Ramit walks into a bar...

If you remember, yesterday I told you how a woman at a bar said, “What are your To view this email as a web page, [click here]() Today in The Rich Life newsletter: - [How I reply when someone questions my credentials](#module1) - [What I’ve learned from Top Performers](#module2) - [If you’re rich, own it!](#module3) []Here’s how I reply when someone asks about my credentials If you remember, yesterday I told you how a woman at a bar said, “What are your credentials???” A ton of you sent me your feedback (apparently my readers love to (a) go to bars and (b) offer advice on things they would hypothetically say). So I’m going to share what I did. But I want to emphasize something: This story isn’t just about this bar situation — it’s about having “mental frameworks” that you can apply to novel situations as you encounter them. Put another way, this isn’t just about a woman at a bar. This particular framework is about responding to critics. Once you internalize the lesson, you can apply it EVERYWHERE. So … here’s what I did: Her: What are your credentials??? Do you have any? Me (smiles): Yeah, I have some credentials … but what I’ve learned is most people want to see proof that something works for people like them. Her: Well, in my 12 years of training … (blah blah I went through tough training and you didn’t so you are a charlatan). You can probably understand why she’s skeptical. Honestly, I would be, too (though I wouldn’t bring it up the first time I met someone). But at this point in the conversation, she expects me to back down. She doesn’t realize I came to play. But I want to be polite. Me: I guess I disagree. Credentials absolutely matter — and I place a huge value on education, which is how I got a lot of my training. But there are lots of people with credentials. If you can show PROOF your material works, that’s really powerful and I’m sure people love working with you. If I can’t show it, maybe I shouldn’t be in business. So that’s worked well for me. Notice what I did here: - Sentence 1: I intentionally say “I guess,” which softens the blow. I don’t “guess” anything, but saying that phrase here is strategic. - Sentence 2: I have just acknowledged her argument and eviscerated it by demonstrating that I, too, have educational training - Sentence 3: I’ve complimented her and disarmed her but also have made my case. And notice my use of “you” and “I” in the last few sentences. I finished my drink, said my goodbyes, and walked away, victorious. As Jon Secada would say, it was just another day. What have we learned?IMPORTANT: This email isn’t just about talking to people at bars. This is about having a roadmap, or “psychological framework,” to lean on in uncertain situations. []How Top Performers keep improving Top Performers are obsessed with optimizing their mental frameworks. They don’t say things like, “Well, I’m not the kind of person who can start a business” or “I’m not built like those guys” — NO! They examine these Invisible Scripts and systematically deconstruct them. And guess what the result is? Over time, they build up a set of flexible guidelines, or mental frameworks, that they use to guide them through tough, novel situations. I call these Success Triggers — because more than almost anything else, these mental frameworks have been responsible for helping me reach higher and higher levels of personal achievement and business success. In other words, at a certain point, everyone knows the tactics — but what separates a gold medalist from an Olympic hopeful is internal psychology. You could spend your time aimlessly browsing productivity sites or installing the latest app. But these Success Triggers are much more powerful than scripts or tactics — they’re advanced mental frameworks that give you MASSIVE LEVERAGE because you’ll be able to apply them, in all kinds of situations, for the rest of your life. If you’re not feeling confident. If you’re distracted. If you want to know how to stay focused, invest in yourself, or even how to live your life guilt-free. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve been systematically studying and testing Success Triggers. I studied Top Performers to learn what their triggers were. Then I took the dozens and dozens that I cataloged and tested them myself. The end result? I culled the huge list to 30 of the most powerful Success Triggers I’ve ever found. The best of the best for changing my “inner game.” I learned: - How to stop doubting myself and silence my inner critic - Guilt-free living: How to stop beating myself up all the time - Specific strategies to truly achieve mastery - How to develop an unshakeable belief in myself (even when others doubted me) - When to open myself to serendipity Two of these Success Triggers have been the cornerstone to writing a New York Times best-selling book, earning millions, and helping hundreds of thousands of students make massive changes in their lives. And that’s just two Success Triggers! I’ve put all 30 ready-to-apply Success Triggers together in one course for you. [Success Triggers]() Success Triggers: 30 Mental Frameworks for Silencing Your Inner Critic, Maximizing Your Strengths, and Creating the Success You Deserve These psychological frameworks will help you go from negative thinking to positive thinking … from scarcity to abundance … from low confidence to supreme confidence. And I share them in my own words, with my own specific examples for each Success Trigger. This program includes: - 30 of my most powerful Success Triggers — all on video, all fully transcribed, all downloadable in video/audio formats - Detailed explanation of the mental frameworks but also examples and applied material so you can integrate these into your life — starting today - Regular reminders about each Success Trigger, including “apply it now” reminders to force you to implement Even one of these Success Triggers could radically change the way you approach literally thousands of opportunities in your life. Whether it's approaching a romantic partner, applying for an opportunity that's "just above" your normal role, or learning how to shrug off negative critics … even one could change your life. But together, these Success Triggers represent some of the most powerful "inner material" I've ever developed. [Click here]() to learn more. []If you’re rich, own it! In America, we love rich people … and we hate them too. We idolize the rich. We buy their books to learn about their rags-to-riches stories. We follow them on Instagram to get a glimpse into their lifestyle — sailing to a Greek island, buying $2k wellness supplements, and looking effortlessly beautiful in cashmere. But we also hate them. We think they’re selfish, greedy, evil. Buying a Tesla and posting about it is one thing, but when you buy a Ferrari, you’re an asshole. Tell us that you like organic food, great! But tell us how much you spend on that, and you’re out of touch. This is the puritanical dichotomy that defines America. Most of us don’t even realize we feel this way until it’s pointed out to us. The script: “Spending money is bad.” Interestingly, there is one group of rich people who we unapologetically love. Who? Rich people who act poor. Warren Buffett lives in the house he bought in 1958! So relatable! Let’s just forget that he owns a private jet. Bill Gates wears Dockers! So relatable! Let’s forget about his 66,000-square-foot house. Millionaires spend profoundly differently than the average American. And they should! They can afford to. There’s no honor in pretending not to be rich. It does not make you a better person. If you’re rich, own it! If you’re wealthy, acknowledge it. I’m rich. I worked hard, and I had a lot of help and a lot of luck. But I also said that once I make it, I’m bringing everyone with me. That was my goal with my blog and my book. In this week’s episode of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich podcast, I’m dealing with a perfect example of people who grew up working-class, followed my system, and accumulated millions of dollars, but are falling prey to the puritanical dichotomy and can’t accept that they are rich and can spend like it. Rachel and Jack are in their mid-50s. Jack earns $156k/year. Rachel has quit her job making $117k/year and now works at a nonprofit. She started out volunteering but now makes minimum wage. Through investing and time, they have nearly $5 million in their investments and retirement accounts. But Rachel can’t accept it. She almost canceled a trip to NYC because she didn’t want to pay $200 more for a hotel room. In the end, they still switched hotels partway through their trip to save money. Rachel admits that the money doesn’t seem real to her. She’s afraid that it will disappear. She doesn’t want to spend any of it. I LOVE Rachel and Jack, because they followed the IWT system and accumulated the funds to live their Rich Life. In this conversation, I’m going to work with them to uncover all the invisible scripts they have around money. Can I help Rachel confront her dichotomy about her money? [Click here]() to listen to my conversation with Rachel and Jack. New episodes of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich podcast are released Tuesday mornings. Subscribe on [Apple](), [Spotify](), or wherever you get your podcasts. And check out this discussion about the podcast on the [Bogleheads forum]() — an excellent forum on personal finance. [Podcast review] I love when you read, listen to, and engage with my material. If you’ve reviewed the podcast or come across any good discussions, let me know — just reply to this email. [Signature] WHAT TO DO NEXT JOIN: I’ve put all 30 ready-to-apply Success Triggers together in one course for you. [Click here to learn more](). [SIGN UP]() LISTEN: [Click here]() to listen to my conversation with Rachel and Jack in this week’s episode of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich podcast. [SIGN UP]() How did you feel about today’s email? [insta]() [Twitter]() [twitter]() [youtube]() [Linkedin]() [podcast]() This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe]( at any time. 548 Market St #89946 San Francisco, CA 94104-5401