It was a very painful learning process, yet this process has made me mil- lions of dollars over the years. Rich dad would say, "If you cannot sell, you cannot be an entrepreneur." For two years, I was the worst salesperson in the Honolulu branch. I took extra classes on selling as well as bought tapes and listened to them. Finally, after nearly being fired several times, I began to make sales. Although I was still painfully shy, the sales training helped me to develop the skills I needed to acquire wealth. The problem was that no matter how hard I worked and how many machines I sold, I was always short of cash. I had no money with which to invest or to start a business. One day, I told rich dad that I planned to take a part-time job to supple- ment my income so I could invest. That was the moment he had been waiting for. Rich dad said, "The biggest mistake people make is that they work too hard for their money." He went on to say, "Most people do not get ahead financially because when they need more money, they take a part-time job. If they really want to get ahead, they need to keep their day job and start a part- time business." Rich dad drew this diagram for me once he knew I was learning valuable skills and was serious about becoming a business owner and investor: Keep Your Day Job and Still Become Rich 303 "It is time for you to start your business-part-time," he said. "Don't waste your time with a part-time job. A part- time job keeps you in the E quadrant, but a part-time busi- ness puts you in the В quadrant. Most big companies are started as part-time businesses." In 1977,1 started my nylon and Velcro wallet business part- time. Many of you are familiar with that product line today. From 1977 to 1978, I worked very hard at Xerox, eventually becoming one of the top sales representatives in the branch. In my spare time, I was also building a business that would soon become a worldwide, multi-million-dollar business. When people ask me if I loved my product line-a line that consisted of colorful nylon wallets, nylon watchbands, and nylon shoe pockets that attached to the laces of a running shoe and held a key, money, and ID card- I answer, "No. I was not in love with the product line. But I did enjoy the challenge of building the business." I mention this point specifically because so many people today say to me such things as: 1. "I have a great idea for a new product." 2. "You have to feel passionate about your product." 304 Rich Dad's Guide to Investing 3. "I'm looking for the right product before I begin my business." To these people, I generally say, "The world is filled with great ideas for new products. The world is also filled with great products. But the world is short of great businesspeo- ple. The primary reason in starting a business part-time is not so much to make a product great. The real reason to start a part-time business is to make you a great businessperson.