Build Wealth with the Right Entrepreneur Mindset

I sat down with Tommy Mello and shared my story the real way. No filters. No highlight reel.

You will hear how I built early wins fast. By my mid twenties, I had real money and real momentum. I was operating in automotive and commercial real estate at a high level. On the outside, it looked like everything was working.

In this article, I am going to walk you through the real lessons behind my journey. You will see how the operator mindset separates amateurs from serious business leaders. You will also see why business leadership is more about mission than emotion.

How My Entrepreneur Mindset Was Built Early

My father shaped how I think about business. He was born in 1915. He was 59 when I was born. He passed away when I was 18.

That forced me to grow up fast.

When I was 12, my dad talked to me like I was 40. We would drive around town after dinner. He would point at businesses and tell me their story. He would explain why one was a good business and why another was weak.

Those drives were my first business education.

He gave me three choices. Go to college to become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Buy a house cash. Or go into business for myself.

I chose business.

Even in high school, I knew I wanted to make money and build something. I did not want to wait around to figure it out. That hunger became my foundation.

That is where the entrepreneur mindset started for me. It was not about status. It was about identity. I did not want to feel insignificant. I wanted to win at something.

If you are reading this, ask yourself this question. Are you building for ego or identity? That answer will shape your future.

The Back of a Napkin Deal That Changed My Life

I bought my first dealership with a creative deal. I did not have unlimited capital. So I structured terms.

The owner wanted three thousand dollars per month. I offered more per month with an option to buy. I negotiated free months up front. I structured it in a way that gave me leverage and time.

That deal changed everything.

But here is what most people miss. The automotive business has razor thin margins. You cannot survive without an operator mindset.

Back then, the margins were fatter. The internet had not disrupted pricing yet. That gave me room to learn. Today, most thin margin businesses do not give you that grace.

If you go into a tight margin industry without skill, you are dead.

So here is a core lesson in business leadership. Know what the market pays. If the business model does not support your goals, you will grind for years and still lose.

Pick businesses with strong margins or enter where you have transferable skills. That buys you time. It buys you cash flow. It buys you development.

An entrepreneur mindset without math is just motivation. An operator mindset respects numbers first.

What Losing Everything Taught Me About Real Wealth

By my late twenties, I was worth low eight figures. Then I lost it all.

It happens faster than you think.

When markets turn and leverage catches up to you, it hits hard. I was overextended. I had big notes. When pressure came, I felt it immediately.

That season taught me the difference between being rich and looking rich.

In my twenties, I had the cars, the house, the lifestyle. My expenses were massive. But I realized something important. Those things did not give me control. They gave me exposure.

After that, I rebuilt differently.

I focused on buying assets. I focused on compounding. I lived below my means. I studied internal rates of return. I started thinking like an investor, not just an earner.

Money is a tool. It creates options. But you must understand how to make it, keep it, and grow it.

You make money first. Then you invest it. Then you live off the return. That is the sequence.

Many people reverse it. They try to live off income before building assets. That creates pressure and poor decisions.

If you want real freedom, think long term. Think principal. Think compounding. That is the operator mindset applied to wealth.

Business Leadership Is Mission Over Emotion

One of the hardest lessons I learned in business leadership is this. You cannot be emotional with performance.

When something is not working, you cut it.

I used to think you buy and hold everything forever. I associated selling or exiting with failure. That cost me time and money.

Now I believe in clipping the bottom twenty percent. If a market, store, or strategy is dragging down performance, you remove it.

That is not cold. That is leadership.

Leaders focus on the mission. They do not make decisions to protect feelings. They make decisions to protect the business.

If you want to scale, you must build discipline around this. Emotion destroys clarity. Clarity builds momentum.

You also need integrity.

Integrity means you do not alter someone’s belief just to get their money. You align expectations and deliver truthfully.

If you have to manipulate someone to close them, you are building a weak foundation.

Strong business leadership is built on truth, structure, and consistency.

How to Identify Winners in Sales and Leadership

Sales gets a bad reputation. But selling is human. Every leader sells a vision. Every entrepreneur sells belief.

When I hire, I look for drive and thick skin.

Top salespeople can handle rejection. They follow up. They improve language. They study outcomes. They are competitive.

I also look for hunger.

Sometimes hunger comes from pain. Sometimes it comes from being underestimated. That chip on the shoulder can fuel greatness.

You cannot teach hunger. You can train skill. But you cannot manufacture internal drive.

In leadership, I watch how people handle conflict. Anyone can smile when things are good. Real character shows up under pressure.

Judge people at their worst moment. That tells you who they are.

If you want to build a strong team, hire for drive and coach for structure.

Millionaire Habits and Daily Structure

People always ask about routine.

I wake up at four in the morning. I read. I train. I declutter my mind.

Noise is loud. If I do not manage it, it manages me.

I read based on what I am working on. If I am focused on investing, I read investing. If I am focused on leadership, I read leadership.

You must be intentional with input.

Your entrepreneur mindset is shaped by what you consume daily. If you consume chaos, you think chaotic. If you consume clarity, you think strategic.

Discipline compounds just like money.

Small habits done daily build long term strength.

The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make

If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be this.

Choose your significant other wisely.

Nothing impacts your trajectory more.

The right partner multiplies you. The wrong partner drains you.

In business leadership, you need stability at home. You need support. You need someone aligned with your vision.

That decision affects your energy, focus, and resilience.

It sounds simple. But it changes everything.

If I Started Over With Ten Million

If I had ten million today and had to start fresh, I would not reenter automotive.

Barriers are high. Consolidation is intense. Disruption is constant.

I would look at blue collar industries. Home services. Essential trades. Areas where disruption is limited and operational excellence creates margin.

Why?

Because I understand people. I understand systems. I understand structure.

An operator mindset thrives where process matters.

If you are looking for opportunity, do not chase trends. Look for durable industries. Look for needs that never go away.

Then apply leadership and discipline.

That is how you win long term.

Final Thoughts on the Joey Battista Entrepreneur Mindset

My journey was not smooth. I made money. I lost money. I rebuilt with structure.

If you take anything from this, take this.

Know your margins.

Build the operator mindset.

Lead with mission.

Invest before you consume.

Hire for drive.

Protect your integrity.

Business leadership is not about noise. It is about execution.

The entrepreneur mindset is not hype. It is discipline applied daily.

If you want to scale your company, strengthen your leadership, and build real systems, I can help you.

Call us today at 571-576-6194 or schedule your one-on-one appointment with my team.