Sharon on how to make millions while still doing what you love

“As long as you know that in your heart you did nothing wrong, you will sleep well at night.”

These are words actress Sharon Cuneta said she lives by, especially when talking about her business ventures made within and outside the entertainment industry, ever since she started working at 12.

“Before I start giving advice, I make sure to say that I started singing at 12 and making movies at 15. I made my first million when I was a teenager, and so I’m an exception,” Sharon told reporters during the fifth anniversary celebration of the InLife Sheroes program for women empowerment.

“My father told me that it’s easier to make P10 million from P1 million, than to make your first million. I was in show biz, and so it was faster for me. The thing is, I listened, and so my savings grew and grew,” she added.

Real estate investor

Sharon pointed out that while she is an entertainer (“I sing, act and host. I perform in concerts and I make records”), her career has really been that of a real estate investor. “I was able to grow my income from show biz, let’s say, five to 10 times more because of my investments,” she began.

“Let’s say, I buy something for a hundred million. After a few years, I sell it for P400 million. It’s all good because I was just doing what I love and wasn’t really minding it,” she explained. “The important thing to remember is location, location, location. My question to myself before I buy a property is, ‘Would I live in it?’ And if it’s something that’s meant for, let’s say, the middle class, ‘Would they want to live here? Does it have steady water supply? Does the area get flooded?’ All these things that you are afraid of, list them down. It’s that simple. You always make sure you answer these things before you buy something.”

While some people will advise you to invest in stocks, Sharon said “to never invest in something that you do not understand. So if you know someone who is good at stocks, then ask for advice. As a beginner investor, I will just say that the No. 1 lesson is to never put all your eggs in one basket. You should have a diversified portfolio,” she declared.

Start investing in the things that you’re aware of, Sharon added. “Do your research on a particular company. How is it doing financially? Invest in everything you see, but do not go overboard. It’s always hit or miss in the beginning. After a while, you will learn and things become easier.”

Another thing to invest in is yourself, she added. “Find out what your gifts are. If you’re a writer, let’s say, and you write for a great newspaper, go on YouTube and try to find ways to earn as a writer. You can write self-published books and make money, too. Always write about what you know. You can teach people about your experiences. Even with personal problems, you can turn them into teaching tools.”

Personal guru

She continued: “I also watch and listen to Tony Robbins, my favorite guy on YouTube. He is a great life coach. He has been my personal ‘guru’ since my 20s. Robert Kiyosaki is another one.”

Sharon said people with money do not keep their funds in bank accounts, “Because that would be really wrong.” She explained: “You will just make the bank rich. There are lots of other financial instruments out there that will earn more. This is why I do not have lots of cash on hand, just enough to get me by.”

Another important pointer from Sharon: “Work as hard as you can while you can with the end goal of later—when you already want to rest and enjoy life. It’s your money, anyway, that’s working for you.”

To Inquirer Entertainment, Sharon also added: “Do not save what’s left after you spend. Save, and then spend. Do not be a slave to your money; make it your slave. The desire for money doesn’t automatically mean one is greedy. It is just a means to an end. If you have enough, share with those who deserve help. The key word here is deserve. God blesses you and you become a steward of His gifts. You have no business squandering His blessings, especially on people who think you are their personal ATM (automated teller machine).”

Stewardship

“I like that I am able to help those I truly care for and buy my loved ones gifts. I like making people happy, but I’m not stupid that I will just freely let them take advantage of my kindness anytime. Remember, stewardship,” she added. “Once, someone asked me, what I would rather be: rich or famous? I said anonymous and rich. This is because I know that I will be able to help without people knowing it. Good shot pa ako kay Papa Jesus! What would I do with being famous, ni ayaw ko ngang mag-ayos,” she quipped.

Sharon then discussed incurring and handling debts. “My debts have all been good ones. I don’t gamble and I don’t have vices. They’re from buying properties. This happened when I signed up with a TV station. Because of my contract and how big it was, I invested. I made four loans to buy several properties. When the contract was renegotiated, and I opted out of the station and returned to ABS-CBN, what happened was that the loans were all left to me,” she explained.

Sharon eventually paid for all of them. “How? I sold some of the properties that I’d already paid for—some I used to invest in other properties, some for building my house now. After that, I got a clean slate.”

Sharon does not remember ever getting scammed, “except perhaps by people I know and asked for my help on something. Later, I would find out that the money they asked for wasn’t used for the intended project. That hurts me because I wanted to be kind to these people whom I had tried to help, but in the end, I was the one fooled.”