Greetings,
First, I want to thank @MJ DeMarco for providing this forum for all of us on this entrepreneurial path.
I've read The Fastlane Milliionaire and am now working my way through Unscripted and taking
copious notes, and placing them in Notion.
Let's start with who I am. I'm Patrick, I am 54 years old, married for 36 years (this June), 2 adult sons
and an adult daughter and "PaPa" to 5 grand-children (all under 10).
Around the age of 7 my parents divorced, my dad moved out, and us three children (older brother,
myself, and younger sister) moved around quite a bit with my mom. We eventually moved in with a
man my mom met, and who later became my step-dad not too long after.
A couple of years later, we moved to Florida so my step-dad and mom could manage a Shell gas
station (full service) for his sister and her husband (who owned 11 of them). Back then, gas was going
for .83 a gallon. Around the same time my dad moved to California with his new wife and his brother
who worked together installing carpet.
During my high-school years, I did a lot of different work. Anything from fast-food, dishwasher,
servicing customers at the gas station (pump, wash windshield, check fluids, air, etc.), fleamarkets,
cafe's, grocery stores, etc. By the time I was 15, I saved up enough cash to purchase my first car and
was driving myself to school.
That first car was a 1967 Ford with a 390 big-block. Chime in the Tim the Toolman grunt...
Just picture a tank and you'll get the idea. LOL!
I digress...
A few years later, we moved back to Michigan where I spent the last year in a half (as I had all my
credits from Florida) attending Graphic Design Voc. Tech (Do they still have these nowadays?) and
cooking class. Hey! A young guy has to eat somehow.
At this point, just before graduating, I decided to apply to the local community college to follow the
Sidewalk / Slowlane mantra of "get a good education, job and retire in 30 years." But, that didn't
happen...
I ended up joining the U.S. Navy so I could "see the world" and get some education. Since I had no
idea what field/occupation I wanted to go for (I was 18), I joined undesignated - meaning, I didn't
select a field to follow.
That was July 1986. By November of that year, I was flying from Philadelphia, Penn. to Rota, Spain to
meet my first duty ship, the U.S.S. Saipan, LHA-2. Spending two weeks in Spain was a nice little
vacation and awesome weather to boot!
Once I was aboard ship, I was selected to be part of the Deck Department. Those are the crew that
moor, anchor, and maintain the ship. Not a field I was willing to follow. So, after some thinking, I
chose the computer field. That classification in the Navy is called "Data Processor." or "DP" for short.
I successfully transferred from the Deck Dept. to the Supply Dept. within 90 days. Unheard of at that
time since the Deck Dept. wasn't very fond of losing people. One guy had been trying for two years
and was unsuccessful.
A year after joining the Navy, I married (at 19). Then for the next 7 years, I learned all that I could
while in the computer field, e.g. Operations, Programming, Networks, Helpdesk Support, Computer
Repair, etc.
After being honorably discharged in 1994, my family and I moved back to Michigan (again) where
I pursued contracting as a application/database developer for 15 years. I chose that route because
it allowed me to keep up to date on the newest trends, build a variety of skills and bring in more
compensation faster than sticking with one company.
A few years later, I partnered up with a fellow developer and we started a staffing company (while
still contracting) where we provided people with IT skills (mostly programmers) to companies who
needed them.
We built the company up over the next couple of years to where we were bringing in $60-$70k/mo.
from placements. We initially worked our way into Ford and Detroit Edison. But, things started going
south with my partner after he brought on one of his friends.
At first, it seemed a good decision with the connections he claimed he had. But, being a smaller
staffing company, one of our largest vendors got audited by the INS and they stopped paying us for
our staff.
Because I needed to have payroll for my workers, and other expenses, I tapped my Line of Credit,
which was less than half of what the vendor owed us, to get them paid. I then, stupidly, got a collection
agency involved to get what was owed.
Fortunately, I made a deal with the vendor to knock off 10% of the total to get paid. They agreed! But,
the collection agency contacted me and said that I owed them a fee for collecting. Uh, yea... I don't
think so!
So, they threatened to file a lawsuit. Not wanting to go to court, etc. I forfeited another 7.5%...
A learning experience indeed. At any rate, I thought having some resources would be better then
nothing. After that debacle, the business slid down the proverbial failure tube and I closed it down.
Looking back, I should have taken the hard knocks I learned and applied it to starting another business
or venture. Instead, I continued contracting up until around 2010 when I lost a full-time post.
Here I was, no work, no more compensation coming in, a family to feed and take care of, a mortgage
and other expenses. That same month, the bank foreclosed on our house.
A real hit to the ego and pride. Of course, I needed to do something to bring in cash. I would repair
computers, install networks, clean spam and hacked hard drives, etc. Then I started asking family,
friends about building websites for them or their business.
This is when I started learing more about using WordPress to build websites for local businesses to
help them sell more products and services. I ended up winning tickets to a weekend seminar about
using WordPress to build a website and grow a business.
At that seminar, I met a practicing dentist, who was looking for someone to build out websites and
market them for other dentists. We both connected and began our partnership a couple of months
later.
From about 2010 to 2014 we worked with a lot of dentist's building out their website and marketing
their practices in their local area. In short, my friend would bring me dentist leads, we would get on
a call to diagnose the situation and then I would propose a solution. Most times, the deal would go
through and I'd be off to the races.
My friend would get 20% and the other 80% would go to me. Keep in mind, I was the one doing all
the "techie stuff" and wasn't building any system or process to bring in my own leads, which bit me
in the butt later, as you'll find out.
After 4 years working together, my friend wanted to quit dentistry, which he eventually did and my
lead source dried up like the sahara desert... and all the dentist's he brought ended up leaving for
another vendor.
Since that time, I started building websites for businesses in my local and surrounding areas. During
this time I also put up a second website, alongside my original website, to make it look like I was an
agency, but that did not work for me, so I sent it to the trash bin.
It's been a rollercoaster ride ever since and late last year, after looking at where I am at presently, I
realized that my freelancing is not providing for my family as it should. I currently have 7 care plan
clients (most pay yearly) and 1 marketing client (pays monthly). Which puts me below the poverty
line wage wise.
I also closed down my original site and designed a new one focusing on putting myself out there
as a freelance website designer. It seems I've been in this funk for too long due to fake-action, over
analyzing and being older now, wondering what to do moving forward.
Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I still believe there is huge opportunity building websites that solve
problems and bring massive value for businesses. I will continue to learn, take right action and build
something that can be a part of a longer-term fastlane plan per @Fox.
For the moment, though, as @Kak stated "Provision is necessary and worry isn't a good place to start."
In my case - restart or reboot! Meaning, I'll be looking for work to make ends meet.
I look forward to building friendships, learning from others (young or old) and participating where I
can for those on this path.
If I can be of any help or you just need support, feel free to reach out.
Wishing you the best,
Patrick
First, I want to thank @MJ DeMarco for providing this forum for all of us on this entrepreneurial path.
I've read The Fastlane Milliionaire and am now working my way through Unscripted and taking
copious notes, and placing them in Notion.
Let's start with who I am. I'm Patrick, I am 54 years old, married for 36 years (this June), 2 adult sons
and an adult daughter and "PaPa" to 5 grand-children (all under 10).
Around the age of 7 my parents divorced, my dad moved out, and us three children (older brother,
myself, and younger sister) moved around quite a bit with my mom. We eventually moved in with a
man my mom met, and who later became my step-dad not too long after.
A couple of years later, we moved to Florida so my step-dad and mom could manage a Shell gas
station (full service) for his sister and her husband (who owned 11 of them). Back then, gas was going
for .83 a gallon. Around the same time my dad moved to California with his new wife and his brother
who worked together installing carpet.
During my high-school years, I did a lot of different work. Anything from fast-food, dishwasher,
servicing customers at the gas station (pump, wash windshield, check fluids, air, etc.), fleamarkets,
cafe's, grocery stores, etc. By the time I was 15, I saved up enough cash to purchase my first car and
was driving myself to school.
That first car was a 1967 Ford with a 390 big-block. Chime in the Tim the Toolman grunt...
Just picture a tank and you'll get the idea. LOL!
I digress...
A few years later, we moved back to Michigan where I spent the last year in a half (as I had all my
credits from Florida) attending Graphic Design Voc. Tech (Do they still have these nowadays?) and
cooking class. Hey! A young guy has to eat somehow.
At this point, just before graduating, I decided to apply to the local community college to follow the
Sidewalk / Slowlane mantra of "get a good education, job and retire in 30 years." But, that didn't
happen...
I ended up joining the U.S. Navy so I could "see the world" and get some education. Since I had no
idea what field/occupation I wanted to go for (I was 18), I joined undesignated - meaning, I didn't
select a field to follow.
That was July 1986. By November of that year, I was flying from Philadelphia, Penn. to Rota, Spain to
meet my first duty ship, the U.S.S. Saipan, LHA-2. Spending two weeks in Spain was a nice little
vacation and awesome weather to boot!
Once I was aboard ship, I was selected to be part of the Deck Department. Those are the crew that
moor, anchor, and maintain the ship. Not a field I was willing to follow. So, after some thinking, I
chose the computer field. That classification in the Navy is called "Data Processor." or "DP" for short.
I successfully transferred from the Deck Dept. to the Supply Dept. within 90 days. Unheard of at that
time since the Deck Dept. wasn't very fond of losing people. One guy had been trying for two years
and was unsuccessful.
A year after joining the Navy, I married (at 19). Then for the next 7 years, I learned all that I could
while in the computer field, e.g. Operations, Programming, Networks, Helpdesk Support, Computer
Repair, etc.
After being honorably discharged in 1994, my family and I moved back to Michigan (again) where
I pursued contracting as a application/database developer for 15 years. I chose that route because
it allowed me to keep up to date on the newest trends, build a variety of skills and bring in more
compensation faster than sticking with one company.
A few years later, I partnered up with a fellow developer and we started a staffing company (while
still contracting) where we provided people with IT skills (mostly programmers) to companies who
needed them.
We built the company up over the next couple of years to where we were bringing in $60-$70k/mo.
from placements. We initially worked our way into Ford and Detroit Edison. But, things started going
south with my partner after he brought on one of his friends.
At first, it seemed a good decision with the connections he claimed he had. But, being a smaller
staffing company, one of our largest vendors got audited by the INS and they stopped paying us for
our staff.
Because I needed to have payroll for my workers, and other expenses, I tapped my Line of Credit,
which was less than half of what the vendor owed us, to get them paid. I then, stupidly, got a collection
agency involved to get what was owed.
Fortunately, I made a deal with the vendor to knock off 10% of the total to get paid. They agreed! But,
the collection agency contacted me and said that I owed them a fee for collecting. Uh, yea... I don't
think so!
So, they threatened to file a lawsuit. Not wanting to go to court, etc. I forfeited another 7.5%...
A learning experience indeed. At any rate, I thought having some resources would be better then
nothing. After that debacle, the business slid down the proverbial failure tube and I closed it down.
Looking back, I should have taken the hard knocks I learned and applied it to starting another business
or venture. Instead, I continued contracting up until around 2010 when I lost a full-time post.
Here I was, no work, no more compensation coming in, a family to feed and take care of, a mortgage
and other expenses. That same month, the bank foreclosed on our house.
A real hit to the ego and pride. Of course, I needed to do something to bring in cash. I would repair
computers, install networks, clean spam and hacked hard drives, etc. Then I started asking family,
friends about building websites for them or their business.
This is when I started learing more about using WordPress to build websites for local businesses to
help them sell more products and services. I ended up winning tickets to a weekend seminar about
using WordPress to build a website and grow a business.
At that seminar, I met a practicing dentist, who was looking for someone to build out websites and
market them for other dentists. We both connected and began our partnership a couple of months
later.
From about 2010 to 2014 we worked with a lot of dentist's building out their website and marketing
their practices in their local area. In short, my friend would bring me dentist leads, we would get on
a call to diagnose the situation and then I would propose a solution. Most times, the deal would go
through and I'd be off to the races.
My friend would get 20% and the other 80% would go to me. Keep in mind, I was the one doing all
the "techie stuff" and wasn't building any system or process to bring in my own leads, which bit me
in the butt later, as you'll find out.
After 4 years working together, my friend wanted to quit dentistry, which he eventually did and my
lead source dried up like the sahara desert... and all the dentist's he brought ended up leaving for
another vendor.
Since that time, I started building websites for businesses in my local and surrounding areas. During
this time I also put up a second website, alongside my original website, to make it look like I was an
agency, but that did not work for me, so I sent it to the trash bin.
It's been a rollercoaster ride ever since and late last year, after looking at where I am at presently, I
realized that my freelancing is not providing for my family as it should. I currently have 7 care plan
clients (most pay yearly) and 1 marketing client (pays monthly). Which puts me below the poverty
line wage wise.
I also closed down my original site and designed a new one focusing on putting myself out there
as a freelance website designer. It seems I've been in this funk for too long due to fake-action, over
analyzing and being older now, wondering what to do moving forward.
Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I still believe there is huge opportunity building websites that solve
problems and bring massive value for businesses. I will continue to learn, take right action and build
something that can be a part of a longer-term fastlane plan per @Fox.
For the moment, though, as @Kak stated "Provision is necessary and worry isn't a good place to start."
In my case - restart or reboot! Meaning, I'll be looking for work to make ends meet.
I look forward to building friendships, learning from others (young or old) and participating where I
can for those on this path.
If I can be of any help or you just need support, feel free to reach out.
Wishing you the best,
Patrick
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