My mom told me to stop complaining about my business & get a ‘real job’
History Repeating Itself
In 1996 I started a web design business. I worked a full-time job while creating a company from scratch. The adventure was certainly a rollercoaster.
The highs were great when we sold 3 or 4 high-end websites in one sales meeting. We celebrated when we were awarded one of the best websites by the NAR (National Association of Realtors). The highest, most exhilarating hill was having it be my sole source of income after two years. Then in 2000 I sold the company and that sale allowed me to take a full year off without needing a job.
So many of my friends and family had ‘normal’ jobs. Nine to Five, Monday through Friday they clocked in and clocked out and could not relate to my way of work. One of my lowest lows was when my mother told me to “stop complaining about my business and get a real job”.
I remember waking up on the 1st of the month with no rent. It was 7 am and I stared sadly at the ceiling for hours. My phone rang at 9 am. I sulked out of bed and answered to hear a lady ask if I could show her my websites for her real estate business. I tried to push her off as I was so depressed. She was insistent and I was in her office with my designs by 1 pm. So I got up, got dressed and made my way to her office. After my lackluster presentation I walked into the bank and deposited a check big enough for rent and had money left over for food from that miracle sale.
A few months later, I was in a low rent situation again. I went to the post office box and there was a big envelope inside. It was from a real estate agent in San Diego. We saw her at the NAR convention and she sent the contract, her pictures and the whole cost of the website upfront! I stood in the post office and cried as post office goers stared and walked around me.
It wasn’t always highs and lows. There were many days in between spent learning, growing, marketing, sales, emails, building websites and sometimes just living. Through the four years of highs and lows, I learned a few things:
- The ability to create my work schedule and hours was very important to me.
- My self-confidence grew when I could see my work result in earnings.
- No one loves my business like I do.
Fast forward to today, I’m starting a few businesses. Working on making my living completely online so I can live the life I’m creating. This time I’m taking a more dimensional approach rather than riding a rollercoaster of ups and downs and sweating my way through no sales and slow times.
Today, the technology is better, faster and we are all integrated on a level no one thought possible 25 years ago. But the basics remain the same. The list above still applies and I’m once again building up from nothing, watching my clients, sales and even my social media engagement grow inch by inch.
I have become removed from the ‘instant gratification’ and glamour of people touting the familiar sounds of “Make 6 Figures in 6 Months!” and adopted a more logical approach.
Although 3 years can sound like a long time and feel that way. When I get one ‘like’ on Facebook or Youtube or one ‘clap’ on a medium story, it feels like an uphill battle to nowhere. But not focusing on the tally of ‘likes’ or ‘claps’ lets me focus on the tasks instead of the results. I know the end will be rewarding, I just have to keep going day by day.
To be continued…
