Ready to delve into what this chapter holds for us?
He begins this chapter by sharing a thought-provoking story - curious to know what it is?
A few years ago, Robert Kiyosaki gave an interview to a newspaper in Singapore. The young female reporter was punctual, and they began talking right away over coffee in a fancy hotel lobby. Robert was there to share the stage with Zig Ziglar - Zig on motivation, and Robert on The Secrets of the Rich.
During their chat, the reporter mentioned that she dreamed of becoming a best-selling author.
Robert had read her articles and was impressed - they were clear, strong, and engaging. He asked her what was holding her back. She admitted that, although people praised her novels, nothing ever seemed to happen. So she stuck with her newspaper job because it paid the bills.
Robert encouraged her, suggesting a practical step: attending a sales-training course run by a friend in Singapore who trained people for top corporations. He believed this could give her the skills to advance her career and finally achieve her dreams.
She was shocked and offended. To her, studying sales seemed beneath her because she had a master’s degree in English Literature and saw herself as a professional. She disliked salespeople and thought all they cared about was money.
Kiyosaki gently pushed back. He showed her her own notes, pointing out that while he was a “bestselling author,” she could be a “best-writing author” if she combined her writing talent with sales skills. He emphasized that education and talent alone weren’t enough to succeed in the real world - you also needed to know how to sell.
She left angry, refusing to “stoop so low” as to learn sales. Still, she acknowledged him professionally in her write-up. Kiyosaki concluded that the world is full of smart, talented, and educated people, but success often comes from combining talent with practical skills, like sales, which allow you to turn your abilities into real results.
He noticed that many talented people earn far less than they should. Brilliant, highly educated professionals - doctors, dentists, even writers, often struggle financially. It’s not a lack of talent, but the absence of one key skill. As one consultant said, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
Most people only know how to work hard. But financial intelligence comes from combining skills: accounting, investing, marketing, and law. Learning just one additional skill, like sales or public relations - can dramatically increase income.
Take the young newspaper writer. If she mastered sales, marketing, advertising, and PR, she could turn her talent into real results. She could learn how to promote her writing, attract attention, and eventually sell her novel successfully. In short, education and talent alone aren’t enough - combining them with practical skills is the true path to financial success.
Just stay tuned - there’s more to come!
