Hello to all fastlaners!
My name is Alex, almost 30, and I'm coming from Romania, to be more exact from that region that everybody knows as Transylvania, but on the move to Germany from March.
I've read MJ's book about one year and a half ago and it changed my perspective on this world. I was very motivated for a month or so but then slowly faded out. Why? I think lack of purpose, fear of failure, mostly slowlane and sidewalk symptoms, yes it was all me.
I realized that my biggest enemy is: ME! Yes, me...No one else puts me on to watch TV-Shows, to read crappy newspapers..to stop chasing dreams...
So to give you an introduction of my life till yet:
I was in a communist country at that time which has showed me how hard the life can be: 2 hours electricity a day, 2 hours cold water, warm water only on Sundays, one (as 1) egg per week per person, 20 grams (not kilo) a week and stuff like that. Really harsh time which had a major influence on my personal development (both good&bad). Bad is that I tend to keep all the stuff I get, because I may need it some day and good because I know I have to work and know the value of work, not things.
Communism fell and hard capitalism came, some people bought colour TVs(we had till 1989 mostly black/white TVs) in exchange of their apartment(it sounds crazy, I know). My mom was seeing this as an opportunity but my father didn't want to listen, to buy houses and to rent them. I was very young and I tried to understand them, but only did 10 years ago. My father was afraid, my mother no.
I was a good student from high-school till I got my master degree. Not that geeky type but more the happy fatty with connections (I played sports in pro clubs but I still was fat 😀). In University I've seen a need. My rich colleagues which mostly where spoiled didn't want to learn or to school projects. I started doing their projects for money(they didn't want to talk to the nerds). After I struggled for 2 months with few hours of sleep, I realized I can't go on like this. The projects and the money were knocking on my door but I couldn't take it anymore. I needed a solution and after a week of thinking I found it. The nerds! I was talking to them so I asked them how much for a project. They asked half of what I was charging...so Hammertime:hammertime:. Business went well from that moment all university.
In the summer of 2005 I took part on work&travel program in the USA. I've heard stories of people coming with debt or with no money, a lot with break even status and a few with more then they have expected. I was supposed to work as a life guard. As I arrived and have seen the contract and did the math, I said BS..let's see something else. So I was in the USA with no contacts, no money and no job. I had to do something and fast. I've met one guy who's father was searching for construction worker, did the math...good money..let's go. I've met 2 more fellow Romanians and teamed up in construction(good money but no papers). We needed papers so we started working on a restaurant on the evening-night shift. The manager there asked us why we where so hungry for money, so hard working, because we served more tables then the average and we bused our tables alone, not waiting for the cleaner. I answered him because of bananas, why bananas? Because bananas was something different for us at the age of 6 then for him. He asked how? I said bananas for you at 6 meant that yellow fruit you could take from the fridge, for me it meant Christmas(my father managed to smuggle bananas when I was 6 at Christmas). He was shocked.
Back from the US with 10k $ in my pocket. I wanted to invest it, not to spend it, so I bought land, about 30 ha of agricultural land(2005 was a cheap year) and some other land in different towns.
In 2006 I tried to start different companies but failed badly, again because of me. I started something which was not respecting the need an the leverage of the market.
In 2007 I got hired in a Corporation (I'm a engineer) and I've started in parallel my master degree. I switched companies in 2008, also started two business. One was a tanning studio, a break even business but a lot a potential of meeting girls :coolgleamA:, and a human resources firm in automotive engineering which brought me at the verge of bankruptcy. The business was condemned to fail from the beginning. There was no market need for that. The automotive market was dropping faster than a meteorite.
After this I sold the tan studio because I was afraid. Fear was kicking in. And I preferred the safety of the corporation. Money was less because of the crisis. I was living in a 12 sq m room and was getting fat everyday. At the end of 2009 I said this can't be me anymore, and I have to change it. I started working out, did get in contact with a lot of new people, heard market rumors, sold some of that land more the 10x fold the price I got it, bought a nice house, got the girl of my dreams. :groove:
I found MJ's book. Read it, loved it but didn't apply it.... The year 2012 was a harsh one. I got a little fat again, job is bad, my dreams are far away. I needed a change so I've seen that Germany needs engineers. I was on a new job search for a month in Germany, where I got 12 contract offers. In this month I learned a lot for what I did wrong in 2008. I've discovered a lot of needs between eastern and western Europe, which I will exploit. Now I got back to the book to reread it. One of the best things I did.
I've quit my job at the beginning of the year and I'm moving to Germany where I start from scratch. I plan to stay employed for the next 6 months(I asked for the 6 months contract) and not more and with the connections I make to start a new business, I'm planning at this given moment. My girlfriend is coming also. 😀
If you have tips, want to know more or if I can be of any help, feel free to contact me
All the best,
Alex
My name is Alex, almost 30, and I'm coming from Romania, to be more exact from that region that everybody knows as Transylvania, but on the move to Germany from March.
I've read MJ's book about one year and a half ago and it changed my perspective on this world. I was very motivated for a month or so but then slowly faded out. Why? I think lack of purpose, fear of failure, mostly slowlane and sidewalk symptoms, yes it was all me.
I realized that my biggest enemy is: ME! Yes, me...No one else puts me on to watch TV-Shows, to read crappy newspapers..to stop chasing dreams...
So to give you an introduction of my life till yet:
I was in a communist country at that time which has showed me how hard the life can be: 2 hours electricity a day, 2 hours cold water, warm water only on Sundays, one (as 1) egg per week per person, 20 grams (not kilo) a week and stuff like that. Really harsh time which had a major influence on my personal development (both good&bad). Bad is that I tend to keep all the stuff I get, because I may need it some day and good because I know I have to work and know the value of work, not things.
Communism fell and hard capitalism came, some people bought colour TVs(we had till 1989 mostly black/white TVs) in exchange of their apartment(it sounds crazy, I know). My mom was seeing this as an opportunity but my father didn't want to listen, to buy houses and to rent them. I was very young and I tried to understand them, but only did 10 years ago. My father was afraid, my mother no.
I was a good student from high-school till I got my master degree. Not that geeky type but more the happy fatty with connections (I played sports in pro clubs but I still was fat 😀). In University I've seen a need. My rich colleagues which mostly where spoiled didn't want to learn or to school projects. I started doing their projects for money(they didn't want to talk to the nerds). After I struggled for 2 months with few hours of sleep, I realized I can't go on like this. The projects and the money were knocking on my door but I couldn't take it anymore. I needed a solution and after a week of thinking I found it. The nerds! I was talking to them so I asked them how much for a project. They asked half of what I was charging...so Hammertime:hammertime:. Business went well from that moment all university.
In the summer of 2005 I took part on work&travel program in the USA. I've heard stories of people coming with debt or with no money, a lot with break even status and a few with more then they have expected. I was supposed to work as a life guard. As I arrived and have seen the contract and did the math, I said BS..let's see something else. So I was in the USA with no contacts, no money and no job. I had to do something and fast. I've met one guy who's father was searching for construction worker, did the math...good money..let's go. I've met 2 more fellow Romanians and teamed up in construction(good money but no papers). We needed papers so we started working on a restaurant on the evening-night shift. The manager there asked us why we where so hungry for money, so hard working, because we served more tables then the average and we bused our tables alone, not waiting for the cleaner. I answered him because of bananas, why bananas? Because bananas was something different for us at the age of 6 then for him. He asked how? I said bananas for you at 6 meant that yellow fruit you could take from the fridge, for me it meant Christmas(my father managed to smuggle bananas when I was 6 at Christmas). He was shocked.
Back from the US with 10k $ in my pocket. I wanted to invest it, not to spend it, so I bought land, about 30 ha of agricultural land(2005 was a cheap year) and some other land in different towns.
In 2006 I tried to start different companies but failed badly, again because of me. I started something which was not respecting the need an the leverage of the market.
In 2007 I got hired in a Corporation (I'm a engineer) and I've started in parallel my master degree. I switched companies in 2008, also started two business. One was a tanning studio, a break even business but a lot a potential of meeting girls :coolgleamA:, and a human resources firm in automotive engineering which brought me at the verge of bankruptcy. The business was condemned to fail from the beginning. There was no market need for that. The automotive market was dropping faster than a meteorite.
After this I sold the tan studio because I was afraid. Fear was kicking in. And I preferred the safety of the corporation. Money was less because of the crisis. I was living in a 12 sq m room and was getting fat everyday. At the end of 2009 I said this can't be me anymore, and I have to change it. I started working out, did get in contact with a lot of new people, heard market rumors, sold some of that land more the 10x fold the price I got it, bought a nice house, got the girl of my dreams. :groove:
I found MJ's book. Read it, loved it but didn't apply it.... The year 2012 was a harsh one. I got a little fat again, job is bad, my dreams are far away. I needed a change so I've seen that Germany needs engineers. I was on a new job search for a month in Germany, where I got 12 contract offers. In this month I learned a lot for what I did wrong in 2008. I've discovered a lot of needs between eastern and western Europe, which I will exploit. Now I got back to the book to reread it. One of the best things I did.
I've quit my job at the beginning of the year and I'm moving to Germany where I start from scratch. I plan to stay employed for the next 6 months(I asked for the 6 months contract) and not more and with the connections I make to start a new business, I'm planning at this given moment. My girlfriend is coming also. 😀
If you have tips, want to know more or if I can be of any help, feel free to contact me
All the best,
Alex
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