My investing journey began in ninth grade, when my father gave me a flat $1,000 to invest in any and every stock I liked. He taught me the “set it and forget it” mentality, encouraging me to invest in companies that I think will have a consistent, high yield over time. I didn’t quite understand at the time, so I just bought companies I knew the names of, such as Chipotle and American Express. In other words, I had no strategy. I’m not complaining though, as my portfolio has nearly doubled since then.

As an entrepreneur, I don’t regularly spend much time studying the market. However, I have come to understand the absolute necessity of investing early. When I read Rich Dad Poor Dad a year ago, I learned to have every last dollar constantly working for me, or at least those not in my checking account. Consequently, I began diverting 30% of my income to my portfolio, and I have consistently been in the green since.

For me, investing doesn’t have to consume much time or demand much energy. If you simply trust the American economy to do its thing, you’ll win. It’s more about having a financial backbone to grow alongside you. My father was correct about that.