tigerscent
Contributor
Hello everyone,
Another newbie here….read TMF recently and joined the forum yesterday, so I’m striking while the iron’s hot!
The short version is: I’m from the UK and I’m still at the ideas stage – so nothing juicy to report yet…
Why am I here? Because I want to learn from the best and I want to make a conscious choice to do something different with my life. But it’s not all about taking - I hope that, through my experiences, I can offer some value back to the forum members.
My story is a classic tale of life in the slowlane. Got good grades at school, went to uni, got a “proper job” – not one of those “arty farty” jobs (as my Dad would say!). Increased my worth to the slowlane by doing an MBA. Sadly, increased pay did not catapult me to the end of the rainbow to bask in endless pots of gold. Nope, more money simply meant a nicer lifestyle. I lived up to my means. Success was defined by bigger houses, new cars, fancy clothes and five-star holidays. Save a little. Spend a lot!
In the midst of all this, I had a stint working overseas in a low-tax country. It was the ideal opportunity to amass a big pot of cash. So what did I do? Yep, you’ve guessed it! I pissed it all up the wall living the big expat lifestyle.
Now I’m back in England, following a job relocation and facing cold hard reality. Sunny days by the pool and champagne brunches are a distant memory. But never mind, at least I can afford to buy a house….wait let me just check my savings pot. Oops! A big chunk of that money was invested in the stock market and…well, we all know what happened there lately…
F&*k!!!!
Now what?
I’ve hit the big 4-0, so if life is a football match, it’s officially the second half. If I continue on the same path, I’m going nowhere. So what am I going to do differently in the second half of this match to turn things around?
Dripping into my thoughts are some observations on friends who took another path:
Exhibit A, let’s call him Human Resources, worked for a recruitment agency. About 1o years ago, he had the chance to go into business on his own, serving a niche in the recruitment market. He sought my advice at the time, worried about the risk of leaving his safe and comfortable job. Today, Human Resources is sitting pretty on a multi-million pound business empire.
Exhibit B: An IT Geek with a very safe but boring IT job working for the government was approached by a serial entrepreneur to join a tech start-up in online brand intelligence. IT geek sought my opinion on the business plan over a coffee and finally took the plunge. A few years down the line, and after various M&A activity, the company was sold for mind-boggling sum and my friend retired (before the age of 40!). He now spends his days playing golf and tinkering with new business ideas.
These are just a couple of examples but I can think of many more. And I ask myself – are these guys any smarter than me? No. Were they lucky? No, I don’t really think so. In both cases they worked very hard for a long time to make their businesses successful. In fact, they worked like dogs! Things weren’t always smooth and at times they wondered if they had made the right decision.
Were the ideas original? For IT Geek, maybe. His company were certainly among the first to enter that particular market. For Human Resources, though, it was an existing product in an existing market. He just did it better. In both cases, success was all about execution. And let’s be clear. This wasn’t something that they did “on the side” while holding down their day job. Both took the plunge. Both left their safe secure paid jobs to focus 100% on their new ventures.
So, if these guys are not smarter or luckier than me, could I achieve what they’ve achieved? Absolutely! In fact, thinking about it, I’ve spent my entire life being a master of execution for OTHER PEOPLE.
DOH!!
The only difference between me and these guys? Simple. They made a different choice. They took the path less trodden. And they committed, 100%. They didn’t just dream; they took ACTION.
Another newbie here….read TMF recently and joined the forum yesterday, so I’m striking while the iron’s hot!
The short version is: I’m from the UK and I’m still at the ideas stage – so nothing juicy to report yet…
Why am I here? Because I want to learn from the best and I want to make a conscious choice to do something different with my life. But it’s not all about taking - I hope that, through my experiences, I can offer some value back to the forum members.
My story is a classic tale of life in the slowlane. Got good grades at school, went to uni, got a “proper job” – not one of those “arty farty” jobs (as my Dad would say!). Increased my worth to the slowlane by doing an MBA. Sadly, increased pay did not catapult me to the end of the rainbow to bask in endless pots of gold. Nope, more money simply meant a nicer lifestyle. I lived up to my means. Success was defined by bigger houses, new cars, fancy clothes and five-star holidays. Save a little. Spend a lot!
In the midst of all this, I had a stint working overseas in a low-tax country. It was the ideal opportunity to amass a big pot of cash. So what did I do? Yep, you’ve guessed it! I pissed it all up the wall living the big expat lifestyle.
Now I’m back in England, following a job relocation and facing cold hard reality. Sunny days by the pool and champagne brunches are a distant memory. But never mind, at least I can afford to buy a house….wait let me just check my savings pot. Oops! A big chunk of that money was invested in the stock market and…well, we all know what happened there lately…
F&*k!!!!
Now what?
I’ve hit the big 4-0, so if life is a football match, it’s officially the second half. If I continue on the same path, I’m going nowhere. So what am I going to do differently in the second half of this match to turn things around?
Dripping into my thoughts are some observations on friends who took another path:
Exhibit A, let’s call him Human Resources, worked for a recruitment agency. About 1o years ago, he had the chance to go into business on his own, serving a niche in the recruitment market. He sought my advice at the time, worried about the risk of leaving his safe and comfortable job. Today, Human Resources is sitting pretty on a multi-million pound business empire.
Exhibit B: An IT Geek with a very safe but boring IT job working for the government was approached by a serial entrepreneur to join a tech start-up in online brand intelligence. IT geek sought my opinion on the business plan over a coffee and finally took the plunge. A few years down the line, and after various M&A activity, the company was sold for mind-boggling sum and my friend retired (before the age of 40!). He now spends his days playing golf and tinkering with new business ideas.
These are just a couple of examples but I can think of many more. And I ask myself – are these guys any smarter than me? No. Were they lucky? No, I don’t really think so. In both cases they worked very hard for a long time to make their businesses successful. In fact, they worked like dogs! Things weren’t always smooth and at times they wondered if they had made the right decision.
Were the ideas original? For IT Geek, maybe. His company were certainly among the first to enter that particular market. For Human Resources, though, it was an existing product in an existing market. He just did it better. In both cases, success was all about execution. And let’s be clear. This wasn’t something that they did “on the side” while holding down their day job. Both took the plunge. Both left their safe secure paid jobs to focus 100% on their new ventures.
So, if these guys are not smarter or luckier than me, could I achieve what they’ve achieved? Absolutely! In fact, thinking about it, I’ve spent my entire life being a master of execution for OTHER PEOPLE.
DOH!!
The only difference between me and these guys? Simple. They made a different choice. They took the path less trodden. And they committed, 100%. They didn’t just dream; they took ACTION.
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. :-)
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 achieve 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-circl, 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
