I wrote this book because I know what it’s like to be broke. I know what
it’s like to feel helpless because you lack the specialized knowledge that
might help you reach your goals. They say ignorance is bliss, but really, it
just hurts. I wrote this book because I believe that everyone should
have an
equal opportunity to gain the knowledge he or she needs to build wealth. The
problem is, everyone learns differently. This doesn’t make one person smarter
than the next, but it does require a teacher who takes the time to figure out
how best to teach each person. Sadly, a very small percentage of Americans
attend the kinds of schools— mainly private schools—with these teachers. Only
ten percent of Americans can afford private education.
One book can’t make up for the deficits in our educational system—I wish it
could—but this book is meant to be like having Jay-Z or Warren Buffet coach you
personally on how to build wealth by understanding the three forms of income. I
want you to have a cool and fun experience reading it, while gaining valuable,
specialized knowledge. I want you not just to gain knowledge, but to
become
knowledge.
Most of my teachers laughed and told me that I would never amount to
anything because my reading wasn’t the best. My mother lost her home because of
a lack of understanding of real estate. No one taught her how to reap the
benefits of owning a home. No one told her how much money she could have saved
in taxes by writing off the costs associated with fixing up our home.
If I had understood the word
responsibility—which literally means
the
ability to choose your responses—when my brother Sam was killed, I would
have made better choices. When my Auntie Sandra was killed, I would have made
better choices. When my best friend Steven was killed, I would have made better
choices. When I lost others to violent crime and found myself starving from a
lack of money, I would have made better choices.
Eighty percent of Americans are middle class, working class, or poor class.
About ten percent are upper class, leaving less than ten percent as financially
free. The average income on the planet is about $1,480 per month and roughly
three billion people live on $2.50 per day. What do we make of these
statistics? I believe that the information in your head determines what’s in
your hand—but it’s also true that what’s in your hand determines what’s in your
head. I read or listen to one book a week. The information I’ve gleaned from
them has literally saved my life.
As I stated before, Ignorance is not bliss; that shit just hurts. It hurts
because it makes you suffer. I have studied many books, learned from them, and
personally picked the brains of high-net-worth individuals. I have done this so
that I can share the key points with you and take out all the air, all the
fluff that doesn’t matter. I have tapped into the minds of some of the
wealthiest and happiest people in the world and I am going to give you their
timeless principles straight up and in layman’s terms. My wisdom comes from the
people from the suburbs and the people from the ghettos—the Warren
Buffets as well as the Jay-Zs.
Growing up in Detroit, we were
broke. Like, broke-broke. Like, moms-freeze-that-chicken-for-six-months broke.
Like no heat, no lights, no water in the wintertime broke. And for those of you
who don’t know, Detroit can go
below zero degrees. It was so cold that me and my brothers, cousins, aunties,
and everyone else that lived in my home would sleep in one room with an
electric heater. During these times, we did everything in our coats. I mean
everything. We slept, cooked, played charades, and got beat by moms, all in our
coats. When we had no heat or hot water, we would put a pot of cold water on
the electric hot plate until it got really hot, then pour it in the tub so we
could bathe. It took maybe four or five pots to fill up that bathtub, which
sucked because by the time you heated up the next pot, the water in the tub was
freezing again!
About the Author
Jerry Ford is a Detroit native
who grew up in the ghetto. He has been involved in and witnessed everything
from gun violence to drug trafficking and addiction, jail, gang life, and
murder. At age fourteen, Jerry’s brother, Sam, was murdered on their mother’s
birthday. At age seventeen, Jerry’s best friend, Steven, was also murdered. The
list goes on. One of the ways Jerry channeled his anger was through martial
arts; he became a black belt in multiple styles and received gold medals in the
Junior Olympics and other world-respected tournaments.
Jerry received his Bachelor’s
degree from Rutgers University. Immediately after college, he started his
career as a personal-fitness trainer at New York Health & Racquet Clubs,
and soon became one of the company’s top trainers. Having established himself
as a fitness professional in New York City, Jerry moved Los Angeles, where he
became a top trainer at Equinox. After mastering the science of human
engineering, Jerry parted ways with Equinox to launch his own private training
business. His clients currently include high-net-worth individuals,
celebrities, royal family members, fighters, and a variety of other
tastemakers. While still based in Los Angeles, he travels nationally and
internationally to train clients.
Jerry is also an investor in
stocks, real estate, television and film properties, and anything else he
believes to be worth the risk. This is his first book, and he wrote it to help
others walk their own paths to success.
About the Book:
Author and Celebrity Personal
Trainer Jerry Ford has authored a powerful, painfully honest book entitled
GUNS, DRUGS, OR WEALTH as a help and inspiration to others who also seek
personal wealth and independence.
Said Jerry Ford: “ ‘Guns,
Drugs, or Wealth’ is about how I went from the hard streets of Detroit to
building wealth through stocks, real estate and smart spending. I share with my
readers how I began to build my wealth as a personal trainer. As I wrote this book,
I imagined myself having a front porch casual conversation with my readers.
This how-to guide on building wealth will not only teach people how to build
wealth, but it’s written in layman’s terms. The genres of this book are
business, inspiration, and self-help.”
Mr. Ford’s book tells all that
he has learned, offering readers specific, tried-and-true tools for building
wealth by creating three streams of income: (1) passive income (through
real-estate investing), (2) portfolio income (through stock market investing),
and (3) earned income (through hard work and smart spending).
As a personal trainer, Jerry Ford has worked with many, many “big name”
clients, including rapper Big Sean to musical artist MoBeatz. One special trip
led to Ford becoming an author. “I was traveling with Big Sean and MoBeatz and
decided to journal a few hours a day on the trip. A few hours turned into
many…and two months later I had created the manuscript for my book.”
A tragedy earlier in his life
also drove Jerry to pull himself up from a hard life in his native Detroit and
build a life for himself as a personal wealth coach and trainer. “My brother
Sam was murdered…I miss him every day. He inspires me to get out of bed and go
as hard as possible in life every day…I feel like I am living for two people
instead of just one, myself.”
“Being an author was never a
plan,” asserted Jerry. “I knew I needed to figure out a way to help the eighty
percent of America who are poor or middle class. I knew that I needed to help
the three billion people on the planet who are really poor. Of course this book
doesn’t make up for the world’s educational flaws, but it’s a start. Schools
don’t teach people how to build wealth.”
Praise for Jerry Ford and His Method
"Jerry traveled across the globe to train me. He goes hard in fitness and
in life!"
--Alisha Boe, actress best known for 13 Reasons Why on Netflix
"I am inspired by Jerry's principles of building wealth through real
estate and stock market investments as well as entrepreneurship. With multiple
streams of income, the sky is the limit when it comes to potential earning
power. This book is here to help!"
--Adrienne C. Moore, actress best known for Orange Is the New
Black on Netflix
"Jerry is a beast, and I can totally understand why. Coming from our city,
it's life or death."
--Dj Mo Beatz, best known as Big Sean's official DJ
"Jerry is not only a trainer; he's an entrepreneur. He has come up with
incredibly creative ways to service his high-end clientele. Not only do I enjoy
working with Jerry--he's great to hang out with."
--Marc Webb, film and television producer
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