Newbie2024
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Hi everybody,
First of all, I wanted to thank you, @MJ DeMarco , for writing the FastLane book and creating this forum. It opened my eyes to a different reality and possibility for the future.
I wanted to share my story with you.
I am a 37-year-old immigrant from Türkiye who moved permanently to the USA in 2015 with the hopes of living the American dream!
Little backstory..
I was born and raised in Istanbul in a middle-class family and lived in middle-class apartments surrounded by slowlaners. Throughout our childhood, I have been asked the same question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Go to school, find a good job, get married, and have children. These were the words we kept hearing and hearing. I knew I wanted to be a soccer player. I loved the game, but without a mentor or direction, it didn't go well.
I always had feedback from my teacher when I was growing up: "very smart but lazy." We spent our breaks playing soccer with made-up "balls," such as papers taped together to resemble a soccer ball. When paper was low, we used soda cans to kick around. After school, we played in the streets. Then the computer arrived!! It wasn't too long, so I figured we could play games with it. While I wasn't interested in school, I found computers fascinating but didn't explore their potential opportunities.
In the early years of my high school career, my father jumped into some business ventures in Romania, but they didn't go well because his partner ended up scamming. I was supposed to go to Romania after high school, study there, and learn about business. The ending of that dream hurt me deeply because I actually enjoyed Romania. Being in a new reality, I disliked high school even more. I was already being discriminated against because of my ethnic background by some teachers, and realizing I was stuck, I completely turned off.
So, I couldn't be a soccer player; I couldn't leave the country; I just didn't know what to do. After high school, I couldn't enter any university because I knew almost nothing about the test. I took a year to prepare one more time and worked as a pharmacist assistant while with my late uncle. In 2005, I was able to attend a private university. That opened the door to my being able to come here, but I wasn't aware then.
America, I am coming!!!
My first arrival in the USA was in 2008, to a small town in Ohio with an exchange student program called Work and Travel! I wasn't very impressed working in a fairground that goes from town to town every week, and I worked 7 days, 14 hours of shifts, and paid $400 a week!! We were exhausted, and there was nothing to do except drink beer with a sidewalker who was skimming money when he got a chance. So that lasted 3 weeks, and we hopped on a Greyhound with a few friends towards Philadelphia. After 2 weeks of no job and eating $1 hamburgers, we finally arrived at Six Flags Great Adventure and got a job as photographers. In the meantime, I was studying photography and film, and I was in my second year. When we started working 60 hours a week and made what I thought was great money, I decided that I wanted to live in the USA and live the American Dream!! Up until I picked up MJ's book (December 2023), I didn't know I sold myself for slowlane.
I continued coming back for two more summers to work and travel in the USA and went back to Türkiye in September 2011 because I exhausted all my options to be able to stay in the USA. Finally, after a few years of agony, I was able to come back in 2015 with a very little savings I had, which was gone before I knew it in 2 months while I was trying to settle between 2 states and sidewalker jobs. I settled in Belmar, NJ, and was working as a hotel manager. Things were okay, but I knew I had to move on. Luckily, I met with my wife in the summer of 2017, saved up enough money, and moved to Philly. Until I found my first automative sales job in 4 months, I did drive for rideshare. And still, that wasn't enough. I continue driving after 12 hours shifts and weekends to save up more money. After 2 years, I was able to get a job at a luxury brand dealer, married, and became comfortable.
I didn't realize how fast time was passing by. Like most, we are going to work for 5 days, saving money, investing in a 401(k), and the stock market. The plan was to buy a house so our children (which we don't have yet due to financial questions) could at least live comfortably.
But something was still missing.. Is this all life is about?
We always talked with my wife about doing something on the side, but we never took initiative. Finally, about 6 months ago, we created a pet e-commerce business, and we are learning how things are working, from starting a website to managing it to learning compliance, etc.
We are lucky to find MJ's book and this forum. We are looking forward to learning from you all.
Hopefully to write our FastLane story in the future!!
First of all, I wanted to thank you, @MJ DeMarco , for writing the FastLane book and creating this forum. It opened my eyes to a different reality and possibility for the future.
I wanted to share my story with you.
I am a 37-year-old immigrant from Türkiye who moved permanently to the USA in 2015 with the hopes of living the American dream!
Little backstory..
I was born and raised in Istanbul in a middle-class family and lived in middle-class apartments surrounded by slowlaners. Throughout our childhood, I have been asked the same question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Go to school, find a good job, get married, and have children. These were the words we kept hearing and hearing. I knew I wanted to be a soccer player. I loved the game, but without a mentor or direction, it didn't go well.
I always had feedback from my teacher when I was growing up: "very smart but lazy." We spent our breaks playing soccer with made-up "balls," such as papers taped together to resemble a soccer ball. When paper was low, we used soda cans to kick around. After school, we played in the streets. Then the computer arrived!! It wasn't too long, so I figured we could play games with it. While I wasn't interested in school, I found computers fascinating but didn't explore their potential opportunities.
In the early years of my high school career, my father jumped into some business ventures in Romania, but they didn't go well because his partner ended up scamming. I was supposed to go to Romania after high school, study there, and learn about business. The ending of that dream hurt me deeply because I actually enjoyed Romania. Being in a new reality, I disliked high school even more. I was already being discriminated against because of my ethnic background by some teachers, and realizing I was stuck, I completely turned off.
So, I couldn't be a soccer player; I couldn't leave the country; I just didn't know what to do. After high school, I couldn't enter any university because I knew almost nothing about the test. I took a year to prepare one more time and worked as a pharmacist assistant while with my late uncle. In 2005, I was able to attend a private university. That opened the door to my being able to come here, but I wasn't aware then.
America, I am coming!!!
My first arrival in the USA was in 2008, to a small town in Ohio with an exchange student program called Work and Travel! I wasn't very impressed working in a fairground that goes from town to town every week, and I worked 7 days, 14 hours of shifts, and paid $400 a week!! We were exhausted, and there was nothing to do except drink beer with a sidewalker who was skimming money when he got a chance. So that lasted 3 weeks, and we hopped on a Greyhound with a few friends towards Philadelphia. After 2 weeks of no job and eating $1 hamburgers, we finally arrived at Six Flags Great Adventure and got a job as photographers. In the meantime, I was studying photography and film, and I was in my second year. When we started working 60 hours a week and made what I thought was great money, I decided that I wanted to live in the USA and live the American Dream!! Up until I picked up MJ's book (December 2023), I didn't know I sold myself for slowlane.
I continued coming back for two more summers to work and travel in the USA and went back to Türkiye in September 2011 because I exhausted all my options to be able to stay in the USA. Finally, after a few years of agony, I was able to come back in 2015 with a very little savings I had, which was gone before I knew it in 2 months while I was trying to settle between 2 states and sidewalker jobs. I settled in Belmar, NJ, and was working as a hotel manager. Things were okay, but I knew I had to move on. Luckily, I met with my wife in the summer of 2017, saved up enough money, and moved to Philly. Until I found my first automative sales job in 4 months, I did drive for rideshare. And still, that wasn't enough. I continue driving after 12 hours shifts and weekends to save up more money. After 2 years, I was able to get a job at a luxury brand dealer, married, and became comfortable.
I didn't realize how fast time was passing by. Like most, we are going to work for 5 days, saving money, investing in a 401(k), and the stock market. The plan was to buy a house so our children (which we don't have yet due to financial questions) could at least live comfortably.
But something was still missing.. Is this all life is about?
We always talked with my wife about doing something on the side, but we never took initiative. Finally, about 6 months ago, we created a pet e-commerce business, and we are learning how things are working, from starting a website to managing it to learning compliance, etc.
We are lucky to find MJ's book and this forum. We are looking forward to learning from you all.
Hopefully to write our FastLane story in the future!!
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