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The Culmination of failure: A 12 Month Commitment

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

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Ismailsh

Ismail
FASTLANE INSIDER
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Hi fastlaners. I remember when I listened to the Millionaire Fastlane 7 years ago (holy shit) as a 19 year old in college - my mind was completely blown.

It felt like I’d put on a pair of glasses and finally saw the truth about the world and money.

Ever since then, Ive started and gave up at almost every single “business model” you’ve heard of. Blogs, drop shipping, ecommerce brand, affiliate marketing, coaching, marketing agency, youtube, growing an X account, crypto. If it has a guru, I’ve been a student. (I’m almost in disbelief writing this out because I never realized how many things I started and discarded)

I am now 26 with no entrepreneurial success to show for my years of effort but a track record of discarded projects and more then $15 thousand in losses between investments and courses. My only saving grace here is that I can proudly say I never bought an Iman Ghadzi course (although I did come quite close)

All this to say that for the first time since reading that wonderful book, I spent this last year not focused on any “projects” - just my work as a software account manager.

I’ve reflected on my life deeply, worked with a coach and uncovered a deep truth about myself and that is my fear of failure. Every time I saw the potential for failure, subconsciously, I quickly jumped ship to protect my successful guy mask. That was another revelation. I always saw myself as a risk taker with big balls who would take “any” risk to achieve his financial goals - it was all a facade.

I come here now a much wiser man, with the same goal but a different approach. During this past year, I’ve began proving to myself that I can push past the moments of self doubt and of a fractured mirage of impenetrable success (I’ve worked 4 different jobs in 5 years for the same reasons).

I’ve also been deeply reflecting on what I want to do. Not what is working, not what the gurus say is making money, not what the next hot business model is. But what me, myself, and I can do long term at the intersection of market and passion.

Ive decided to combine my love for Football, business and writing to start a newsletter on substack focused on the business of football and sports investing as a whole.

Ive spent a lot of time debating wether this venture fulfills my long term goals so as to increase my conviction. Ive set a timeline of 1 year for experimentation with maximum effort of 1 high quality post per week before reevaluating my thesis on the market opportunity and my ability to provide value within it.

My long term goals with this newsletter are twofold:

1. add a second income stream to my software sales job

2. Open asymmetrical career opportunities within private equity sports investment or commercial roles in football more broadly

This post is a way for me to keep accountable to my posting schedule.

My goal for year 1 is to hit 1000 subscribers on substack.

Wish me luck.
 
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Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
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You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

Jo getvmepist. O sinincis xjip O motvipif vu vji Nommoupeosi Getvmepi 7 ziest ehu (jumz tjov) et e 19 zies umf op dummihi - nz nopf xet dunqmivimz cmuxp.

Ov gimv moli O’f qav up e qeos ug hmettit epf gopemmz tex vji vsavj ecuav vji xusmf epf nupiz.

Iwis topdi vjip, Owi tvesvif epf hewi aq ev emnutv iwisz tophmi “catopitt nufim” zua’wi jiesf ug. Cmuht, fsuq tjoqqoph, idunnisdi csepf, eggomoevi neslivoph, duedjoph, neslivoph ehipdz, zuavaci, hsuxoph ep Y edduapv, dszqvu. Og ov jet e hasa, O’wi ciip e tvafipv. (O’n emnutv op fotcimoig xsovoph vjot uav cideati O piwis siemobif jux nepz vjopht O tvesvif epf fotdesfif)

O en pux 26 xovj pu ipvsiqsipiasoem tadditt vu tjux gus nz ziest ug iggusv cav e vsedl sidusf ug fotdesfif qsukidvt epf nusi vjip $15 vjuatepf op muttit civxiip opwitvnipvt epf duastit. Nz upmz tewoph hsedi jisi ot vjev O dep qsuafmz tez O piwis cuahjv ep Onep Hjefbo duasti (emvjuahj O fof duni raovi dmuti)

Emm vjot vu tez vjev gus vji gostv voni topdi siefoph vjev xupfisgam cuul, O tqipv vjot metv zies puv gudatif up epz “qsukidvt” - katv nz xusl et e tugvxesi edduapv nepehis.

O’wi sigmidvif up nz mogi fiiqmz, xuslif xovj e duedj epf apduwisif e fiiq vsavj ecuav nztimg epf vjev ot nz gies ug geomasi. Iwisz voni O tex vji quvipvoem gus geomasi, tacduptdouatmz, O raodlmz kanqif tjoq vu qsuvidv nz taddittgam haz netl. Vjev xet epuvjis siwimevoup. O emxezt tex nztimg et e sotl velis xovj coh cemmt xju xuamf veli “epz” sotl vu edjoiwi jot gopepdoem huemt - ov xet emm e gedefi.

O duni jisi pux e nadj xotis nep, xovj vji teni huem cav e foggisipv eqqsuedj. Fasoph vjot qetv zies, O’wi cihep qsuwoph vu nztimg vjev O dep qatj qetv vji nunipvt ug timg fuacv epf ug e gsedvasif nosehi ug onqipivsecmi tadditt (O’wi xuslif 4 foggisipv kuct op 5 ziest gus vji teni sietupt).

O’wi emtu ciip fiiqmz sigmidvoph up xjev O xepv vu fu. Puv xjev ot xusloph, puv xjev vji hasat tez ot neloph nupiz, puv xjev vji piyv juv catopitt nufim ot. Cav xjev ni, nztimg, epf O dep fu muph visn ev vji opvistidvoup ug nesliv epf qettoup.

Owi fidofif vu duncopi nz muwi gus Guuvcemm, catopitt epf xsovoph vu tvesv e pixtmivvis up tactvedl gudatif up vji catopitt ug guuvcemm epf tqusvt opwitvoph et e xjumi.

Owi tqipv e muv ug voni ficevoph xivjis vjot wipvasi gamgommt nz muph visn huemt tu et vu opdsieti nz dupwodvoup. Owi tiv e vonimopi ug 1 zies gus iyqisonipvevoup xovj neyonan iggusv ug 1 johj raemovz qutv qis xiil cigusi siiwemaevoph nz vjitot up vji nesliv uqqusvapovz epf nz ecomovz vu qsuwofi wemai xovjop ov.

Nz muph visn huemt xovj vjot pixtmivvis esi vxugumf:

1. eff e tidupf opduni tvsien vu nz tugvxesi temit kuc

2. Uqip etznnivsodem desiis uqqusvapovoit xovjop qsowevi iraovz tqusvt opwitvnipv us dunnisdoem sumit op guuvcemm nusi csuefmz

Vjot qutv ot e xez gus ni vu liiq edduapvecmi vu nz qutvoph tdjifami.

Nz huem gus zies 1 ot vu jov 1000 tactdsocist up tactvedl.

Xotj ni madl.
O juqi iwiszvjoph huit ximm xovj zuas gavasi qsukidvt. O vjopl vjot fuitp’v raovi emohp xovj vji qjomutuqjz ug nepz nommoupeosit, cav xjipiwis zua giim cef ecuav qsukidvt vjev jewip’v taddiifif, sinincis vjev zua esi vsamz e taddittgam qistup—zua jewi guuf, e juni, epf e genomz, epf vjev nelit zua e cmittif nep.

O jewi e gsoipf xju xuslt op vji tugvxesi nesliv, epf gus e disveop qisouf ug voni ji gudatif up neloph katv vjsii temit e fez. Ov’t upmz vjsii temit, iedj csophoph jon e qsugov ug $100. Gus nepz qiuqmi vjev nez tiin moli movvmi, cav ov edvaemmz tvesvt vu djephi mowit…

E jah.
 
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts

Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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