Four months ago I graduated from college significantly depressed. My biggest life goal had been reached.
It 's ALWAYS been my dream to be a successful entrepreneur. Somewhere along my scripted life I put it on the back-burner. It became something to dream about, smiling to myself thinking "...someday." Then I'd wake up in the cold reality of bills and indentured servitude, jolting me out of bed scrambling to a job I couldn't wait be free from. Making enough money to stay in debt, driving the hamster wheel of mediocrity.
Yep. I know what it's like to read Unscripted and break down in tears because of how much I identify.
I'd read the books. Get all motivated for a few weeks. Come up with an idea and spend weeks planing, writing, and action-faking. I'd wake up a few months later with nothing to show for it. No closer to launching my website that gives people the ability to know the tailor nearest them that can get their alterations done the quickest. But hey, I've got like 13 notes in my phone that outline my idea... still no customers though.
Then one marvelous day... C0VlD-19 causes the mall to close. The job I hate shuts down. OMG. I wonder how long this will last? I've got time, I'm gonna troll the FLF. I find GOLD! - Getting started is this simple... and I realize damn... I've got A TON of time on my hands now. What should I do with it? I enroll in a Udemy digital marketing course that day (day 1 of my quarantine).
I spend the next week PMing Andy Black and progressing through my Udemy course, doing my best to apply it as I go somehow. I get about a quarter of the way through my course and find threads like HOT TOPIC - (Audio) Who have you helped? and GOLD! - Is This Idea/Business/Blah Blah Fastlane? (Uh, no, it isn't.)
Damn. I need to get something going here. But what?
I come face to face with my Scripted mindset... "I'm not qualified to offer any value" and "I don't have any skills" but the FLF (special shout out to @Andy Black) comes to the rescue You don't need to be an expert and (Radio Interview) Freedom, Motivation, & Grow What You Know
It's week 2 and people start to get laid off and businesses dry up. The financial fear sets in... I'm probably gonna get laid off too. "Oh no!"
Then "Thank God!"
Followed by "Oh F*ck! Im gonna need money!"
Well didn't I just learn a thing or two about digital marketing from that Udemy course? I know I'm no expert, but hey, Andy says I don't have to be an expert to help somebody. I know that I have some natural skills. MJ says it's about the process, right? F*ck it. I'm gonna build a website and go from there.
I have absolutely no prior knowledge or experience about website building, but I don't need much... just something according to HOT TOPIC - AndyTalks with @Contrarian about starting his side hustle in local lead gen and with Wordpress and the software nowadays... it can't be that hard.
A few days go by and I prove to myself that not only can I build a fully functioning website, but I can succeed at something my head tells me I'm not ready for.
Before I launch it I should get a customer. Wait a minute, a customer for what? I still don't have a business idea or know what I'm gonna do. Hmmm... I can't do what Andy does because thats his business and I can't step on his toes like that... but isn't he in Ireland? I don't think he'd mind if I took what I learn from him and use it to help others, would he? (Side note: if you do mind @Andy Black let me know)
Then my phone rings. A good friend of mine who also happens to be a plumber calls to check in with me. We start talking and I learn about how slow his business is right now because people don't want plumbers in their homes... unless it's an emergency of course.
I could make him a landing page with my newfound website knowledge. In fact, Andy Black has a ridiculous amount of educational content on how to run AdWords campaigns [see Andy's AdWords Posts.] Whats preventing me from learning everything I can and trying to help my friend boost his business?
The only thing preventing me is him. He doesn't want to pay to post his ad. Hmmm... now what... HOT TOPIC - Spend your money on diesel and coffee
It's been about 2 weeks of me trying to keep in touch with my network, plant the seed that "I'm a digital marketing guy" now, all while simultaneously trying to learn from Andy's posts. I'm waiting to hear back from a friend who runs a moving company that seemed really interested, but I feel like thats gone cold. I've got a list of phone calls to make. Thats whats next on my critical path.
In the midst of all this, the opportunity to write a sales script came up. I took it and made a quick $500 for 13 hours of work. That was interesting. I've never made money from home before. At the job I hate it would've taken me probably 3 days to make that much money (then lose 20% of it to taxes). And as I write this, someone in my network texted me saying he has 4000 warm leads and he needs someone to look them up to get their phone number and email. He's offering $15/20 an hour but MJ taught me to detach my time from money. I asked him how much each lead was worth to him. Maybe I can make him an offer based on that info if I hear back from him.
It seems the process of me working to build something and get my name out there with this "yes I'm ready and capable" attitude opens up doors for unexpected opportunities. There is a certain kind of magic that happens when I pocket that inner voice of "you're not ready for that" or "what if you don't do a good job?" and just do it. What usually happens? I finally prove to myself that I'm way more capable, ready, and qualified than I ever thought I was.
I wanted to outline my progress in the last month to demonstrate that NOW is better than ever to build something. For those panicked, depressed, or discouraged by the pandemic - specifically those newer to the forum than myself - I hope this thread brings you solace and inspiration.
Hearing other people's stories helps me. I hope mine can help you. The threads I've linked in this post have played a particularly ENORMOUS part in my taking action this last month.
I'd love to hear the details about your progress/execution this forced isolation has freed you to do!
It 's ALWAYS been my dream to be a successful entrepreneur. Somewhere along my scripted life I put it on the back-burner. It became something to dream about, smiling to myself thinking "...someday." Then I'd wake up in the cold reality of bills and indentured servitude, jolting me out of bed scrambling to a job I couldn't wait be free from. Making enough money to stay in debt, driving the hamster wheel of mediocrity.
Yep. I know what it's like to read Unscripted and break down in tears because of how much I identify.
I'd read the books. Get all motivated for a few weeks. Come up with an idea and spend weeks planing, writing, and action-faking. I'd wake up a few months later with nothing to show for it. No closer to launching my website that gives people the ability to know the tailor nearest them that can get their alterations done the quickest. But hey, I've got like 13 notes in my phone that outline my idea... still no customers though.
Then one marvelous day... C0VlD-19 causes the mall to close. The job I hate shuts down. OMG. I wonder how long this will last? I've got time, I'm gonna troll the FLF. I find GOLD! - Getting started is this simple... and I realize damn... I've got A TON of time on my hands now. What should I do with it? I enroll in a Udemy digital marketing course that day (day 1 of my quarantine).
I spend the next week PMing Andy Black and progressing through my Udemy course, doing my best to apply it as I go somehow. I get about a quarter of the way through my course and find threads like HOT TOPIC - (Audio) Who have you helped? and GOLD! - Is This Idea/Business/Blah Blah Fastlane? (Uh, no, it isn't.)
Damn. I need to get something going here. But what?
I come face to face with my Scripted mindset... "I'm not qualified to offer any value" and "I don't have any skills" but the FLF (special shout out to @Andy Black) comes to the rescue You don't need to be an expert and (Radio Interview) Freedom, Motivation, & Grow What You Know
It's week 2 and people start to get laid off and businesses dry up. The financial fear sets in... I'm probably gonna get laid off too. "Oh no!"
Then "Thank God!"
Followed by "Oh F*ck! Im gonna need money!"
Well didn't I just learn a thing or two about digital marketing from that Udemy course? I know I'm no expert, but hey, Andy says I don't have to be an expert to help somebody. I know that I have some natural skills. MJ says it's about the process, right? F*ck it. I'm gonna build a website and go from there.
I have absolutely no prior knowledge or experience about website building, but I don't need much... just something according to HOT TOPIC - AndyTalks with @Contrarian about starting his side hustle in local lead gen and with Wordpress and the software nowadays... it can't be that hard.
A few days go by and I prove to myself that not only can I build a fully functioning website, but I can succeed at something my head tells me I'm not ready for.
Before I launch it I should get a customer. Wait a minute, a customer for what? I still don't have a business idea or know what I'm gonna do. Hmmm... I can't do what Andy does because thats his business and I can't step on his toes like that... but isn't he in Ireland? I don't think he'd mind if I took what I learn from him and use it to help others, would he? (Side note: if you do mind @Andy Black let me know)
Then my phone rings. A good friend of mine who also happens to be a plumber calls to check in with me. We start talking and I learn about how slow his business is right now because people don't want plumbers in their homes... unless it's an emergency of course.
I could make him a landing page with my newfound website knowledge. In fact, Andy Black has a ridiculous amount of educational content on how to run AdWords campaigns [see Andy's AdWords Posts.] Whats preventing me from learning everything I can and trying to help my friend boost his business?
The only thing preventing me is him. He doesn't want to pay to post his ad. Hmmm... now what... HOT TOPIC - Spend your money on diesel and coffee
It's been about 2 weeks of me trying to keep in touch with my network, plant the seed that "I'm a digital marketing guy" now, all while simultaneously trying to learn from Andy's posts. I'm waiting to hear back from a friend who runs a moving company that seemed really interested, but I feel like thats gone cold. I've got a list of phone calls to make. Thats whats next on my critical path.
In the midst of all this, the opportunity to write a sales script came up. I took it and made a quick $500 for 13 hours of work. That was interesting. I've never made money from home before. At the job I hate it would've taken me probably 3 days to make that much money (then lose 20% of it to taxes). And as I write this, someone in my network texted me saying he has 4000 warm leads and he needs someone to look them up to get their phone number and email. He's offering $15/20 an hour but MJ taught me to detach my time from money. I asked him how much each lead was worth to him. Maybe I can make him an offer based on that info if I hear back from him.
It seems the process of me working to build something and get my name out there with this "yes I'm ready and capable" attitude opens up doors for unexpected opportunities. There is a certain kind of magic that happens when I pocket that inner voice of "you're not ready for that" or "what if you don't do a good job?" and just do it. What usually happens? I finally prove to myself that I'm way more capable, ready, and qualified than I ever thought I was.
I wanted to outline my progress in the last month to demonstrate that NOW is better than ever to build something. For those panicked, depressed, or discouraged by the pandemic - specifically those newer to the forum than myself - I hope this thread brings you solace and inspiration.
Hearing other people's stories helps me. I hope mine can help you. The threads I've linked in this post have played a particularly ENORMOUS part in my taking action this last month.
I'd love to hear the details about your progress/execution this forced isolation has freed you to do!
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