You Only Have To Get Rich Once...
In this monologue, Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP, shares a personal finance principle: you only need to become wealthy once, so you should never gamble essential resources on uncertain opportunities. She reflects on past mistakes, particularly entering a partnership too quickly to accelerate growth. Liu explains that forming a partnership often requires putting the most valuable asset—equity—on the table, which immediately reduces one’s earning power. She warns against the common obsession with future ownership percentages (e.g., 5% or 10%) and highlights the danger of cutting the equity “pie” into halves or thirds before any revenue is generated. The core message is to protect your earning power by avoiding premature equity splits and risky bets with what you need to survive.
