF THESE ARE YOU, LET ME JUST SAY THIS RIGHT FROM THE START: CONGRATULATIONS. I am thrilled for you! It looks like youre ready to make your own way. Youre ready to follow your own path, a path that may or may not follow what society or your family or friends expect from you. What do I mean by that? Well, when we begin to think about what the rest of our lives are going to look like, many of us are faced with a multitude of options, which oftentimes can require difficult decisions. You might also call them choices. Life is a long series of choices we make on a daily basis. As mentioned earlier, one of them may be whether or not to pursue a higher education with its customary mountain of debt. You know the drill: Go to college. Take out school loans. Graduate. Get a forty-hour-a-week desk job. Work for corporate America. Try to climb the proverbial ladder.

If the sound of this conventional path doesnt appeal much to you, then all I have to say is: You may be right; it certainly didnt for me. Yet no matter your current situation, today is the day you can begin to see what the rest of your life could become.

So now youve got this book in your hands, and it is going to help you see that the life you envision for yourself is certainly within reach. What kind of life? Well, I have given this some serious thought over many years, and I have come to the conclusion that a life of comfort , peace , and financial freedom is the ultimate goal. Not just one of those, but all three. Ill explain more on that a bit later, but suffice it to say for now that Im going to be discussing these concepts, comfort, peace, and freedom, so often throughout this book that many times, theyll simply be abbreviated as C, P, and F. This book is going to show you how to build a life that you get to design, build, and control... one that includes these three essential features. And best of all, its going to show you how to create that life without necessarily having a fancy degree to get it done.

So many times on this journey of mine, I have been asked this question: Why are you writing this book? Well, there were times I wondered the same thing myself. And yet I quickly came to some very important answers, the most important of which is you. Yes, you . Because I AM you. I wrote this book for every person, young and old, who feels like theyre not fully utilizing their talents, skills, and unique gifts. I wrote it for anyone who feels somewhere deep down inside that a conventional path just isnt the path for them, and that the typical corporate career isnt for them either. Perhaps you feel youd be better off doing something you love but are reluctant to leave the safety of where you currently are. More important, this is a book that will help you see what is possible and help you define what it means to be successfulcomfortable, peaceful, and financially freeand to accomplish that in a way that may now seem novel, but has been around for years. Ultimately, I wrote this book to give some clarity (and a little bit of hope) to those who might currently feel a bit left on the sidelines, looking in at the game and trying to figure out how they fit in.

My goal in each chapter is to help you realign your thinking in a way that will support you going forward. In each chapter, we will take a minute to help you improve how you look at the working world. Through real-life stories and some anecdotes I hope you find insightful, you will begin to see opportunities unfold right in front of you simply because you will learn to see things in a new and different lighta light that is solely intended to shine on you and you only. I want to show youall of youthat it is still possible, maybe more possible than ever, to walk an unconventional path to success. In fact, as you can tell by the title, it is time to celebrate the possibilities, the opportunities, and the personal satisfaction that the blue-collar world can bring!

Careers that involve working with your hands, also known as blue-collar careers, are helping millions of people across the United States, and indeed around the globe, create rewarding, lucrative lives. Remember thisIve always held the belief that we should plan our careers to support the vision of life we want for ourselves, not the other way around.

So if you feel a bit stuck, and maybe a little confused about where your life is headed, or if you are desiring more momentum in your career and life, I want to assure you that there is a simple, clear way to break out of your current situation that will have you thinking outside the box. The blue-collar world is alive and well, and you can take full advantage of that, IF you are willing to work hard. Ever heard of Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs guy? He has built a whole career and personal brand out of celebrating the dignity, honor, and reward of hard work. And like Mike, I want you to begin to believe it is possible to plan and control your own life, your own purpose, your own futureregardless of the career path you choose. And I can help you create a path to finally achieve what YOU want out of this world.

If I had one wish here, if I could accomplish one thing, it would be that every person who is still on the fence about attending college or thinking about making a major change in their work lives, or even those who dont have a clue about what they want to do with the rest of their life, sees that there is so much more out there to be found. The job of your dreams is likely waiting for you to realize your true ambitions right now. I want you to know that success doesnt require a piece of framed piece of paper, wearing a suit, or toiling all day in some cubicle.... There is more than one path to success, and ultimately the freedom that comes with a well-planned and dedicated life. I wish everyone would stop sweating it.... The idea that you have to dig yourself into a hole financially in order to grow and flourish in a career is a scam. Now, you should know right from the beginning that I am NOT an anti-college guy. If you are going to manage other peoples money, argue things in court, or operate on the human body, I would want you to know all there is to know to be effective, obviously. I am simply saying that college isnt for everybody; it never has been. And for those finding themselves wondering how they can get their lives going the way THEY want them to go, rest assured this book will show you how to be confident and calm and coolblue-collar coolknowing that there is a path out there for you, where you can earn without the college burden. So this story is for youyou dreamers, you risk takers, you faithful listeners of your inner voicewho trust and know that you deserve a life that is comfortable, peaceful, and free.