Tony Jackson is based in Charlotte, NC and is a highly successful and sought after financial expert, author, and speaker. He is responsible for helping countless entrepreneurs, individuals, and families to lay the foundation for generational wealth, tackling issues like saving, investing, retirement, insurance, estate planning, wills, and the list goes on! He is also the host of a financial show on Praise 100.9 FM and the host of The Real Money Coach Podcast, where he interviews everyone from business owners to top business executives and celebrities.
Serving for the last 25 years, Tony frequently speaks at top business and empowerment conferences, often joining forces with his circle of top leaders, including R. Donahue Peebles, Michael V. Roberts, George C. Fraser, Dr. Boyce Watkins, Dr. Dennis Kimbro and others.
Please tell us a little bit about your business – what is The Real Money Coach all about?
Our focus is to bring financial education to all people. This is our mission and purpose, but we understand it will not be easy. Our schools, colleges, churches, or homes don’t teach personal finances and how money works. Financial education is rarely discussed anywhere in our society. The Real Money Coach is committed to providing Relevant, Educational, Actionable, and Life Changing information and solutions to those who need it the most.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company.
I have spent 25 years in the financial services industry specializing in income protection and retirement planning. I introduce my clients to tax-free retirement strategies that protect their retirement assets from stock market crashes. That is why I launched The Real Money Coach in April 2020. There was an overwhelming need to educate my clients and others because of the market losses resulting from Covid. It started with one Facebook Live show and has grown into a weekly radio broadcast, podcast, online university, book, and national brand.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- The ability to take risks is the most important skill for any entrepreneur. Without risk, there is no reward and it is impossible to grow a successful business. Also, taking risks pushes you to challenge yourself and recognize what you are capable of.
- The ability to think outside the box: You must think outside the box and develop new and innovative ideas. Adversity is inevitable, and if you lack vision and the ability to pivot, you will fail.
- The ability to execute: Ideas are worthless if you can’t execute. Successful entrepreneurs do not waste time. When they have ideas, they take action immediately. If they are unable to execute on their own, they make sure to find someone else who can help them execute.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
My plans for The Real Money Coach are to continue to expand nationally and internationally. We have a growing number of coaches who are Certified Financial Education instructors and licensed agents. We know the need for financial education is not just an American problem but a global one. We need all hands on deck. We are establishing a revenue model that will allow our coaches to provide the necessary financial tools without hindrance to the end user. The revenue model is critical to the expansion of our movement.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
There is no shortage of financial coaches on social media and in the marketplace. What separates me from others is that I have many years of experience and made many financial mistakes. So, I can relate to every single person I encounter. I understand. I empathize with their pain and frustration, but I also have solutions. Our solutions are not just for the wealthy. Our solutions are for everyday people regardless of circumstances or income level. I also can take complex financial strategies and make them simple enough that anyone can understand.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- Firstly, I didn’t realize the importance of a clear and concise business plan. It is sometimes a struggle to make adjustments and ensure that your business is a living document providing the rails for running. It is like they say; “People/businesses don’t plan to fail. They fail to plan.”
- Another mistake I made when starting my business was not being prepared financially. I had no clear plan to fund my business, so I struggled financially. So here I was, helping others while trying to get my stuff together. I had to learn to listen to my own advice.
- Lastly, I didn’t realize how important it is to network. When starting a business, connecting with other like-minded people and building relationships is essential. These connections can provide you with valuable advice, feedback, and support.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Our marketing plan is simple: get in front of as many people as possible and listen to their stories and goals. Public appearances and speaking engagements have been a great source of leads, along with my radio broadcast and podcast. Once prospects have engaged with us by scheduling initial appointments and enrolling to email lists, we continually contact them to ensure they know about all of our free content and classes. My book, Increase, Protect and Dominate Your Money™, has been a tremendous asset.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I face is changing the mindsets of people who need my services the most. Many marginalized communities have a distrust of financial institutions. We certainly understand that things like redlining and predatory lending practices is the root cause of this distrust. We can’t sit on the sidelines and watch the wealth gap continue to widen. I have dedicated my time, talent, and treasure to educating as many people as possible.
The second biggest challenge is paying for delivering the necessary content to the end user.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
The thing that I am learning now is options trading. I am learning options and day trading for personal reasons and secondly to help others. Options trading is at the core of many of the financial products we offer, and the more educated I become, the better I will be able to serve my clients. Furthermore, it can be a great source of income.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
For me, the number one productivity tip is to use Calendly. I calendar everything. Having a system where prospects, clients, and team members can self-schedule is a game changer, along with integrating automated appointment reminders via email and text.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
This goes back to the earlier question: “What are the top three mistakes I made?”… Well, don’t make those mistakes. Make sure you have a business plan, be prepared financially, and find a network of like-minded individuals. The only thing that I would add to that is to get with someone like me who can help you plan for your long-term financial goals while you are grinding to build your business.
How can readers get in touch with you?
Let me share a really quick story. My 7-year-old grandson, out of the blue, asked Alexa, “Who is the real money coach?” and Alexa said, “Tony Jackson.” It really shocked me, but what it taught me is that Alexa and Google better know who you are.
So just google Tony Jackson, The Real Money Coach, and that should take my website, social media, and all the other stuff. Or you can simply visit therealmoneycoach.com.
