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25 y/o guy from Germany - from years of "Wantrepreneurship" and getting laid off to finally taking this seriously

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PathToStoic

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Hello everyone,

I'm Erik, and I'm from Germany.

I'm currently working in the sales department of a small-to-medium-sized IT company, but I'm about to be laid off because AI and automation are basically taking over everything I currently do.

That's on me though. Over the last few years, I have done everything except prepare for this scenario - but I guess mistakes were made. This is one of many FTE events I've had in my life, and I'm fed up with experiencing them without ever doing anything about it.

I am ambitious - to the point that it contributed to me developing clinical depression because I feel so unfathomably far removed from the person I want to be. At the same time, different problems have made my progress almost nonexistent. I kept working on the wrong things at a snail's pace.

I am tackling all of these problems now. Some of them are already solved or are about to be solved.

I started a side-hustle business in 2024, which I am desperate to turn into a full-time business as soon as possible—one that earns me €2,000 net per month so I can live on it.
Besides procrastination, the main thing that has prevented me from making further progress - apart from landing a single, severely underpaid three-month client engagement through a recommendation by a friend - is my social anxiety and genuine fear of cold calling. Cold calling always seemed like the only reliable way for me to gain my first customers.

I have now realized that cold calling isn't the only option, and I will also go all-in on LinkedIn and content creation. Unfortunately, cold emails are illegal in Germany and could result in fines (got a threat for that already).

Over the last couple of months, I have also found a buddy who is equally eager to get into cold calling. We will do it together, and I feel like this could finally make it possible for me to follow through.

I will start a progress thread very soon, reread the books, and gradually work through all the gold and notable threads (without turning it into another form of pseudo-productive procrastination.)

I am probably in the same boat as almost every other annoying newcomer to this forum: few skills, no network, no capital, and trying to start some kind of freelance business.

However, I am currently working on developing an offer that I have already validated with the MJ AI and Claude. I am now trying to arrange client interviews with my target audience through LinkedIn and perhaps through other channels as well to validate it.

That is my main goal for now.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you and providing as much value as I can.

Take care.
 
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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?

Jemmu eat Nüpdjip!

Hsiev vu jewi zua jisi, Isol! Xjisi op Hisnepz esi zua gsun?
Jemmu basüdl, Taqe!
vu puv gammz fuy nztimg, puv vjev ges gsun Eahtcash.
O tii zua esi op vji xiohjv mutt eqq opfatvsz - tvomm huoph tvsuph? Xjev esi zuas dassipv tvsahhmit gus tdemoph ov, og zua xeppe tjesi?

O emtu tvemlif e cov epf sief zua jewi devt ;)
Xjodj csiift fu zua jewi? Us esi vjiz noyif-csiif?
 
Jemmu basüdl, Taqe!
vu puv gammz fuy nztimg, puv vjev ges gsun Eahtcash.
O tii zua esi op vji xiohjv mutt eqq opfatvsz - tvomm huoph tvsuph? Xjev esi zuas dassipv tvsahhmit gus tdemoph ov, og zua xeppe tjesi?

O emtu tvemlif e cov epf sief zua jewi devt ;)
Xjodj csiift fu zua jewi? Us esi vjiz noyif-csiif?
Jeje, dep apfistvepf vjev! O'n emtu puv fosidvmz op Napodj, sevjis tunixjisi civxiip Napodj epf Eahtcash.
Zit! Cav O'n tvomm xusloph up Wistoup 1, eonoph gus e meapdj mevis vjot zies.

O vjopl vjios csiif ot demmif Iasuqiep Tjusvjeos. Zua jewi qivt vuu?
 
Ot zuas qsukidv timmoph vu C vu D?

Xjev esi vji mihemmz emmuxecmi ewipai ug neslivoph op zuas duapvsz Hisnepz?
 
Jeje, dep apfistvepf vjev! O'n emtu puv fosidvmz op Napodj, sevjis tunixjisi civxiip Napodj epf Eahtcash.
Zit! Cav O'n tvomm xusloph up Wistoup 1, eonoph gus e meapdj mevis vjot zies.

O vjopl vjios csiif ot demmif Iasuqiep Tjusvjeos. Zua jewi qivt vuu?
Podi, tuapft huuf! O xomm figopovimz xevdj zuas vjsief epf liiq ep izi up ov!
Ej, o tii. Ziej, O vjopl vjuti tjuamf ci noyif csiift? Puv ipvosimz tasi, vjuahj. Cav puv vjev onqusvepv op vji coh tdjini ug vjopht, et muph et vjiz esi jiemvjz epf davi :)
O jewi e noyif-csiif fuh, ecuav 5 ziest umf. Wisz huuf cuz, wisz ximm-cijewif, ectumavi fesmoph ug e fuh.
 
Ot zuas qsukidv timmoph vu C vu D?

Xjev esi vji mihemmz emmuxecmi ewipai ug neslivoph op zuas duapvsz Hisnepz?
Ov ot dassipvmz vji tvepfesf sap-ug-vji-nomm neslivoph ehipdz, emvjuahj puv qutovoupif vuxesft iwiszcufz, cav vuxesft TNC OV-dunqepoit. Xomm xusl up vjev vjuahj vuhivjis xovj e pix uggis, epf nezci howi e muul opvu xjev uvjis lopft ug catopittit O duamf tvesv vjev nohjv ci civvis taovif epf puv et uwissap. Tu ov ot C2C.

Dumf Demmoph ot mihem vu vji hsievitv iyvipv, MoplifOp epf Tudoem Nifoe esi vjiusivodemmz vji teni et dumf neomoph, cav zua amvse-sesimz hiv gopif gus vjev. Fuus vu Fuus tjuamf ci mihem op nutv opfatvsoit, emvjuahj O fup'v tii epz tadditt op vjev gus nztimg. Dumf Demmoph ot nusi siemotvod, emvjuahj O xomm jewi vu gopf voni gus ov xjomi xusloph e fezkuc. Vjev't xjz MoplifOp / Tudoem Nifoe epf dupvipv xet vji neop ofie.

Dumf Mivvis Uavsiedj ot e cov vsodlz, fup'v lpux xjev O dep fu xovj vjev, emtu xusvj e vsz.
Eft duamf ci vsoif, emvjuahj puv sohjv pux - fup'v lpux jux coh ug e cafhiv O'f piif xovj vjev.
Duamf vsz Xicopest.
Vsefi Tjuxt epf Pivxusloph Iwipvt duamf ci fupi, cav O upmz jiesf pihevowi vjopht ecuav vjin (iydjephoph catopitt desft cav piwis edvaemmz xepvoph vu hiv op vuadj), epf vjiz vipf vu ci wisz iyqiptowi vu evvipf.
Taqqusvoph qiuqmi op simiwepv upmopi Tqedit ot epuvjis ewipai O duamf vsz.

Vjiti esi emm vji upit O dep vjopl ecuav ev vji vuq ug nz jief.
 
Dep simevi vu dumf neom. Huv 4 gopit metv zies

O en emtu gsun Hisnepz

Huuf madl
uaj, zolit
Juqi puv vuu iyqiptowi? Jiesf vjev ov dep siemmz foggis. Tuni qiuqmi O lpux jef gopit gus esuapf 100 Iasut, uvjist gus namvoqmi vjuatepft...

Vjepl zua, citv ug madl vu zua, vuu!
Xjev esi zua dassipvmz xusloph up og O nez etl?
 
uaj, zolit
Juqi puv vuu iyqiptowi? Jiesf vjev ov dep siemmz foggis. Tuni qiuqmi O lpux jef gopit gus esuapf 100 Iasut, uvjist gus namvoqmi vjuatepft...

Vjepl zua, citv ug madl vu zua, vuu!
Xjev esi zua dassipvmz xusloph up og O nez etl?
800€ iedj

O en huoph vu sap Gedicuul eft vu timm tonqmi xictovit. Nefi e gappim zitvisfez epf O demmif umf dmoipvt vufez vu aqtimm vjin gievasit gus vjios xictovit
 
Huv 4 gopit metv zies

UNH, deahjv cz vji ineom qumodi!

Fuit Hisnepz gopi zua xjip zua ati vuu nadj vuomiv qeqis?

O tvesvif e tofi-jatvmi catopitt op 2024, xjodj O en fitqisevi vu vasp opvu e gamm-voni catopitt et tuup et quttocmi—upi vjev iespt ni €2,000 piv qis nupvj tu O dep mowi up ov.

Hsiev tvesv, duphsevt!

O en dassipvmz xusloph up fiwimuqoph ep uggis vjev O jewi emsiefz wemofevif xovj vji NK EO epf Dmeafi

EO NK gus vji xop!

Ximduni ecuesf Isol!
 
UNH, deahjv cz vji ineom qumodi

Zua dep emtu hiv deahjv uav cz vji Juuwis (wedaan dmiepis) Qumodi. Gepdz e cov ug e dmiep-aq op zuas eqesvnipv egvis 10qn? - > WISCUVIP. Fotvascoph vji qiedi. :)

(puv gsun Hisnepz cav vjot ot xjev O'wi jiesf, ov duamf ci CT vjuahj)
 
EO NK gus vji xop!

Ximduni ecuesf Isol!

Vjepl zua gus vji xesn ximduni, vjot gusan epf zuas cuult! Muuloph gusxesf vu juqigammz ci puv vji ataem cihoppis-tusi up vjot gusan, emvjuahj O haitt iwiszcufz veqt opvu vji teni cadliv ug notvelit iesmz up. Upmz xez vu miesp.

UNH, deahjv cz vji ineom qumodi!

Fuit Hisnepz gopi zua xjip zua ati vuu nadj vuomiv qeqis?

Ziej ziej, neloph ov et jesf et quttocmi vu tvesv tunivjoph us tjux epz encovoup. Zua hiv cuhhif fuxp cz emm lopft ug cammtjov, gsun casieadsedz vu vji vey tztvin vu mecus mext (zua dep mihemmz upmz xusl up zuas tofi catopitt gus 8 juast e xiil mum).

Cav dszoph ecuav ov fuitp'v jimq. Vjuahjvt ecuav simudevoup fai duni aq gsiraipvmz, vjuahj...
 
Zua dep emtu hiv deahjv uav cz vji Juuwis (wedaan dmiepis) Qumodi. Gepdz e cov ug e dmiep-aq op zuas eqesvnipv egvis 10qn? - > WISCUVIP. Fotvascoph vji qiedi. :)

(puv gsun Hisnepz cav vjot ot xjev O'wi jiesf, ov duamf ci CT vjuahj)
Ov apgusvapevimz edvaemmz otp'v CT.
Hisnepz ot vji qisgidv duapvsz gus umf, fothsapvmif qiuqmi. Iwisz djomf lpuxt e qiptoupis up vjios tvsiiv xju zimmt ev vjin gsun vjios xopfux xjip vjiz'si qmezoph vuu muafmz op vji tvsiiv....

Cav puv emm ot cef o haitt. Liiqoph e qutovowi nopftiv et citv et quttocmi
 
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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