Tom.R
New Contributor
Hi everyone!
I'm Tommy. I'm a college student right now in the Cleveland area, originally from Pittsburgh.
Since I was younger I always wanted to run my own business. I started it when my dad refused to buy me a video game. He said I had to buy it myself, yet I was out of birthday money (I was 12 at the time).
Of course, I said "Ok, fine, I'll go make money!"
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know!"
And so my tiny auto detailing business was born. That first summer was a rough one- my first job was a cement truck! Sure learned a lot about hard work on that first one!
I caught the bug. You know the one I'm talking about
And so summer after summer I would read on forums online everywhere on how to do this, how to do that, how to be profitable, etc. To be totally honest, it's where I learned most of what I know, from people that I've never met from around the world. It's something that changed my life forever.
But doing that isn't going to make me financially free. There's actually a funny excerpt in MJ's book I chuckled at while I still did auto detailing as a side business. Here's the quote:
"Income is the key to growing your army of freedom fighters. You aren't going to recruit a massive army detailing cars down at the Jimmy's Auto Salon." -MJ DeMarco
Now that I'm in college, I've realized that things aren't so la-di-da. Tuition bills are coming, so are car payments, and I have a ton of dumb shit to study for.
Through the years I have started to fail myself because of my work ethic (or lack thereof) and poor attitude. These two things alone will kill any business I start, regardless of how skilled I am or how great of an idea I have.
That's why I'm here today. I know that in order to move forward I must be able to grow and improve, and that's something I'm ALL about.
So, let's get started.
My weaknesses:
1. Self-sabotage/negativity
I'm hard myself. Really hard on myself. I don't see this necessarily as a bad thing, but it's excessive. I get on myself so much to the point that it affects my performance because I care so much about what I do and the people I'm providing business for. If there's ever a reason why I'm down, it's because I failed myself or because I failed my customers, my friends, or my family.
2. Work ethic
I know I've gotten lazier since high school. It's definitely because I lack the structure that I put myself into such as organized sports like football and track/field. For me, this was a keystone habit that helped me develop into a hard-working individual, and it's something that I need to get back. I've since tried on and off working out, and it sucks. But it only sucks because I stopped, which I've learned that you should never do ever. It's not that I have a lack of drive, but the nitty gritty day-to-day shit has gotten a lot more difficult. I know this would help.
My strengths:
1. Love
I love what I do. I love that I am able to be in college with the opportunities that I have as well as an amazing family that supports me. I love life and all its rewards and punishments. I have a smile on my face a mostly because it's not worth the time to be miserable. I love being able to brighten someone's day simply because I was able to provide a service or fulfill somebody's need. I love being good to my friends and family, but I can't be generous and provide for them if I have nothing to give. This gives me the drive to become wealthy and successful as an entrepreneur. There's no other choice.
2. People person
I'm a people person at heart. I love learning about other people, what they do, what inspires them, and how I could help. I'm loyal to the people who treat me well, and respect those who criticize me. People, in my opinion, are your most important asset, and I wouldn't be anywhere without the influence of my friends and family. I love growing relationships and making friends. I have noticed though that I'm slipping at one of my most important assets, and I need to get back on track. I know I need to reread Dale Carnegie's killer book How to Win Friends and Influence People. This book alone helped my relationships 10-fold, and I need to read it again cover-to-cover.
But back to the current:
Being in college now, I am participating in an internship where I essentially run a branch of a painting company that paints the insides and outsides of people's homes. This I think is a good program because it gives me the ability to have a lot of freedom of running the business, without the liability. It is commission only (no hourly pay) and I have to cold-call and market all of my clients, as well as hire crews to paint homes and manage them effectively to produce a quality product. Essentially it's like training wheels for business. I'd love to hear what The Fastlane Forum thinks of this program, and I'm interested in your feedback.
For the future:
From doing this internship, I've been toying the idea of getting into real estate, whether that be as an agent, investor, wholesaler, etc. For those who have any real estate experience, please include it in your response
Now for the exciting part!
I'm not really sure about how to market and attain my customers, and I was wondering if you guys could at least point me in the right direction as to advice, books, learning materials, etc. Or, if you have any general advice for me for life or anything else, I'd appreciate it. I know that what I've provided isn't enough information to make any highly detailed conclusions, but I appreciate your feedback as many of you have seen very successful careers for yourself, and it is something that I admire and hope to attain one day for myself also.
Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction about myself. I look forward to interacting and getting to know all of you on the forum.
I'm Tommy. I'm a college student right now in the Cleveland area, originally from Pittsburgh.
Since I was younger I always wanted to run my own business. I started it when my dad refused to buy me a video game. He said I had to buy it myself, yet I was out of birthday money (I was 12 at the time).
Of course, I said "Ok, fine, I'll go make money!"
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know!"
And so my tiny auto detailing business was born. That first summer was a rough one- my first job was a cement truck! Sure learned a lot about hard work on that first one!
I caught the bug. You know the one I'm talking about
And so summer after summer I would read on forums online everywhere on how to do this, how to do that, how to be profitable, etc. To be totally honest, it's where I learned most of what I know, from people that I've never met from around the world. It's something that changed my life forever.
But doing that isn't going to make me financially free. There's actually a funny excerpt in MJ's book I chuckled at while I still did auto detailing as a side business. Here's the quote:
"Income is the key to growing your army of freedom fighters. You aren't going to recruit a massive army detailing cars down at the Jimmy's Auto Salon." -MJ DeMarco
Now that I'm in college, I've realized that things aren't so la-di-da. Tuition bills are coming, so are car payments, and I have a ton of dumb shit to study for.
Through the years I have started to fail myself because of my work ethic (or lack thereof) and poor attitude. These two things alone will kill any business I start, regardless of how skilled I am or how great of an idea I have.
That's why I'm here today. I know that in order to move forward I must be able to grow and improve, and that's something I'm ALL about.
So, let's get started.
My weaknesses:
1. Self-sabotage/negativity
I'm hard myself. Really hard on myself. I don't see this necessarily as a bad thing, but it's excessive. I get on myself so much to the point that it affects my performance because I care so much about what I do and the people I'm providing business for. If there's ever a reason why I'm down, it's because I failed myself or because I failed my customers, my friends, or my family.
2. Work ethic
I know I've gotten lazier since high school. It's definitely because I lack the structure that I put myself into such as organized sports like football and track/field. For me, this was a keystone habit that helped me develop into a hard-working individual, and it's something that I need to get back. I've since tried on and off working out, and it sucks. But it only sucks because I stopped, which I've learned that you should never do ever. It's not that I have a lack of drive, but the nitty gritty day-to-day shit has gotten a lot more difficult. I know this would help.
My strengths:
1. Love
I love what I do. I love that I am able to be in college with the opportunities that I have as well as an amazing family that supports me. I love life and all its rewards and punishments. I have a smile on my face a mostly because it's not worth the time to be miserable. I love being able to brighten someone's day simply because I was able to provide a service or fulfill somebody's need. I love being good to my friends and family, but I can't be generous and provide for them if I have nothing to give. This gives me the drive to become wealthy and successful as an entrepreneur. There's no other choice.
2. People person
I'm a people person at heart. I love learning about other people, what they do, what inspires them, and how I could help. I'm loyal to the people who treat me well, and respect those who criticize me. People, in my opinion, are your most important asset, and I wouldn't be anywhere without the influence of my friends and family. I love growing relationships and making friends. I have noticed though that I'm slipping at one of my most important assets, and I need to get back on track. I know I need to reread Dale Carnegie's killer book How to Win Friends and Influence People. This book alone helped my relationships 10-fold, and I need to read it again cover-to-cover.
But back to the current:
Being in college now, I am participating in an internship where I essentially run a branch of a painting company that paints the insides and outsides of people's homes. This I think is a good program because it gives me the ability to have a lot of freedom of running the business, without the liability. It is commission only (no hourly pay) and I have to cold-call and market all of my clients, as well as hire crews to paint homes and manage them effectively to produce a quality product. Essentially it's like training wheels for business. I'd love to hear what The Fastlane Forum thinks of this program, and I'm interested in your feedback.
For the future:
From doing this internship, I've been toying the idea of getting into real estate, whether that be as an agent, investor, wholesaler, etc. For those who have any real estate experience, please include it in your response
Now for the exciting part!
I'm not really sure about how to market and attain my customers, and I was wondering if you guys could at least point me in the right direction as to advice, books, learning materials, etc. Or, if you have any general advice for me for life or anything else, I'd appreciate it. I know that what I've provided isn't enough information to make any highly detailed conclusions, but I appreciate your feedback as many of you have seen very successful careers for yourself, and it is something that I admire and hope to attain one day for myself also.
Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction about myself. I look forward to interacting and getting to know all of you on the forum.
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 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-circle, 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
