You think you can't make it? Here's the thing...
When I joined this forum in 2017, I didn't have a dime to my name.
I embarked on a journey and worked my a$$ off.
Fast forward 4.5 years and I'm in the millionaire fastlane .
Great to be back
I was born into poverty (the kind of poor other poor people mocked). My dad spent my childhood in prison (same with most of my friends). When he got out, he'd beat the living sh*t out of my siblings and I most days. My family joined a cult when I was 10. I became a cult leader by the time I was 28.
All the usual stuff.
Then along came The Millionaire Fastlane .
Driven by ambition and a desire to escape the gutter, I'd already made a lucrative career for myself as a Microsoft ERP technical consultant, but I knew there had to be more than trading my time for money (and someone else's yacht payments).
TMF was the key to unlocking the door.
2016: I read TMF and my mind was blown...(I was already in the process of escaping the cult...it took 5 years to exit successfully with my family intact...I could have left sooner but would have lost my wife and kids)
2017: I joined this forum in January. I'd already begun writing and selling content online, but absorbing valuable info on here revealed that I had a lot to do before changing lanes. I got to work!
2018: I canned my IT career and dove head first into self publishing full-time. (Cue underwear change) My books were making money, but nowhere near enough to cover my salary. We had zero savings, but I had faith and my family's full support. In retrospect, there are so many things I could have done better, but you learn from living, not the other way around.
2019: The grindiest grind in all of grindington! Towards the end of this year, it looked like it was all over. In desperation, we designed a product launch and put all our eggs in one basket. If it didn't work, we'd be living on the streets.
BOOM!
The launch saved us and launched the company to a new high.
2020: I registered my publishing house as a limited company. Hired my first employee. Sales became steady. I identified a new opportunity in the market, pivoted, and invested in a strong team of freelancers.
2021: I hired 2 new employees, with another 2 joining us by the end of the year. We launched a new product and made $150,000 in sales in June. After years of shoe-string living while the business gained traction, I was finally able to pay myself a meaningful salary again (more than when I worked for the man).
Next? Embark on a JV and take the company to the next level. We've barely scraped the surface in terms of potential market share. We're currently implementing an aggressive growth strategy to scale the manufacturing & digital side of the business. 2022 will be...interesting.
Why am I posting this? Well, with all that ambition, I thought I could jump the gun, walk before crawling, and cut corners. But the biggest lesson I've learned is that you can't rush art. And that's what building a business is. A form of ART!
In his book, MJ DeMarco said that success is a process not an event. And that process usually takes time...In fact, it never ends!
So for anyone out there recently setting off on this journey, it takes time.
But you got this!
When I joined this forum in 2017, I didn't have a dime to my name.
I embarked on a journey and worked my a$$ off.
Fast forward 4.5 years and I'm in the millionaire fastlane .
Great to be back
I was born into poverty (the kind of poor other poor people mocked). My dad spent my childhood in prison (same with most of my friends). When he got out, he'd beat the living sh*t out of my siblings and I most days. My family joined a cult when I was 10. I became a cult leader by the time I was 28.
All the usual stuff.
Then along came The Millionaire Fastlane .
Driven by ambition and a desire to escape the gutter, I'd already made a lucrative career for myself as a Microsoft ERP technical consultant, but I knew there had to be more than trading my time for money (and someone else's yacht payments).
TMF was the key to unlocking the door.
2016: I read TMF and my mind was blown...(I was already in the process of escaping the cult...it took 5 years to exit successfully with my family intact...I could have left sooner but would have lost my wife and kids)
2017: I joined this forum in January. I'd already begun writing and selling content online, but absorbing valuable info on here revealed that I had a lot to do before changing lanes. I got to work!
2018: I canned my IT career and dove head first into self publishing full-time. (Cue underwear change) My books were making money, but nowhere near enough to cover my salary. We had zero savings, but I had faith and my family's full support. In retrospect, there are so many things I could have done better, but you learn from living, not the other way around.
2019: The grindiest grind in all of grindington! Towards the end of this year, it looked like it was all over. In desperation, we designed a product launch and put all our eggs in one basket. If it didn't work, we'd be living on the streets.
BOOM!
The launch saved us and launched the company to a new high.
2020: I registered my publishing house as a limited company. Hired my first employee. Sales became steady. I identified a new opportunity in the market, pivoted, and invested in a strong team of freelancers.
2021: I hired 2 new employees, with another 2 joining us by the end of the year. We launched a new product and made $150,000 in sales in June. After years of shoe-string living while the business gained traction, I was finally able to pay myself a meaningful salary again (more than when I worked for the man).
Next? Embark on a JV and take the company to the next level. We've barely scraped the surface in terms of potential market share. We're currently implementing an aggressive growth strategy to scale the manufacturing & digital side of the business. 2022 will be...interesting.
Why am I posting this? Well, with all that ambition, I thought I could jump the gun, walk before crawling, and cut corners. But the biggest lesson I've learned is that you can't rush art. And that's what building a business is. A form of ART!
In his book, MJ DeMarco said that success is a process not an event. And that process usually takes time...In fact, it never ends!
So for anyone out there recently setting off on this journey, it takes time.
But you got this!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Last edited:
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
