Think about your childhood for a moment. Remember as a kid, dreaming about if you'd be wealthy when you grew up? How did that work out for you?
I'll give you tips on making your dreams of wealth a reality.
As a kid, my grown-up goal was to be a game show host. I wanted to be the guy with the mic. The orchestrator of the main event.
There was so much appeal of having quick wit and the energy from the audience response that game show hosts received that made this occupation have instant appeal. I knew that if I could just land something, some type of entertainment program with an audience, the rest would fall naturally into place and things would take care of themselves effortlessly. And after working my way up to late night talk show host status, I’d invite Alex Trebek to my show and give him pointers on lightening up a bit and how to be more fun.
Back then, I had an old tape recorder with a handheld mic. It was something gramps had brought over once while visiting. I would practice recording different acts while trying different gameshow host voices, then play it back to see which ones would go over best with an audience. I couldn’t have been but 6 or 7 years old then. Already I was in planning mode.
Fast forward to present day and the outcome turned out completely different and I have found myself managing multiple beach home vacation rental properties.
The moment your dream comes to fruition
Guess what? A variation of my dream DID come true! I didn’t get to meet Alex, but I did land a successful afternoon radio host position in Chicago back in the mid-90's with an afternoon radio show. I worked at it and aligned myself to have the right connections and have the best probability of success. After that, and a bit of luck, the rest fell into place with relatively little effort.
Sometimes the final outcome looks vastly different, and often is capable of being better than what we could’ve hoped for or imagined. Having options is good.
Life change
The radio show host experience was life changing. I suddenly knew that if I could pull off this feat, more could be possible.
I used to be shy prior to the radio days. Suddenly I had an audience of several thousands. Events like that have a profoundly positive change. This was not the finish line, this was only the beginning.
During my time as a radio personality I went to a concert at the Metro in downtown Chicago to see several bands perform. A bunch of friends and I went into the packed venue and saw three really good bands perform, two of which were new to the music scene. At the end of one set and among all the noise and lights, the lead singer jumped off the stage and ran through the crowd and right up to me. Seeing my station issued shirt, he enthusiastically said “Dude! You have to put my songs on the air. Please! Let me get you a CD!” I suddenly remembered I was wearing a shirt from the radio station and he had seen it from up on the stage.
I still have that CD, which I ran past the station manager. We both liked it and on the air it went. Listeners began to call in to request the songs and I'd like to think that in some small way, that attributed to the success of that artist. This was the beginnings of networking, which I'll touch upon again in this post.
After that, I felt recognized. People I didn’t even know were approaching me, telling me they liked the show. Success came in increasingly larger and greater forms by attempting larger and greater accomplishments.
Be committed, be polite, be professionally aggressive on your journey.
It’s important to remember that each success is not the finish line. There is no finish line for success. You celebrate the victory, and then you keep going. You keep repeating and accomplishing, adding success upon success to your story but most importantly, you keep going. And when you are so tired and wonder how you’ll have the energy to keep going, you still keep going. Rockets reach orbits that are free from gravity because, you guessed it, they keep going.
All this is available to those that choose this mindset. But it takes life change, and lots of it. I am talking full-on commitment that may disrupt your comfort zone socially, mentally and financially. But, the end result will be worth it. Let’s jump in.
To be successful, you have to be in the game to win the game
My realtor several weeks ago told me about a color I had not heard of before, Agreeable Grey. It exists, look it up.
I had to laugh because I thought “who would choose such a passive name for a color? Give me Ferocious Red!”. A few days ago I went up to the attic looking for some paint and there among the paint cans the builder had used to paint the walls was, drum roll please...Agreeable Grey!
If you can compare your current situation to Agreeable Grey, what can be done to liven up the palette? Take calculated business chances in which the reward outweighs the risk, as there will nearly always be risks. Then, imagine the reward and how success will feel. If the reward is greater than the business risk, then it’s worth your time and dedication. Calculated business risks are a necessary and key element to success.
11 Dollars and a rough beginning
You’ve heard the phrase “you have to spend money to make money”, right? This has proven to be true time and time again in my experience. Paying for education possibly can yield better paying jobs. Paying for a stock can yield better paying dividends.
Notice I said “possibly” back there. This is part of the calculated risk to increase the odds of a reward, to see if the grass really is greener on the other side. Doing nothing at all is living a life of Agreeable Grey.
In the 2000's, I suddenly found myself out of work as a result of my company ceasing their operations. I, for all intents and purposes, was a victim of circumstance. That event would eventually pave the path for multiple short-term beach homes in Panama City Beach Florida.
I had just bought a home and was operating on a razor-thin budget. I began to set forth a business plan which I thought was bulletproof, yet no banks would lend me money because I didn't have a proof of concept yet. I was in a hole, but I had a plan.
America was already spiraling into what later would be known as The Great Recession. The housing market was destabilizing. Banks, hesitant on lending, held fast to cash reserves. This was the time, despite all obstacles and despite advice that a corporation would be formed. Part of it by necessity, part of it by opportunity made available by the declining market.
By the time I paid the legal fees to incorporate and get all the necessary elements in place to launch my business there was $11 left. $11 to pay utilities, mortgage, advertising, you name it. Something had to happen, and pretty quick. And that something did happen.
Network with those that believe in your dreams
I joined a networking group with other small business owners. This really helped get the word out about the business and make the necessary contacts I needed to be successful. I remember one of the networking group members telling me that I would enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship and making my own hours, as long as I put in the necessary 70-80 hours per week as required. Things were looking up.
Your goal will require time and money
What is more valuable to you? Time or money?
In high school you might have said money because you had extra time. In adulthood, more often the answer is time. Time to do what you want and time to pursue your hobbies and desires. People will trade money for time because time is now not as abundant. Human nature is to want what you don’t have. Remember the great toilet paper shortage?
In the beginning of starting my corporation I had time instead of money. To change this, I sought avenues in which I could get free business exposure and meet others. Inevitably, it became apparent that I was having less time to work in the business, but then it happened...profit started rolling in. Now money was becoming more abundant, and I upgraded from cereal to Hot Pockets. It was a start to a new beginning and far from extravagant.
Never have I owed a penny in interest to any credit card company. I was $11 away from going into debt at one time and that was the wake-up call I needed that life change was necessary.
Hurry up, then wait
There is a good chance you’ll be in a situation where you may have to submit a complete package, business proposal, statement of work or application to a third party in order to realize your goal. Be thorough and complete. During this time you’ll want to anticipate their next move and any questions that may crop up. It’s very similar to chess. Focus on preparation so you can be empowered to get to the place you need.
In my case, I had to meet with state government decision makers at the capital. I had to make a business proposal in the same room in front of the same board where so many had come this far, but had failed. I had no mentor or guide for this process. It was all uncharted waters and a nerve-grinding 9-hour long interview process.
The outcome? Because I had put in the time, dedication and legwork to come fully prepared to present my business plan and anticipated the challenges I’d face, the ordeal played out very well.
And then came the wait of the approval process. You have done your part and the outcome is out of your hands. Just think of what went well, and what you might add or try next time. There almost always is a next time in some way, shape or form. Then, when that final approval is given and your dream is in the clear, celebrate. You did it! Now go build your dream.
Continue to invest in your dream
Build up a network of trust. Delegate tasks.
I can tell you that being as detailed as I am, this was a tough transition for me, but a necessary one to make in order to grow the business. Delegation can be hard especially if you like to take passionate ownership in everything that you do. After all, it is your name that is on the final product.
I had to hand over tasks because I simply couldn’t be in 14 places at once. Once you master delegation, you will be working ON your business instead of IN your business, and working ON your business is where you need to and want to be.
Automate, then replicate
Design and automate systems to be available 24/7, so you won’t have to be. When you find out what works, see what elements are reproducible for the next project. I guarantee you that once you find the formula for success, whatever it may be for your particular situation, and apply those concepts to a new goal, the next future accomplishment will be a lot closer towards achieving that you can believe and you can be working remotely from Panama City Beach Florida or working from a rented beach house.
Start as a student, become a mentor
Others inevitably will notice your accomplishments and success and naturally, they will be curious on how you got to where you are today. Everyone loves a success story!
Colleagues will take notice of your accomplishments and begin to approach you for advice. What better time to share your acquired knowledge.
Even if you had no mentor, this is a great opportunity to become one. The world could benefit from more mentors, and the apprentice will benefit from your acquired knowledge. Seek to lead by example.
Change is life-changing
Don’t be scared. Change can be good. Embrace it fully. This is the only way to know if the grass on the other side really is greener.
Humans will naturally repeat what is comfortable to them and what works because it doesn’t require much extra effort. Remember when I "upgraded" to Hot Pockets? How easy it was to push a button and have food ready to eat a few minutes later. Maybe this was your go-to when you were in a hurry, but what if by consuming just Hot Pockets, you could have missed out on a tasty cuisine?
I know the argument of "there’s never enough time". But, you need to find ways to make time. Spend money in exchange for time. You will be glad you did, and come out a healthier, happier person. Plan a spa day or go to the beach. Life change gives way to personal positive change.
Never give up
Just remember that in anything you do and in all aspects in life, do not decide there is a finish line to limit your success. Instead, celebrate the milestones and keep running the race. And when you're tired and you feel the odds are against you and you can’t go on or shouldn’t go on, you keep on running. Perhaps you modify the technique or approach, but then you dust yourself off and keep fighting the good fight. Even if you feel there are very few people that have your back, when you feel your dream is worth pursuing, you will make it happen.
Don’t neglect yourself during this process. Nourish your body with knowledge, proper exercise, rest, and healthy food. All too easy is to get so involved in a task or have a brilliant idea or massive brain storm that you want to start working on it right away at 3am. That’s great ambition, but if you can, record those thoughts and revisit them refreshed later that day or the next day.
Steve Jobs once said “let food be your medicine, otherwise, medicine will be your food”.
Healthy eating is to keep everything in balance. Healthy foods fuel the creative process. When you get to the point of mental block or find yourself unable to process any new information, stop temporarily. Listen to your body and give it what it needs with rest and/or nutrients, then have another go at it.
This is my first real "blog”. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.
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