Multi-millionaire Antonio Velardo has tried on several different professional hats throughout his life, and it took him a few attempts before he found a path that worked for him. While he wanted to make money, it was more important for him to be fulfilled personally and professionally. He opens up about what it means to switch paths and why there’s no shame in going in a different direction.

Understanding Velardo’s career path helps to understand where he comes from. Born in Italy in the ‘70s, he grew up in a modest home. Once he graduated from high school, he wanted to travel the world more than a tourist. At just 19, he moved to Florida to get his commercial pilot license through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After earning it, he would fly around the world, exploring different cultures.

He was looking for something, even if he wasn’t entirely sure what it was or where to find it. The realization came upon him suddenly that even though he was miles off the ground, the height of his success wasn’t enough to meet his true ambitions. To change career paths, Velardo had first to acknowledge that flying was limiting his options. He had to admit that he couldn’t get ahead if he stayed where he was. There’s fear in this kind of confession, but there’s also a lot of power.

Antonio Velardo could have had an excellent professional life if he had stayed on the course he was on, but it would have left him wondering what could have been if he was just willing to take the chance. It turns out the risk would pay off more than he could have predicted.

Velardo considered himself more mature when he decided to go to Loughborough University in England for Civil Engineering. His education turned out to be quite the launchpad for his real estate endeavors. He mastered everything from the property to the stock market, and he would amass a fortune along the way.

Changing career paths is an exercise in opportunity, and it’s taught Velardo to spot his chance wherever it happens to lie. When the 2008 market crash occurred in the US, Velardo expanded his empire throughout Europe. He decided to turn distressed assets in America into positive cash flows for him and his staff.

Antonio Velardo on Courage

Velardo is the first to acknowledge that changing career paths can be incredibly daunting for many people. For as many success stories as there are, there are also plenty of tales of failure out there. Despite this, he encourages people to be bold enough to chase their dreams.

Today, Antonio Velardo is an enthusiastic supporter of FinTech. He completed the Blockchain Strategy program at the University of Oxford, and he’s deeply involved in the crypto markets. Velardo might never have had these opportunities if he stayed in the air, and he has no regrets about doing what was suitable for him.