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- Jul 26, 2016
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DISCLAIMER: Long Post Ahead - Intro turned into general ramblings. Read at your own peril.
Sometimes I wish a title were click bait.
So here's what's brought me to this exact moment:
I am the son of first generation immigrants to the UK. Raised in a loving household but one in which there was always an expectation to repay our parents for the sacrifices they had made in order for me and my brothers to have a better life.
Two lawyers and one engineer later... we did just that.
It wasn't easy though. I was always conflicted. Always told I "had so much potential" but just had to "focus". It was true, I always had trouble focusing on the mundane garbage I was being taught in school. I strongly believe that my disinterest in studies during my formative stages of life somehow ingrained a "work avoidance" habit which even began affecting stuff that I actually liked doing. However, I digress.
I somehow ended up doing enough to get into one of the best engineering schools in the country, graduate with my Masters and get a job at a pretty desirable company. Conventional wisdom would suggest that I done well for myself but apart from seeing a smile on my parents faces I didn't really care and I'm about to tell you why.
During the summer of 2010, between finishing high school and starting university, I was attending summer school to keep my parents happy and working part-time but was also investigating methods to make money in my spare time. I then stumbled upon what would turn out to be my first entrepreneurial venture. I purchased a generic micro SD card on eBay and was accidentally sent two. When the seller said I could keep it I decided to relist it on the site for the cheapest price in the country. It sold in under 60 seconds.
"Holy crap! That was quick, some people don't seem to care about the brand name. I'm going to dig into this..."
I discovered Alibaba before the western world was saturated with it's products. I found a supplier for bulk micro SD cards, put down my first order and £200 later I had a shipment on my way. I took some nice pixely photos with the 5 MP camera on my phone and again listed those cards for the cheapest in the country. They all sold the same day they were listed! With profit margins of around 100%, you can probably see where I was going with this.
I reinvested everything into the business and put more orders in, I also "employed" my little brother to help with postage. Staying true to the principles of capitalism he was offered the tidy sum of £1 per prepared package.
Then the complaints/ returns started. It's all well buying cheap China products from random sellers, it's another thing trying to stay on top of quality control. It got to the point where I was refunding near 50% of the cards I sold. University and my "real career" were fast approaching and I couldn't deal with the complaints any longer. I bowed out, closed-up shop and took home my £2k of profit from 2 months of work in my spare time. Not bad for an 18 year old.
Had I had the knowledge I have now I would have taken a different course in life. I guess you can call it my biggest regret.
Six years and a degree later I find myself in another summer researching entrepreneurial ventures and wanting more from life. I discover Gary V who got me to get off my a$$ and start making some positive steps in life. Trawling through Amazon book reviews and I find The Millionaire Fastlane (productocricy in action!). It was then that I really began questioning the status quo, my life and especially my relationships.
A year later and one year into the "real career" my 7 year relationship with my girlfriend comes to an end. What follows is severe depression, uncontrolled drinking and reckless behavior. This resulted in me taking on lots of debt and being given a final written warning for gross misconduct at work (I'll spare you the details).
But why stop there? A month later I am involved in a car crash at highway speeds (no other party involved) and in intensive care with a broken pelvis. The doctor told me it was a miracle I was alive let alone the fact that I made a full recovery.
I spent a month off work and came back to sit in my place as a cog in the dream destroying machine. I actually needed this one constant to get my personal life in order before I could consider the Fastlane again. I spent 12 months rebuilding, paying off some debt, purchasing a house (cheaper than rent), fighting depression, chronic insomnia and anxiety.
To say my life has turned around is an understatement. Sure, I still have a job. But I am stable both mentally and financially and have an amazing significant other who has enriched my life.
I needed this stability to even consider the Fastlane life again.
However, now that I have this I can see my work for what it really is again. So I'm "back" to f@#king unscript myself from the God awful 9-5.
After lurking for nearly three years I have decided for one very specific reason to become an active member. I have no one in my life that has a similar mindset or who can provide guidance in my pursuits.
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future". I need good friends. You guys.
Due to the length of the rambling thesis I have produced I will delve into my Fastlane venture in subsequent posts. By coming out of the "lurker" closet I intend to help cultivate this community, give and receive value where possible.
TL;DR: Disillusioned child, flipped memory cards on eBay, went to Uni for parents, read TMF , got comfortable job, got depressed, almost fired, almost died, came back to job & overcame mental health issues, back to get unscripted , help me get there, let's be friends.
Sometimes I wish a title were click bait.
So here's what's brought me to this exact moment:
I am the son of first generation immigrants to the UK. Raised in a loving household but one in which there was always an expectation to repay our parents for the sacrifices they had made in order for me and my brothers to have a better life.
Two lawyers and one engineer later... we did just that.
It wasn't easy though. I was always conflicted. Always told I "had so much potential" but just had to "focus". It was true, I always had trouble focusing on the mundane garbage I was being taught in school. I strongly believe that my disinterest in studies during my formative stages of life somehow ingrained a "work avoidance" habit which even began affecting stuff that I actually liked doing. However, I digress.
I somehow ended up doing enough to get into one of the best engineering schools in the country, graduate with my Masters and get a job at a pretty desirable company. Conventional wisdom would suggest that I done well for myself but apart from seeing a smile on my parents faces I didn't really care and I'm about to tell you why.
During the summer of 2010, between finishing high school and starting university, I was attending summer school to keep my parents happy and working part-time but was also investigating methods to make money in my spare time. I then stumbled upon what would turn out to be my first entrepreneurial venture. I purchased a generic micro SD card on eBay and was accidentally sent two. When the seller said I could keep it I decided to relist it on the site for the cheapest price in the country. It sold in under 60 seconds.
"Holy crap! That was quick, some people don't seem to care about the brand name. I'm going to dig into this..."
I discovered Alibaba before the western world was saturated with it's products. I found a supplier for bulk micro SD cards, put down my first order and £200 later I had a shipment on my way. I took some nice pixely photos with the 5 MP camera on my phone and again listed those cards for the cheapest in the country. They all sold the same day they were listed! With profit margins of around 100%, you can probably see where I was going with this.
I reinvested everything into the business and put more orders in, I also "employed" my little brother to help with postage. Staying true to the principles of capitalism he was offered the tidy sum of £1 per prepared package.
Then the complaints/ returns started. It's all well buying cheap China products from random sellers, it's another thing trying to stay on top of quality control. It got to the point where I was refunding near 50% of the cards I sold. University and my "real career" were fast approaching and I couldn't deal with the complaints any longer. I bowed out, closed-up shop and took home my £2k of profit from 2 months of work in my spare time. Not bad for an 18 year old.
Had I had the knowledge I have now I would have taken a different course in life. I guess you can call it my biggest regret.
Six years and a degree later I find myself in another summer researching entrepreneurial ventures and wanting more from life. I discover Gary V who got me to get off my a$$ and start making some positive steps in life. Trawling through Amazon book reviews and I find The Millionaire Fastlane (productocricy in action!). It was then that I really began questioning the status quo, my life and especially my relationships.
A year later and one year into the "real career" my 7 year relationship with my girlfriend comes to an end. What follows is severe depression, uncontrolled drinking and reckless behavior. This resulted in me taking on lots of debt and being given a final written warning for gross misconduct at work (I'll spare you the details).
But why stop there? A month later I am involved in a car crash at highway speeds (no other party involved) and in intensive care with a broken pelvis. The doctor told me it was a miracle I was alive let alone the fact that I made a full recovery.
I spent a month off work and came back to sit in my place as a cog in the dream destroying machine. I actually needed this one constant to get my personal life in order before I could consider the Fastlane again. I spent 12 months rebuilding, paying off some debt, purchasing a house (cheaper than rent), fighting depression, chronic insomnia and anxiety.
To say my life has turned around is an understatement. Sure, I still have a job. But I am stable both mentally and financially and have an amazing significant other who has enriched my life.
I needed this stability to even consider the Fastlane life again.
However, now that I have this I can see my work for what it really is again. So I'm "back" to f@#king unscript myself from the God awful 9-5.
After lurking for nearly three years I have decided for one very specific reason to become an active member. I have no one in my life that has a similar mindset or who can provide guidance in my pursuits.
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future". I need good friends. You guys.
Due to the length of the rambling thesis I have produced I will delve into my Fastlane venture in subsequent posts. By coming out of the "lurker" closet I intend to help cultivate this community, give and receive value where possible.
TL;DR: Disillusioned child, flipped memory cards on eBay, went to Uni for parents, read TMF , got comfortable job, got depressed, almost fired, almost died, came back to job & overcame mental health issues, back to get unscripted , help me get there, let's be friends.
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