The first step on the path to financial independence is APPRENTICESHIP.
Remember our example of the unskilled immigrant that comes to America and within one generation becomes wealthy? His path started by acquiring a marketable skill. Poor immigrants seldom attend university and study English literature. They learn a skill whereby they can offer a product or service to people willing to pay for it.
The concept of Apprenticeship applies to anyone seeking wealth. There are no “get rich quick” schemes that work. You must start by earning an income. The product or service you provide must have a market. The more in demand and/or difficult to acquire, the higher your income. It’s as simple as that and was well thought out by Adam Smith over 237 years ago.
Apprenticeship doesn’t mean you must have a formal education. It depends on your chosen occupation. As to acquiring wealth, it makes no difference whether you’re a craftsman or a cardiologist. There are wealthy people in every imaginable industry. All that matters is that you’re supplying a marketable product or service– something people are willing and able to pay for.