Financial expert Dave Ramsey has an interesting take on younger workers: they're actually pretty great to work with, but they grew up with smartphones and might be a little too used to instant gratification.
In a recent interview with "The School of Hard Knocks" YouTube channel, Ramsey told host James Dumoulin that he employs about 600 younger workers and considers Generation Z and millennials potentially the "best" generation he's ever managed.
What makes them special? Growing up in the age of Amazon and Google fundamentally shaped how they think.
"Because you guys grew up with this magic wand in your hand that if you push a button, stuff shows up on your front porch," Ramsey explained. "Or if you push another button, you can answer any question or you push another button, anything you want is right there."
This constant access to information and resources has eliminated what Ramsey calls the "scarcity" mindset in younger generations. They don't automatically assume things are impossible or out of reach, which he considers a "wonderful" influence on their outlook.
The Easy Button Problem
But there's a flip side. When you grow up in a world where everything arrives with next-day delivery and answers appear instantly, you might struggle with processes that require patience and persistence.
Ramsey predicts younger generations will likely be "accused of" entitlement because easy access has conditioned them to look for shortcuts instead of embracing the long game.
"Y'all are always looking for an easy button instead of and you want it fast," he told Dumoulin. "And the best barbecue is cooked the whole weekend, not in a microwave."
Nobody's Coming to Save You
When Dumoulin asked about the best career advice Ramsey has received, his answer was blunt: take responsibility for your own life and stop waiting for someone else to fix your problems.
"Nobody's going to come save you," Ramsey said. "The Lone Ranger's not coming. The cavalry is not coming. That's just in the movies. And even if you don't feel good, shut up and go do it anyway. It's just this constant plotting."
Ramsey practices what he preaches. He revealed that he owns approximately $850 million in real estate, accumulated gradually by acquiring properties a "little bit at a time" rather than making aggressive leveraged bets.
His advice for building wealth through real estate? Avoid debt entirely and "move slow."
"If you get one or two properties, pretty quickly they'll throw off enough cash to buy the third one," he explained. "So, the hardest one is the first one."
It's classic Ramsey: patient, disciplined wealth-building without the flashy shortcuts that younger generations might be tempted to chase. The magic wand doesn't work for everything, especially when it comes to real wealth accumulation.
