It seems like a lot of us don't fit, do we? You gotta be crazy to start an online business and to think that you are going to make a living out of it. We're nuts, or are we?
1. I graduated from college on a beautiful summer day in California. There was no hint of recession yet. My GPA was great and so were my prospects. I posted a résumé on Monster.com and within half an hour my beeper (yes, they were still in use then) started beeping with 17 (!) calls for interviews.
--And I eventually found a corporate job
--And had a cubicle
--And a 401 (k)
--And a great credit rating
--And a luxury car
So I played to script. Should have been happy, right? Well no, not at all. At the most prosperous time of my young life I felt boxed in. And working from a cubicle, I literally was.
2. If corporate work wasn't my thing, what was? Very helpful magazines like Entrepreneur and Inc. appealed to my free spirit, and I soon found myself opening a small business.
--And I bought a large format printer
--And got myself a client base
--And worked hard at my job pipeline
--And got myself known in the small business community
Now I was free, had my own hours, and responded to no one but my clients. I should be happy then, right? Well no, not quite. The business consumed all of me, all of me. No time to relax, no weekends, no time with my family. Either I made it happen or no one else would. I was a true business owner.
3. After a long period of indecision, failure and frustration I decided to, for the first time in my life, abandon whatever safety I had in doing what is known and tested and try a new thing: I decided to start writing.
--But I'd never written before!
--There's a ton of bloggers out there!
--It's like wanting to make it as a Hollywood actor!
But guess what: I am happy. For the first time I feel connected. Connected to my audience. Connected to whom I really am. Connected to a sense of purpose.
And there's a ton of us our there. All my blogging friends, self-help experts and independent writers, we are where we should be! Let's keep this momentum going and continue building our networks and our audience. We make a difference, we can help, and the online business community is where we belong!
