Hi everyone!
I’m Nick and I’m very happy to have joined this forum now.
I’ve read TMF and UNSCRIPTED about two years ago during a time I should have been happiest, but was miserable and desperately looking for a change instead.
I’m starting to make things happen now finally.
I’ve been lurking around here every once in a while, but never really thought I could contribute to it in any way, so I never signed up.
The value in this forum is priceless and I feel honoured being part of it now.
So here’s what happened so far.
I grew up safely in a rural area of Germany. My parents weren’t rich by any means but we had no financial issues. I always was highly creative and I knew early that I wanted to be some kind of artist when I grow up.
Even though I got lots of support from my parents, you can imagine “being an artist” isn’t something feasible in this society. So I ended up doing “the next best thing”, which was becoming a Graphic Designer. I worked freelance here and there for a few years. It was interesting and all, but I didn’t feel that was it for me.
As I was floating through life, without any idea of where I was going really, I started studying Design Management. I knew I needed to form a career somehow that would allow me to be financially independent at some point.
Little did I realise how Slowlane my career path was.
During that time my mom passed away after fighting cancer for 16 months. An event that really forced me to rethink life and what I’m trying to do with it.
I started learning about self-improvement and became very interested in minimalism and backpacking. I sold all my stuff out of my student apartment, learned what material things i needed, graduated university, and took off to travel indefinitely.
For two years I lived, worked and traveled on and off in Canada and the States and fell in love with the nature and the people.
I had the time of my life. I was living freely and could do what I wanted.
While I was working in a ski resort in BC, a friend and I bought an old motorhome, renovated it in our spare time to then travel down the west coast.
But something was missing. I wasn’t pursuing anything of value. I was chasing short term happiness.
When I got back home to Germany I felt as lost as never before.
A traded back a life of freedom and possibilities for a life of mediocrity, surrounded by Slowlane people. At least that was what it felt like to me.
I didn’t know what to do about it. I just knew I wanted to be free, in any way imaginable.
But I never started seriously pursuing my entrepreneurial ideas.
I was reading hundreds of books about business and entrepreneurship, but instead of acting on it I kept running away.
I lived in Austria, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand, doing all kinds of odd jobs. I did everything that would give me the feeling of freedom. But deep down I knew I wasn’t free. Not at all. I was wasting a lot of potential and I knew I wasn’t going to be happy when looking back onto my life someday.
I was reading TMF – and UNSCRIPTED immediately after – during my travels in New Zealand. I was blown away. Everything made so much sense out of a sudden.
Then I looked at myself. Living in a tent. It was pouring rain out. I couldn’t enjoy this beautiful country because I had to work the crappiest job in a vineyard for minimum wage to buy food. That wasn’t it. That wasn’t freedom. That was an illusion of freedom at best.
It only took one more year and a worldwide pandemic to realise I needed to give it a go. No more options to run away. I was forced to stay home and work it out.
I always wanted to be a professional artist and I had the necessary skills to build upon.
So I decided to get back into it. I set goals for myself and finally started painting again. Murals are my thing, so I invested in material and tools and just went for it. I realised I can decide if I want to believe in the starving artist mindset or build a viable business utilising my skills.
I finally made it out of my analysis paralysis. All it took was the first step. New doors are opening.
And now? Things are starting to unfold slowly for me. I put myself and my work out there. I got my first commissions.
At the moment I’m working on a few spray painting commissions together with someone who’s already quite successful in the industry.
I’m learning a lot from him and I’m very thankful he’s having me as his assistant for this project.
I also do have a day job that’s pretty chill though. It allows me to not worry about paying my bills. I can take days off whenever I need time to work on my business or do commissions.
I’m not making constantly good money with my business yet, but I learned I can’t take any shortcuts. I need to build up slowly but steadily. I’m going in the right direction and I enjoy the process.
My business is controllable (I’m my own boss), there is an entry barrier (skill and contacts), and there is a need (I’m starting to get more and more inquiries).
But it isn’t a productocracy yet.
I exchange time for money. And I cannot scale it up unless I hire someone. But I’d prefer to not deal with employees.
Ideas to make it a productocracy:
Well, long way to go!
Looking forward to everyone following along and hoping to be of value to other people in this forum in the future.
That’s the first time I'm writing all of this down.
Thanks for reading!
Any feedback is appreciated.
Nick
I’m Nick and I’m very happy to have joined this forum now.
I’ve read TMF and UNSCRIPTED about two years ago during a time I should have been happiest, but was miserable and desperately looking for a change instead.
I’m starting to make things happen now finally.
I’ve been lurking around here every once in a while, but never really thought I could contribute to it in any way, so I never signed up.
The value in this forum is priceless and I feel honoured being part of it now.
So here’s what happened so far.
I grew up safely in a rural area of Germany. My parents weren’t rich by any means but we had no financial issues. I always was highly creative and I knew early that I wanted to be some kind of artist when I grow up.
Even though I got lots of support from my parents, you can imagine “being an artist” isn’t something feasible in this society. So I ended up doing “the next best thing”, which was becoming a Graphic Designer. I worked freelance here and there for a few years. It was interesting and all, but I didn’t feel that was it for me.
As I was floating through life, without any idea of where I was going really, I started studying Design Management. I knew I needed to form a career somehow that would allow me to be financially independent at some point.
Little did I realise how Slowlane my career path was.
During that time my mom passed away after fighting cancer for 16 months. An event that really forced me to rethink life and what I’m trying to do with it.
I started learning about self-improvement and became very interested in minimalism and backpacking. I sold all my stuff out of my student apartment, learned what material things i needed, graduated university, and took off to travel indefinitely.
For two years I lived, worked and traveled on and off in Canada and the States and fell in love with the nature and the people.
I had the time of my life. I was living freely and could do what I wanted.
While I was working in a ski resort in BC, a friend and I bought an old motorhome, renovated it in our spare time to then travel down the west coast.
But something was missing. I wasn’t pursuing anything of value. I was chasing short term happiness.
When I got back home to Germany I felt as lost as never before.
A traded back a life of freedom and possibilities for a life of mediocrity, surrounded by Slowlane people. At least that was what it felt like to me.
I didn’t know what to do about it. I just knew I wanted to be free, in any way imaginable.
But I never started seriously pursuing my entrepreneurial ideas.
I was reading hundreds of books about business and entrepreneurship, but instead of acting on it I kept running away.
I lived in Austria, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand, doing all kinds of odd jobs. I did everything that would give me the feeling of freedom. But deep down I knew I wasn’t free. Not at all. I was wasting a lot of potential and I knew I wasn’t going to be happy when looking back onto my life someday.
I was reading TMF – and UNSCRIPTED immediately after – during my travels in New Zealand. I was blown away. Everything made so much sense out of a sudden.
Then I looked at myself. Living in a tent. It was pouring rain out. I couldn’t enjoy this beautiful country because I had to work the crappiest job in a vineyard for minimum wage to buy food. That wasn’t it. That wasn’t freedom. That was an illusion of freedom at best.
It only took one more year and a worldwide pandemic to realise I needed to give it a go. No more options to run away. I was forced to stay home and work it out.
I always wanted to be a professional artist and I had the necessary skills to build upon.
So I decided to get back into it. I set goals for myself and finally started painting again. Murals are my thing, so I invested in material and tools and just went for it. I realised I can decide if I want to believe in the starving artist mindset or build a viable business utilising my skills.
I finally made it out of my analysis paralysis. All it took was the first step. New doors are opening.
And now? Things are starting to unfold slowly for me. I put myself and my work out there. I got my first commissions.
At the moment I’m working on a few spray painting commissions together with someone who’s already quite successful in the industry.
I’m learning a lot from him and I’m very thankful he’s having me as his assistant for this project.
I also do have a day job that’s pretty chill though. It allows me to not worry about paying my bills. I can take days off whenever I need time to work on my business or do commissions.
I’m not making constantly good money with my business yet, but I learned I can’t take any shortcuts. I need to build up slowly but steadily. I’m going in the right direction and I enjoy the process.
My business is controllable (I’m my own boss), there is an entry barrier (skill and contacts), and there is a need (I’m starting to get more and more inquiries).
But it isn’t a productocracy yet.
I exchange time for money. And I cannot scale it up unless I hire someone. But I’d prefer to not deal with employees.
Ideas to make it a productocracy:
- Art Prints
- Book
- Online Course
- Building a platform for mural artists to find jobs / Consumers to find artists
- Open a gallery
- Building a tool making the artist’s work easier
Well, long way to go!
Looking forward to everyone following along and hoping to be of value to other people in this forum in the future.
That’s the first time I'm writing all of this down.
Thanks for reading!
Any feedback is appreciated.
Nick
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