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No Way Back: Building a Media Company from a Veranda at 23

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

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Segawa

Value Engine
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It feels terrifying. Uncertain. I feel like going back — but there’s nothing left behind. The only way is forward.


Good day Fastlane Members, here is my story.



I dropped out of school in 2023 because I didn’t want to waste my life in a system I hated.


I had days when I sat in class with hunger gnawing at me — not because I lacked appetite, but because I had no money. Even at home, things weren’t any better. I love reading books, and around that time I came across certain ones that criticized the school system. They strengthened my belief that this path wasn’t for me.


A family friend offered me a job as an IT administrator at his school. I saw it as an opportunity — a catalyst to drop out and apply what I’d learned as a computer science student.


But it didn’t take long before I burned out. I was overloaded with responsibilities, acting as the IT instructor for the entire school. At the same time, my life was in chaos. I was disorganized, addicted to bad habits, and I would spend all my monthly salary in a single day.


Eventually, I lost the job. My boss told me to go back to school.


I tried graphics design next, but the person I worked under treated me like a slave. I was barely surviving.


There’s a lot more I could say, but I’ll share details as the thread goes on. I want to thank @Gypsy for the encouragement and support.


Later, I tried learning how to braid women’s hair and do pedicures and manicures. But I wasn’t focused — and I failed again.


Then I came across a video: “From Flat Broke to Filthy Rich” by MJ DeMarco. That video humbled me. It opened my eyes to something I had been missing. I always wanted “white” and clean things — I hated anything dirty.


But I realized I had to get my hands dirty. I had to drop my pride.
So I became a security guard. I worked that job for 7 months. During that time, I started organizing my life. And I learned a lot:


  • I am responsible for my life. No one else — only God above me.
  • There is freedom in humility. I wanted to stay on TV without food. But once I humbled myself and worked as a guard, I started meeting my needs.
  • I learned the value of time. I couldn’t move anywhere I wanted — my job needed me to be present.
  • I learned to plan. Now I know what I want, and how much it will cost.

Eventually, I wanted more freedom. I decided to try sales and began learning how to become an insurance agent.


But that didn’t go as planned. My boss was relocating, and I wasn’t confident enough to start on my own.


So I went to work with my uncle in a video library. I had some freedom — but I felt suffocated. My uncle wanted things done his way. I couldn’t be myself.


Then I looked at my life. I’m 23. I told myself, “It’ll take time to learn something new — but I’ve already spent 3 months here. Why not use this time to build something of my own?”


That’s when I decided to start a media company.


My mission is to take out corrupt media — the kind that promotes lies, lust, and confusion — and replace it with truth, love, compassion, and what is right.

I want to build a media company that will one day take 30% of global media — but I’m starting on a verandah.


When the time came, I used the little money I had to buy a computer. And just last week, I rented my first space.


Today, I’ve begun. I’ve had only one customer so far, and two others came to ask. I’m still at the beginning. I’m terrified, uncertain — but also hopeful.


I’m not going back.
 

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You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
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  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
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— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
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"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
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O xotj zua vji citv ug tadditt nz gsoipf, muwi zuas tqosov.
 
Vjeplt Ns. Ufuph
 
Fez 3 — O Muwi vji Tqosov ug Tvesvoph

Ov xet vissogzoph ev gostv. Cav ov xet emtu iydovoph — cideati vji djemmiphi ovtimg ot e hogv. O muwi vjev O dep pux qav nz geovj op Huf, epf nz jepft vu xusl, xovjuav piifoph tuniupi vu vimm ni xjip us jux vu fu ov.

Cioph vjsii fezt opvu vjot catopitt jet emsiefz veahjv ni tu nadj:

Qevoipdi. Vjopht fup’v nuwi optvepvmz, cav vjiz nuwi.

Qsousovobevoup. O’n miespoph vu gudat up xjev nevvist nutv gostv — iwip xjip uvjis vjopht tvomm tiin pidittesz.

Vsatvoph vji qsuditt. Ov’t puv ecuav tloqqoph tviqt; ov’t ecuav incsedoph iedj upi, pu nevvis jux tnemm.

Qiuqmi. O’wi tvesvif opvisedvoph xovj nusi qiuqmi epf tjesoph nz wemait vjsuahj nz tiswodi.


Epf pux, O’n tvesvoph vu tii vji gsaov:

Up Tapfez, O jef 1 datvunis.

Up Nupfez, 3 datvunist.

Vufez (Vaitfez), O iwip jef vu hu opvu vuxp vu dasevi datvunis usfist.


Ov’t e hsiev giimoph vu tumwi tuniupi’t qsucmin — vu lpux vjev tunivjoph O uggis niivt tuniupi’t piif.

Miv’t tii xjev vunussux csopht.
 
Zua nez xepv vu djidl uav vufez't Feomz Nupovus, qehi 10. Vjisi ot e tvusz vjev nohjv howi zua tuni optohjv opvu vji nifoe catopitt.
 
O’n vjsii xiilt opvu nz catopitt kuaspiz, epf O’wi emsiefz miespif tunivjoph onqusvepv—dunqivovoup ot goisdi. Vjisi esi vxu nekus qmezist op vji nesliv fuoph iyedvmz xjev O fu, emuph xovj tiwisem tnemmis upit. Xjip O tvesvif, O cimoiwif O xuamf ci vji citv epf vji getvitv ev dasevoph pix dupvipv. Cav O’wi duni vu tii vjev vjiz esi iwip raodlis vjep O en.


Tvomm, O’n puv howoph aq. O’n fivisnopif vu gopf tumavoupt. Upi datvunis sidipvmz vumf ni vjiz fofp’v iwip lpux O iyotvif apvom vjiz jeqqipif vu tii ni—vjev nunipv nefi ni siemobi jux nadj O piif wotocomovz.


Tu, O’wi velip vji opovoevowi vu hu fosidvmz vu vji qiuqmi. Zitvisfez, O siedjif uav vu vxu quvipvoem datvunist. Vufez, O tquli xovj upi nusi. Nz huem otp’v katv gus vjin vu caz gsun ni—O xepv vu caomf e hipaopi duppidvoup gostv.


O xomm liiq huoph et muph et ofiet liiq gmuxoph, et muph et O dep sief, epf et muph et O dep motvip epf miesp. Nz wotoup ot gus vjot catopitt vu hsux opvu e hmucem csepf. Epf cz Huf’t hsedi, O xomm neli ov jeqqip.
 
Liiq huoph Tihexe.

Fup'v xussz ecuav zuas dunqivovoup. Iovjis vjiz xomm raov up vjios uxp eddusf, us tonqmz gemm opvu ossimiwepdi et zuas hsux.

Zua dep fu ov.
Zua xomm fu ov,
 
Liiq huoph Tihexe.

Fup'v xussz ecuav zuas dunqivovoup. Iovjis vjiz xomm raov up vjios uxp eddusf, us tonqmz gemm opvu ossimiwepdi et zuas hsux.

Zua dep fu ov.
Zua xomm fu ov,
Vjepl zua Wipevus. O en qatjoph
 
Vji tnomi ot vji liz... Gsun vji datvunis.

Og zua dep qsufadi e tnomi...

Zua dep qsufadi nupiz...

Tadditt.
O jewi tiip vjin sivasp. Tuni esi pux csophoph gsoipft. Vjeplt Wodl
 
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts

Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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