15 YEARS since leaving slowlane behind !!

[mm.c]

So I just crossed the exact date when I said goodbye to the slowlane world, 15 years ago.

I was 24 years old, living in the Midwest working for a Fortune 500 company, and made great money for a single bachelor at the time. They pleaded with me to stay, offered me better terms and threw more money in my face – but nothing could have stopped my ambition and the desire to get into warmed ARIZONA pastures!

This is Summer 2007. At that point I was a disappointment in my parents eyes, abandoning my 'prestigious job' and doing 'god knows what' with my life.

I left my job with nothing lined up outside of a sweet 4 bedroom rental on the west coast. I also felt like I was onto bigger and better things coming up.

I had a little bit of money saved up from my ‘slowlane’ job and some online marketing that I was doing that proved to be (short lived) but lucrative. I took a one month EUROPE trip with my friends, then packed my bags, jumped into my 5-series BMW and made the cross country trip to Arizona. I was a young ambitious dude living in the land of sunshine, a sweet bachelor pad with several roommates, 'partying' ... thinking that life couldn’t get any better.

With time, all of my money dried up, to the point that I was starting to get into credit card debt. I was panicking. I started throwing out ‘job’ applications left and right. I moved to a cheaper part of town. I was calculating if it was less expensive to buy myself a chipotle burrito or spend the money on gas to drive to my girlfriends house ½ hour away to get fed there. I remember panicking over buying a movie ticket for myself and her at one time.

After several interviews (circa 2008), with none of them panning out, I felt defeated. Countless others around me were climbing the corporate ladder, getting yearly 3% promotions, and upgrading their Infinitis to the latest model.

OMG DID I ROYALLY F*CK MY LIFE UP by leaving my 'slowlane' job I kept on thinking.

Every company had 'hiring freezes'. My degree, which was useful in the midwest was all of a sudden worthless in Arizona. I almost landed an 'opportunity' to slave away once again, at a chemical plant, 45 minutes away under bosses that would watch my every move. SO glad they passed on me at the time. One of the interviews I had there STILL haunts me to this day.

I HAD to do something. With real estate crashing all around us, I took a real estate course figured it would lead to somewhere. I didn't want to become a realtor and had absolutely zero capital or income to invest, so hit a dead end there.

I deemed that getting MORE education was the right path (and an excuse to delay inevitable reality) – so I signed up for 2 more years of college to get through. Figured it would also give me a bit more 'time' to figure it all out. I STILL knew there was a better way.

I was simultaneously reading everything I could (around the time Four Hour Workweek and Millionaire Fastlane came out) – and spurred my a$$ in gear to try and think of ideas.

Ironically also at my lowest, @MJ DeMarco (unknowing to me who he was at the time) lived not that far away from where I was and I saw his bright orange LAMBO with the 'DOT COM' license plate being whipped around town. I still have a picture or two of it saved from my old flip phone tucked away on my computer. The only other time I saw one of the same LAMBOS was down in South Beach a year earlier with SCOTT STORCH and LIL KIM cruising together. 'Famous Music Moguls - of course!!'

As I enviously looked upon MJs ride -- 'That dude is living the life. He must own the entire internet' - I told myself as I countlessly recall seeing that beautiful topless MURCIELAGO enjoy the gorgeous Arizona days.

I had less than $1000 in my bank account and roughly $10K of CC debt piling up. Even though I've always been 'entrepreneurial' and driven towards setting up my own business - nothing was working out for me at the time.

Unknowingly to him @MJ DeMarco did for ME what the Countach 'INVENTOR' did to him in the MFL story. HE reconfirmed that it is possible to be young and rich without athlete status or a trust fund emptying it's wallet onto you at 18.

It was around the same time that I picked up TMF and not only did everything start making more sense, but the book reconfirmed everything I believed to be true deep inside of me. Slowlane was not the answer to the 'young , rich and fabulous life'.

Moving forward -- many, and I repeat many ideas and plans failed. Shortly after, @NeoDialectic and I were onto something and we started to bring in some money through an early e-com business we started and some affiliate marketing that picked up.

The rest of the story can be found here Fastlane Exit.

Reflecting back on these 15 years , with now my 40th birthday coming up -- man it feels like an entirely different lifetime ago. I have went through so much risk, trial and error, uncertainty, worry, panic, countless decisions, hiring and firing employees, working out of an apartment to going through bigger and bigger warehouses, gains and losses and eventually a FASTLANE 8 FIGURE EXIT in 2021.

To also paraphrase MJ - I did not grow up with money (we were middle-lower class at best), am not blessed with movie star looks, athlete proportions, their stamina or vastly any other significant talent that I could have monetized. I took out my own loans for all of my education, and went to average public colleges. I was nowhere near valedictorian status, and always knew how to do 'just enough' to make grades. I tire quickly, and I am an introvert as well. Always had a few close friends, but far from a 'networker' or someone who just tries to get out there in front of people.

BUT - I also wanted and believed I can achieve Lambos, luxury world travel, 5 star meals on Thursday and as much coffee as I wanted any day of the week. Why shouldn't I? And all that and MORE came true for myself.

MJ’s premise in the book kept that dream alive for me, and there is nothing that was stopping me. I’m still happy and glad I took that courageous move back on that great summer day in 2007 and never looked back.

Looking forward to the next 15 years, giving back and encouraging young lost souls such as I was 20 years ago, thinking I had it all figured out. There are plenty of things that 'could have' or 'should have' been done different - but I wouldn't change a single part of my story for the world. The main takeaway is to start young -- and know that the FASTLANE dream and success is not only possible, but highly REALISTIC.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. and if any of you are WONDERING, I did pick up a BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT ORANGE $300K DROP TOP LAMBO at one point of my journey.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.

 

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[fastlane_dad]

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.

Appreciate you !! Now go out and build one of your own!!

Here on this end, the story is only getting 'started' ...

 

[hodio]

So I just crossed the exact date when I said goodbye to the slowlane world, 15 years ago.

I was 24 years old, living in the Midwest working for a Fortune 500 company, and made great money for a single bachelor at the time. They pleaded with me to stay, offered me better terms and threw more money in my face – but nothing could have stopped my ambition and the desire to get into warmed ARIZONA pastures!

This is Summer 2007. At that point I was a disappointment in my parents eyes, abandoning my 'prestigious job' and doing 'god knows what' with my life.

I left my job with nothing lined up outside of a sweet 4 bedroom rental on the west coast. I also felt like I was onto bigger and better things coming up.

I had a little bit of money saved up from my ‘slowlane’ job and some online marketing that I was doing that proved to be (short lived) but lucrative. I took a one month EUROPE trip with my friends, then packed my bags, jumped into my 5-series BMW and made the cross country trip to Arizona. I was a young ambitious dude living in the land of sunshine, a sweet bachelor pad with several roommates, 'partying' ... thinking that life couldn’t get any better.

With time, all of my money dried up, to the point that I was starting to get into credit card debt. I was panicking. I started throwing out ‘job’ applications left and right. I moved to a cheaper part of town. I was calculating if it was less expensive to buy myself a chipotle burrito or spend the money on gas to drive to my girlfriends house ½ hour away to get fed there. I remember panicking over buying a movie ticket for myself and her at one time.

After several interviews (circa 2008), with none of them panning out, I felt defeated. Countless others around me were climbing the corporate ladder, getting yearly 3% promotions, and upgrading their Infinitis to the latest model.

OMG DID I ROYALLY F*CK MY LIFE UP by leaving my 'slowlane' job I kept on thinking.

Every company had 'hiring freezes'. My degree, which was useful in the midwest was all of a sudden worthless in Arizona. I almost landed an 'opportunity' to slave away once again, at a chemical plant, 45 minutes away under bosses that would watch my every move. SO glad they passed on me at the time. One of the interviews I had there STILL haunts me to this day.

I HAD to do something. With real estate crashing all around us, I took a real estate course figured it would lead to somewhere. I didn't want to become a realtor and had absolutely zero capital or income to invest, so hit a dead end there.

I deemed that getting MORE education was the right path (and an excuse to delay inevitable reality) – so I signed up for 2 more years of college to get through. Figured it would also give me a bit more 'time' to figure it all out. I STILL knew there was a better way.

I was simultaneously reading everything I could (around the time Four Hour Workweek and Millionaire Fastlane came out) – and spurred my a$$ in gear to try and think of ideas.

Ironically also at my lowest, @MJ DeMarco (unknowing to me who he was at the time) lived not that far away from where I was and I saw his bright orange LAMBO with the 'DOT COM' license plate being whipped around town. I still have a picture or two of it saved from my old flip phone tucked away on my computer. The only other time I saw one of the same LAMBOS was down in South Beach a year earlier with SCOTT STORCH and LIL KIM cruising together. 'Famous Music Moguls - of course!!'

As I enviously looked upon MJs ride -- 'That dude is living the life. He must own the entire internet' - I told myself as I countlessly recall seeing that beautiful topless MURCIELAGO enjoy the gorgeous Arizona days.

I had less than $1000 in my bank account and roughly $10K of CC debt piling up. Even though I've always been 'entrepreneurial' and driven towards setting up my own business - nothing was working out for me at the time.

Unknowingly to him @MJ DeMarco did for ME what the Countach 'INVENTOR' did to him in the MFL story. HE reconfirmed that it is possible to be young and rich without athlete status or a trust fund emptying it's wallet onto you at 18.

It was around the same time that I picked up TMF and not only did everything start making more sense, but the book reconfirmed everything I believed to be true deep inside of me. Slowlane was not the answer to the 'young , rich and fabulous life'.

Moving forward -- many, and I repeat many ideas and plans failed. Shortly after, @NeoDialectic and I were onto something and we started to bring in some money through an early e-com business we started and some affiliate marketing that picked up.

The rest of the story can be found here Fastlane Exit.

Reflecting back on these 15 years , with now my 40th birthday coming up -- man it feels like an entirely different lifetime ago. I have went through so much risk, trial and error, uncertainty, worry, panic, countless decisions, hiring and firing employees, working out of an apartment to going through bigger and bigger warehouses, gains and losses and eventually a FASTLANE 8 FIGURE EXIT in 2021.

To also paraphrase MJ - I did not grow up with money (we were middle-lower class at best), am not blessed with movie star looks, athlete proportions, their stamina or vastly any other significant talent that I could have monetized. I took out my own loans for all of my education, and went to average public colleges. I was nowhere near valedictorian status, and always knew how to do 'just enough' to make grades. I tire quickly, and I am an introvert as well. Always had a few close friends, but far from a 'networker' or someone who just tries to get out there in front of people.

BUT - I also wanted and believed I can achieve Lambos, luxury world travel, 5 star meals on Thursday and as much coffee as I wanted any day of the week. Why shouldn't I? And all that and MORE came true for myself.

MJ’s premise in the book kept that dream alive for me, and there is nothing that was stopping me. I’m still happy and glad I took that courageous move back on that great summer day in 2007 and never looked back.

Looking forward to the next 15 years, giving back and encouraging young lost souls such as I was 20 years ago, thinking I had it all figured out. There are plenty of things that 'could have' or 'should have' been done different - but I wouldn't change a single part of my story for the world. The main takeaway is to start young -- and know that the FASTLANE dream and success is not only possible, but highly REALISTIC.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. and if any of you are WONDERING, I did pick up a BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT ORANGE $300K DROP TOP LAMBO at one point of my journey.

Thank you @fastlane_dad for sharing your story. It meant a lot to me. I'm still young and at the early stages of my Fastlane journey. So I often feel overwhelm, but reading your story and other's success stories has really comforted me and strengthen my beliefs in the Fastlane. Once again thank you

 

[Sophiie]

So I just crossed the exact date when I said goodbye to the slowlane world, 15 years ago.

I was 24 years old, living in the Midwest working for a Fortune 500 company, and made great money for a single bachelor at the time. They pleaded with me to stay, offered me better terms and threw more money in my face – but nothing could have stopped my ambition and the desire to get into warmed ARIZONA pastures!

This is Summer 2007. At that point I was a disappointment in my parents eyes, abandoning my 'prestigious job' and doing 'god knows what' with my life.

I left my job with nothing lined up outside of a sweet 4 bedroom rental on the west coast. I also felt like I was onto bigger and better things coming up.

I had a little bit of money saved up from my ‘slowlane’ job and some online marketing that I was doing that proved to be (short lived) but lucrative. I took a one month EUROPE trip with my friends, then packed my bags, jumped into my 5-series BMW and made the cross country trip to Arizona. I was a young ambitious dude living in the land of sunshine, a sweet bachelor pad with several roommates, 'partying' ... thinking that life couldn’t get any better.

With time, all of my money dried up, to the point that I was starting to get into credit card debt. I was panicking. I started throwing out ‘job’ applications left and right. I moved to a cheaper part of town. I was calculating if it was less expensive to buy myself a chipotle burrito or spend the money on gas to drive to my girlfriends house ½ hour away to get fed there. I remember panicking over buying a movie ticket for myself and her at one time.

After several interviews (circa 2008), with none of them panning out, I felt defeated. Countless others around me were climbing the corporate ladder, getting yearly 3% promotions, and upgrading their Infinitis to the latest model.

OMG DID I ROYALLY F*CK MY LIFE UP by leaving my 'slowlane' job I kept on thinking.

Every company had 'hiring freezes'. My degree, which was useful in the midwest was all of a sudden worthless in Arizona. I almost landed an 'opportunity' to slave away once again, at a chemical plant, 45 minutes away under bosses that would watch my every move. SO glad they passed on me at the time. One of the interviews I had there STILL haunts me to this day.

I HAD to do something. With real estate crashing all around us, I took a real estate course figured it would lead to somewhere. I didn't want to become a realtor and had absolutely zero capital or income to invest, so hit a dead end there.

I deemed that getting MORE education was the right path (and an excuse to delay inevitable reality) – so I signed up for 2 more years of college to get through. Figured it would also give me a bit more 'time' to figure it all out. I STILL knew there was a better way.

I was simultaneously reading everything I could (around the time Four Hour Workweek and Millionaire Fastlane came out) – and spurred my a$$ in gear to try and think of ideas.

Ironically also at my lowest, @MJ DeMarco (unknowing to me who he was at the time) lived not that far away from where I was and I saw his bright orange LAMBO with the 'DOT COM' license plate being whipped around town. I still have a picture or two of it saved from my old flip phone tucked away on my computer. The only other time I saw one of the same LAMBOS was down in South Beach a year earlier with SCOTT STORCH and LIL KIM cruising together. 'Famous Music Moguls - of course!!'

As I enviously looked upon MJs ride -- 'That dude is living the life. He must own the entire internet' - I told myself as I countlessly recall seeing that beautiful topless MURCIELAGO enjoy the gorgeous Arizona days.

I had less than $1000 in my bank account and roughly $10K of CC debt piling up. Even though I've always been 'entrepreneurial' and driven towards setting up my own business - nothing was working out for me at the time.

Unknowingly to him @MJ DeMarco did for ME what the Countach 'INVENTOR' did to him in the MFL story. HE reconfirmed that it is possible to be young and rich without athlete status or a trust fund emptying it's wallet onto you at 18.

It was around the same time that I picked up TMF and not only did everything start making more sense, but the book reconfirmed everything I believed to be true deep inside of me. Slowlane was not the answer to the 'young , rich and fabulous life'.

Moving forward -- many, and I repeat many ideas and plans failed. Shortly after, @NeoDialectic and I were onto something and we started to bring in some money through an early e-com business we started and some affiliate marketing that picked up.

The rest of the story can be found here Fastlane Exit.

Reflecting back on these 15 years , with now my 40th birthday coming up -- man it feels like an entirely different lifetime ago. I have went through so much risk, trial and error, uncertainty, worry, panic, countless decisions, hiring and firing employees, working out of an apartment to going through bigger and bigger warehouses, gains and losses and eventually a FASTLANE 8 FIGURE EXIT in 2021.

To also paraphrase MJ - I did not grow up with money (we were middle-lower class at best), am not blessed with movie star looks, athlete proportions, their stamina or vastly any other significant talent that I could have monetized. I took out my own loans for all of my education, and went to average public colleges. I was nowhere near valedictorian status, and always knew how to do 'just enough' to make grades. I tire quickly, and I am an introvert as well. Always had a few close friends, but far from a 'networker' or someone who just tries to get out there in front of people.

BUT - I also wanted and believed I can achieve Lambos, luxury world travel, 5 star meals on Thursday and as much coffee as I wanted any day of the week. Why shouldn't I? And all that and MORE came true for myself.

MJ’s premise in the book kept that dream alive for me, and there is nothing that was stopping me. I’m still happy and glad I took that courageous move back on that great summer day in 2007 and never looked back.

Looking forward to the next 15 years, giving back and encouraging young lost souls such as I was 20 years ago, thinking I had it all figured out. There are plenty of things that 'could have' or 'should have' been done different - but I wouldn't change a single part of my story for the world. The main takeaway is to start young -- and know that the FASTLANE dream and success is not only possible, but highly REALISTIC.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. and if any of you are WONDERING, I did pick up a BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT ORANGE $300K DROP TOP LAMBO at one point of my journey.

Thank you so much for sharing your story! Truly inspiring and just the reassurance I needed. Being an introvert myself, I was doubting if I can really take this path where it seems like I need to put myself out there, which eventually I will probably have to.

I wanted to ask you, how did you do it? How did you manage to put yourself out there? Is there any advice you could share?

Once again, thank you and congratulations!

 

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[pappaishere]

This morning I listened Joe Rogan and Mr Beast's podcast. It was amazing.

At one point they discussed how to become successful in life and highlighted multiple times that you need to love what you do. Truly obsessed with and love it. Something like "follow your passion" advice.

I know that this topic was and is really discussed here, but listening to this confused me.

Now I love drawing. Must I put all my soul to become the God of drawing or what?

I know it sounds stupid but I burned all my ships right now.

I am alone in a boat in the lonely dark ocean, I am ready to grind hard for my Fastlane business, but I have many concerns.

Need I help someone? Or do I need to love what I do? Or I don't? I need to develop a skill to sell or a website to sell my product?

I've been stuck for too long right now, I'm 25 and is right now or never. F*ck the depression. F*ck the uncertainty.
F*ck all my excuses. I wanna start.

So if it is sound silly, maybe could be but I really want your point of view on that.

 

[Sophiie]

This morning I listened Joe Rogan and Mr Beast's podcast. It was amazing.

At one point they discussed how to become successful in life and highlighted multiple times that you need to love what you do. Truly obsessed with and love it. Something like "follow your passion" advice.

I know that this topic was and is really discussed here, but listening to this confused me.

Now I love drawing. Must I put all my soul to become the God of drawing or what?

I know it sounds stupid but I burned all my ships right now.

I am alone in a boat in the lonely dark ocean, I am ready to grind hard for my Fastlane business, but I have many concerns.

Need I help someone? Or do I need to love what I do? Or I don't? I need to develop a skill to sell or a website to sell my product?

I've been stuck for too long right now, I'm 25 and is right now or never. F*ck the depression. F*ck the uncertainty.
F*ck all my excuses. I wanna start.

So if it is sound silly, maybe could be but I really want your point of view on that.

Have you read The Millionaire Fastlane ? There's a part where MJ explains the "do what you love" advice. I think that will help you.

 

[pappaishere]

Have you read The Millionaire Fastlane ? There's a part where MJ explains the "do what you love" advice. I think that will help you.

Yeah, ofc I read it, years ago tho. Need to re-read.

 

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[fastlane_dad]

At one point they discussed how to become successful in life and highlighted multiple times that you need to love what you do. Truly obsessed with and love it. Something like "follow your passion" advice.

I know that this topic was and is really discussed here, but listening to this confused me.

Now I love drawing. Must I put all my soul to become the God of drawing or what?

What value are you providing to anybody else by drawing?

Put aside do what you love, or focusing on what you want (for the time being). Once you build up a fastlane business, and sell it - passion and 'what you love' has space to enter the equation. Sure it'd be ideal to hit the fusion of all of it right on the spot - but chances are you aren't there yet.

Look around, think of problems to solve, even anything you used lately that can use an improvement, or a twist. Think of how to help people. Leave your drawings / art for your spare time to build up - that way you can do it out of LOVE and not to turn into a fastlane business.

MR beasts story is a great example of starting from the bottom and pouring all of his heart and soul into 'doing what he loves' - but that's the exception NOT the rule. You shouldn't 'hate' the path or journey you are on - and I'd recommend you do enjoy certain roads of the 'process' -- but @NeoDialectic and I sure were far from 'loving' every business we built, or building it around our passions.

Go back and re-read all of MJ's books if necessary, and then make a plan accordingly. Being the 'god' of drawing is the wrong path to success.

 

[pappaishere]

What value are you providing to anybody else by drawing?

No one. You're right. Adding value is how you get paid.

Put aside do what you love, or focusing on what you want (for the time being). Once you build up a fastlane business, and sell it - passion and 'what you love' has space to enter the equation. Sure it'd be ideal to hit the fusion of all of it right on the spot - but chances are you aren't there yet.

Look around, think of problems to solve, even anything you used lately that can use an improvement, or a twist. Think of how to help people. Leave your drawings / art for your spare time to build up - that way you can do it out of LOVE and not to turn into a fastlane business.

Change my vision from consumer to producer. I get the point.

MR beasts story is a great example of starting from the bottom and pouring all of his heart and soul into 'doing what he loves' - but that's the exception NOT the rule. You shouldn't 'hate' the path or journey you are on - and I'd recommend you do enjoy certain roads of the 'process' -- but @NeoDialectic and I sure were far from 'loving' every business we built, or building it around our passions.

Go back and re-read all of MJ's books if necessary, and then make a plan accordingly. Being the 'god' of drawing is the wrong path to success.

I forgot my TMF book at home, in Italy, while relocated; took so many things and new books but I forgot the most important, lol. I have the pdf though.

I read 2 times in the path but I will read again and again. It's more a bible than a book.

Thank you very much for your advice, and for your time.

 

[Two Dog]

What value are you providing to anybody else by drawing?

No one. You're right. Adding value is how you get paid.

Oh, come on. One question from one person and you're folding?!? Walt Disney, John Lasseter, Andy Warhol, M.C. Escher, Bill Watterson, my own daughter and about a zillion other animators, cartoonists, illustrators and filmmakers all around the world would beg to differ about the value of drawing for people.

 

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[pappaishere]

Oh, come on. One question from one person and you're folding?!? Walt Disney, John Lasseter, Andy Warhol, M.C. Escher, Bill Watterson, my own daughter and about a zillion other animators, cartoonists, illustrators and filmmakers all around the world would beg to differ about the value of drawing for people.

That's even true but different for what I was talking, about follow my passion without serving a value in the market.

I think my skills in character creation will help me for make a mascotte or a better brand, all points will be connected one day.