Video Description** If you don't want to be like everyone else—broke, stressed, and stuck in a never-ending cycle—you need to focus on one thing: **making your first $10,000**. Making money is a **skill**, not luck, and once you figure out how to hit that first 10K, you can scale it into real wealth. In this video, I break down exactly how I would start from zero to reach that goal in three simple steps, without falling for "get rich quick" traps like day trading or crypto which require huge cash reserves. *What You’ll Learn:* *The 4 Business Models:* I compare **in-person services**, **local products**, **global products**, and **online services**. *Why Online Services Win:* Discover why selling online services (like video editing or copywriting) offers the best margins (70-80%) and global reach. *The Skill Pyramid:* The four elements you must master—**Positioning, Leverage, Reach, and Automation**—to transform a high-income skill into a $10,000 income. *Becoming Reliable:* Why 95% of people fail and how being *organised and reliable* will get you paid more than talent alone. *Building Wealth:* How to invest your earnings into **Index Funds (S&P 500)**, individual stocks, and crypto to turn income into long-term wealth. *The Skill Pyramid Breakdown:* 1. *Positioning:* Move to where the money is by helping businesses make more money. 2. *Leverage:* Stop charging for hours and start charging for **results (ROI)**. 3. *Reach:* Use social media to make clients come to you by documenting your work. 4. *Automation:* Use systems like *Odoo CRM* to stay professional, track leads, and never miss a deadline. *Investing for the Future:* *High-Interest Savings:* Your financial safety net. *Index Funds:* The low-maintenance path to becoming a millionaire (e.g., *VTSAX* or **VWRL**). *Individual Stocks:* A great way to learn how the market moves. *Cryptocurrency:* Why I’m bullish on *Bitcoin and Ethereum* for the long term. *Stop wasting money on designer clothes and supercars.* Until you have $1 million, your focus should be using your income to make more money. *Resources Mentioned:* *Odoo CRM:* Get your first application free. *Trading 212:* Use code ‘TILB’ for a free fractional share worth up to £200. *Subscribe* to grow your wealth and master the skills of the 1%! --- *Suggested Tags* Make Money Online, Side Hustle for Students, How to Make $10,000, Passive Income, Mark Tilbury, Investing for Beginners, Online Services, S&P 500, Index Funds, Financial Freedom, Entrepreneurship, Odoo CRM, Student Wealth. --- *Analogy for Understanding* Think of making your first $10,000 like *learning to ride a bicycle**. The hardest part is the initial wobble and the effort it takes to get moving from a standstill. However, once you find your balance and gain momentum, the process becomes a **skill* you never forget, allowing you to travel much further and faster than you ever could on foot.