New Investor On The Block! (From Baltimore, MD)

[Rowan Yearwood]

Hello, Bigger Pockets Community!

This is very exciting for me because this is the first step towards pursuing what I've always wanted to do in life. I've found the world of investing fascinating ever since the concept was first explained to me. When I was in high school, I learned a little about wall street traders. The thrill of it all had me hooked from the start! When I graduated, I almost immediately started to studying the different forms of investing. From Treasury Bonds to CDs to Forex, I was committed to learning as much as I could. Now, with all this amazement I had around the investing world, you'd think that I had my career goals all figured out. Nope!

In high school, I was one of the JROTC kids. I was DETERMINED to join the Marine Corps and refused to think otherwise. However, that didn't go as planned and as everything began to fall apart for me, I realized that my main reason for wanting to join so badly was because I was terrified of  what the world had in store for me after high school and I felt that the USMC was my ticket to security. You see, I spent 19 years selling my self short, telling myself I wasn't good enough or smart enough to do anything else. None of those competition awards I ever brought home could tell me different. 

What does this have to do with investing, you ask? Well, to be an active investor in stocks, real estate, etc. there's a certain mindset you have to bring and A LOT of things you will have to learn. Because, I was so hard on myself, I never considering pursuing this field as a serious career. Even after high school, when I started studying, it only had a small portion of my attention. I was still pursing other careers (USMC turned into Artist Manager that turned into Music Label owner that turned into Publicist that turned into Campaign Manager)!

It wasn't till I turned 21 (the age I am at the time of writing this), that I decided enough was enough and I'd start trusting myself more. In the 2017, I faced my fears head on and bought my car, dropped the 4-year college dream (feel free to ask me about that decision), and got my first apartment. However, the biggest step I took was just a few months ago when I decided to pursue investing as a career starting out with the amazing world of real estate!

This was way longer than intended but I hope that you now have an idea of who I am. Please feel free to comment and ask questions! 

- Rowan Yearwood (name legally changed soon)

[Joe Norman]

Welcome to Bigger Pockets Rowan!  This is a great place to share, learn, and ask questions.  There are also some good networking events in the Baltimore area, including a weekly lunch (Fridays at Noon) at Spirits West in SW Baltimore.  Come join us one week!