Build a Personal Brand That Creates Opportunities

For decades, the formula was simple. Get a good education. Land a stable job. Work hard. Get promoted. Save and invest. For a long time, it worked well. But something has shifted in recent years. The top 1% of Americans now hold 31.7% of all U.S. wealth, the highest share since the Federal Reserve started tracking it in 1989. Collectively, that group holds roughly as much wealth as the bottom 90% combined. Meanwhile, wage growth for lower- and middle-income workers in 2025 ranged from 1.1% to 1.5%. For higher-income workers, it ran at 3%. The wealth gap is widening. But it’s important to remember that income is not the same as wealth. A salary gives you money. Assets give you leverage. And right now, the divide between people with leverage and people without it is accelerating faster than at any point in recent history. PG