F.ck You! My own Journey of Financial Independence

[Einfamilienhaus]

Attention: Bad English ahead but honest value about an average guy.

I believe that for being successful with his own business you have to control your life first. So this thread is not only about making money. Also about a personal journey of self improvement.

Who I am?
Till my 26th age of life, (now 27) I lived from 300 Euros in the month. 150 for food. 35 for the ticket. Around 120 euros left for the last 30 days in the month. Money for hanging out with friends, for clothes, books and fun.

My Family and I are the first generation of immigrants in Germany. After 20 years of living in this country as non-accepted refugees my parents still get every months 300 euros pocket money from the state. Last year I finally get accepted as a German citizen. So I have also now the right to work, to study and also the right to leave Berlin. Finally!

Believe it or not. In all of that time I had always the dream to work, travel around the world and safe some money and hopefully getting rich with my fulltime job.

After 3 months of living my Big Dream I started to count the weeks till I get my next payment. Then Days. Then I have stopped because it frustrated me too much. The funny thing is: I haven't read TMF at this moment.

I traveled to Budapest, Prague, Venezia, Napoli, Mallorca, Zadar in less than one year and I learned something very important. It doesn't matter how expensive your hotel is or in which restaurant you have eaten. It's an illusion of being free because you have the money to travel to different countries. As long as you arrive at sunday midnight in your hometown and after 5 hours of sleep you sit with your a** back in the office the next day. Counting the days for the next vacation.

What is my Goal?
I'm not interested in big cars or the next Victoria Secret Model on my side. I just want have the power to say: "F.k you!"
Not to you as a reader who invests his valuable time reading about an unknown guy.
I'm mean "F.k you!" to anybody who has in any kind a problem about how I eat, sleep, think, walk, breathe or make my daily routine at the toilet.
Saying "F.ck you!" to most of the people in this world without having consequences for your social reputation or wealth. Mean Power in life. Power to take the responsibility to decide how YOU want to eat, sleep, think, walk, breathe or make your daily routine at the toilet.

People have problems about how I think?
F.ck You!
People want me to do things which are not my business. Instead theirs?
F.ck You!
People try to get my time and attention for their problems but dont show respect back?
F.ck You!

But F.ck You! needs a strong Force behind it. Financial Independence.

And the first step to my own F.ck You! would be not making others rich. I want to live from my own work. Most of the time working for myself. Make myself financial independent. Not others.

I want that my children one day have a fancy life. Making worthless Studies like Music, Arts or Acting. Driving Oldtimer. Celebrating private techno parties. And discussing with their friends how many withdrawals they got. And not the children of my boss.

With the withdrawals I'm if course kidding. You now what I mean

I have made some calculations and I just need around 1000 euros for being independent. For rent, energy food and so on.

The first Goal will be finding at least 5 customers which are paying a monthly fee to work with me together.

Btw: F.ck You! doesn't mean being rude or hurting people with purpose. It's an attitude for self-respect.

How do I earn my Money right now?
I have a fulltime job in a hospital. I'm not a doctor. Just a little medical assistant.

In this big company I am aware that I'm just a number.

Do you want to know how big this company is?

If I call my "Most Favorable Stations" in the morning to order the patients. There is always someone who doesn't like me and I dont like him. And the funny thing is. I haven't met these persons till this day. I dont even know how they look like. To hear the voice of the other is reason enough to make the work process more difficult as it should be.

What do you think how big my F.ck You! to those people can be when my life depends on this job?

My colleagues have the same problem with their own "Most Favorable Stations". The whole company is just a "Most Favorable Station".
Everybody is hating each other, spending most of the time in a place they hate more and they are still doing it. For years. For 30 to 40 years. That is my personal definition auf craziness and I dont want to be part of their system.

What is my Plan to earn Money?
I have seen a few courses on Udemy how to build a website with codes. So I have a little experience in this case and a little experience in Instagram Marketing.

Right now I have no website and no reputation to make money. But I think if an average guy like me can build a website at the end of the day. Anybody can do it. If I can make Money with this kind of work. Anybody can do it.

I made a promise to myself:
If I I'm not strong enough to build my own Power of Financial Independence than I deserve to be part of their mediocre system.

That's it.

Let the Journey begins!

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

I. My First Customer

I have no website or even one customer yet, but my people around me know what I'm doing. One day I got a message from a friend that she knows somebody who needs help with all kind of "Online Stuff".

I had the number of a boutique owner in my hands and I was pretty excited.
Before I called her on this day at my work. I called a friend first because I was too nervous to make this phone call. I hoped to get a little more comfortable with the "Business Call" then.

So I called later the boutique owner and I explained her who I am and want I'm doing exactly and how I can help her with my work.

I had the option to explain her everything via call. But I decided to meet her personally. There were 2 reasons:

1.) Somebody who invests time to see you personally is more interested in your offer. And the great side effect is. The more somebody invests something in something its is harder for him to decide against it or given it up. Even if it means investing time of 2 hours for a sell conversation.

2.) Looking somebody in the eyes and say No to an offer is for many people difficult.

I wish this clever idea were mine but I read it in a Book months before about how to deal with potential customers. And these are the only two reasons I could remember at that time.

We made an appointment for the first Meeting.

First Meeting

Two, three days before the meeting I prepared myself mentally and I played all the possible opportunities which could happen during the conversation.

I was pretty much excited that I couldn't concentrate on my work at the hospital this day. In some cases I really hoped not to see her. Leaving my zone of being comfortable was too much connected with pain.
Pain I had to overcome for success and I felt not being ready yet.

Everytime the thought of negativity came again. I said to myself that I'm just a big f.cking pussy and I deserve my living situation right now. If I dont meet her. My mind got more and more clear why I'm doing this and I want to enjoy the moment of saying F.ck You! One day. My desire for F.ck You! was bigger than being comfortable.

Anyways.

My first customer has her own boutique in the centre of Berlin and she needed some help with the online marketing. Our agreement was that we are going to see us again when the Facebook Shop is ready and she can also use the function in Instagram to price tag her products.

But.

Before we met I did some research about her website also and I prepared everything to explain her how Google adwords works and which are the advantages for her using this kind of advertisement.

She was interested but it was "Too much" for her and she just want to focus on Instagram advertisement. I also offered the option to put the whole Google adwords and the updating of the website in my hands. But she wasn't interested.

I made her an offer my work making the Facebook Shop. She accepted and also with the agreement to see us again when everything is ready.

Second Meeting

Yesterday I met her again. Her wish to price tag her products was possible and now we have to discuss about our furure cooperation. Also about the difficult part: "How much should it cost?"

I learned from this forum you should talk about money always at the end. You have to make them hungry before. Never say something about expenditure. Always mention it as investment.

And its true right?

You get paid (investment) to bring more profit for them. The big difference between an investment in a share and you, is that to invest in your work is an active investment. You can control the process of making profit. While the investment in a share is playing dice and hoping for the best.
Since I read about how to talk with customers about their future investment for your work. I not feel ashamed to talk about it directly.

But the big problem for me was I can't define how much my work should cost. In other case I felt ashamed to take maybe too much money from her.
I have to sit down and make my homework in this case before!

At the end we had an agreement that it would take care control about her Instagram advertisement. I got also a monthly fee for that work.

First Customer done. 5 left!

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Sold Today My First 1,3k Web Design Service

I had two crazy weeks behind me where I quit my job. Had the last days the constant feeling of being an unemployed scum and loser. Now a few hours ago I had a call with a client and sold my first 1,3k Contract with a monthly payment to keep the new website updated and clean. I always have read how it happened to others getting this total of money but it is different if it happens to you. Maybe it was luck but the thing right now is I have to earn money. I feel less afraid to get in contact with potential customers. If possible meet them face to face. My mind is focused on winning. No time of feeling ashamed, afraid or stupid.
Being afraid of something you have to do and you know you have to is maybe the comfortable privilege not doing it and still having no big consequences of the own decision. But there will be also situations where you are afraid but you have to do it because the consequences are too big. Like not having enough Money for rent and food.
Being in a daily "Survival Mode" keeps me awake. I feel more Life. Feel myself more. Today I gave myself a new promise to create my own life on the decisions and failures I make on my own. Not depending on the empathizes of others who are above me and decide if I "have the right" to be successful or not. I'm the King of my Life. Its time to build my own Kingdom.

 

[Deleted74396]

Sold Today My First 1,3k Web Design Service

CONGRATS!

You got this.

I was bullied heavily during school and used that 'F*ck you' attitude to make a lot of money by the time I left at 16. There wasn't much the bullies could say then, although some did end up asking me for tips

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

Today Not Later

March was the first month I have reached finally the miracle number of 1000€ next to my Main Business of Web Design on several freelance platforms. I know this is not a lot compared to other people here in this forum but it gives a huge confidence to find possibilities while others sit at home and wait till everything is going to be normal again. During this crisis, I met different people who deal differently with the current crisis. Most of them do nothing. Others are clever and deal with stocks and try to make a profit. I'm more of a conservative person and I believe in the things that I can control and I have the best control if I can use my skills profitably. Now I will invest the time to learn more about Python. I see great possibilities to open new markets . Especially Python can open many doors in the world of programming. My goal for the coming months is to work with larger companies on an international level and I hope that my new skills will help me to open the door to the world.

It's surprising to see how many entrepreneurs spend their time complaining about the Coronavirus, instead of asking yourself how you can adapt your business to the new circumstances. The world will spin before and after the Coronavirus. Either the world will continue to spin with you or without you. Our humanity has produced personalities that have had an impact on millions, even billions, of people and have inspired even future generations to achieve great things, and even after these people have died, the world has continued to turn. Even if we should wake up one day and we should not exist, the world will turn. Even if our planet, all known galaxies, the entire universe, and even all possible dimensions should no longer exist, time will not cease to exist. Because in the world of numbers even the 0 has a value. A value as small as it is means existence and existence is life.

All the people who spend their time complaining about the coronavirus, while they are sitting armed with a gun in a room full of toilet paper and waiting for the end of the world, are the same people who do not accept the success of others, who emerged as winners despite and thanks to the crisis. I would like that after 5 years, when no one remembers the effects of the crisis, someone asks me when my business started to function slowly, I will say it was March 2020. If this person then says that it was really easy to be entrepreneurially successful at that time, I will shake hands with this person and look into the eyes and say Thank You. Because in the business world, a big Thank You can also mean F*ck You at the same time.

Don't spend your time complaining. Don't get distracted and do business. Don't worry about things you can't control and focus on things that can be controlled. This is how life was, this how life is and this is how life always will be.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

Update after 4 Months

Since the last post, many things have changed especially in my private life. The goal for me after August/September was to work less and have more time for my own little business. The difficulty for me was to find a new job where I can work less and earn the same amount of income or better earning more for working less.

I know I know. This is a forum for entrepreneurs where people taking high risks to fulfilled their dream of becoming independent. But I think there are many ways to reach the same goal. So in the last stages of "Working less and earn more" I had to be honest with myself and my skills and which value my little company gives to the market. The result is that I have many things to learn and I'm right now not on the level where I can say confidently "This is it. I'm done with making others rich". I have huge respect for people who have big responsibilities not only for themselves. Also for the people around them like for their spouse, children or their family and friends in general. But for me right now it is more important to support my parents and my grandmother who has worked for example around 40 years as a teacher in Ukraine and now gets 100€ pension money. At the same time having my own freedom is also important for me. So that's why I think having the result of "Working less and earn more" is the best choice for me right now.

After a few applications, I could find a new job where I can work 30Hours/Week in 3 days. So it means I have 2 days more off and I earn the same amount of income like the 40hours/week in 5 days before. It means I have 4 days a week where I can concentrate more on my little business and deliver better products and better customer service. The new change is not as expected but still advantageous for me.

I try to build up my own SMMA and all of my customers have found me because of the word of mouth. Right now I have 3 customers which bring me 600€ extra cash tax-free which is a great feeling. But I found very fast out that if I want to improve my business it is better to go a few steps back and take it in some parts slowly and try to see my business more objectively. During the time of 40hrs/wk work-life I had always the feeling of rushing through the tasks. In my case, I need time to be creative. Finding new ideas, trying new things and make the work process more effective. I could also see better results in doing this. But after the 8 am to 5 pm work my mind was most of the time running. No time to think new.

Right now it is a great feeling to have time for myself and work on my ideas while other people have to rush through the city. Running after their life-sucking work. I like to go in the morning into the inner-city, meet a friend, drink a coffee and see people running around. Being always stressed. Carrying bad emotions all the time. Looking in their face and see bitterness, sadness, aggressivity.

It is a great feeling to lean back and have little financial security. It is a great feeling to wake in the morning because I want to do it and not because I have to. It is a great feeling to see people rushing around while I can walk slowly. It is also great to sit in the morning on the train next to people who throw their lives away for an illusion while I can act like them but in true I have the freedom to say I can do what I want right now.

I know, I repeat myself but sitting in the morning and drink coffee in the inner-city and watch people running is the best joy for me right now. I know it sounds bad but I want to enjoy this bad thought in all ways right now. I have tasted in some parts the "freedom" and I want more of it.

Every time I get lazy, or frustrated about my work process I will just go to the inner-city and see how other peoples´life go. I´m aware of my privilege I have right now and I have the responsibility to make the best of it.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

I thought my first FTE would be more like an After Party. But this one is pure silence.

Last Thursday something happened which I thought would happen in the late stages of my journey and not now. I had this job where I had to work less and I earned the same amount of money as in a Full-Time Job before. After a few days, one of the colleagues left after I have started to work there. She told me that 15 people have left this company of only 4 employees this year and she is number 16. The biggest reason for her leaving: disrespecting treatment from the head of the company.
I don't know why but I had the feeling at this moment that I'm the next one. Long Story short: Some people don't have learned or maybe they just don't want to treat others with empathy and respect. After two months I left the company this Thursday.

On the same evening, I was sitting at home and thinking that I should finally do the hard decision I was always afraid of. I always knew that this moment will come one day but I have expected I would be more prepared for it.
It doesn't matter for which company you work, as long you have to work for somebody else with other people who spend their whole life making others rich and counting the day till they can go finally into retirement, you will be always a toxic environment. I have seen oftentimes what can happen to people who stayed for decades in this toxicity. Depression, Loneliness, broken families relationship, after all the years of work still being broke and dissatisfied with their life. I'm sorry but I don't want to be part of them or of this crazy system.

On the same evening, wrote the letter that I will leave the company and I brought it the next day to the head of company. I wasn't angry or sad during the conversation. I thought showing any kind of bad emotions at this day would make me k weak. I'm the leader of my own decision and I should take responsibility. This was the attitude this day.

In the first few days, I recognized something interesting about myself. I was all the time looking on my phone to find a w job again. Deep in my heart, I didn't want to do it. But I did it. If you ever had a bad discussion with your ex-girlfriend, you know this crazy feeling of opening the phone every minute. Expecting something is going to happen. Even if you know it's going to be something bad. I was in the same situation to find a new job opportunity. I couldn't put the phone to the site and not taking a looking for new job announcements.

I really felt bad the first days. I felt like a jobless loser. A nobody. Somebody who doesn't have his life under the right control. Luckily I had some tasks to do for my clients which distracted me in a positive way. In the last few days, finished 3 Wordpress Website and I found a new customer for small task again like creating an OnlineShop. Even if it sounds good, after this work I have no further income. This is something that make me feel really uncomfortable. But I have to learn how it is not having a steady income at the end of the month and having less security. While I'm writing these sentences in Bad English I received a notification from Airbnb that somebody has rented my room for a few days. I just opened a new account yesterday, put a picture of my window to show how my room looks like. Nothing more. So there are opportunities to make money. But the crazy thing is, even when I recognize that I earn little Money right now and that I don't have to stay hungry the next month. My brain doesn't want to accept this situation. I try to say to myself there is no way out. I have to learn to handle my situation right now. I promised myself not going to a new toxic working environment until May 2020 again.

I have made hard calculations about my expenses and income and I was surprised that I don't need much money to pay for rent and food. It gave me some hope and I have a small clear number of income which I will focus on. If it doesn't work till May 2020. I will go back and make others rich again. I don't know if I have read this sentence on this forum but somebody wrote that you can find a shitty job at any time. It is funny and at the same it gives me also more the feeling of security.

I also don't want to tell anybody about my goal right now, because family and friends will start to distract me with their Concerns and Insecurity. I need a clear mind and Ideas to take responsibility for myself. I'm excited but at the same really afraid.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

A Short Story of How Helping Out for Free Can Bring You in The First Seats of a Fashion Show

For the 18th of January 2020, I am invited to the Global Fashion Week in Berlin. It is not the Berlin Fashion Week, It is the Global Fashion Week for independent Fashion with Designers from all over the World. This event is located in Berlin's most exclusive Street for luxury Fashion at Kurfürstendamm. Through my good contacts to the organizer in the second place, I found out that the organizer has spent a big number in five figures for a PR Agency.

To understand how this Agency values Quality for the customer I was looking at Google for this event and I found: Nothing. No Website which could tell what is this event about. How I can buy tickets or even when this event does start. Even if I type in Global Fashion Week 2020 or Global Fashion Week January 2020 you will only find about the Berlin Fashion Week or other events which are not what you are looking for. This PR agency hasn't even done the Basic. To build a Website and call it Global Fashion Week Berlin.com or something like that.

Long-time ago I helped once one of my customers out and I built for her a new website for free because I believed and still believe in her success. Now she is the one who gave me 2 VIP Tickets for the Fashion Show and I will also get the possibility to meet the organizer in person. It is definitely a great chance to show my face and shake some new hands.

I was thinking about how to get the most of this event. I thought about to get some free PR. There will be definitely some cameras around and I was thinking about how I can put my face into one of these Cameras. Luckily the solution crossed my way. Just bring your own Camera Team. My Customer I mentioned above has some contacts with a really small independent news Channel. But, it is still a News Channel, right? This News Channel got their Presse Access for this event now and they will follow us all the time. It is a great chance to get some free publicity and the impression of having your own Camera Team next to you is big.

So I will sit in the first place of the Fashion Show next to some models walking around and a Camera will show my face. When I first started this thread and my wish was to make in the future some techno party with models in Monaco. I was joking now. I get the feeling of it how it is like.

And this whole story starts because I helped somebody out for free because I saw the value in this person. Now I get the value back which is bigger than just money on my hand. I have a more clear vision of what I want for my business or what my business should stand for. I want to have a Name of Trust and know people via handshake who have something to say in their industry. Then I will have my own Money Making Machine.

 

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[Tossek]

Hello, Einfamilienhaus. Welcome!

Seeing your name - is that your dream as well?

You seem to have a lot on your soul to write. Maybe to cherish this - start writing a book as a side hustle.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

II. My second Customer

Before I met my second customer that day I had a meeting with a tax consultant one day earlier. I called a few of them and compared the prices and listen to my gust how this person could be. At the end I decide to go to a two generations family company. One of the two brothers is tax consultant and the other lawyer. So I think it is a great security for the future If someone wants trouble.

In the first step I will work as a freelancer. Yeah, I know. I know. It's not a real Business. But I will save a lot of money and I also learn the first basics how to deal with an own "Business" with a low risk.

Next meeting will be with the lawyer.

The lawyer should build a strong contract for me which I will use for all of my clients. I heard a little bit around and many people who are building websites or doing online marketing have the problem that their clients are not paying as they promised.

I pay money now for the lawyer and save more money and time in the future.

On Friday I met my new customer. After the work I was pretty tired. Low energy. But my desire one day saying F.ck You ! gave my the right focus again. She should be my next Client!

My client has a little Shop in Berlin's most expensive Shopping Street: Kudamm.

Something I really like to do is to ask the clients on the phone if it is possible to use during the conversation the first name. I have the feeling of building trust very fast.

So when I walk into the shop I walk in with energy and Say: Hello.....! My name is..... (Giving Hand) I'm glad to meet you. We have a meeting for....

You have to fit with your clients. Also speak like them and in the "Fashion World" it is totally normal to use the first name. Maybe for other business areas not.

My client has the problem that she would like to sell more products with Instagram. I mentioned that having a good own website and the right tools would bring more profit than Instagram ads. But she wasn't interested.

We have talked about the investment for building the Shop and the monthly
Fee.

She agreed!

During the conversation of what to do next in Instagram marketing she mentioned that she is maybe closing her shop in less than 3 months. The owner of this place is going to raise the rent and she maybe cant afford it.

This was the moment where I realised that I have the responsibility for my clients and the employees of them. I mean everybody is talking about their freedom and making money. But not many people are talking about the responsibility what if the company is depending on you to survive.

I had a strong conflict with myself and I decide to be honest and say the hard true. The chances to make enough Money with Instagram in this short period of time is not possible. Maybe other people can manage it but I was the wrong guy for this situation. I cant promise what I cant observe.

After this serious talk she mentioned that she maybe wants to give up selling fashion. She had this Thought very long and maybe try something new. Her next busines idea is a Coffee Shop. Target Group: Young People.

She wants to have a Website and a App which should bring her the customers and I should work on her side for the future project. Working in the background and managing all the "Online Stuff".

I really appreciated her offer. But my attitude for the Business World is always: Believe when you are holding it in your Hand. Even then, prove it

She also gave me the advice where I can find a new interested customer for Marketing. I'm excited again!

So this week my client is meeting the owner of the place and then she will contact me again and talk about the next steps.

 

[richstone.io]

Hey Haus,

just a little tip from a developer:

I don't think, you need HTML and CSS skills for your use case. To get started most quickly and with the most professional look, I'd suggest you go with wordpress and use free templates. Professionals spend tons of hours on them using different technologies beyond HTML & CSS, so you'd probably be better off with something like that.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

Update

My Website is ready and I learned that there is always something to do. I have to force myself not to invest more time to make it more perfect. I always eant to improve something. Make it more bigger. But at the end. Even being productive can be action-faking.

The real reason why I have this website is to find customers.
Since the website is online I contacted 0 potential Customers.

0. Null. Nada.

Instead I was more focusing on other things like building the Fashion Website. Having Employees Calls for my agency via Skype. Reading The Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords by Perry Marshall.....

Not even mentioned the work process behind the work. Like how to use this program? Where to find these Tools? And so on.

I spent yesterday more than a half hour to understand how FileZilla works. I'm only talking about How to login?

Too many things which has to be understood.

It is frustrating and I'm also disappointed about myself.

I think the solution to stay more focused is working with weekly task challenges. It will help me to reflect myself better and to find out how I really work.

This Weekly Challenge: Contacting 30 Customers

I won't send basic emails with the same text for everybody.

I will take time to find out if they have a website or not. What can I improve on their website?

How can I help them selling their products? What kind of Advertisement is powerful for them?

Do they have Instagram or not? How can I improve our help building a brand on Instagram?

And why it is the most effective way for them to work in long term with me together?

I will try this:

80% - Basic
20% - Individual for every Customer

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

I Learn To Love The Progress Inside The Process

I think after 12 hours of working straight I have my own Momentum and I feel Like King Kong. I can smash like the biggest Monkey in the Town with my fists on my breast and scream into the night. Or climb on the highest building in Berlin and fight against some red airplanes.

Im seriously surprised how fast I learned many things even if I still don't know much about how to manage a business like a rock star. But still, there is progress. If you want to keep your Business successful as Web Designer while you use Social Media to get the attention you need you to have to manage several things at the same. There are many methods which sound simple but in reality, you have seriously to study them. Just reading a book about how to find 100x more customers with Google Adwords and put the book to the site and read the next one doesn't make you an expert. I mean why reading books if the only reason you do this is that you want to finish it but not to learn from it. Especially practical books should be implemented in reality.

How to use Google Adwords efficiently will take years
How to use Google Analytics and understand in the right way will take a long time to manage
How to learn Web Design via Code or CMS will take a long time to manage it
How to use correctly SEO for your Website will take a long time to manage it
How to use Photoshop and Premiere Pro will take you a long time
And so on...

It even took me a whole day to understand how to put several WP Sites on the same Domain. During my learning progress, I have crushed my Website two times. Now I can manage this task in just a few minutes. My first blog post took me 2 hours! to write it and it wasn't even good. Now just 30 minutes and there is more content inside than before. To make my first youtube video took also 2 hours because I didn't know what to say, how to say and then I had to learn how to use Premiere Pro. Now I speak much more fluently and I even cute my videos better and faster.

At the first steps of my journey, I felt like being dropped into the Jungle. There where so many things to do and to manage at the same time which was huge pressure for me. But with every task, I gain more muscles which allow me to cute faster through all the difficulties in front of me. I will see one day the bright light at the end of the jungle!

Tomorrow I will meet a potential Customer who has his own Bar and he would like to optimize his website to attract more customers. He is also looking for someone who can help him to build a Landing Page, an Email List and also someone who can create a concept for his events.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day too.

Now.

Proud Monkey goes sleep. Proud Monkey is tired.

 

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[BizyDad]

I Learn To Love The Progress Inside The Process

I think after 12 hours of working straight I have my own Momentum and I feel Like King Kong. I can smash like the biggest Monkey in the Town with my fists on my breast and scream into the night. Or climb on the highest building in Berlin and fight against some red airplanes.

Im seriously surprised how fast I learned many things even if I still don't know much about how to manage a business like a rock star. But still, there is progress. If you want to keep your Business successful as Web Designer while you use Social Media to get the attention you need you to have to manage several things at the same. There are many methods which sound simple but in reality, you have seriously to study them. Just reading a book about how to find 100x more customers with Google Adwords and put the book to the site and read the next one doesn't make you an expert. I mean why reading books if the only reason you do this is that you want to finish it but not to learn from it. Especially practical books should be implemented in reality.

How to use Google Adwords efficiently will take years
How to use Google Analytics and understand in the right way will take a long time to manage
How to learn Web Design via Code or CMS will take a long time to manage it
How to use correctly SEO for your Website will take a long time to manage it
How to use Photoshop and Premiere Pro will take you a long time
And so on...

It even took me a whole day to understand how to put several WP Sites on the same Domain. During my learning progress, I have crushed my Website two times. Now I can manage this task in just a few minutes. My first blog post took me 2 hours! to write it and it wasn't even good. Now just 30 minutes and there is more content inside than before. To make my first youtube video took also 2 hours because I didn't know what to say, how to say and then I had to learn how to use Premiere Pro. Now I speak much more fluently and I even cute my videos better and faster.

At the first steps of my journey, I felt like being dropped into the Jungle. There where so many things to do and to manage at the same time which was huge pressure for me. But with every task, I gain more muscles which allow me to cute faster through all the difficulties in front of me. I will see one day the bright light at the end of the jungle!

Tomorrow I will meet a potential Customer who has his own Bar and he would like to optimize his website to attract more customers. He is also looking for someone who can help him to build a Landing Page, an Email List and also someone who can create a concept for his events.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day too.

Now.

Proud Monkey goes sleep. Proud Monkey is tired.

Proud Monkey, this was awesome. Bravo.

 

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[Joe Jackson]

A New Website For An Exclusive Event

This week I met my new customer who has his Bar in Berlins most expensive street: Kurfürstendamm.

Les Brown said, "Leap and the net will appear."

But when you're standing at the top of the cliff looking down into the chasm and don't see the net already spread below you it's very hard to believe how it will be there in time to save you.

I find your journey inspiring and look forward to your future progress. Yours is a journey budding entrepreneurs will find interesting and educational.

 

[Tossek]

Jut jemacht, mei Jung!

What direction of cooperation do you want to program with? API? AI? Database?

Python is indeed a good choice. Personally, I disliked it for a while but I had to use it in my regular work since December and I start to see some benefits, especially for the prototyping style of machinery implementation, I am working with.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Life is A Challenge - Accept It Or Lose Miserably

During the last months, I invested my time to strengthen my relationship with the few long-term customers I have. All of them have their own fashion in Berlin and the crisis hit them pretty much hard. Luckily no one of them had to close their shop and the economy seems to be normalized again. Instead of asking myself how I can make more money to secure, I gave a lot of free value. All the knowledge and time I had I invested to improve their business in some parts. This work has not only paid me back twice but also gave me confidence in myself. Even though I was aware that we cannot make quick sales. It was important for me to support my clients morally and to give them the necessary self-confidence with their work. For the duration of the collaboration, I have even waived payment for all of my clients for 2 months.

I have created Free full-functioning Online Shops for them. Uploaded all the product pictures on Google Shopping which have created some traction to their website. The Instagram Pages have been connected with Facebook Business Manager which will give also some traction to the website. There were more than 500+ pictures that had to be uploaded plus a description and other details such as price, size, shipping costs, etc. And the same process had to be done again on Facebook Business Manager. It took several tiresome days to finish this task which was very time-consuming. Fortunately, the work was worth it. Some of their pictures have gained thousands of new views and they receive daily new visitors. Their Google Business Profile has been improved. One of them has at least placed on the first page in Google Business. The goal was to mobilize all the friends and families to write some positive reviews. If possible to use profile pictures and not only to write a positive review like "Amazing Shop" or something like that. Instead also to write how the shop could help them to find a solution. These reviews have been directly connected in their new Online Shop to increase sales and create Social proof.

For one of my Blogger Client, I gave some advice on how to improve the SEO and gather some organic traffic. With the better quality of her content now she is ranking higher and in combination with a better marketing on her Instagram profile, she is still receiving paid clients requests for cooperation. Not all of them are useful but some of them are great. Most recently, she had received a request from a hotel chain to stay in for a few days and write about her experiences and also publish them on Instagram. What can be described as a small success.

In my lonely nights, I always motivate myself to work towards the following situation. I always wanted to be called to someone I don't know but who knows my name and is convinced of the quality of my work and asks me for help. I don't believe in visualizations, but alluding to this situation in my head over and over again and had helped to keep working even when I was about to give up. And then suddenly this little dream had come true.

Thanks to these small successes and the support, the relationship with my clients was not only strengthened. I have gained another client. A customer of mine recommended me to a company that sells camping cars and had some problems with their website. It was an unbelievable feeling to get a phone call asking me if I had time to deal with the problem. He manages his company from home. So we met right at his place. I knew from the start that the collaboration would be great. But I just didn't know what extent his company was already working.

When I arrived in the "better area" of Berlin, I knew that such an area existed in Berlin, but I never had the intention to go there. The houses were not only luxurious but also built as one imagines the apartments from the USA. Large fence grille with two entrance options, where the entrance led from two sides in a semicircle to the main door. Sometimes the houses did not even have walls but were surrounded on all sides by large windows. For me personally, it wouldn't be anything because I would feel constantly being watched. But they probably don't have any neighbors who stand by the window with binoculars and want to watch you. If you live in the high-rise estate like me, it often happens that some pensioner out of boredom wants to know how other lives and what they are up to. Sometimes the apartments looked huge, so you have to walk a marathon from the living room to the kitchen alone. I embarrassedly caught myself staring at other people's windows too often for too long and then tried to appear relatively normal or at least less like a poor hungry man who was constantly staring.

The Cooperation with the entrepreneur was very positive. I not only got to know his business model and learned that he has already sold 30k caravans, but has also invested the money inland. The others can rent for their camping. When asked how the lockdown harmed him, he reacted loosely and said that his properties are not affected by the lockdown. Most of his customers rent their places and use their own campers as temporary living spaces. This means that during the lockdown, simple campers were not allowed to rent a place with a tent. But if you arrive with a camper, you are not affected by the regulation. As far as I understand.

When I spoke to him, I knew the meeting was worth more than any money paid for my work. When I went home, I decided to go one step higher with my own business and make bigger investments.

As much as web design has supported me financially, I also developed the urge to build a "tangible business". I want to get away from the whole Web Design 5 Bucks Upwork Freelancer business, although luckily I have never been in the position to do this job. I want to have my own key with which I can proudly open my business in the morning. Own a real business. To make scales on a bigger level.

Thanks to the government support of small business owners, which made up about half the total, my different income streams, and my frugal lifestyle, I have already been able to save 10,000€. Now I am faced with the decision to open a new line of business because I know that this money is dead money in the bank account.

The next step will be to find a solution that is urgently needed. I would like to work more with "bigger" companies because I hope that through the new challenges, pressure, and competition I will discover something in myself that I am looking for. Life is a struggle and I accept the challenge.

I learned very important life lessons during the uncertain times of lockdown.

When the going gets tough, it's better to work together than to focus on your own advantages. If you support people in tough times, they'll stay loyal and give you something back. I think if I tried to sell my service to my clients during the lockdown, I might not have just lost them. Rather, I would probably never have had this positive encounter that encouraged me in my urge to work higher. Especially at the time when many are beginning to cover themselves out of panic and fear, I wanted at least to spend my time speaking a good word to someone, supporting them, or even foregoing money.

Just like light is born out of the darkness. The greatest profits are made in the most difficult times. These experiences have shaped me and will determine my further actions.

 

[Tossek]

Great success. Congratulations. You already have a small monthly payment. If you can add this on all other 5 customers you are up for a good first step.

However, have you made also financial goals with your selling, e.g. 800 € monthly fixed incoming, 1500 € etc.

 

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[Strm]

Great job!
Very good that you're taking constant action. I truly hope you will succeed. But when you work like this, then I know you will.
Greetings from Estonia!

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

Launching my First Website

Today is the Big Day. Something I have worked the last months for. Something I have run home after work. To save as much time as possible and something I believed has big potential for me: Learnings how to build Websites with Codes.

And something I wish I have asked the right question before: Why do I learn building Websites?

I have bought courses at udemy and I did the same what they showed me. I learned a lot. Then it was time to work on my own feets. Of course I used the Codes which are saved on my Laptop to make my own website.

I had mistakes here and there. It was frustrating but I needed a website. So I had two options: Finding someone on fiverr or because I'm a lazy a$$ in some cases. Use YouTube to search: How to build websites with HTML and CSS?

I used the Codes the guy on YouTube showed me and I made a few changes here and there. Et voila! Website is finished.

After all that work I really asked myself why I had spent so much time to build a website when I just can watch a YouTube Video for one hour. Of course you have to understand the basics of a website. But in long term I will definitely outsource that work to others.

Next Step will be Writing a Sell Letter for Cold Emailing. Use HTML to make it looks more professional and integrate it with Gmail.

What I learned.

Out there are a lot of free resources and you just have to understand how to use them. You will save a lot of money and especially time.

 

[Tossek]

Great news! Good progress!

Though, you need more customers for redundancy

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Creating a Blue Print for Laser Content

Last week I sold a Website for one of my customers. The thing is that we have made a deal a few months before and I was disappointed by myself for how much money I was willing to do this job. Just for 300 Bucks. The good thing is I could make an upsell for keeping the website updated and my customer is also interested to open an e-commerce store for which I can make an upsell again. But it is not sure yet.

The last days before Christmas I spent the time working less and take a step back from my business. I tried to get more an objective view of my work and it helped me to focus more on values and finding the first strategies to get more customers. Here is what I found:

1) I don't know much about my customers. I don't know what they think and what they need. If I close my eyes and try to imagine the best possible customer for me, I see nobody. I have to sit down and take some serious notices. Starting with the customers I have right now and find out how can I reach more like them. Where are they spending their time like on social media and how can I make it clear that I'm the right person they are looking for?

2) In addition to the first Point above I found out that I haven't made purposeful content to reach out to potential customers. I did some content here on Instagram and some blog posts there. The problem is not only the quality of the content. The main problem is that I don't know what I want get to be known for. Should I be known for Social Media or Web Design? Maybe both together. The Idea behind a Growth Hacker is really interesting (Growth Hacker Marketing - Ryan Holiday) and something I will spend my time to get more specialized.

The other question is which industry I should focus on? All of my customers are business owners in the fashion industry. This industry has also two big pillars. Fast fashion on one side and the new wave of slow fashion (sustainable fashion) on the other. The Germans have a great awareness of sustainability in every possible way. The problem is that business owners in the slow fashion industry usually don't want to spend much money. They still have this underground against mainstream mentality. In long term, I believe the slow fashion will be definitely more popular and it is important to invest the time right now to get established in this niche but my short term goal is to pay my bills and fast fashion is the better option. I decided to present myself as a Growth Hacker in general for both industries.

Thanks to the book "Traction" by Weinberg I have made a big mindmap and gathered some Ideas which of the tractions could be the main one and which of them are good to combine. It helps me a lot to get a feeling of where to go and how to create laser content.

3) I believe the fastest way to get new customers is via freelancing platforms like Upwork. Thanks to Lex Devilles´s Udemy Course: How to Craft a Magnetic Profile I got approved as a Web Designer on Upwork. The second Course Tips to 10x Client Responses Fast gives definitely great insides how to write a proposal. I will also develop short Videos not longer than 2 minutes with a customer "You -Focus" to show them how I can improve the quality of their website. This should help me to get more customer trust in the first place and the contract in the second.

 

[Tossek]

That's great to read! I hope that you have already a pile of your business cards to give away *hint*.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

The Thirsty Guy in The Desert Who Eats Sand, Daily

It is about the third month of being self-employed and Im about to lose this game. I understood that the income of an employee is not the same like of a self-employed person. At the beginning of every month, the employee has a stable income which he can use to calculate the month.

My income is coming at different times in a month. The Problem: The expenses for surviving like paying the rent, insurance, energy cost, and public transportation don't wait for you to get payed. You own nothing in this world and that is the reason why all the companies can take money automatically from your bank account. Pay now, survive later.

To be on the safe side you should earn twice as much as you have expenses. Luckily my clients are trustable and they pay regular without any trouble and I can hold the line in some parts. But I still lose money monthly. It was and is still hard for me to renounce on many things. No expensive restaurants like paying 30€ for Ramen Soup or Kobe Beef for 100€. Less smoking and less partying.

In the last months, I just do two main things: Sleep and work. Of course, I meet family and friends at the weekend but most of the time Im alone with myself and my work.

Even when I lose money and Im most of the time alone and I feel like eating sand in the desert daily, I still can't imagine going to a regular job. If I don't have to. Let me work 80 hours and earn less, instead of working 40 hours for somebody else and earn more.

To make a clear view of my monthly expenses and the incomes I work with an Excel Sheet. The second biggest expense I have right now next to the rent is the insurance. I pay more for this insurance than for my food in a whole month.

I was seriously thinking not to take an insurance at all. I mean the last time I was in a hospital was more than 25 years ago. It was a crazy idea and I don't want to make my parents pay for me if something could happen. So I found a better solution.

In Germany we have a special Insurance for creative-work (Künstlersozialkasse). This insurance is not only for actors, musicians or painters. Also for Web Designer. It means if I can get accepted by this insurance my Insurance expenses can be reduced by 50%! It is going to take months till I get approved and I don't know if my savings can hold so long.

Instead of focusing on numbers I try to focus more on productivity and try to get the power back into my hands. My first Sales Letter is finished and since yesterday I sent live videos to the customers with the record screen program from dubb. I explain to them how they can optimize their website or in some cases why a website is necessary these days. Under the short video, they have the opportunity to get to the Landing Page.

The good thing with dubb is that this program shows me who has opened the mailed? Have they seen the whole video and have they clicked on CTA? These are of course great insights to separate the interested from uninterested customers. The Landing Page is connected with Hotjar so I can see via Live record how the Users moved through my Page and where most of them stopped to read further. Also here great insights on how to optimize this Page more customer-friendly.

Let's see if it works.

 

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[MaxKhalus]

I thought you gave up. Glad to see you are still moving! Keep solving problems and will find a solution. Business cannot be that complicated

 

[Are EM]

Currently on the 40% of the same journey. Following you!

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Great success. Congratulations. You already have a small monthly payment. If you can add this on all other 5 customers you are up for a good first step.

However, have you made also financial goals with your selling, e.g. 800 € monthly fixed incoming, 1500 € etc.

Thank you very much Buddy!

When I came back home I felt like King Kong. You know what I mean.

Yeah, I also made some calculations about my finances. I just need around 1100€ for rent, energy, food and fun. No big vacations. Luckily I dont have a car or loans or something like that. Living minimalistic.

I will have less materialism. More freedom.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Morning Routine

I have read in Unscripted about a recommended Book "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod and I found the Idea being more productive in the morning fantastic!

Today is the first day and I woke up one Hour earlier at 4:30 am than usual.

Let's see what the 30 Days Challenge brings.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Finally My First Website is Launched

The first Step to look more professional is done. My Website is finished.

It just has the Basics. I will put more Value in it and give Google more Information about my own Agency. Deliver informational content, hidden as Sell Letter with Call to Act.

I uploaded on the wrong folder in GoDaddy the Code so I waited 4 Days for the Website get Launched. I thought it is normal. Till somebody showed how to do it right.

Now I have to learn more about SEO. Dont know much about it. I ordered the Book: Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords by Perry Marshall. Can´t wait to learn something new and proof it practically.

Meanwhile I finished my HTML Cold Mail.

For everybody who is interested to give his Cold Mailing Marketing more uniqueness can use this free Source I use from a YouTube Guy. You Just need to understand the Basics of HTML. Nothing more. Even a Guy like me who can not handle GoDaddy did it. Why not you?

These are the Steps I used to write the Sell Text:

• Before you write you should ask yourself: What do you want to write?
• Write down without analyzing.
• Put at the End a Call To Act.
• Rereaded it and make it a Step better.
• Dont use difficult language.
• Take a Huge Care for Mistakes.
• Dont Make it too perfect.

I really can recommend for Basic understanding How to write a Marketing Text the Book: Power Sales Writing by Hershkowitz.

I wasnt only working on my Website for the Agency. I also prepared a Website for unknown Fashion Designer who wants to etablish themself as a Brand and earn Money.
Wit my Little Knowledge I ended the Front End of the Page. I hired a Guy who has more experience in UI & UE than me to make it look more professional.

The bigger difficulty would be the backend work. Let´s see how to handle it.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

Hey Haus,

just a little tip from a developer:

I don't think, you need HTML and CSS skills for your use case. To get started most quickly and with the most professional look, I'd suggest you go with wordpress and use free templates. Professionals spend tons of hours on them using different technologies beyond HTML & CSS, so you'd probably be better off with something like that.

I also thought about using CMS. It is much easier and the normal customer dont see the difference between CMS and a programmed Website.

The reason why I like to program a website is because I have more control over the page. I can imagine how my website should look like and I can program it right now. If a have a problem. I can ask someone or pay money for it and learn how he did it. Even if it takes much more time at the end of the day having finished the website.

The other reason why I dont want to use CMS is because I think in long term. My websites should be independent from any provider.

The second reason is: I Listen to my Guts and it tells me that in long term an independent website with SEO is much more effective than a CMS website. I dont know. Maybe it is not true. But my Guts says yes and it feels good.