May 16 (edited) in 💬 General Discussion
I almost quit… about 107 times
In 1997, after flunking out of engineering school, I started my first business. Writing business plans for entrepreneurs looking for bank loans...
Since then, I've been an entrepreneur through and through, having only held one salaried position in my entire life.
But don't be misled—I've submitted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of job applications over the past two decades because, let's face it, there are days when I just want to throw in the towel and say, "Enough is enough."
We've all been there, right? If not, just wait a few months—hahahaha.
Despite receiving numerous job offers that promised higher pay than my business netted, I could never muster the courage to accept them.
I've come close, though. With sales experience and a proven track record, landing a high six-figure job with stock options in the tech or financial sectors isn't all that difficult.
So why did I keep applying and attending interviews if I had no intention of taking the jobs?
Simply put, I was exhausted from doing everything on my own.
When you're launching a company, you're not just the CEO; you're the janitor, accountant, salesperson, and wearing countless other hats until you can either secure investor funding or generate enough revenue to hire help.
I was fed up with being broke, smiling when I wanted to cry, and answering insincere questions about how my business was doing from people who didn't really care.
Seeing imposters on Instagram flaunting rented Lamborghinis or Airbnb mansions while selling bogus courses was infuriating.
Being a speaker, coach, or entrepreneur is tough. It often feels like you're trapped in a self-imposed Houdini-style torture chamber, trying to prove you can escape before you drown or get hit by a freight train.
You make a bit of money, which feels like progress, only to mess it up again—two steps forward, three steps back.
Meanwhile, friends who seek your advice are getting promotions and raises using tips you gave them. They're posting beach vacations with their significant others or school drop-offs with their kids on Instagram.
But that's not the reality for most entrepreneurs. We're in the office until 3 AM, seven days a week, with our brains constantly churning over the problems we need to solve.
We remind ourselves of the rewards waiting at the end of this lonely, less-traveled road.
Entrepreneurs make these sacrifices for our dreams and to provide the best for our families in the future. We want the pride of saying, "I built that."
We keep going because we see the progress we've made, we've become unemployable, and we realize we might have started this journey somewhat unprepared.
A successful business requires sufficient capital, immense courage, and enough time to develop. Unfortunately, many of us boldly start with two of these three essentials missing.
I must admit, I would have been better off starting my entrepreneurial career as a side hustle instead of diving in full-time as a poor, inexperienced 19-year-old.
But hindsight is 20/20 for a reason.
Keep looking forward and moving ahead. Your skills and probability of success will improve over time.
I'm living proof.
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I almost quit… about 107 times
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