Hey there Fastlane Community,
my name is Mirko and I am incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to become a part of this awesome community.
In the next few lines I'm going to describe where I come from, show my motivations and what my future plans are. It will be some kind of self analysis. So I hope that it's not to boring...
Now you might ask, what are the characteristics of a swabian father? Here are some of them:
When I look back at my life so far, I must admit that I am a perfect example of a M.O.D.E.L.-Citizen.
After leaving school I went to a university, studying renewable resources and bionergy (even did my Master of Science...) focusing on bioenergy, which lead to a job in a small engineering office (working there since 2013). Of course, nothing I learned during my studying days is of any relevance, cause the german state decided to cut all subsidies to bioenergy facilities, leaving the whole industry to die...
But lucky for me, I didn't get fired, cause my company has different working areas. So I switched to building technologies (involving CAD-Work) to energy systems (batteries and fuel cells) to research and development to ICA engineering. At the moment I am responsible for HMI Interfaces and been just promoted to a project manager for a complex energy system for a couple of production halls of our mother company...
As you can see, I've been thrown around a lot, which makes me feel exposed to the will of my bosses.
Do I like my job? At the beginning, yes. Right now? I absolutely hate it due to the fact, that my bosses are unable to focus. It happened too often, that I worked over hours for a project that just got canceled in a blink of an eye without any comprehensible reasons.
Do I hate the job enough? Obviously not enough to quit just yet. The thing is, that my coworkers are all nice people, I can work from home most of the time and I need the money to pay the bills.
So I did not have a real FTE so far, but I think that I smelled it a few times...
My Journey than went to a bunch of different books from Tony Robbins over to Russle Brunson and other authors about self development, different books about Stocks and possible income streams. I stoped listening to music while driving to work and started to hear business podcasts excessively. But for the most part, it was a long period of just soaking in more or less relevant Information.
Than one day, a distant friend came to me with a very very good opportunity called GetMyAds <-- smells fishy? Yes it is. I invested about 500 €, what turned out to be a moderate learning expenses... Ponzi's are obviously not there to make the guy on the bottom filthy rich...
I then went on to crypto currencies, which despite controversial was quiet profitable for me. Fun fact: the company I'm working at is building specialized cooling systems for mining servers. I do still hold some cryptocurrencies, but on a buy and hold strategy.
To be honest with myself, most of those encounters where just action faking without the anticipated get rich quick effect. So, while incredible information flew around my brain, I was not able/willing to use that knowledge to do anything meaningful.
While the realization was there, I still wasn't able to start something meaningful for another year. It's a lame excuse, but I simply didn't find something I was willing to invest my precious time in. So my mind tried to find those get rich quick shit again. I considered a T-Shirt businesses, Amazon FBA and other stuff hot at the time, but didn't come over the idea phase <-- action faking at best...
But than in June 2019, while lurking the FastlaneForum, I stumbled upon @Fox 's Thread about starting as a web developer. Due to my tech-affinity, it immediately caught my attention. I rushed through the recommended courses and started building my first website for the gardener who was making our garden, who didn't have a website at all (was an easy sell, cause I did it for free). The whole experience was so fascinating, that I then started to make websites for my band and my stepmother (Artist and book author for children). Those where all free projects to grab experience and a bit of needed self-confidence.
The next project was a lucky coincidence, cause the girlfriend of one of my best friends was working for a real estate agent at the time, who had a really shitty website. Shortly before she introduced me, they interviewed another developer who just claimed 5,000 € just to update the given website (No redesign, no additional functionality, just updating the shitty website...). So I took the chance and closed the deal for 3,950.00 € ;-). As you can guess, I was hooked like never before, when I finally saw the money on my bank account, cause for the first time I provided value on my own for a company and got rewarded for my work.
Up until I registered my one man Webdesign company in march 2020 I made about 6,900 €. I know that this is nothing to turn a head around, but for me it means a lot.
To achive that, I set myself the following targets:
That sucks, and I'm fed up with all my inner excuses. Thats why I am committed to be part of this community. I hope to bring in some value, make good friends and be able to learn and implement the wisdom provided by the likeminded people in this forum.
Again, sorry for the long introduction.
I wish you all the best.
Mirko
my name is Mirko and I am incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to become a part of this awesome community.
In the next few lines I'm going to describe where I come from, show my motivations and what my future plans are. It will be some kind of self analysis. So I hope that it's not to boring...
Where I come from
First some random facts about me:- Used to be quiet sporty due to gymnastics, judo and beach volleyball <-- nearly all lost since working in a corporate job...
- I'm the typical tech-guy, relatives and friends come to when they have problems with their Macs, PCs or smartphones. First action on Christmas Eve is to sort out all the PC problems my father collected over the year...
- Making music in a Coverband (little Side Hustle <-- now completely on hold due to Covid...)
Now you might ask, what are the characteristics of a swabian father? Here are some of them:
- Small family with two kids (age 3 and 1 in my case).
- Mother at home, managing the Kids. Father working to bring in the money.
- Living in the "own" house in a quiet Area, paying mortgage until forever...
- Typical 40 hour workweek, with approximately 10 hours overtime each week...
- Extreme saving attitude --> save every cent possible.
- Don't go on vacation (in my case, I don't even like to go elsewhere...).
- Neither poor nor rich, just in the middle where mediocrity keeps you in place.
When I look back at my life so far, I must admit that I am a perfect example of a M.O.D.E.L.-Citizen.
After leaving school I went to a university, studying renewable resources and bionergy (even did my Master of Science...) focusing on bioenergy, which lead to a job in a small engineering office (working there since 2013). Of course, nothing I learned during my studying days is of any relevance, cause the german state decided to cut all subsidies to bioenergy facilities, leaving the whole industry to die...
But lucky for me, I didn't get fired, cause my company has different working areas. So I switched to building technologies (involving CAD-Work) to energy systems (batteries and fuel cells) to research and development to ICA engineering. At the moment I am responsible for HMI Interfaces and been just promoted to a project manager for a complex energy system for a couple of production halls of our mother company...
As you can see, I've been thrown around a lot, which makes me feel exposed to the will of my bosses.
Do I like my job? At the beginning, yes. Right now? I absolutely hate it due to the fact, that my bosses are unable to focus. It happened too often, that I worked over hours for a project that just got canceled in a blink of an eye without any comprehensible reasons.
Do I hate the job enough? Obviously not enough to quit just yet. The thing is, that my coworkers are all nice people, I can work from home most of the time and I need the money to pay the bills.
So I did not have a real FTE so far, but I think that I smelled it a few times...
The realization
It must have been in 2016 I guess, when my company got kicked out of a project from our mother company (weird senior boss vs junior boss disputes), when I realized that working for other people is a really bad use of time and health. So I started to read books about self development and entrepreneurship (entry book: The 4-Hour-Workweek).My Journey than went to a bunch of different books from Tony Robbins over to Russle Brunson and other authors about self development, different books about Stocks and possible income streams. I stoped listening to music while driving to work and started to hear business podcasts excessively. But for the most part, it was a long period of just soaking in more or less relevant Information.
Than one day, a distant friend came to me with a very very good opportunity called GetMyAds <-- smells fishy? Yes it is. I invested about 500 €, what turned out to be a moderate learning expenses... Ponzi's are obviously not there to make the guy on the bottom filthy rich...
I then went on to crypto currencies, which despite controversial was quiet profitable for me. Fun fact: the company I'm working at is building specialized cooling systems for mining servers. I do still hold some cryptocurrencies, but on a buy and hold strategy.
To be honest with myself, most of those encounters where just action faking without the anticipated get rich quick effect. So, while incredible information flew around my brain, I was not able/willing to use that knowledge to do anything meaningful.
The light at the end of the tunnel
In 2018 I finally discovered The Millionaire Fastlane through a self help Podcast. Probably most of the people reading this book got their minds blown. I was no different. Unscripted further pushed my mind in a new direction that was both exciting, but also frightening. For the first time I really realized, that the way I am doing things and the way I think about things really needs to change, cause otherwise I will be trapped in a life I am not happy with. Big thanks to @MJ DeMarco for bringing much needed clarity to my path.While the realization was there, I still wasn't able to start something meaningful for another year. It's a lame excuse, but I simply didn't find something I was willing to invest my precious time in. So my mind tried to find those get rich quick shit again. I considered a T-Shirt businesses, Amazon FBA and other stuff hot at the time, but didn't come over the idea phase <-- action faking at best...
But than in June 2019, while lurking the FastlaneForum, I stumbled upon @Fox 's Thread about starting as a web developer. Due to my tech-affinity, it immediately caught my attention. I rushed through the recommended courses and started building my first website for the gardener who was making our garden, who didn't have a website at all (was an easy sell, cause I did it for free). The whole experience was so fascinating, that I then started to make websites for my band and my stepmother (Artist and book author for children). Those where all free projects to grab experience and a bit of needed self-confidence.
The next project was a lucky coincidence, cause the girlfriend of one of my best friends was working for a real estate agent at the time, who had a really shitty website. Shortly before she introduced me, they interviewed another developer who just claimed 5,000 € just to update the given website (No redesign, no additional functionality, just updating the shitty website...). So I took the chance and closed the deal for 3,950.00 € ;-). As you can guess, I was hooked like never before, when I finally saw the money on my bank account, cause for the first time I provided value on my own for a company and got rewarded for my work.
Up until I registered my one man Webdesign company in march 2020 I made about 6,900 €. I know that this is nothing to turn a head around, but for me it means a lot.
Moving forward
I saw a clips of lite at the end of the rat race tunnel and will go forward to leave as soon as possible.To achive that, I set myself the following targets:
- Replace my 9-to-5 income with Webdesign income in the next 6 Months (about 30,000 € net income)<-- I know that Webdesign does not fulfill all C.E.N.T.S commandments, but I see it as a payed way to gain insights into business strategies.
- In the next two years, take what I have learned from Webdesign and create a product or service that really brings value to a decent amount of people.
- By 40 (that would be 2027) I will finally be financially independent and a happy owner of a productocracy that changes peoples life.
Inner Motivation
This is probably going to be a little egoistic on one or the other points, but this reflects my actual inner motivations (without specific order):- Stop being some one else's tool to make them rich
- Release the burden of my entire Family and enable them a good and fulfilling live
- Do something of meaning
- Don't have to worry about money and other social dependencies
- Be the owner of my own time
- Pay my mortgage before 40
Why have I joined the Fastlaneforum?
I was the typical lurker trying to get as much value out of this forum without ever participating. My inner excuses where always no time, nothing to show for, pure laziness, ... every other generic excuse you can think of.That sucks, and I'm fed up with all my inner excuses. Thats why I am committed to be part of this community. I hope to bring in some value, make good friends and be able to learn and implement the wisdom provided by the likeminded people in this forum.
Again, sorry for the long introduction.
I wish you all the best.
Mirko
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