T. Davis
Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
296%
- Nov 24, 2021
- 27
- 80
Hiya!
I'm new to Fastlane philosophy but not to entrepreneurship. I started my first business when I was 12 (babysitting), started giving hairwraps to kids at local fairs when I was 14, sold my hand-made clothing in a local retail store when I was 15 and then, much like MJ, started coordinating music & dance events at age 16.
I absolutely loved it. Entrepreneurship is in my bones. I never lost money, but I also didn't make enough money to support myself.
So... I put aside entrepreneurship and went to college. Then I got a masters degree. Then a PhD. For more than a decade, I followed the SCRIPT.
And guess what?!
With my PhD in hand (from Berkeley!) I couldn't get a job. I applied and interviewed, applied and interviewed, ad nauseam. Zero job offers. So much for following the SCRIPT.
Luckily, I hadn't totally abandoned my true calling—entrepreneurship. While in grad school, I spent a lot of time taking classes in entrepreneurship, meeting other entrepreneurs, and even competing in start-up competitions. So, with my tail between my legs, I gave up on the job hunt, and tried something different. I started selling the knowledge I had learned in my PhD to tech companies—I became a freelance consultant. For the first time, I had my own business and I was making decent money from it.
In time, I discovered that selling time to an employer is no different than selling time to a client. In fact, I didn't have just one boss. I had 10! But it was better than a "real" job in one key way: I was in charge of how much of my time I sold. So in year 2, I cut my consulting hours in half and spent that extra time building a business that wasn't dependent on my time.
I spent the next 3 years working in one business while building another. I designed my website, built products, wrote marketing copy, and learned SEO.
Those were hard years. I felt lost and hopeless, like I was walking into dense fog never knowing if I'd make it anywhere. But on my wall, next to my desk, I posted my WHYs. At the very top it said, "Get Out of The Rate Race". I knew I wouldn't be happy until I did it.
Finally, I launched my first product and about a month later I had my first sale. Later, I added a few more products and had a few more sales. I was making about $400 month from my website without having to do anything. Finally, I started to see my path to freedom and I wanted it more than ever.
In 2020, I reached a tipping point. I don't know if it was a true FTE, but I knew in my heart that I just couldn't stay on the path that I was on. So I quit working for my biggest client and shifted 90% of my work focus to my website.
In 1 year, I grew my traffic and my sales by more than 5X. It still may not be a lot of money, but technically, I now make enough passive income to support myself.
Then I randomly stumbled on Millionaire Fastlane and it put words to so many things I'd long wondered about. I feel like things are starting to make sense. So I quit my last consulting job and it felt amazing.
The fog is clearing and I now see the dominos lined up in front of me—my path to freedom. Now, all I have to do is push them down. <3
I'm new to Fastlane philosophy but not to entrepreneurship. I started my first business when I was 12 (babysitting), started giving hairwraps to kids at local fairs when I was 14, sold my hand-made clothing in a local retail store when I was 15 and then, much like MJ, started coordinating music & dance events at age 16.
I absolutely loved it. Entrepreneurship is in my bones. I never lost money, but I also didn't make enough money to support myself.
So... I put aside entrepreneurship and went to college. Then I got a masters degree. Then a PhD. For more than a decade, I followed the SCRIPT.
And guess what?!
With my PhD in hand (from Berkeley!) I couldn't get a job. I applied and interviewed, applied and interviewed, ad nauseam. Zero job offers. So much for following the SCRIPT.
Luckily, I hadn't totally abandoned my true calling—entrepreneurship. While in grad school, I spent a lot of time taking classes in entrepreneurship, meeting other entrepreneurs, and even competing in start-up competitions. So, with my tail between my legs, I gave up on the job hunt, and tried something different. I started selling the knowledge I had learned in my PhD to tech companies—I became a freelance consultant. For the first time, I had my own business and I was making decent money from it.
In time, I discovered that selling time to an employer is no different than selling time to a client. In fact, I didn't have just one boss. I had 10! But it was better than a "real" job in one key way: I was in charge of how much of my time I sold. So in year 2, I cut my consulting hours in half and spent that extra time building a business that wasn't dependent on my time.
I spent the next 3 years working in one business while building another. I designed my website, built products, wrote marketing copy, and learned SEO.
Those were hard years. I felt lost and hopeless, like I was walking into dense fog never knowing if I'd make it anywhere. But on my wall, next to my desk, I posted my WHYs. At the very top it said, "Get Out of The Rate Race". I knew I wouldn't be happy until I did it.
Finally, I launched my first product and about a month later I had my first sale. Later, I added a few more products and had a few more sales. I was making about $400 month from my website without having to do anything. Finally, I started to see my path to freedom and I wanted it more than ever.
In 2020, I reached a tipping point. I don't know if it was a true FTE, but I knew in my heart that I just couldn't stay on the path that I was on. So I quit working for my biggest client and shifted 90% of my work focus to my website.
In 1 year, I grew my traffic and my sales by more than 5X. It still may not be a lot of money, but technically, I now make enough passive income to support myself.
Then I randomly stumbled on Millionaire Fastlane and it put words to so many things I'd long wondered about. I feel like things are starting to make sense. So I quit my last consulting job and it felt amazing.
The fog is clearing and I now see the dominos lined up in front of me—my path to freedom. Now, all I have to do is push them down. <3
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