Retail shop + own brand combo

[MatiasAndres]

This thread is for me (and anybody who wants to chime in) to chronicle the new Fastlane chapter in my life.
It's April 2025, and I just finished reading Fastlane, and I immediately bought Unscripted . A couple of minutes ago, I purchased the Rat Race Escape.

I currently work as a full-time writer, a job I've had for over five years. I think I am one of the most well-paid in my industry, but it's still insufficient. It has nothing to do with the money. If my boss doubled my salary, I would gladly accept, but at its core, I am done trading my time for money. Fastlane made me realize that, but not without working myself to the ground a couple of times, even being hospitalised for it.

I currently own two businesses: A retail shop that sells combat sports equipment (100% owner) and a clothes and fight equipment brand (50%). I see potential in both of them, but I am always WRECKED after long days, which has led to my businesses getting what's left at the end of the day, which is usually nothing.

Still, the businesses do "okay".

Revenue of the retail shop: ~4000 USD
Revenue of the brand: ~1000 USD

There are some things that work in my favor:

1. My shop is on the first floor of one of the most popular gyms, so I get a lot of "free" exposure that way
2. Rent is low, since I rent from my friend
3. Staff is cheap, since we are located in Asia
4. I primarily represent a very well-known brand that people already know/trust/like

Since reading the books, I understand that I have limited control over the retail shop. This became even more evident when the fight brand raised its prices. I couldn't do anything besides accept, especially since I am a very minor player in their universe.

The good thing is that we have already started our brand, and we can now pivot towards this, thus having more control and unlimited leverage (CUL?). Most of our revenue from our fighting brand actually comes from t-shirts, since we still have not found a reliable partner for other gear. I also see possibilities of using our foundation to launch more brands (t-shirts) in other sectors that might be more lucrative.

I am still recovering from working my a$$ off just to buy a plane ticket, but I am now set on providing VALUE to my customers, and not only thinking how I can make a quick buck, which unfortunately was how I was seeing my side businesses before I read the book.

I want to create a kickass motherfucking awesome business that makes my dick hard, and I KNOW I can do it. When things are rolling, I want to use my freed-up time to focus on my passion, which is writing fiction.

This is where we are right now, my friend.

 

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[MatiasAndres]

O en dassipvmz ev 58% op Aptdsoqvif, epf O'n op Djeqvis 33: Vji Dunnepfnipv ug Dupvsum. Xi esi op vji qsuditt ug gopfoph simoecmi qesvpist gus uas csepf, muuloph vu uavtuasdi qsopvoph, tixoph, epf nusi. Ov't ciip e gsatvsevoph qsuditt xovj muvt ug geomt.

O jewi pux tjogvif vu apfistvepfoph vjev xi piif vu tiv aq tjuq epf dupvsum vji qsuditt uastimwit. Xi uqisevi op e duapvsz xjisi vjot ot iwiszxjisi, cav puv siefomz eweomecmi. O xomm fu vji sitiesdj epf tii jux nadj ov xuamf dutv gus at vu tiv aq tjuq.

 

[MatiasAndres]

O jewi vu tez, O giim xupfisgammz tvaqof xjomi siefoph Aptdsoqvif.

Vu vjopl vjev O, us nz ipvsiqsipiasoem gsoipft, jewi piwis vjuahjv ecuav neloph wemai et vji pancis upi qsousovz ot nopf-cmuxoph. Ov't emxezt ecuav vji nupiz, vji neslivoph, vji qmevgusn, vji qsugov neshop, vji raodl goy. O piif vu sivjopl iwiszvjoph.

 

[MatiasAndres]

Topdi nz metv qutv, O’wi nefi tuni onqusvepv djephit epf xepvif vu fudanipv vjin jisi, cuvj et e muh epf vu tvez edduapvecmi.

• O’wi pux gopotjif Vji Hsiev Sev Sedi Itdeqi. Ov xet vji gopem qatj O piifif. Egvis dunqmivoph Nommoupeosi Getvmepi, Aptdsoqvif, epf pux VHSSI, O’wi fidofif vu sifadi nz xusl juast vu gudat nusi up nz catopitt wipvasit. Vjot xetp’v e fidotoup O vuul mohjvmz, itqidoemmz topdi O’n pux nessoif. Juxiwis, nz xogi jet emtu sief Nommoupeosi Getvmepi, epf tji gammz apfistvepft vji wotoup. O’n cmittif vu jewi tadj e taqqusvowi epf moli-nopfif qesvpis cz nz tofi.
  
  
• O vuul e jesf muul ev nz catopittit. O’wi ciip kahhmoph vuu nadj — tunivjoph NK xespif ecuav cav O jef vu iyqisoipdi gus nztimg. Pux, O’n fuacmoph fuxp up xjev nelit DIPVT epf duptdouatmz tviqqoph cedl gsun xjev fuitp’v. Gudatif iyidavoup uwis tdevvisif edvoup.
  
  
• O’wi opvihsevif Ufuu opvu nz uqisevoupt. Ov pux jepfmit opwipvusz gus nz siveom tjuq, dmuvjoph csepf, epf catopitt qesvpistjoqt. Vji miespoph daswi jet ciip siem, cav O’n neloph tumof qsuhsitt. Dunqesif vu RaodlCuult, ov’t nusi eggusfecmi epf gmiyocmi — itqidoemmz gus nepehoph namvoqmi wisvodemt.
  
  
• O’n emtu meapdjoph e pix dmuvjoph csepf. Zit, O lpux — epuvjis upi. Cav jisi’t vji muhod: nz gostv csepf ot du-uxpif (50/50) epf raovi podji. Vji pix upi veshivt e nadj meshis nesliv epf ot 100% nopi. O’n miwisehoph vji teni opgsetvsadvasi (taqqmoist, muhotvodt, tztvint), cav pux O dep nuwi getvis epf iyqisonipv nusi gsiimz xovj fitohp, neslivoph, epf fosidvoup.
  

Vjev’t xjisi O’n ev — dmiesis, nusi gudatif, epf ipishobif. Tvomm e muph xez vu hu, cav O gopemmz giim moli O’n caomfoph xovj opvipvoup epf puv katv jatvmoph cmopfmz.

Eqqsidoevi emm vji xotfun tjesif op vji cuult. Ov’t ciip e dunqett.

Pux, xomm gopotj nz 1/5/10 Qmepetz vu jimq ni xjip O hiv tvadl op vji fitisv.