First off, I'm sure you've heard this before MJ, but you've created something amazing here with this forum. I stumbled upon this forum by accident sometime last year as a boy, was immediately shown kindness despite my naivety (a user sent me TMF for free, an act of charity that reaffirmed my faith in the world during a dark time, asking nothing in return). This site is like a library filled with free, no bullshit information on how to better your life. I entered the library as a young boy, soaked up a smorgasbord of information, and exited as a burly, grizzled man, equipped with a beard and an axe, ready to go chop down a sycamore and drink the gin of life.
All dramatic metaphors aside, you people are all amazing. When I was alone, you guys became the only familiar faces in my life. You all provided me (and everyone else) years of information; life changing level info, absolutely free.
Onto the progress stuff now! I spent way too much time being a wantrepreneur, but after some drastic changes in my life (I dropped out of engineering school, lost the faith of everyone around me that thought I'd be something "great", and had to get a full-time, disgusting job at a food place), it made me realize how necessary it was for both myself and my child to quit living in my dreams and "faking it" until you make it. It was time to just make it. I was born free and became a slave somewhere down the line, and ACTION is the only thing that will allow me to buy back that freedom, as well as the energy to watch my little guy grow.
I theory crafted day and night, I came up with some ideas, and even asked some big namers their thoughts, which they provided to me, as well as suggestions. They were more than happy to help this fast lane lurker without me providing them anything, it's mindblowing. Have I mentioned how great this forum is? no? Eventually I quit searching like a madman, and right as I did that, and quit thinking about money or the next new opportunity, an idea just hit me in the face like a freight train. I let the "idea infatuation" stage pass for a bit, as most ideas I get fail to make it past that few day period. An objective, unexcited look at things tends to be a great filter when your pool is filled with ideas. That said, this idea lasted; the only one that made it this far. This was different. This didn't feel like the usual one night stand, it was soul mate, marriage type stuff.
I ran with it. I'm still running with it, rather. This is the first time in my life where I've reached the dead end sign of "ThinkAboutItNonStop Blv" and came face to face with the reality of two choices. Turn back around, or turn on "DoSomething Rd". It was terrifying, but i made the turn. I'm boldly going where no wantrepreneur has gone before. Imagery aside, I have a prototype(not sure if that's the right word for something that's not a technical product) being made by someone right now, and the second that's done I'll begin looking for financing so I can have a decent quality website and some inventory. Part of the branding I'm going for requires quality, so I can't really skeez up a website with my minimal coding knowledge. I'm also on manufacturer number 50 something to arrange production of it; it's not highly complex but from a manufacturing standpoint it's not exactly a simple change to their usual product. I talked to JasonR about it and he warned me that the process of what I'm making will be laborious to figure out, and to expect 99 no's before I get a yes, so it's not as disheartening as it normally would be. Only 49 more no's and we are good to go right? 😀
I know I'm not very far into my journey, but I figured that's what a progress thread is for right? Plus, it was time to quit being a lurker and start being an active member of a forum that I binge use, seemed like a good way to begin. Special thanks to Andy Black, Jason R, Walter Hay and Likwid for taking the time to respond to me and help point me in the right directions. When nobody will support me in my family, it means a helluva lot that you guys were there, even though some of our conversations were very short.
Cheers!
Warren Shepard
All dramatic metaphors aside, you people are all amazing. When I was alone, you guys became the only familiar faces in my life. You all provided me (and everyone else) years of information; life changing level info, absolutely free.
Onto the progress stuff now! I spent way too much time being a wantrepreneur, but after some drastic changes in my life (I dropped out of engineering school, lost the faith of everyone around me that thought I'd be something "great", and had to get a full-time, disgusting job at a food place), it made me realize how necessary it was for both myself and my child to quit living in my dreams and "faking it" until you make it. It was time to just make it. I was born free and became a slave somewhere down the line, and ACTION is the only thing that will allow me to buy back that freedom, as well as the energy to watch my little guy grow.
I theory crafted day and night, I came up with some ideas, and even asked some big namers their thoughts, which they provided to me, as well as suggestions. They were more than happy to help this fast lane lurker without me providing them anything, it's mindblowing. Have I mentioned how great this forum is? no? Eventually I quit searching like a madman, and right as I did that, and quit thinking about money or the next new opportunity, an idea just hit me in the face like a freight train. I let the "idea infatuation" stage pass for a bit, as most ideas I get fail to make it past that few day period. An objective, unexcited look at things tends to be a great filter when your pool is filled with ideas. That said, this idea lasted; the only one that made it this far. This was different. This didn't feel like the usual one night stand, it was soul mate, marriage type stuff.
I ran with it. I'm still running with it, rather. This is the first time in my life where I've reached the dead end sign of "ThinkAboutItNonStop Blv" and came face to face with the reality of two choices. Turn back around, or turn on "DoSomething Rd". It was terrifying, but i made the turn. I'm boldly going where no wantrepreneur has gone before. Imagery aside, I have a prototype(not sure if that's the right word for something that's not a technical product) being made by someone right now, and the second that's done I'll begin looking for financing so I can have a decent quality website and some inventory. Part of the branding I'm going for requires quality, so I can't really skeez up a website with my minimal coding knowledge. I'm also on manufacturer number 50 something to arrange production of it; it's not highly complex but from a manufacturing standpoint it's not exactly a simple change to their usual product. I talked to JasonR about it and he warned me that the process of what I'm making will be laborious to figure out, and to expect 99 no's before I get a yes, so it's not as disheartening as it normally would be. Only 49 more no's and we are good to go right? 😀
I know I'm not very far into my journey, but I figured that's what a progress thread is for right? Plus, it was time to quit being a lurker and start being an active member of a forum that I binge use, seemed like a good way to begin. Special thanks to Andy Black, Jason R, Walter Hay and Likwid for taking the time to respond to me and help point me in the right directions. When nobody will support me in my family, it means a helluva lot that you guys were there, even though some of our conversations were very short.
Cheers!
Warren Shepard
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