The Decision of a Lifetime
Background:
I am a recent graduate from SDSU. I got a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. My aunt and uncle own about 15 optics businesses in Mexico. The businesses are like lens crafters. They give free eye exams and sell prescription glasses and also sell some sun glasses, but the sun glasses selection is small. They are selling their products very cheap and crushing the competition because they get their frames from China and buy in bulk. This allows for very low prices. There are about 40 stores, but the rest are owned by the family of the man who married my cousin.
Situation:
The businesses are doing extremely well and I was recently presented with this opportunity. My aunt owns 2 condos in Acapulco. She wants to get rid of one pretty badly and wanted to sell it to me for cheap. There are currently no optics places in Acapulco that are owned by our family. She said, “Why don’t I sell you the condo for next to nothing and then me and the rest of the family can help you to open an optics business in Acapulco.” With their help and our business model the business will without a doubt succeed as it has already worked in every other city in Mexico where it has been opened. My plan before she said this was to go to graduate school, get a PhD and get a high paying job. Once I had the high paying job I would save money and open my own business in the U.S. I don’t know what that business would be because I have no ideas, but I figured I would think of something with time.
Acapulco Pros:
-I would live the life because I would own a successful business in a great city.
-I would probably get a lot of women because of the business.
-I learn a lot about business.
Acapulco Cons:
-The optics business might not work long term because of laser eye technology getting cheaper and better.
-I move to Mexico. My Spanish is perfect, but I have always lived in the U.S.
-When I have kids they will have to live and be raised in Mexico because I likely won’t return to the states.
-I still need to find a long term business because the optics business might not work long term.
-If I don’t find another business and the optics business goes down I might have to return to the states and be where I am at right now, but 20 years from now.
Graduate School Pros:
-I have the PhD for the rest of my life.
-I stay in the U.S.
Graduate School Cons:
-I will be broke for the next 5-7 years.
-I won’t learn about business.
-Broke guys in their late 20’s going to school usually don’t get a lot of women.
I mention the women because I am wondering what defines happiness. Is it sleeping with a lot of women and partying it up? Or is it stability and being happy with the country and area you live in? Or is it something else? I am just not sure what to do with my life at this point. I wanted to see what the forum thought. I might not have seen something or maybe I am missing some pros or cons. I am also only 25 and know very little about life and maybe hearing from people who have gone to graduate school or opened a business can help me out.
Thanks for Reading.
Cliff Notes: Go read the post!
I will beat you guys to it:
Tldr
Cool Story Bro!
You grammar sucks!
Etc.
4 Replies
First off, congratulations on having such a unique opportunity! You’re facing a classic high-stakes life decision: choosing between graduate school with long-term stability and potential U.S. career benefits, or jumping into an already-proven family business in Acapulco with immediate financial and lifestyle rewards.
For situations like this, using a structured approach can really help. Tools like https://easydecisionmaker-us.com/
allow you to clearly list your options, weigh each pro and con, assign importance or probabilities to outcomes, and visualize trade-offs. For example:
Acapulco business: Pros include immediate income, exciting lifestyle, and hands-on business experience; cons include moving away from the U.S., long-term uncertainty with technology changes, and potential future instability.
Graduate school: Pros include advanced education, long-term career potential, and staying in the U.S.; cons include years of financial strain, delayed lifestyle gratification, and slower business learning.
Using a framework like this helps quantify uncertainty and align decisions with your values—whether it’s career growth, lifestyle, location, or relationships. At 25, having a tool to analyze and visualize your options can give you confidence and clarity rather than leaving such an important decision to intuition alone.
I was verified as a human today. So I got that going for me.
I'm not so sure that a necro bump verifies much of anything.
Are you CC or his proxy Earl?
not gonna read thread now, what did OP decide to do?
