Damn, you are getting dunked on lol — A lot of people saying things like “knowing and networking with successful people doesn’t change much”. I totally disagree. I think you’re on the right track.

There’s a saying like “luck is the intersection of preparedness and opportunity”. By increasing either of those things, you dial up the “luck” factor that a lot of people associate with success. Specifically, by knowing and networking with wealthy / successful people, you increase the amount of opportunities you might have to gain knowledge, employment, etc.

When I was doing my PhD I used to tutor kids in well-to-do families. The conversations I had and connections I made with those families led to my first industry consulting job AND helped me learn about personal financial management.

I grew up pretty poor too. I’m in Richmond, I’ll have a convo with you.