I’m becoming increasingly interested in understanding the career paths of people earning significantly more than the average professional.

I’m not looking for a get-rich-quick strategy. I’m more interested in understanding what actually created that level of earning power.

For those earning $500k+ annually…

What do you do, and what was the biggest factor that got your income to that level?

I’d especially love to hear from people who didn’t start their careers as unusually high earners.

I’m becoming increasingly interested in understanding the career paths of people earning significantly more than the average professional.

I’m not looking for a get-rich-quick strategy. I’m more interested in understanding what actually created that level of earning power.

For those earning $500k+ annually…

What do you do, and what was the biggest factor that got your income to that level?

I’d especially love to hear from people who didn’t start their careers as unusually high earners.

I’m 31 and recently decided to pursue a Master of Architecture in South Florida.

I currently work in facility condition assessments, I have a BS in construction management and getting my PMP certs. I’m a licensed building inspector and home inspector, so I’ve spent years evaluating buildings, documenting deficiencies, and thinking about how buildings perform over time.

Looking back, I realize architecture has always been in the background. I still have sketches from more than 10 years ago of ideas for my own home and other designs that never came to life.

I’m excited for the journey, but I’d love to hear from architects who either entered the profession later in life or have worked with people who did.

What surprised you most about architecture?

If you could give one piece of advice to yourself starting architecture, what would it be?

Is there anything you wish you’d started learning before architecture school?

And lastly, what’s the most lucrative path within architecture?

I’m curious how people would approach this if they were starting from scratch today.

Assume you have enough for a down payment but can only choose one as this would be your first purchase.

Would you buy:

Vacant land and hold it for future appreciation or development?

A single-family home on land?

A condo/apartment?

More importantly, WHY?

I plan on buying my first property next summer with 20% down. I will live in it until I buy the next one.

I genuinely enjoy picking your brains. I get the plan. I think I'm doing it right but I want to hear from those you already made it or are making it happen.

1. How much more did you have to make?

2. How much less did you have to spend?

3. Where did you invest?

4. How long did it take?

For me at this moment:

1. 100k (me) 60k (wife)
2. Paid off cars and all debts besides school and put the extra money into the interest-bearing savings. So essentially we're spending the same.
3. 401K and interest-bearing savings
4. Still waiting.

I get the plan. I think I’m doing it right but I want to hear from those you already made it or are making it happen.

1. How much more did you have to make?

2. How much less did you have to spend?

3. Where did you invest?

4. How long did it take?

For me at this moment:

1. 100k (me) 60k (wife)

2. Paid off cars and all debts besides school and put the extra money into the interest-bearing savings. So essentially we’re spending the same.

3. 401K and interest-bearing savings

4. Still waiting.

Location: Florida, US

I’m looking for advice on a situation my mother is facing.

Over the past 4 years, she has inherited over $100,000 from one close family member and, more recently, another inheritance of about $40,000.

She also owns two homes with a combined value of roughly $500,000. No mortgage.

Unfortunately, most of the cash has already been spent, and neither property is producing any income. Its stressing me out watching significant assets slowly disappear through day-to-day spending rather than being used to create long-term financial wealth.

I’m not trying to control her money, it’s hers. But as her son, I’d like to help her preserve what she has while also making sure these assets don’t eventually disappear.

If you were in my position, what options would you explore?

She has some storage in one so it’s not rented. But I want to help her rent it out.

I thought about a HELOC to make an investment on more income-producing properties but felt that it’s too risky.

Would a trust make sense?

Is there a better way to structure things so the properties benefit both her during her lifetime and our family in the future?

I’m interested in hearing from people who have dealt with something similar whether that’s with parents, inheritance, or family real estate. I’m trying to balance respecting her independence with helping her make decisions that preserve wealth instead of watching it slowly disappear.

2nd EDIT: My mom just pulled up to my house in a damn Lexus…

EDIT: Thank you for all your responses, honestly Chat GPT or Claude can’t help the way people do.

I’m noticing some people think I’m being selfish, but honestly, I’m not expecting anything from this.

The only inheritance I ever expected was one she told me about one in a heated argument when I was like 15. After that argument, I got a job and bought Rich Dad Poor Dad. With the idea that I was going to earn the equivalent of this inheritance before I received it. Now at 30 with a full blown career, a business and no debt. I don’t need anything. And that inheritance is no longer mine, the person got married and honestly, good. I learned a lot from them and they don’t even know it.

I just want my mom to enjoy life peacefully without digging herself into a financial pit before 60.

I’m interested in pursuing a career path within construction litigation consulting and expert witness work.

Specifically, I’m interested in investigating construction accidents, safety failures, code issues, and building defects to help determine what happened and whether appropriate safety measures or industry standards were followed.

I recently took a construction safety class at school and was genuinely interested in the type of work as safety concerns and hazard identification have been one of the priorities of mine throughout my entire inspection career and business.

For those already working in this field:

How did you get your first case?

What was your professional background before becoming an expert witness?

Any credentials or experience that mattered most?

I’m not looking for shortcuts, I know credibility takes years to build. I’m just trying to see what career path led you into this niche and basically what advice you’d give someone who wants to pursue it.

I’m interested in pursuing a career path within construction litigation consulting and expert witness work.

Specifically, I’m interested in investigating construction accidents, safety failures, code issues, and building defects to help determine what happened and whether appropriate safety measures or industry standards were followed.

I recently took a construction safety class at school and was genuinely interested in the type of work as safety concerns and hazard identification have been one of the priorities of mine throughout my entire inspection career and business.

For those already working in this field:

How did you get your first case?

What was your professional background before becoming an expert witness?

Any credentials or experience that mattered most?

I’m not looking for shortcuts, I know credibility takes years to build. I’m just trying to see what career path led you into this niche and basically what advice you’d give someone who wants to pursue it.

I’m a facility assessor and a building inspector, and over the past few years I’ve realized that I naturally gravitate toward safety issues, hazard identification, building failures, and documenting conditions.

Lately I’ve been considering whether expert witness and litigation consulting might be a more lucrative niche instead of only performing inspections.

From what I’ve seen, it’s a field that seems to reward deep expertise and credibility rather than simply working more hours.

For anyone who’s made a similar transition or works in expert witness, forensic engineering, construction litigation, or consulting… I have a few questions:

How did you get in the door?

How did you land your first case?

If you were starting today, what would you focus on?

I’m not looking for shortcuts. Honestly im just I’m trying to understand whether this is a realistic path for me since I’m working in inspections.

My previous post generated an awesome discussion, honestly, thank you all!

After reading hundreds of responses, I started noticing a pattern: many people who reached a $1M+ net worth before 40 also started investing in their late teens or early 20s.

That made me curious about a different age group.

I’m interested in hearing from people who, like me, didn’t begin investing until their 30s or even 40s and still made a 1M+ net worth.

I’d love to know:

What was the biggest factor in your success?

How much of this do you think timing and the economy helped (for example: pre-2008, post-2008, pre-COVID housing boom, AI, etc…)?

Also, If you were starting today in your 30s or 40s, what would you focus on? I have most of my money in an interest-bearing savings account. Currently with about $12,000 in it I add $200 to it every week. And roughly $5000 in a maxed out 401(k) that I started in January. I also have no debt besides school.

I don’t expect this post to be so popular like the previous one, but I think I’m getting to a more quality-based discussion as I break down my thoughts to you guys.

As a 30 year old who runs an inspection business on the side, full time graduate student, full time employee and a family man.

Lately I’ve been wondering whether the path I’m on is actually the one that leads to a $1M+ net worth before 40, or if I’m missing something.

I have no debt (besides school), own my truck and own my wife’s car. $12,000 saved in an interest bearing account which I add $200 every week to it. And also $5k in my 401k which I started in January.

My net worth is roughly $40,000.

Either way, I keep the goal in mind and I keep saving, investing, and looking for ways to increase my income, but I’m curious what ultimately moved the needle for those who have already done it.

I’m interested in hearing from people who built wealth through entrepreneurship just as much as investing.

What ended up making the biggest difference for you? Was it your career, a business, real estate, investing, or something else? Looking back, what would you tell your 30-year-old self?

EDIT: I genuinely appreciate everyone’s responses. I didn’t expect this post to become the #1 post on [r/HENRYfinance](r/HENRYfinance) today. My goal is to join the $1M+ club one day, and when I do, I hope I can come back and pass along what I’ve learned to those willing to do the work. Let’s go!

As a 30 year old who runs an inspection business on the side, full time graduate student, full time employee and a family man.

Lately I’ve been wondering whether the path I’m on is actually the one that leads to a $1M+ net worth before 40, or if I’m missing something.

I have no debt (besides school), own my truck and own my wife’s car. $12,000 saved in an interest bearing account which I add $200 every week to it. And also $5k in my 401k which I started in January.

My net worth is roughly $40,000.

Either way, I keep the goal in mind and I keep saving, investing, and looking for ways to increase my income, but I’m curious what ultimately moved the needle for those who have already done it.

I’m interested in hearing from people who built wealth through entrepreneurship just as much as investing.

What ended up making the biggest difference for you? Was it your career, a business, real estate, investing, or something else? Looking back, what would you tell your 30-year-old self?

EDIT: I genuinely appreciate everyone’s responses. I didn’t expect this post to become the #1 post on r/HENRYfinance today. My goal is to join the $1M+ club one day, and when I do, I hope I can come back and pass along what I’ve learned to those willing to do the work. Let’s go!

EDIT: The answers seem to follow a pattern.

Make more, spend less, invest safely and boringly.

Location: Florida

I signed up for a membership at a “national gym chain”near where I thought I would work (new job at the time), but right after signing up I found out there wasn’t actually a location convenient to my job after all.

I tried to cancel the very next day and all I got was a roundaround till I completed my “3-day” free-cancellation period and this was how it went…

I called the gym’s the day after signing up and no one would process the cancellation over the phone and the manager was not present to help me.

So I went to the club in person the next day and they told me they couldn’t cancel me there that it was handled by their Corporate personnel.

Then I called the customer service number that handles billing/membership for the gym and they also said they couldn’t cancel me, that I had to do it in person.

Finally I emailed their customer service to cancel. By the time they got around to processing the email, they said I was one day past the deadline for a free cancellation and hit me with a $96 cancellation fee.

I pushed back on paying the $96 since I’d tried to cancel within the window through every channel available to me (phone, in person, email) and got stonewalled every time until they were ready to collect my money.

Because I disputed it instead of just paying, my account got sold to a debt collector, and somehow the amount is now $240.

When I tried to negotiate with the collector because I was so tired of dealing with this and just wanted to get it over with, the lowest they’d go was $160.

Now the club has zero control over my account and I’m screwed with a $160 debt for being unable to do my due diligence? I don’t agree. They’re not getting a penny from me.

But honestly, I feel like I’m being robbed by these people and I’m sure I’m not the only one and this is something we shouldn’t just submit to. I work for my money and they’re scamming us for theirs.

Questions:

1. Do I have any leverage here given that I made good-faith cancellation attempts by phone, in person, and by email, all within days of signing up, and was told each time by their own staff that they couldn’t process it conveniently until the end of the grace period for a “fee”?
2. Florida has consumer protection statutes specific to health club/gym contracts right? Does that apply here, and does it give me grounds to dispute this instead of paying the fees?
3. Do I have any recourse against the gym/billing company directly for refusing to process timely cancellation attempts?

TLDR: Signed up for a gym membership, tried to cancel the next day by phone, in person, and by email. Got told “can’t do it” every time. By the time my email cancellation was processed, they said I’d missed the deadline by one day and charged a $96 fee. Disputed it, got sent to a debt collector, and now owe $160. Asking if I have any legal leverage given the good-faith cancellation attempts, and whether FL consumer protection law helps here.

EDIT: Thank you for the comments. A lot of good advice, I truly appreciate it. I’m going to the BBB and doing digging on how this would work involving the Attorney General. I’m also going to call the debt collector and get the contract, and the proof of debt. I REFUSE TO BE ROBBED. They’re not getting a penny from me unless the attorney says I was wrong and must pay for my errors.

EDIT: File a complaint with the BBB. Hopefully this resolves it. Next up… AG.