Welcome to another issue of the no-BS newsletter dedicated to demystifying the world of passive income, where we share practical, reliable strategies to build and sustain income streams that work for you.

If you want to help someone else make money while they sleep, forward this email to them.

In today's issue:

I still remember the night I wanted to smash a wedding invitation.

My wife (then girlfriend) was jumping up and down, waving the damn thing like it was a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s buffet.

Me? I saw a traffic ticket.

Not because I hate weddings. Hell, who doesn’t love free food and some off-key karaoke?

But back then, I was making a generous $700 a month, on a good month. She was waitressing. I was guarding buildings from imaginary threats.

And a wedding invite in Israel? That’s at least $250 just to show your face and give the couple a gift that says, “Hey, I support your poor financial decisions.”

Every invite was a gut punch. We'd argue. She'd win. I'd bleed cash. And I made myself a dark little promise:

“I’ll make so much damn money one day, I won’t even feel the sting of these mosquito-bite expenses.”

Now, I know what you're thinking: “Whoa, Igor, you’re coming in hot today.”

Yeah, I am.

Because poverty is romanticized way too much.

People act like there’s honor in being broke. Like it’s a badge of authenticity or some spiritual flex.

Spoiler: There’s nothing righteous about being poor.

When you’re poor:

Wanna know what’s really selfish?

Staying broke.

Because when you’re broke, you can’t help anyone. Not your kids. Not your spouse. Not your cause. Not even yourself.

I watched money problems eat my parents alive. My mom cursed every morning heading to work. My dad drowned in vodka and self-pity. They didn’t have time or energy to dream, let alone guide mine.

And yet…

Despite all this suffering, people still resent wealth. They spit out phrases like:

Newsflash: You don’t have to choose. You can be rich, healthy, and happy. There’s no law saying you must pick one from the menu.

But the biggest killer?

Resentment.

That sneaky, toxic cocktail of envy and self-righteousness that convinces you rich people are evil and poor people are morally superior.

It’s that resentment that keeps you stuck, quietly sabotaging every move that might get you ahead.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Money doesn’t change who you are. It reveals it.

If you’re an asshole, you’ll be a rich asshole.
If you’re a generous, kind person, you’ll be an even bigger force for good with money in your pocket.

And society? It doesn’t respect poverty. It might pity it. But it celebrates success. It worships winners.

You wanna touch lives? Make an impact? Leave a mark?

You can’t do that broke.

So drop the guilt. Kill the resentment. And stop treating your dreams like they’re optional.

Because nobody builds a legacy on $700/month.

There’s a window in every online entrepreneur’s life where they ask:

“Why the hell am I working so hard… and still not making real money?”

I hit that wall years ago. Then I built something that flipped the script.

I wrote this short book to show you exactly what I did — the system I still use today to turn emails into income, without chasing trends or dancing for clicks.

And yeah — it costs less than gas to get to work.

But don’t let the price fool you.

This isn’t a book you buy. It’s a fork in the road.

Let’s be real—most people’s goals are just a socially acceptable way to lie to themselves.

You know what I mean.

You write them down. You make a vision board. Maybe you even tell your friends. But deep down, you’re not married to those goals.

They’re like that ex you keep texting at 2 a.m.—you kinda want them, but not enough to commit.

The problem? Vague goals = vague results.
It's like punching an address into your GPS as “somewhere warm with tacos.” Cool. You might end up in Mexico… or a 7-Eleven parking lot in Albuquerque.

Here’s the harsh truth I had to swallow:
Until your goal becomes a burning desire—something that makes your day feel wasted if you’re not moving toward it—you’re not getting anywhere.

I’m talking about obsessively specific targets. The kind that makes you judge every action through a single lens:
“Does this get me closer… or am I wasting my damn time?”

Now, if you’ve been “trying” to make money online for 5, 10, 15 years and still aren’t getting results, let me stop you right there:

It’s not the gurus.
It’s not the economy.
It’s not Mercury in retrograde.

It’s you.

And yeah, I know that stings.

But that sting? That’s the good stuff.
That’s where the change starts.

Most people are experts at dodging the mirror. They blame courses, coaches, and crypto crashes: anything but their own decisions.

You didn’t finish the training.
You didn’t launch the funnel.
You didn’t even set up your damn account.

Because deep down, you were scared. Scared of failure. Scared of looking dumb. Scared it might actually work and you’d have to become someone new.

But guess what? No real transformation happens without brutal honesty.

The moment you stop pretending and finally own your results—even the crappy ones—is the moment the game changes.

Here’s the fix:

Don’t set goals.
Make commitments.

Be ruthlessly specific.
So specific that not hitting it makes your stomach churn.

And then act like every choice either moves you toward it or away from it. No in-between. No “meh.”

Because when the desire to achieve outweighs your need to make excuses, the excuses die off.

And you?

You start to win.

In this episode, I’m thrilled to sit down with Austin Netzley, entrepreneur, author, and expert on scaling businesses while reclaiming your time. 

We’re diving into everything from building a self-sustaining business that thrives without you to creating systems that let you step away without everything falling apart. Austin shares hard-earned lessons on overcoming fear, staying focused, and why the simplest path is often the most effective. 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. So, grab a coffee, hit play, and let’s get into it!

Here’s a little gut-punch for you:
Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you should start a business doing it.

Gerber calls it the “Entrepreneurial Seizure”—that moment you think, “Hey, I’m great at baking pies, I should open a bakery!” And next thing you know, you’re not baking anymore... you’re knee-deep in payroll, inventory, and plumbing problems.

The E-Myth Revisited is the antidote to that madness.

It shatters the myth that being good at your craft is enough. It shows you how to build a business that works without you grinding yourself into sawdust.

Gerber lays out the difference between being a technician (doing the thing), a manager (running the thing), and an entrepreneur (scaling the thing). And if you’re like most solopreneurs or side-hustlers, you’re probably stuck in technician hell—working 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 for someone else.

This book will slap you out of that hamster wheel.

Why you should read it:
Because you didn’t start your business to become its slave. You started it for freedom. And this book hands you the blueprint.

Read it. Re-read it. Then build a business that doesn’t fall apart the moment you take a vacation.

I’m not a product. I’m not for sale.

But I make wallets open without fail.

You don’t see me, yet I drive the game—

I spark curiosity without ever saying my name.

What am I?

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