I’ve had my Amex for a few years now. And I’ve come to believe one thing:

Amex doesn’t just reward points. They reward annual spend and loyalty.

The more you put through the card each year, and the longer you stay, the more valuable you are to them. And once you understand that, you can use it.

Here’s my hypothesis. Unlike a typical bank that makes money from you carrying a balance, Amex’s business model is built on interchange. This means a percentage of every transaction you make. That means your annual spend is their revenue. A high-spend, long-standing cardmember isn’t just a customer. They’re an asset.

And assets, you protect.

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So how do I deliberately boost my annual spend?

1. Always use Amex first. Every subscription, every Apple Pay tap, every online checkout - my Amex is the default. I’ve even audited my accounts and switched anything sitting on another card.

2. Refer friends and family. Every approved referral earns me bonus points and tells Amex I’m actively engaged with the brand. That stacks up.

3. Use Amex for big bills wherever possible. Insurance, furniture, holidays, appliances … if they accept Amex then I’m using it. Large recurring charges add up very quickly. Bigger spend means more points for me and even more loyalty points from Amex.

4. Add authorised users. A spouse or partner’s spending rolls up to your account. One card, multiple spenders = no brainer. The combined spend looks much stronger to Amex.

5. Time large purchases strategically. Big buys before your cardmember anniversary can push your annual spend meaningfully higher.

Now, that being said, remember to use credit cards responsibly. Only spend what you can afford. Remember the goal is paying your credit statement in full and paying zero interest.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

Once you’ve built up solid spend and a year or more of history, you have real leverage which you use by calling Amex and asking for a retention offer.

Here’s the script I use:

Make sure you’re subscribed to see it bestie (it’s free and ensures you’re the first to find out about everything!

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They are not smarter or luckier. They just learned the rules of a game most people don’t know they’re playing.

When you own a buy to let property personally, rental income is added on top of your salary and taxed at your marginal rate.

If you’re a high earner on the 40% or 45% tax band, you are handing nearly half your rental profit straight to HMRC before you see a penny of it.

On top of that, since 2017, you can no longer deduct mortgage interest as an expense instead you get a 20% tax credit. So if your mortgage costs £800 a month and your rent is £1,200, you’re being taxed on income and not the profit. It genuinely does not make sense to hold property in your personal name if you’re a high earner.

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So what’s the answer?

The answer is a limited company.

A limited company is a separate legal entity. It has its own bank account, its own tax return, and it owns the properties. You do not own the properties personally. You own the company, and the company owns the assets.

The company pays corporation tax on its profits, which currently sits at 19% for smaller profits and 25% above £250k. Compare that to your personal income tax rate.

Mortgage interest is fully deductible as a business expense inside a limited company. The numbers change completely.

Not just any limited company. You want what’s called an SPV, which stands for Special Purpose Vehicle.

An SPV is a limited company set up for one specific purpose only: to hold property. It has its own SIC code, which is the code that tells HMRC what your company does. The SIC code matters because buy to let mortgage lenders are much more comfortable lending to an SPV than a general trading company.

In 2017, the government introduced Section 24 of the Finance Act. It changed everything for personal property investors, and it was not an accident. It was a deliberate policy designed to push smaller landlords out of the market.

Before 2017, if you owned a buy to let personally, you could deduct your full mortgage interest from your rental income before calculating tax. So if your rent was £1,500 and your mortgage interest was £700, you paid tax on £800. That made sense.

Section 24 removed that entirely for higher rate taxpayers.

Now you pay tax on the full £1,500. Then you get a 20% tax credit on the interest. So on paper you made £1,500. You are taxed at 40%, which is £600 in tax. You get a £140 credit back, which is 20% of the £700 interest. You end up paying £460 in tax on what is actually £800 of real profit.

Section 24 does not apply to limited companies.

The things to know before you start

• You cannot easily transfer personally owned properties into a limited company without triggering stamp duty and capital gains tax. This is why starting with the right structure matters. Getting it wrong at the beginning is expensive to undo.

• Mortgages in a company name are more expensive and the product range is smaller than the personal market, but it is growing fast and the tax savings more than compensate.

• You will need an accountant who files your company accounts annually with Companies House and HMRC. Budget for this. It is not optional, and the cost is worthwhile.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa x

Individual Stocks

This is where my investing journey started. I used an investing account (like Trading 212) and bought my first ever stock. Individual stocks mean you are buying a small ownership stake in a single company. You choose the company, you take the risk, and you take the reward.

What I quickly learned is that individual stocks are volatile. The value of your investment moves with the market, with company performance, and sometimes with things completely outside your control. I watched my stocks fall and then recover before I sold. That experience showed me my investing temperament and it taught me the difference between short term and long term investing.

Index Funds

Once I understood how I wanted to invest, I got smarter about where I was putting my money. That’s when I moved into index funds.

Index funds are different from individual stocks. Rather than picking one company and betting on its performance, an index fund tracks a whole market — for example the S&P 500, which follows the top 500 companies in the US. Your money is spread across all of them automatically. If one company performs badly, the others carry the weight. This is what diversification actually looks like in practice.

I started maxing out my ISA every year and directing it into index funds. The ISA wrapper means all of my growth is completely tax free, which as a higher rate taxpayer makes a significant difference.

The reason index funds work so well over time comes down to compound interest. Compound interest is when your returns start generating their own returns. So if you invest £10,000 and it grows by 8%, you now have £10,800. The following year that 8% applies to £10,800, not just your original £10,000. Over decades, that snowball effect builds serious wealth. The earlier you start, the harder it works for you.

Property

In my early 20s, I diversified into a completely new asset class and bought my first investment property. By 27 I own multiple, all generating passive income every single month.

What I want people to understand about property is that there is no single strategy - there are many, and the right one depends entirely on your goals, your capital, and how hands on you want to be. Some investors buy to let, renting to a single tenant for a steady monthly income. Others invest in HMOs, renting individual rooms to multiple tenants for higher yields. There is also flipping, where you buy, refurbish and sell for a profit, or holiday lets, serviced accommodation, and commercial property conversions.

I chose HMOs because the income potential is significantly higher than a standard buy to let. That cash flow is what makes real financial freedom possible and not just a high net worth on paper, but actual income replacing your salary month by month.

Building a Brand

This one surprises people but it absolutely belongs on this list. I started sharing my investing journey publicly, as a doctor who actively invests, and that decision has compounded in ways I never expected.

Sharing your story does something powerful. It connects you with people on a similar path. It attracts people who are inspired by what you are building. And it holds you accountable to the goal you have set publicly. There is real value in building in public, and I wish more people in finance and medicine did it.

Financial education is an asset in itself. Your knowledge, your story, and your credibility are worth building alongside your portfolio.

The Bigger Picture

Stocks taught me how to think like an investor. Index funds build quietly in the background. Property generates the income. The brand pulls everything together.

None of these work in isolation. Together they are the foundation of a plan to be work-optional before I turn 30. You do not need to start with all of them. You just need to start.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa x

This is the full version of everything I’ve learned. Not theory. Things I actually did.

1. I bought through a limited company from day one

As a high rate taxpayer, and with government changes making personal ownership increasingly costly, it simply wasn’t worth not structuring deals properly from the start.

When you buy in your personal name as a higher rate taxpayer, mortgage interest relief is restricted. Inside a limited company, you can deduct mortgage interest as a business expense before calculating profit. That difference, compounded across multiple properties, is significant.

Less lost to tax meant more capital to reinvest and build my next deposit faster yet most high earners never consider this before their first purchase. By the time they realise, they’ve already bought in the wrong structure and unwinding it is costly.

Structure first. Always.

2. I accepted it takes money to make money

This was the mindset shift that changed everything.

My NHS salary was never going to retire me early. A good income is a starting point, not a destination. The doctors, lawyers and consultants I know who are still trading time for money in their 50s didn’t lack earnings, they lacked a plan for deploying them.

I stopped seeing investing as something to do with “leftover” money and started treating it as non-negotiable. And then I used equity, leverage and refinancing to make each pound work harder than the last. One property funds the next.

3. I ignored the city and obsessed over the street

Everyone wants to invest in Manchester. Birmingham. Leeds. The big names feel safe.

They’re not a guarantee.

Every major city has streets that perform and streets that don’t. Identical properties, half a mile apart, with completely different yields, tenant quality and void rates. I built a list before I bought anything ie areas, likely rental pool, proximity to transport and employment. I went on countless viewings and spoke to as many people as possible.

Postcode knowledge is a genuine edge in this market. Most investors never develop it because it requires effort that doesn’t show up on Rightmove.

4. I treated every property like a business, not a home

This is the one that trips up the most first-time investors.

You are not buying somewhere to live. Your taste is irrelevant. What matters is whether a tenant would pay to live there and stay. Kitchen size, room dimensions, layout, natural light, storage… these are the things that determine tenant retention and void periods, which directly affect your returns.

I viewed every property through a tenant’s eyes. The question was never “would I live here.” It was “would someone pay to — and keep paying.”

5. I learnt to invest beyond property

Property is my primary vehicle but it is not my only one.

Stocks, index funds, angel investing. I made it a priority to understand different asset classes and where my money could work harder than sitting in a savings account earning 4% while inflation erodes it.

This matters for two reasons. First, diversification protects you when one asset class underperforms. Second, the discipline of understanding returns, risk and compounding across different investments makes you a sharper property investor too. You start to evaluate deals differently when you know what else your capital could be doing.

A savings account is not a wealth strategy.

8. I understood that cash flow and capital growth are different goals

Most new investors confuse these and end up with a portfolio that doesn’t serve either goal well.

Cash flow is the monthly income a property generates after all costs. Capital growth is the increase in the property’s value over time. Some areas deliver strong cash flow but modest growth. Others appreciate significantly but run tight on monthly returns.

Neither is wrong. But you need to know which one you’re optimising for before you buy because it changes the type of property, the location, and the structure of the deal entirely. I got clear on this early and it shaped every purchase decision I’ve made since.

9. I stopped treating my salary as my ceiling

High earners are often the worst at this.

A strong income creates the illusion of financial security. But income is not wealth. Income stops the moment you stop working. Wealth compounds while you sleep.

I reframed my salary as my investing engine.. the tool I used to build something that would eventually replace it. That shift changes how you make decisions. Lifestyle choices, spending, risk appetite - everything looks different when your salary is a means to an end rather than the end itself.

10. I didn’t let lifestyle inflation eat my investing capital

This is the quiet killer for high earners.

Income goes up. Spending follows. The gap between earning and investing stays the same or shrinks. I made a deliberate decision early that income growth would go into assets, not lifestyle upgrades. The car, the holidays, the flat … those come later. They come from portfolio income, not salary.

Delayed gratification is not a sacrifice. It is the strategy.

If this resonated, share it with someone who’s still waiting for the right moment.

And if you’re ready to go deeper - the Wealth Cercle is where I work with investors who are serious about building a portfolio with strategy behind it. Details on instagram

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa x

One of the simplest ways for everyday investors to gain exposure to property without actually buying buildings themselves is through REITs.

What are REITs?

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are companies that own, operate, or finance income-producing real estate.

Instead of buying a property yourself, you buy shares in a company that owns many properties. These properties generate income through rent or leases, and a large portion of that income is paid out to investors.

Examples of property types REITs may own include:

• Office buildings

• Shopping centres

• Apartment blocks

• Hotels

• Warehouses and logistics hubs

• Healthcare facilities

Because REITs generate rental income, they often pay regular dividends to investors.

REIT sectors

Healthcare REITs

These REITs invest in assets like:

• Medical centres

• GP clinics

• Care homes

• Hospitals

Hotel & hospitality REITs

These REITs own:

• Hotels

• Resorts

• Leisure accommodation

Their performance is often linked to tourism trends, business travel and economic cycles. When travel demand is strong, revenues can grow quickly.

Land or agricultural REITs

Some REITs focus on land ownership or farmland.

So why do people love REITs (other than their property exposure)?

1. Passive income

REITs are known for paying relatively high dividend yields.

2. Liquidity

Unlike owning physical property, publicly traded REITs can be bought and sold easily on stock exchanges, just like normal shares.

3. Diversification

REITs give investors exposure to real estate markets, which often behave differently from stocks or bonds. Adding different asset types can help spread risk across a portfolio.

But with everything, there are risks and for REITs these include:

1. Interest rate sensitivity

REITs often borrow money to purchase property. When interest rates rise:

• Borrowing costs increase

• Bonds become more attractive to investors

• REIT share prices can fall

2. Sector-specific risks

Different property sectors respond to different economic conditions.

For example, a healthcare REIT may be influenced by government spending, while hotel REITs may be influenced by tourism and travel demand.

How to find REITs

If you want to explore REITs yourself, you can research them using investing platforms such as Trading 212 or other brokerage apps.

Most platforms allow you to:

• Search REIT companies by name or ticker

• Compare dividend yields

• Explore different real estate sectors

• Review historical performance and payouts

Final thoughts

REITs sit in an interesting space between stocks and property investing. They allow investors to gain exposure to real estate markets while still having the flexibility of buying and selling shares.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa x

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I bought a three-bed house in London and paid £30,000 in stamp duty alone. That figure honestly made me stop and think.

On properties I’ve purchased up north, the most I’ve paid is around £16,000 and those were four-bed houses with multiple bathrooms and reception rooms.

Of course, London is one of the biggest cities in the world. Demand will always be strong. But when you start running the numbers, it becomes clear that you can often get significantly more property for your money outside the capital.

That doesn’t mean London is a bad investment? But it does raise an interesting question:

Are investors still buying London property because the numbers stack up, or because London has always been the default choice?

When you step back and look at the maths, there are a few things worth considering.

Entry Costs

Stamp duty in London can be a major barrier. A £30k tax bill before you even start renovating is a serious chunk of capital tied up immediately. That same money could fund a refurbishment, deposit, or even part of another property in a different city.

Price per Square Foot

London still commands a premium per square foot. In many northern cities, that same budget could buy a larger property.

Rental Yields

London tends to deliver strong long-term capital appreciation, but yields can be tighter compared to regional cities. In places across the Midlands and the North, rental yields can often be significantly stronger.

So if it’s not a property in London… what other places are worth looking at?

Derby
Derby is becoming an emerging opportunity in the East Midlands, with major regeneration projects underway and a new university city-centre campus planned. It is also accessible to other big cities such as Birmingham

Manchester & Salford
Manchester continues to be one of the strongest regional markets in the UK. A large student population, thriving tech and media sectors, and constant inward investment keep rental demand high. Areas like Salford Quays, Ancoats, and Trafford have become particularly popular for both investors and young professionals.

Birmingham
As the UK’s second-largest city, Birmingham continues to attract serious attention from investors. Areas like Digbeth are being transformed by the upcoming HS2 high-speed rail development, which is expected to improve connectivity and drive long-term growth.

Stockport
Stockport is currently undergoing a £1 billion transformation, making it one of the most interesting emerging markets near Manchester. Property is still relatively affordable compared to the city centre, and rental growth has reportedly been strong. With excellent transport links to both Manchester and London, it’s attracting increasing investor interest.

Hull
Hull is often seen as a budget entry point for property investors. Prices remain relatively low compared to most UK cities, while regeneration around the port and city centre continues to bring investment into the area. For investors focused on yield, Hull can offer strong returns.

Newcastle
Newcastle has long been popular with investors due to its strong rental yields and large student population. Compared to many southern cities, entry prices remain relatively accessible while rental demand stays consistent.

So where does that leave London?

London will probably always be a global property market. It offers liquidity, long-term stability, and international demand that few other cities can match.

But for investors focused on value, yield, and scalability, the numbers in regional cities are becoming harder to ignore.

So I’m curious what others think.

Let me know!

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa x

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In today’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing with you the tips and mindset hacks that have allowed me to build a portfolio career as a doctor.

1. Not following the norm

If you do not want someone else’s life or results – why are you following them? What is the benefit of listening to their advice?

Chances are by listening to them you are more likely to end up at the destination which you do not want.

When you are doing something 'outside the norm' you need to be looking at the people who have done extraordinary things. Success leaves clues.

Not following the norm looks different for everyone, it could be jumping off your career conveyor belt and getting additional skills that others do not have. It could be building something you believe the world needs. It could be selling everything and moving to a different country.

2. Not being afraid to take risks

Building your dream career / portfolio career involves taking risks. When I was approached to be on TV; I could have said no.

But, I took a risk. I used as an opportunity to diversify my skills and learn about a new industry and fast forward I love creating content now.

Now although that is not the riskiest thing I have done. When I do take huge risks, I try to reduce the risk as much as possible. This is where self-development through education and speaking to mentors comes into play.

Having met some really wealthy people, the commonest thing I have heard them all say is ‘ ‘do not be afraid to take risks.’

For the other mindset hacks…. watch this video ☺

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - How to become a 9-5 millionaire

📚Read with me - The laws of marketing EXPOSED - Al & Laura Reis

• Perception is golden when you are marketing a product/service.

• Less is actually more as it helps you own a niche - diversification too early can lead to loss of profits

• The most effective marketing strategies are simple, memorable and focus on the benefits on the product at hand

• Create your own niche rather than trying to take on somebody else’s - the latter is a lot harder to achieve results in

Have a lovely week ahead x

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

I think I cracked the time management code

*eek* and by cracking the time management code, I have been able to use my time outside of my 9-5 to help me figure out:

• who I am

• what I enjoy

• what things I need to prioritise and the list goes on…

So here is what helped me….

1. You have control of your time

What you say yes and no to will take you to a destination. For example, if you say no to going to the gym…

• Day 1 = no visible impact

• Day 10 = no visible

• Day 1000 = visible impact (which may not be in alignment with your goal)

What you choose to do in the outside of work is your decision. Simply choose to do activities that are aligned with your goals.

If you are prioritising health, it might make more sense to go to a exercise class, join a run club or watch fitness content online rather than lounging or having an unintentional phone call.

Cal Newport shared that it is dangerous to have busyness as proxy for productivity. When in reality doing less but honing in on what you do can be more meaningful.

2. Declutter your life

Stop being a hoarder. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we are holding onto things which are taking space but meaningless. Sometimes simplifying your life is a good thing. It allows you to see things for what they are and you have less external commitments so you can actual commit to the things that you want to commit to.

Truthfully, you don’t need 10,000 friends, you do not need 10 hobbies, you do not need 10 side hustles. Being intentional with what is in front of you can move the needle more than spreading yourself thing. Scientifically, there is only so much you can concentrate on properly anyways.

Less is more…

and for the game-changer point - you will need to watch my YouTube video which I have linked below 😉

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - STOP WASTING TIME - Productivity hacks for busy people

Have a lovely week ahead.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

UK doctor salaries are not the best, yet by planning my finances I have a 6-figure investment portfolio.

Done without any external investors through simply budgeting my salary, investing consistently and diversifying my portfolio.

So here’s what I do every month (finances are reviewed weekly - but don’t mind me I’m extra 😂)…

But before we jump in - I have one key principle

Key things I implement:

Pay Yourself First: I see investing as an expense that is a priority! So before my other expenses are paid; I have to pay my investment element first. Automating this if you are paid monthly can make it much easier. Then everything else comes next.

Now onto the budgeting bit….

1. Identify all income

On my excel sheet, detailing all income including salary, side hustle, dividends, gifts (literally everything)

2. Identify all expenses

The expenses can be overwhelming. To simplify them, I break them down into 3 groups. My essentials, ‘Soft life’ fund and future self fund.         

The essentials - all the things needed to be paid so I can survive

Soft life - all my expenses that are allocated to ‘chopping life’

Future self - investment pot & emergency fund pot

Some of these pots are subdivided for better clarity on how the expenses are being portioned.

The next 2 steps are explored in my YouTube video below, so if you are interested then check it out 😊

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - How to budget and save your money

📚Read with me - Racing towards excellence

• ‘success and long term sustainable happiness’ are defined as being one and the same

• you are not successful if you have wealth at the compromise of your health, relationships and spiritual wellbeing

Have a lovely week ahead.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

But not all doctors are financially incentivised; some have passions and hobbies outside of work that they have been able to monetise into a side hustle making more than £100,000 annually.

So… how possible is it to be both a working doctor AND business owner.

Answer: VERY!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had conversations with doctors who still work full-time but have side hustles generating more than £100,000 a year and this is the fields they were in…

1. Agriculture

Doctor A started a farming business abroad selling eggs to the local people and large chain grocery cooperation. Growing up doctor A grew up on a farm and had farming experience making it easier to start the business venture as an adult. Having started with a small acre of land, it has expanded to a venture generating >£10,000/month.

Simplified steps:

1. Purchase land

2. Purchase hens

3. Legality, staffing & equipment hire

4. Harvest eggs

5. Sale via supply chain

2. Aesthetic clinic

Doctor B was interested in the intersection of skin and surgery. With just £4,000 in savings, invested in courses to become a certified aesthetician. With no savings, decided to enter a profit sharing model with local salons in order to get clients and minimise the overheads.

Doctor B ran these clinics in the evenings and worked during the day. The profits of the clinic was reinvested back into the business allowing for multiple branch locations in an area. The business was scaled to a client list of over 15,000 patients.

3. Property

Doctor C has a property portfolio of 8 houses. At the time they were purchased ranged from £100-200K each. Since then, houses have increased in value and the property rental market is soaring and less and less people can get on the ladder.

Doctor C is now worth >£2M but loves being a doctor and still works full-time whilst the management of the properties are outsourced.

Journey summary:

1. Saved for 8 years

2. Worked overtime

3. Reduced expenses

4. Brought investment property

5. Repeat

Find the last one which is the craziest of them all on my YouTube channel… video linked below

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - Side Hustle: Making 10k A Month While Working Full-time as doctor

📚Read with me - Racing Towards Excellence

• This is a new book that I started this week; I’ll be back next week with my POV.

• An interesting quote from the book as food for thought -

• “professional success and material wealth that comes from sacrificing one’s emotional and physical accounts over many years” - this is trading, not succeeding.

Have a lovely week ahead.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

‘Quit your 9-5’

‘You can’t get rich working for someone else’

Is a 9-5 really bad though? Personally, I think you can use your 9-5 to your advantage. A bit like a game of chess, it’s making sure that your 9-5 aligns with YOUR goals.

There a many famous founders who have used their 9-5 experiences to go on and create amazing businesses.

The list includes but is not limited to:

• Founder of Odd Muse - worked at ASOS

• Founder of Instagram - worked at multiple tech start-ups prior

• Founder of House Of CB - sold clothes on eBay

• Founder of MailChimp - ran MailChimp as a ‘fun project’ in-house for their start-up at the time

If your 9-5 doesn’t align with your goals … respectfully it is time to move on.

But how can you leverage your 9-5?

1. See your 9-5 is a paid internship

Think about it… you are getting paid to develop a skill of your choice.

If you want to learn about marketing – try get marketing job

Interested in developing your strategy skills - get a business development/ strategy role.

Your job needs to align with the skill you want. There’s no point working a job that does not do this unless its other benefits compensate for this ie your salary

2. You can use your 9-5 to make you more money

How? By investing.

Investing simply put is allowing your money to work for you.

Simplified steps:

1. Work 9-5 job

2. Paid salary

3. Invest salary

4. More money assuming healthy returns

The rich get richer by creating systems which allows their money to work for them. In essence, their money making ability is not tied in direct exchange with their time.

Aside from skill, money (which you can invest to make more money) … your 9-5 also gives you a network, experience AND can be used to build a personal brand.

Plus.. you have many exit options with a 9-5 which I explore in my YouTube video below…

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - Do not quit your 9-5

📚Read with me - The Sacred Search - Gary Thomas

• Probably one of my favourite recommended books

• A book offering biblical insights on building intentional relationships - it offered a completely different perspective and has questions at the end of each chapter.

🖥️ Health-tech updates

• Solu ~ Finnish biotech

  • Seed raise - €1M

  • Company with a tool that can identify in real time antibiotic-resistant bacteria, dangerous mutations aiding clinical management

• Resistomap - Helsinki-based

  • Seed raise - €2M

  • created a comprehensive AMR database and will use AI to early-warning systems, in-depth genetic results, advanced prediction models on the spread of AMR.

Have a lovely week ahead x

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

The stats show that millennials stand to become the richest generation in history, after $90 trillion wealth transfer.

But what happens if you are not inheriting money - well the next set of millionaires are self-made. This is usually through starting a business with the funds either raised or using their 9-5 job to pay the bills.

I spoke to a handful of self-made millionaires who used the money from their 9-5 job to fund their businesses and here were their POVs…

1. Own capital

Owning capital comes in many forms. It could be owning a stack in a business, buying businesses (Codie Sanchez is a stan of this), owning property, stocks + more…

In essence, you want to own something that can generate money without you having to trade your own time in exchange for money. You also want to own something that you can scale.

2. Abundance mindset

You need to check your psychology.

$37 trillion is how much money we think the world has in its different forms. $37 trillion is a significant amount of money so surely money is not the root of our problems.

If you do not have money, there is someone who has access to the money that you are looking for – you just need to find them. Steve Bartlett always says you need to know the who not the how.

With a mindset of abundance you genuinely believe that there is an abundance of resources so there is no need for scarcity thinking or competition because there is more than enough for everyone

3. Compounding

Compounding is your best friend when your goal is financial freedom. The compound effect refers to the principle that small actions, taken consistently over time, can lead to significant results or outcomes.

When you have a sum of money invested, you will earn interest. If you invest the interest you made then the interest earns interest and your money pot grows bigger and bigger.

The bigger your pot gets, the more fun it because you are playing around with money to make even more money.

To get the rest… watch the rest of my YouTube video if you have not done already 😉

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - Become an ISA millionaire

📚Read with me - Money - Know More, Make More, Give More

• Money does not make you happy, it’s the autonomy that it gives you that makes you happy

• Being poor is when you over consume on depreciables without producing nothing

• You don’t need money to make money - you actually need an idea, energy & service to make money

Have a lovely week ahead.

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

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For those of you who do not know him, he is a serial entrepreneur, star of Dragon’s Den and has a very popular podcast known as ‘The Diary of a CEO.’

Here are a few of my favourite takeaways:

1. Focus on the things people cannot see

An underlying theme seen in the amazing CEOs he has interviewed over the years is self-commitment.

Your self-commitment is all the things you tell yourself that you are going to do i.e. wake up at 6AM or go to the gym 3x a week. Over time, not meeting the tasks you set yourself can influence your self-reputation.

In other words, how you perceive yourself - a very crucial perception.

Having a low self-reputation, can affect the quality of your work, your perception and response to difficulty. Why? Because, if you cannot meet important tasks that you set yourself, the ‘poor commitment’ character trait can compound and affect other areas of your life.

2. Do not focus on money

Life will humble you to the level of your experience and skill. Focusing on your skills and experiences will make you more valuable in the workplace. This means that later on, you can request how ever much you want (as long as you can deliver the corresponding level of value).

Focusing on money too early might compromise the nature of jobs you choose. For example, you might choose a job that does not add much to your current skill set but pays more.

Developing your skills and having a unique set of experiences will allow you to skill stack later on!

3. You do not need to know everything

Sometimes, all you need to know is the how not who.

You do not need to do everything. The most efficient thing is to delegate.

Why spend 20 hours on a task when you can spend 5 hours?

It makes more sense to delegate the task to someone who is an expert in it and can do it in 5 hours. Spending 20 hours on a task that you are less proficient takes away from the high-level things that require your attention.

It’s also freeing because as a founder, sometimes you feel that you need to do everything and know everything but that’s not always necessary (there are some caveats of course).

A great case study of this is Richard Branson, founder of Virgin.

4. Do not be afraid to fail

Failure is feedback. Feedback leads to success.

The best businesses fail lots and their ‘good’ 1-3 products can have 10X returns covering the financial impact of the previous failures anyway.

Stay up-to-date with me❤️

🎞️Latest YouTube video - Become a 9-5 millionaire

📚Read with me - The Power of a Praying® Woman by Stormie Omartian

• Highly recommend this book

• It’s broken up into short cute chapters which means you can do a deep dive into each of the different components

🖥️ Health-tech updates

• Binx Health - offers at-home and on-site diagnostic tests. It’s FDA approved machine is able to detect chlamydia & gonorrhoea in 30 minutes allowing healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat on the spot.

  • Goal: Tackle rising STI rates

  • Total raise: $250M

Have a lovely week ahead x

Signed,

Dr Uyiosa xo

P.s. Wishing you an amazing Q2

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If You Want to Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want to Go Far, Go Together - African Proverb

Relationships - A HOT topic in every catch-up.

It’s the plot twists, new characters and storylines for me but…

In all seriousness, this week I was reminded of the beauty of relationships.

Having a village is such an under-rated thing.

A place where you can be YOU.

In your true state - no façade.

A place where your CV, accomplishments and accolades do not matter.

The only thing that matters is that person’s unconditional love for you.

The world is hard. It’s refreshing knowing that with a community you do not have to carry the weight of it alone. And you should not have to. Even God knew it was not good for Adam to be alone. Building a village, tribe, rooted relationships really help you navigate hard times.

Studies show that low social support is associated with increased sensitivity to stress and raised blood pressure. In one study conducted prior to a public speaking exercise, they found the stress levels were lower in individuals when they had social support.

A village does not have to be 10,000 people. I think sometimes we are tricked in thinking we need a classroom of people. Quality > quantity.

There also appears to be a change in community which is evident when speaking to older generations that moved to the UK.

I’ve literally heard people say they grew up knowing everyone in their neighbourhood, there was accountability between different families and everyday interactions even with people you do not know. Now…it feels like there is a culture of me, myself and I and if it does not concern me then I am not involved.

Not sure what the solution to the above is but…

In summary…

There is so much power in doing life with others. However, to build a true village you need transparency, vulnerability, humility and discernment. The upside of a village makes the risk worth taking!

Random food for thought this week….

True power is achieved by giving your power away.

Latest YouTube video

• All things buying property & investing in Dubai

Health-tech investment news🚀

• Anima - UK based start-up using AI to transform primary care by automating medical tasks, coordinating patient care and triaging patients therefore increasing GP capacity

  • Latest round: Series A

  • Investors: Hummingbird VC, Y Combinator, Molten Ventures +more

  • Last raised: $12 million

• Zephyr AI - US based start-up located in Virginia, which is using AI to increase precision in medical management plan especially in the treatment of cancer and chronic conditions

  • Latest round: Series A

  • Investors: Revolution Growth, Eli Lilly & Company +more

  • Last raised: $111 million

https://www.finder.com/uk/side-hustle-statistics  

1. Define your skills

If you know your skills, great, but if you do not then try reflecting on these 2 questions.

• What activities am I naturally drawn to?

• What do I enjoy doing in my free time?

You can also get feedback from those around you who you trust. They may have insights on what comes naturally to you and what things you are good at.

You can also review your CV, this can actually be a great tool for you to reflect on.

If you have done any volunteering or had roles of responsibility – what skills do you develop because of the role?  Think about the roles you liked and try and identify why you liked them.

2. Define your audience 

You need to define who you are selling to because this will affect:

• How you market your products to them

• The type of products/services you offer

For example, if you are a make-up artist, are you targeting high-end shoots, birthdays or weddings?

By defining your audience, you can tailor your services to their needs. Through understanding your market you can unlock other opportunities that may not yet be mainstream.

To get the other points… check out my YouTube video on the topic.

Until next time,

Dr Uyiosa xo

The key is being productive not busy. Culture tells us to be ‘booked and busy’ but a busy calendar does not equal productivity!

In order to achieve your  dreams, you need to do your one thing consistently   and not spend the day doing meaningless tasks.

ACTION: Break down your big goal into daily tasks and make those daily tasks your one thing

2. Perfect time does not exist

The perfect time does not exist. There is no point putting things on hold waiting for the perfect time. We actually have a lot of more autonomy than we think.

ACTION: Time-block

• Pick something you want to do

• Add it to your calendar

• Make it recurring

• Say no to anything that pops up fighting for that time

3. Embrace your uniqueness sooner

Embrace being different. Naval Ravikant mentions that being yourself is a competitive advantage. All the people who inspire us, inspire us because of their STORY. Their story is the unique selling point!

ACTION: What is your USP?

4. Stop planning

Half the things that have happened that you, you never 'planned.' It is important that you are not too strict with your timelines and just flow. AccuRX started off tackling antibiotics resistance and then moved into communications and now have impacted millions (& have an insane market share in UK GPs).

What to know the rest? Then watch my latest YouTube video x

In a season where the interest rates are at an all time high… a high credit score could reduce the interest rates you get. This can save you a lot of money if you are borrowing.

The higher your credit score, the better you are perceived at handling money.

So how can you boost your credit score?

Here are 5 easy tips that can instantly boost your credit score…

1. Reduce your credit utilisation rate

• Every credit card has a limit.

• How much you spend in proportion to your spending limit is the credit utilisation rate

• If you have a credit limit of £1000 and spend £500 then your credit utilisation rate is 50%.

• Aim for a credit utilisation rate of 30%

  Dr Uyiosa’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

2. Be careful of buy now pay later

• Many popular companies offer these schemes i.e Klarna, Paypal, AfterPay +more…

• But if you miss a payment or make a late payment; this can have a negative impact on your credit score

• To avoid this, make a note of the payment due date and schedule the payment before the due date

3. Pay your credit balance in FULL

• Only place purchases on your card that you can afford because credit cards are notorious for having the highest interest rates.
  This has 2 benefits:

  • 1. Shows the bank you are responsible - if they lend you money, they will get it back in full

  • 2. You avoid paying interest

For the other 2 tips… make sure to check out last week’s YouTube video 🤞🏾

Take care & thanks for always reading this 😊

Dr Uyiosa xo

(lover of healthcare, business & finance)

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This week I’ll be exploring all things money and habits that can keep us in the rat race and broke in our 20s.

1. THINKING LIABILITIES ARE ASSETS

Simply put.. an asset is something which makes you money. A liability is something which costs you money. A really good example of an incorrect asset is cars..

This is because you have more outgoings than incomings. You are paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance as well as the monthly car payments if you do not own it outright.

The caveat to this is if the car is being used for business or is limited edition or has been upgraded.

1. USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO UNDERSTAND YOUR WANT vs NEEDS

Social media will make you think you need a new car, have to travel to the Maldives and need a designer wardrobe. Not to say these things are bad because I do love these things but there is a difference between wants and need.

Abraham Maslow came up with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which describes a five-tier pyramid of human needs. It’s the idea that humans fulfil needs in order of priority with basic needs at the bottom and then self-actualisation at the top.

It can be a helpful indicator in assessing if an item is a want vs a need.

1. NOT REVIEWING YOUR FINANCES

Studies show that 40% of UK employees live payday-to-payday and half overspend each month, straining family relationships.

When reviewing your finances, the 2 key things you need to know are: income vs expenses.

• Income – money that is coming in.

• Expenses – money that is coming out of your account

Expenses can be split into 3 categories.

• Category 1: Human basics – rent, transport, food, living bills, dependent costs

• Category 2: Loans i.e. student loans, personal loans etc.

• Category 3: fun-spending i.e. eating out, shopping, cinema etc.

Being aware of both numbers means you can create a monthly budget and can save effectively.

1. NOT HAVING A CLEAR GOAL

You need to have a clear goal. If you do not have a clear financial goal, your chance of success is low (this applies to nearly everything).

The more specific your goal, the easier it will be to understand and work towards.

Consider the what (the dream), when (the timeline), why (helps with motivation), and how (the hard work to make the dream happen) of your goal.

1. Pick an amount that you want to save i.e. £1,000

2. Set a timeframe i.e. 4 months

3. Break it down to smaller chunks - £1000 in 4 months is £250 a month

4. Create a clear strategy on how you will get £250 a month

1. INCONSISTENCY

Consistency is key because it allows compounding to happen. Warren buffet, greater investor of all time, is a testament to the crazy impact of compounding (he is now worth 118 billion USD.

In order for your money pot to grow, you need to consistently put money into it. This consistency requires discipline.

Here’s more of this explained in my latest YouTube video & don’t forget to like it❤️

Until next time,

Dr Uyiosa

(Lover of healthcare, business & finance)

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New year, new me - it’s time to smash those goals. Last year, I did some really cool things such as shadow the C-suite of a £600M trust, work on cool projects, enter my travelling era whilst finishing my doctor training. In 2024 we go again…

So let’s level up together - here are 5 things you can do to help frame your 2024.

1.      WRITE THE VISION & MAKE IT PLAIN

There is something special about writing down your dream. It makes it real and tangible. Ideally you want to break your life up into different focus points i.e finances, career, health, relationship etc.

Once you’ve identified the areas you want to focus on…. allow yourself to dream. Once you have finished dreaming and goal planning, 10X it because our dreams are usually too small.

Don’t forget the HOW because hard work is needed to bring things into reality. Take time out to come up with a strategy that will allow you to achieve your goal. The key is to break down you goal into tiny weekly tasks which compound as you remain consistent.

Revisit your dreams regularly to make sure you are on track and to help re-align if you happen to have deviated.

2.      SOLITUDE

Spend some time alone to think about your year away from distraction. Be intentionally quiet. In this time, you can identify your whys, revisit the previous year and reflect on your dreams and strategy for the new year.

3.      HEAL FROM YOUR PAST

You cannot move forward if you have not healed from your past. It is a bit like skipping classes, the effect of the skipping may not be seen in the short-term but the impact will be seen in the long-term.

Not healing from your past can manifest itself in your present potentially jeopardising your future. Dealing with the past can be painful, emotional & very uncomfortable so be patient and gracious with yourself as you do it.

During this process, lean on community and those your trust. They can support you and hold you accountable to anything you want to do as an extension of it.

4.      NEW EXPERIENCES

This year, 2024, we are chasing new experiences! You don’t know what you don’t know. This missing information can be crucial to your level up. The more you do new things, the more you learn about YOU. Your likes, dislikes, why, strengths, weaknesses and so forth.

Let’s say yes to new cultures, destinations, internships, opportunities, people & what life has to offer us this year!

5.      TAKING BACK YOUR TIME

We are taking control of our time. Let your yes be yes and no be no. No more reacting to other people’s emergencies and neglecting our one thing (without being selfish of course). This year, we are identifying our one thing, time-blocking it and making sure it gets done!

Make sure to not over-commit this year too. Not everything is an amazing opportunity - you do not want to waste precious time doing activities that will not compound.

What else would you add in order to ensure we level up in 2024? Let me know…

P.s. The YouTube videos are back so let me know what you think x

Take care & thanks for always reading this 😊

Dr Uyiosa xo

(lover of healthcare, business & finance)

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The book explores different elements of money such as:

• Getting wealthy vs staying wealthy (which require implementation of different skill sets)

• The power of compounding (which Warren Buffet has benefited from greatly)

• Why saving money is important

• How our individual perceptions of money form and affect our financial decisions

One of my favourite quotes from the book is:

Use money to gain control over your time, because not having control of your time is such a powerful and universal drag on happiness.

So when he was a guest on the Diary of the CEO, of course I had to listen to his perspective of money and here are my thoughts on segments of the interview.

1. Do not buy a house

Personally, this statement is one of my pet-peeves because it is too simplistic. It does not take into consideration the different facets around property buying such as personal preferences, the economy, property opportunities and asset diversification.

I do agree that property buying is a big deal and is not for everyone but a blanket statement like the above is misleading.

There are instances where renting is a better option than home ownership. For example, renting offers increased flexibility, may be cheaper or may not be appropriate for the current life stage etc.

However, others could argue that home ownership may be more favourable as it offers increased security and stability and may be linked to legacy etc.

Property is not the only investment strategy as others may offer a greater return i.e. investing in stocks. However, with investing in stocks, dollar cost averaging is important as is when you sell the stocks. During COVID, many had a negative portfolio but those who were not forced to sell managed to recover. The best investors have a diversified portfolio and cash for the unexpected which leads to my next point.

1. Risk is what you did not see coming

I found this comment very interesting. Morgan went on to expand on this idea further by stating the definition of risk is what is left after you have ‘mitigated’ everything else. He later evidenced by using Warren Buffet and his love for liquidity as an example. Warren Buffet’s (greatest investor of all time) investment company Berkshire Hathaway in 2022 had $35.811B as liquid cash - they have cash to buy when the market has a great opportunity.

He explained that roughly every decade there is something that we never expect i.e. financial crisis, COVID etc. No matter how many forecasts you do, you just cannot see them coming. However, those who have cash usually have a safety buffer. A buffer to ride through the financial impact of the risk and to take advantage of any opportunities arises.

This cash is also separate to an emergency fund and is part of your portfolio allocation which can make it look conservative.

1. Don’t play it safe

This is another interesting idea that I have heard many people say. It’s the concept of taking the most risky / unorthodox path in a career than sticking to the normal trajectory.

Why?

When you are younger, usually you are more risk tolerant and learn faster. For example, by working in a start-up, you may work closely with the CEO as the teams are smaller and failing is ingrained in the culture (usually).

My overall thoughts…

1. Definitely read the psychology of money because it is not like a typical finance book; it will challenge your thoughts of money

2. Never take statements at face value because they do miss key parts that influence/can influence an individuals decision.

3. There is no easy way for defining your career and creating wealth because we all have different values and personal situations.

What is your take? Let me know in the comments⬇️

Yours truly,

Dr Uyiosa xo

(lover of healthcare, business & healthcare)

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