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Forming a roommate / mastermind group in Colorado -- join!

Dan.B

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You are exactly where you decide to be. And if that's unhappiness, you need to start making better choices.

--MJ, TMF , Chapter 23.

MJ moved to Arizona. I'm moving to Colorado.

Would you be interested in a roommate / mastermind group situation in a big, spacious house in CO with your own designated office space? If so, read on.

I'm from Louisiana, but I lived in Denver for my first year of college. That was the year I realized I wasn't so sure I wanted to follow the family life plan: go to medical school, become a doctor, work forever, retire at 60 with $5 or 10 million net worth. When I decided I didn't want to be a doctor, suddenly, I couldn't justify the outrageous tuition I was paying at University of Denver, so I came back to Louisiana, where my tuition was covered. Ever since I left, I've told myself I wouldn't be satisfied anywhere until I got back to Colorado. Well, it's that time.

You can rent a crappy, tiny apartment for $600, or you can rent a really badass 5 bedroom house for $2500. So I'm putting together a group of 5 or 6 awesome, motivated, entrepreneurial people to rent a big, kickass house in Colorado. Looking for roommates who want to live in a house full of people who refuse to let each other quit.

I posted the following as an ad on craigslist, but it struck me I might be casting my net too wide and in the wrong ocean... so I'll leave it here too:


This is long, but bear with me. It's not a scam. I'm trying to find a targeted group of roommates to rent a house together. PM me if you're interested.

I'm putting together a group of entrepreneurial-minded people with a variety of skill sets to go in together to rent a kickass house where we can all live, work, share ideas, hold each other accountable, and feed off the energy created by a group of inspired and ambitious people. I'm focusing on internet entrepreneurs here, but I'm open to anyone who's interested. The goal is to create the perfect environment to encourage business success. I'm not looking for the whole house to be working on the same business necessarily, but we wouldn't discourage partnerships within the group if it's beneficial for anyone.

I'd like to lock down a place by Nov 1 or thereabout. We'll need to sign a lease, but we can sort out how to work that out between us. I may put the lease in my own name, and then we'll have individual agreements for term arrangements among the group. I definitely want to make sure that the group we have is happy and productive living together. Don't want anyone being a drain on anyone else.



Who am I looking for?

This is not for everyone. I'm looking for people who get along well with others, and who are serious about building a business. The following are some character traits I'm seeking:

1.) You are in any stage of building a (preferably internet-based) business. That could mean:
-------a) You've already got a profitable business and are trying to grow,
-------b) You have an established product and are working on making it profitable,
-------c) You have an idea and are trying to find out where to start, or
-------d) You just have a burning desire to build your own business and are trying to find a viable idea.
2.) You take action toward your goals.
3.) You actively pursue self-improvement.
4.) Building a business is not just a dream for you - it's a goal and a plan.
5.) You recognize when you are making excuses and you fight it.
6.) You pick up after yourself.
7.) You can respect that 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, odds are someone in the house will be working, and you conduct yourself so as not to be a disturbance: no parties unless everyone agrees, music/tv kept low enough not to disturb others, etc.
8.) If you watch TV, you average less than 1 hr a day.
9.) If you use [that drug that's only legal in Colorado], you do it only rarely and for inspirational purposes, rather than just to have a good time or to zone out.
10.) If you drink, you don't get drunk (except maybe for very rare occasions)
11.) If you smoke cigarettes...I don't care. Just don't do it in the house and don't throw butts in the yard.
12.) You have some source of funding to reliably pay your rent.

People who fit those traits are among the type of people ideal for this situation. There's wiggle room for personal habits that don't affect other people. If you're a developer who tears through 6 straight hours of coding productivity after you smoke a joint, by all means, get your work done. Don't let me discourage you.

Otherwise, online entrepreneurs of all shapes, sizes and skill sets are welcome: Ad experts, bloggers, SEO guys, marketers, developers, or just extremely ambitious people with a burning to desire to learn and implement whatever it takes to create a profitable business that meets a legitimate need. Let's talk.

I have no interest in living with an MLM distributor who is going to try to sell vitamin supplements or cleaning supplies or whatever to the house. On the other hand, if you aim to profitably start and own an MLM network, that's the kind of mindset that would fit here. Do you see the difference?



Who am I?

My name's Dan. I'm a 27 year old attorney who is finished going about life the "normal" way. I believe in striving for personal freedom, and I believe accumulating wealth is a very important part of building freedom. I'm a disciple of Gary Halbert, Dan Kennedy, and MJ DeMarco (among many others). I've spent the last 8 months feverishly studying marketing and entrepreneurship. Now I'm taking action.

I don't believe in trying. I believe in failing until I succeed.

I'll be funding my business efforts and my life through marketing consulting work and possibly some legal work. I know a thing or two about software development and building websites, and I study marketing continuously. I'm a big believer in systemizing and outsourcing, and I love studying these as well. I've got a head full of golden nuggets in these areas - not to mention legal knowledge (contracts, liability, etc.). Part of this opportunity will be sharing that sort of knowledge that each of us brings to the house. In other words, we will be getting value out of each other well beyond the value we get for paying rent.

I've got a small, 6 yr old yellow lab who closes the door behind herself when she comes in the house. I've trained her well to listen when she's told something and to not be annoying. She enjoys playing fetch when someone wants to throw a retrieving dummy, and she loves playing in the snow.

During the day, when I'm not working or cooking, I'm reading books or learning from successful entrepreneurs through online courses and interviews or forums and blogs. When I need to let my mind float, I (poorly) strum a guitar or read fiction. If I want to take a full day or an occasional weekend to get away and unwind to freshen my perspective or clear my mind, I like being outside - hiking, camping, snowboarding or whatever.

I do believe in celebrating victories - with whatever that may entail: drinks, trips, night out, whatever. When I drink, I drink craft beer or bourbon, in moderation.

Check my profile to find my facebook page. Feel free to add me as a friend. Send a note with the friend request letting me know you're from FFL.



Where will we be living?

We will discuss and decide this as a group. I've learned how to find my own clients anywhere in or near any decently sized city, and most of my work is done online. So personally I'm flexible, but I understand that most people who want to build or are building an internet based business are currently earning most of their income from a non-internet based job. So location may be a factor.

My ideal location would be outside of a city, in a house that has very fast internet access and an acre or two of land around it. I'd like to be no more than an hour from a couple decent ski resorts, because if I ever decide to take a day off, I want to be able to snowboard. Similarly, I don't want to be more than an hour outside some city. That could be Denver, Boulder, the Springs or even Grand Junction. This leaves a whole lot of the state open to choose from.



How about the house?

Again, we'll discuss this. We won't accept a place that isn't awesome, and everyone will get to OK it before a decision is made; but getting the group right is more important than finding the house. At a minimum, here is what I'm looking for with the house:

-Probably 5 bed/4-5 bath - depending on our group.
-At least one large living room - preferably two
-At least one bedroom sized room designated as an office
-Among the offices and living rooms, we'll each have our own desk or workspace somewhere.
-One living room will be an actual living room with couches/recliners
-A gym/workout room.
-Large kitchen and dining area.
-Acreage or a fenced yard for any dogs that may join us
-Ideally no more than 3 pets in the house (any animal must be housebroken and not annoying)
-In a perfect world, I'd love for the place to have a nice big deck with a hot tub and a view of the mountains...
-I don't want individual monthly housing expenses, including rent, internet, and all utilities, to exceed $650.


How is this process going to work?

Those interested will send me a quick PM - tell me your name, what you're doing now, and a quick sentence or two about why you're interested in going in on this. You and I can set up an ichat or Skype session to make sure we've got the same basic idea about what you're getting into. Once I've put together a group of 6-8 people, I'll set up a group videochat session, so everyone can introduce themselves to each other and we can talk a little more about this whole thing. Out of that group, we'll find 5 or 6 who are definitely down and we'll discuss how much everyone can afford for rent/utilities/internet.

Once we've got a group, a budget, and common expectations, I'll find a few places that meet our requirements, and present everything to the group. We'll decide to either arrange a meeting at the best options for houses, or I'll do video tours or something to show everyone.

When we find something we all agree on, we'll get the paperwork signed and start making awesome things happen.


Want in?
Send me a PM

Tell me: 1) your name (first is ok for now), 2) what you do with your time now, and 3) why you want to join.

Obviously, space is limited. So if you're interested, let me know. This is going to be awesome.

If you have any questions, post them here in replies and I'll get back to you asap.
 
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theag

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Be careful not to get comfortable in your awesome house. Maybe better to live in a shithole to fuel the fire.
 

PeteLife

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I love the concept of this idea. This reminds me of the story of Facebook ... started in a dorm, but it really blew up when Zuckerberg and his team moved into a house in Palo Alto and got shit done (despite the constant partying and drinking).

I see how this can become the best decision ever, but at the same time it can easily crash and burn so thread carefully. Background check all applicants, confirm that all applicants have $$$ coming in on a constant monthly basis (double check, triple check), put all applicants who make the cut on a probationary period. (You would be surprised how people can be completely different from what they tell you on skype, so you need an OUT [without all the legal paperwork and stress] if living together just isn't working out).

p.s. in regards to your house of choice, I would be careful not to go all out on the first one. Sounds like you want more of a resort lifestyle. Get something simple at first, get to know each other, build something together, and when you have something brewing then move on up to the big boy house.

Good Luck
 

FastLearner

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Sounds like a fantastic idea. I wish I was in Colorado! I'm in Arizona at the moment, like MJ. :)
 
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Dan.B

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Thanks for the input and support!

Get something simple at first, get to know each other, build something together, and when you have something brewing then move on up to the big boy house.

I like the idea of starting small (or at least starting at minimal expense) and moving up if it works. I certainly don't want to be stuck with my own lease on a 5 bedroom house and one other person in it...

Most of the housing I'm looking into isn't so much resort style as it is just spacious housing (haven't actually seen any hot tubs, and I can't remember the last time I'd have had an opportunity to get in one anyway). Most of what I'm seeing so far is in city suburbs, but there are some great places that get very affordable with 4 or 5 people in the house.

I definitely plan to keep a guard up regarding the money issue. I'll have to work out a good way to deal with it. I'm thinking each roommate may start with a 3 month initial term, with first and last month of the term paid upfront. Anyone who doesn't have cash to pay for month two when it comes around, will officially have 30 days notice to vacate. We'll then use their "last month's rent" as the second month's rent, and will advertise for someone to take their place.

If I can generate enough interest, I might see about building a standing list... hmmm... now I got gears turning...
 

Mrs. BRKb

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Are you set on Denver? Might find more kindred spirits in Boulder.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Sounds like a reality TV show in the making.

The entire thing could work splendidly, or be a nightmare waiting to happen. I'd be curious to know how it goes, if it does indeed go off.

Personally, I need private space to focus -- if I had a house full of entrepreneurial peers, I'd fear choosing socializing and dreaming over working.
 

Dan.B

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I'm definitely not set on Denver. I enjoy Denver, but I'm completely flexible. I posted an ad nearly identical to my first post here on craigslist in Denver. Tried to post it in Boulder too with a different title, but both were instantly flagged for being in multiple cities. I suppose I could rewrite it the whole ad for Boulder. A second draft never hurt anyone.

I've got some fb ad credits right now, and I just registered a website I'm going to use to promote the idea.

If anyone reading this is interested but is hesitant to uproot and move for whatever reason, contact me anyway. Either PM or just reply here. Up to you. I don't want to try to convince you. I just wanna to hear about what's lacking in your current situation and why you think this one would be awesome. I know my reasons. Wanna hear yours.
 

Dan.B

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Sounds like a reality TV show in the making.

Hmm...I did just register a website for the concept. And video content done right seems to be awfully effective...

I don't know about reality tv, but we might be able to do something with that.

I'll update everyone one way or another on how it all goes. It may not happen by Nov 1. Could be after I get established back in CO and form the group in person (might even lose some of the negative explosive potential that way). But I fully intend to make it happen.
 
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FastLearner

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You wish you were in Colorado? What's holding you back?

Just moved here in 2012 lol. I'm still a newbie in this state (original from California) came here for college. Might stay another year or two. I like it here in Scottsdale but Colorado is BEAUTIFUL.
 

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Sounds like a reality TV show in the making.

I definitely think you should turn this experience into a video vlog type series. People will definitely tune in online (youtube) to see if a bunch of entrepreneurs living together will make it and eventually build something great. Plus the good thing about that is that you will already have an audience ready to buy your product/services through the virality (is that even a word???) of these videos and dedicated subscribers of your channel.

Personally though, I think its best if the group focused on one project; one in which everyone pitch in with individual skills to make it a success. Think about it, the group have worked on their individual projects before and clearly isn't very "successful" as yet, so why not set a change of scenario.

Plus by doing this, the product is the central focus of this "move-in". Roommates won't ever forget the "purpose" and won't become complacent or envious of another success etc. By keeping everyone separate leaves room for individuals to give up and move on to the next idea over and over again doing what they have been doing before the new living arrangement. A group of like-minded entrepreneurs wont always lead to success but if they are a team working on one solution, I give that a better shot at making it.

Thats just my .02 cents because from my understanding most people like to work in peace and quiet so that there aren't any distractions. So working together solves that problem.
 

AndrewNC

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I actually organized the exact same thing you are talking about in Scottsdale, AZ (October 25th-April 25th - lease is already signed). So let me provide some feedback from what I've experienced.

1 - I've met the guys I'm moving in with in person back in February at B&P and have been talking to them on Skype weekly ever since. I think this is important to meet the people you will move in with in person and get to know what they are capable of and where they come from before you sign a lease with them. There are a lot of people out there that will be interested, but when the rubber hits the road - they wont have the same work ethic as you do.

2 - When choosing the bedrooms - we worked on a bidding system. The guy who bid the most, got the master bedroom. Get this out of the way before you sign anything.

3 - The most important thing for me is to be 100% sure everybody is able to pay rent... If someone is broke, they know they are going to put it on a credit card. This is why it is important to know who they are first.

4 - Signing a short term lease was a hassle. We started looking september 1st and wanted something by september 15th. The soonest we found a 6 month lease for the amount of people we wanted was October 25th.

5 - Don't let anyone from Canada in the group, they delay the process/fail background checks :D </trolling for specific

6 - I am interested....but I'm doing my thing here until April 25th. I told myself I would like to do the same thing in Boulder, CO at the end of april....

I'll shoot you a PM and we'll talk more.

More advice to come as
 
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