Dedicated to My Incredible Parents

Eternal Gratitude to My Rich Dad, and Rich Mom.

The entire purpose of The Cash Flow Letter℠ is to empower readers and subscribers to find their unique abilities, passions, and interests for creating consistent cash flow streams. Regardless of how much money you make, invest, or have in the bank or crypto, my mission is to empower you by sharing the wisdom of the hundreds of people who taught me the power and art of creating cash flow.

I dedicate The Cash Flow Letter℠ to my incredible parents, who were rich in many ways, even when cash wasn’t flowing, and life as a kid wasn’t good.

My parents were rich in love, good health, spirituality, morality, and small business ownership. My father passed in 2014, and my mother lives well today with a cash flow secure for the rest of her life.

Thank you, mom and dad!

My Why Is What Happened When Brickhard Failed

My family lived just outside of Boston in 1970. I was nine years old. That was when my father quit his corporate job in Boston. I’ll never forget the family moving to New Hampshire, where the license plates read, “Live free or die.” My memories are vivid.

My father became an entrepreneur far before Americans knew how to pronounce or spell the word. The name of the hotel dad purchased with investors and bank loans was Shangri-La Resort. My father renamed and rebranded the hotel and began to develop the small business of his dreams.

Family life for the Joneses was amazing at first. But it wasn’t long before our family noticed a huge change. Starting in 1973, the U.S. economy began to unravel, and unbeknownst to me, the cash flow my father earned running his hotel and restaurant stopped.

It’s the Economy, Stupified

I was only 12 when my father’s hotel and restaurant business crashed due to similar economic dynamics we’re experiencing now; high inflation, a looming recession, and a nation that suffered when cash flow crumbled. My family learned what happens when an economy suddenly turns and we’re left stupified.

I witnessed what happens to a family where the cash flow disappears without warning; utter fear, abject terror, and emotional mayhem. My mom and dad fought often, and despite their best efforts to show a good face to their three children, the business of life overwhelmed them.

Not long after I graduated high school, I vowed to learn as much as possible about hotels and restaurants, making money doing side jobs and learning how to invest money more than spend it on things I didn’t need or couldn’t afford as a child. My goal was to be like my father and learn how to weather the mightiest of storms.

My father, Clifford Jones, Jr., will always be my first hero. With my mother’s blessing in 1969, my father left behind his corporate job and the hope of getting a gold watch after thirty years. I watched what happened when my father became a small business owner and entrepreneur far before Americans knew how to pronounce, spell, or define the word. Now you know why I am the way I am; live free or die.

Cash flow is simple, not easy: Positive cash flow = good. Negative cash flow = bad.

My purpose or why for my entire professional life and The Cash Flow Letter℠ is to help other capitalists, creators, freelancers, career professionals, and small business owners avoid as much emotional and financial pain and suffering as possible.

The Power of Cash Flow

When I was older and graduated from college, I’ll never forget what my dad said about the power of cash flow. “Clifford, nothing is more important in small business, investing, and finance than being informed and knowing how to keep cash flowing.”

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every person, family, business, and organization. Because of my father’s experience, primarily, and my passion for becoming a small business owner, I’ve dedicated myself to helping thousands of others create cash flow.

Cash flow was the lifeblood of my dad’s business, his bi-weekly paycheck, keeping a roof over our heads, feeding, clothing, and educating us for at least two decades. I have a younger sister and a brother. We all reacted differently to the experience of losing cash flow as a family. My mother will always be one of my heroes because she was always there for the family and is still with us.

In retrospect, I was the one who internalized my dad’s failure to keep cash flowing. I used the pain and family suffering as my springboard to being more creative and courageous.

I kept my vow to learn and own a business one day. It turned out that almost all of my businesses, books, articles, and videos over thirty years have been about helping people create cash flow through strategic clarity, confidence, and focused action. I’ve made millions of dollars and saved a few bucks along the way.

More importantly, I was blessed to remain married to the woman of my dreams and college girlfriend through all the difficulties of being a small business owner and keeping my cash flow going. Together we raised two amazingly healthy, happy, and wealthy young men who launched into the world better coached than both of us.

Positive and Negative Cash Flow Defined

Cash flow is the net cash inflow and outflow that occurs in a given period, typically monthly or annually. Positive cash flow means that the cash inflows exceed the outflows, making more cash available at the end of the period.

Negative cash flow means that the outflows of cash exceed the inflows, resulting in a decrease in the amount of available cash. Cash flow is an important financial metric as it is a key indicator of a business's financial health and ability to meet its financial obligations.

We produce the most consistent cash flow when we have an effective strategy, a simple, adapted plan of action, and the right resources, including people, to achieve the mission, vision, and goals.

Positive cash flow is simply creating income, sales, and revenue and learning to invest, spend, and work less to consistently generate it into the future. We sleep well at night when we learn to keep cash flowing, spend less than we make, and save or invest the difference wisely.

Now you know more about my story, why, and cash flow's power.

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