Most People Get Stuck in the Middle

Let’s say you make $1M in crypto in 2025. Sounds amazing, right? But here’s the problem…$1M isn’t retirement money for most people (especially if your in your 20’s). Taxes take a chunk. Your cost of living doesn’t magically disappear. And unless you live like a hermit, that money will burn away faster than Lightning McQueen (ka-chow).

So what do you do? You’re stuck. You’ve got more money than ever, but it’s not enough to walk away from your 9 to 5. You’re still tied to the same job, the same daily grind, except now you just have a bigger number in your bank account. That’s not freedom. That’s a trap.

And the worst part? You could have avoided it with a little more planning and work.

Start Living Your Future Life NOW

Most people think the journey goes like this:

1. Make a ton of money in crypto

2. Quit their job

3. Figure out what’s next

But that’s completely backwards. The people who truly make it in crypto, and stay free, do it differently. They design a lifestyle that they want and then make money that way. Their process looks like this:

1. Start building a business or side hustle before they hit their big payday

2. Make a ton of money in crypto

3. Quit their job and go full time on their own thing

By the time the big payday comes, they already have a plan. They aren’t sitting around wondering what to do next. They’re ready.

The best time to start the next chapter of your life isn’t when you have money. It’s right now.

Why Crypto Alone Won’t Save You

Crypto is an accelerator. It can take you from struggling to thriving faster than almost any other industry. But it’s not a replacement for a sustainable income.

The below scenario could very well be you in 12 months:

• You make $1M in crypto.

• You cash out, pay taxes, and sit on $600K.

• You quit your job.

• You think you’re set until you realize you’re just burning money every month.

Now you’ve got a choice: Do you risk it all trading, hoping to turn $600K into $5M? Or do you crawl back to your old job with your tail between your legs?

Neither of those options sound great. And the reason you’re stuck is because you never built anything else to fall back on.

Now trust me….I definitely think you should (and I definitely will) spoil yourself a little, take some time off and enjoy the fruits of your profits if you make it in crypto this year, but I also definitely don’t want to burn through my new wealth without a major plan.

And I definitely want to join the new rich of lifestyle designers instead of sitting at my corporate desk for 8 hours a day with $600k in the bank.

The 9-to-5 Exit Plan

If you want to really escape the rat race, your plan can’t just be "make money in crypto." You need an exit strategy.

Here’s what that looks like in my opinion.

Step 1: Build Your Side Income NOW

This could be:

• A business (e-commerce, content creation, consulting, software, etc.)

• A high-value skill (freelancing, investing, coaching)

• A community or brand (Twitter, YouTube, newsletter, membership group)

It doesn’t have to be massive, just something that brings in money outside of your 9 to 5. I have a YouTube channel that I make a few hundred dollars on every month. When crypto gives me a big payday, it’s very easy to pivot into my YouTube channel and newsletter full time.

Step 2: Stack Crypto Gains While Scaling Your Side Hustle

You’re already deep in crypto. That means you have an edge. Keep growing your portfolio while building your income stream.

This is the phase where most people get impatient. They want to quit their job ASAP. But the ones who win are the ones who use their current job as fuel pumping extra cash into their investments and business.

Your current job provides stability in investments and lifestyle, your side hustle provides a way out in the future, and your crypto provides the massive wealth generating event that kickstarts this all into hyperdrive.

Step 3: The Pivot

When you hit your crypto payday, you should already have your next move lined up. You don’t have to gamble your money trying to make more. You don’t have to stay in a job you hate. You simply pivot to your business, side hustle, or investment strategy.

No panic. No stress. Just execution.

Think of it more as a seamless transition instead of this major life event that people typically view it as.

Why Most People Will Never Do This

The crazy part? Almost no one does this. They would rather get caught chasing pumps, wait until after they make money to figure out their next step, or hope that crypto alone makes them enough money to solve all their problems.

The reality is that crypto could make you a lot of money that can solve some problems, but most of us won’t make enough to retire or handle all of life’s problems that a consistent income stream could solve.

Even if you build a plan like we’re talking about, that doesn’t mean it will always work out exactly as you envision either.

Having money doesn’t automatically make your life better. It just gives you more options. And if you don’t know what to do with those options, you’ll end up right back where you started.

The real goal isn’t just to make money; it’s to create a life where you never need a job again.

That life doesn’t start when you cash out your crypto gains. It starts right now.

If you take one thing from what we talked about, let it be this:

Start your next phase now.

• If you’ve been thinking about building something, start today.

• If you’ve been relying only on crypto, rethink your strategy.

• If you don’t want to be trapped in the middle zone, make a plan.

The best time to escape the 9 to 5 isn’t when you hit $1M. It’s before you hit $1M.

The people who get this will win. The people who don’t? Well… they’ll just be rich employees.

Your choice.

Thanks,

Dawson

P.S. here’s a list of easy ideas you can start with if you are unsure:

• Start making TikTok videos on a topic you have knowledge on or love

• Same thing but for YouTube, make YouTube videos

• Go mow some lawns or start a car detailing business

• If you like fishing, start taking people out and showing them how to do it (or just make some fishing content on tiktok)

• Offer freelance services for skills you have acquired

• Find a unique product that you think deserves to be in the market and find an easy way to test if the market wants that product

• Start a real estate portfolio with tenants to pay the rent

• Invest in index funds that can pay enough yield to pay your rent