28M, sold my marketing agency, ~$2.6M net worth, trying to figure out the next game
Looking for perspective from people who have been through a similar transition.
I'm 28 and recently sold my business.
Current situation:
- Net worth: approximately $2.6M
- Married, no kids... yet
- No debt
- My wife works and earns $100k+
- Annual household spending is relatively modest ~ $90k
- Goal is long-term wealth creation and reaching $10M+ net worth
Current assets are a mix of public markets, cash equivalents, and private lending opportunities. I'm also building relationships with local operators and business owners.
The challenge is that I'm struggling to determine what game I should be playing over the next 10-15 years.
I don't want to:
- Build another agency
- Work 60+ hour weeks
- Create another job for myself
I do want to:
- Work ~30-35 hours per week
- Have flexibility for family, golf, travel, etc.
- Continue building wealth
- Stay in coastal NC long-term
- Own assets rather than sell my time
I've been exploring:
- Public market investing into VOO, VXUS, and AVUV
- Private lending (currently evaluating loans around 12% secured by real estate)
- Buying minority stakes in local service businesses
- Eventually acquiring another small business outright
The question I keep coming back to is this:
If you were 28 years old, had a recent liquidity event, ~$2.6M net worth, wanted to stay in a mid-sized NC market, and wanted to build toward $10M+ without returning to a 60-hour work week, what would you focus on over the next 5-10 years?
Would you:
- Stay mostly invested in public markets?
- Participate in private lending?
- Buy an AI resistant small business?
- Buy minority stakes in operators?
- Something else entirely?
Interested in hearing from people who have actually gone through the post-exit transition and what worked (or didn't work) for them.