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The Fastest Path to Financial Freedom

The fastest path to financial freedom isn’t sexy. It’s simple, profitable, and hidden in plain sight. If you want to get rich in 2025, don’t do what everybody else is doing. Start one of these boring businesses instead. I built a $30 million business in one of the most boring industries on Earth. And today, I’m going to show you exactly how to do the same. Let’s get into it.

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The Power of Boring Businesses

Most people chase flashy businesses, but real wealth often comes from boring businesses that solve timeless problems. Before you chase wealth, you need to define what wealth means to you. A few years ago, I was listening to a podcast with Naval Ravikant, who said, “If my name is ever on the side of a hospital wing, I’ve overshot.” For me, this meant that if I ever made so much money that I’m donating hospital wings, I’ve made too much of my life about money. As one of my mentors said, the point of money is to have the resources to fulfill what matters to you in life.

So, what matters to you? For me, it’s living in a nice house, driving a car I love, and spending time with my family and friends. The goal is to live true to your purpose, not to endlessly chase more money. The trap many fall into is thinking, “Once my business reaches the next level, then I’ll be happy.” But it starts with defining the life you want and building a business that supports that vision.

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Freedom: The Ultimate Goal

The goal of any business should be to create freedom—financial freedom and time freedom. You can have time freedom by being unemployed, but that’s not true freedom. A successful business should be big enough to employ a team that runs the day-to-day operations, generating enough profit to live life on your terms—whether that’s $300,000, $400,000, or $500,000 a year. Once you achieve that, you can work on your terms without sacrificing what matters most.

Boring, proven, unsexy businesses are the answer. They’re one of the best ways to get rich in 2025. In 2019, I advised a venture-backed company that raised $25 million in the home service industry. Their research showed that no single company dominates any home service sector. The largest player, Orkin in pest control, held only 12% market share. The home services market is massive, estimated at $870 billion annually, and projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030 with a 10% annual growth rate. This spells massive opportunity—you don’t need to be the best, just better than half the competition, which isn’t hard.

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Why Boring Industries Win

Lindy’s Law states that the life expectancy of something is proportional to its current age. Home services, around for over 100 years, are likely to persist for another century. Unlike flashy Silicon Valley startups with unproven ideas, boring industries are stable and enduring. To build financial freedom, choose a proven business where you can win and get better over time. It won’t happen overnight, but it can happen faster than you think without sacrificing your life.

My Journey with a Boring Business

In 2010, I started a painting business, though I didn’t initially see it as “cool.” For years, I chased other ventures while my painting business quietly thrived, earning me a living while working just 5-10 hours a week. In 2013, I had an epiphany: why was I avoiding this business? By focusing on it and working 15-20 hours a week, I could double my income and grow the business. I went all-in, and it grew to $30 million a year. Painting, like other home services, is a massive market with low competition, making it a huge opportunity.

At its core, every business is about building a team, marketing, sales, and delivering on promises. Whether it’s painting or a “sexy” tech startup, the fundamentals are the same. The goal isn’t to chase glamour—it’s to create freedom.

Five Boring Businesses to Start in 2025

Here are five boring businesses you can launch with little to no experience:

1. Roofing: My friend Shane started a roofing company and hit $1 million in sales in his first year. After a hailstorm in Colorado, one day of door-to-door marketing generated another $1 million in sales. Every house needs a roof, and the demand for maintenance and replacements is constant.

2. Painting: My client Michael, a former corporate worker, started a painting business in February 2023. By March 2024, he was generating $150,000 a month with a 25% profit margin, earning $35,000-$40,000 monthly while working 40 hours a week or less. The opportunity to scale a painting business is massive.

3. Landscaping: My dad recently paid $20,000 for a four-day landscaping project. Larger projects can cost hundreds of thousands. Landscaping ranges from basic maintenance to complex construction, allowing you to start simple and grow.

4. Smart Home Installation: This $36 billion industry is growing rapidly with minimal competition. When I needed smart home services for my house, I found only two reputable companies. The potential for high-ticket projects is enormous.

5. Fencing: A colleague in fencing grew his business to $2 million annually, earning $300,000-$400,000 in profit. Fencing is underestimated but offers significant growth potential.

Why These Businesses Work

These businesses share three key advantages:

1. Subcontractor Model: You can hire subcontractors for individual jobs, keeping startup costs low. For example, sell a $10,000 fence, pay a subcontractor $6,000, and keep $4,000 in profit without needing equipment or employees upfront.

2. Simple Start: You don’t need to be a master of the trade or have extensive resources to begin. Start with one job and scale slowly.

3. High Ceiling: These businesses can grow into multi-million-dollar companies, providing financial and time freedom within 3-7 years if you execute well.

How to Get Started

Building a boring business is straightforward. If you can get one customer, you can build a million-dollar business. Take Josh Strange, who left a corporate job at Lockheed Martin to start a painting business in October 2022. In his first month, he earned $4,000-$5,000 in profit from $10,000 in sales. By October 2023, he was generating $60,000 monthly with $15,000 in profit, working 40 hours a week. By 2024, his business exceeded $800,000 in revenue with nearly $200,000 in profit, and in 2025, it surpassed $1 million.

To succeed, master four skills:

1. Learn the Trade: Use AI tools like ChatGPT to create a 30-day learning plan. For example, prompt: “Act as an expert in [trade]. I’m preparing to start a [trade] business and want to become an expert. Provide a course syllabus and a 30-day action plan with daily resources.” You don’t need to know everything—just the basics to start.

2. Marketing: Learn how to find potential clients through methods like door-to-door outreach or online ads.

3. Sales: Develop a process to turn leads into paying customers, including phone conversations, estimates, and proposals.

4. Delivery: Find reliable subcontractors, manage project schedules, and ensure quality control. Be picky about subcontractors and overpay initially to guarantee quality.

Once you can secure one customer a week, you can earn $100,000-$200,000 annually. Scaling to one customer a day with a team can lead to a multi-million-dollar business.

Leverage Existing Resources

You don’t need to figure everything out alone. Countless resources, from YouTube tutorials to paid coaching, provide proven roadmaps. When I started teaching painting business strategies in 2013, I was the only one doing it. Now, solutions to every business challenge are available—often for a price. Paying with money is cheaper than paying with time. Many competitors fail to invest in themselves or follow proven systems, giving you an edge if you do.

Conclusion

Boring businesses like roofing, painting, landscaping, smart home installation, and fencing offer a reliable path to financial freedom. They’re stable, scalable, and have low competition. Define what wealth means to you, choose a proven industry, and focus on marketing, sales, and delivery. With persistence and the right resources, you can build a business that creates the freedom to live life on your terms. For more insights, check out my video on going from zero to a million in 12 months.

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