Introducing Myself

[Henry Jones]

Good day everyone.

Since I was a small boy I had a problem with authority.

I didn't mind rules that had a reason, but when people had rules, just because they say so, I hated that.

It landed me in a lot of trouble in school, and I realised I would never be happy working for a boss who had "rules" just because it's "the way they have always done stuff".

I knew I was going to run my own business. (I just didn't know what yet)

After school, I went to study B.Com Entrepreneurship, to learn how to start my own business

At university, I learned about accounting, taxation, law, management and economics.

While some of the subjects were very interesting, in the back of my head I thought, most of this is useless in real business.

When I finished, I knew exactly how to run a business, doing accounting, Tax etc.

But what I didn't learn was any actual skills to create value.

I tried a few stuff, but most of them failed.

I convinced my parents, just one more venture then I will be successful, but they had doubts.

When I was 25 my dad came and talked with me, and let me know it's time to get a job.

I have been sponging off my parents for 4 years, contributing nothing, and my dad was drawing the line. I had to start to pay my part for food and rent.

I appreciate him for it, because I was becoming an adult child, with no responsibility.


So I got a Job.


I got a job as a buyer for a construction company, calculating and buying all the material we need on sites. I worked long and hard to take my mind off feeling like a sellout.

This impressed the boss though, and before long I was the managing the transport side as well.

But the thing is, I was never completely happy. I don't mind working long hours, but I'm working long hours building somebody else's business, while I can just as well work on my own.

I am 27 now.

I said this job will just be temporary... but it's two years later...

So I came across Unscripted , and then read The Millionaire Fastlane , and now I am here.

Ready to start creating actual value, and being true to myself.

I am not telling you guys this so that you can pity me, but rather an explanation where I am coming from, and that you know more about me.

Thank you MJ for opening my eyes.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Ocelot]

I'm 27 too and I can relate to a lot of what you're saying.

Especially the part about giving your passion to create someone else's business. You rarely get back the value you put in when you're an employee.

I think people our age are really eager to create a lot of value, apply ourselves and build something. There's just limited upwards mobility in the job market currently, so we can only rely on ourselves.

I'll be following your journey, it's an exciting time full of uncertainty. Who knows where we will be in 2 years time, but I know it will be somewhere far better than where we are now.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Thank you MJ for opening my eyes.

You're welcome! Thanks for the intro and welcome to the community!

 

[Late Bloomer]

Hi Henry. Are you familiar with the history of the big business schools? Around 1900, the railroad barons built their enormous empires from nothing. Once the tracks were laid across the nation, there was a need for ongoing management of what had already been created... and not much apparent need to be creative at making more something out of nothing. That generation of initial leaders didn't have enough offspring to keep the business in the family, so they trained the kids of other families how to sustain but not how to create big businesses. And a few generations later, that's the training you got.

The advantage of your background, is that when it comes time to grind through the details of administration, you can certainly do it. Even better, you know how to hire someone else to grind through it. But, what is the grinding for? What is the problem solved and the marketing vision that powers the growth so that there is something to grind in the first place? That seems to be your challenge now! - Chris

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Henry Jones]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the insight, that is absolutely true.