After graduating from the University of Chicago, Grant of Millennial Money found himself unemployed, living at home with his parents, and with a bank account balance of $2.26.
"That was a huge wake-up call for me," the now 31-year-old, who goes by his first name exclusively, tells CNBC. "I remember thinking, 'I never want to feel like this again in my life.' I took a screenshot of my bank account as motivation and made it my personal goal to have $1 million in assets in five years."
He landed a digital marketing job that paid $50,000 a year, but "quickly realized this just wasn't going to be enough money. I wasn't going to be able to get ahead making this and saving 5% to 10% of my income."
Grant's solution was to start a side hustle building websites. "The first website I built was a $300 one for a law firm," he tells CNBC. "That law firm ended up recommending me to another law firm, and in six months, I went from charging $300 per engagement to $5,000."
Within a year, he sold his first $100,000 project and decided to quit his full-time job to focus on growing his consulting business. Five years after taking the screenshot of his $2.26 balance, Grant hit seven-figures.
In a post on his blog, Grant, who now lives in Chicago with his wife, outlines the five steps he took that helped him turn $2.26 into $1 million.
"I can't guarantee that you will have the same results, but if you follow even just a few of these steps, you are likely going to be much better off financially than you are today," he writes.
1. Get paid what you're worth
"The number one thing that will dictate your future earning potential and get you to $1 million the fastest is how much money you are being paid today," Grant writes. "Unfortunately, you probably aren't being paid what you are worth."
The simplest way to boost your earning potential is to ask for a raise. Grant recommends looking at the salary range for someone with your level of experience in your industry, which will help you understand what you're worth.
Then take that information to your boss and emphasize what you bring to the company. Remember, "it doesn't hurt to ask," he tells CNBC. "A lot of people are ultimately afraid that people are going to say no, and so they undervalue themselves and they undervalue their services."
