I built a six-figure remote business and walked away from the 9 to 5 at age 46. Every Tuesday, I email a story, tip, or idea to help you climb down the corporate ladder and live life on your terms.
Here's the catch-22 that is preventing you from taking action...
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Happy Saturday! We're back and unpacked from our trip to Nova Scotia! If you missed my last email, Laura and I took her parents to the East Coast earlier this month. We flew into Halifax, rented a car, and spent eight days touring the province - four days in Cape Breton (drove the Cabot Trail) and then four days back in Halifax. The trip wasn't quite as relaxing as our last visit five years ago, as our role was more "tour guide" than tourist this time. ;) But we had a wonderful time, nonetheless. Anyhow, on to more important things. : ) Recently, I spoke to someone who desperately wants to leave their traditional job and start a lifestyle business. But as is often the case, they are struggling to get started. As we talked more, I realized that what kept this person from taking action wasn't fear, and it wasn't imposter syndrome. It was their need for clarity. They wanted to know how things would unfold before they started. Therein lies the Catch-22. When starting a business or any major venture, we often want clarity before taking action. The problem is that clarity can only come after we take action. Worse, this need for clarity can leave us feeling completely stuck. It's happened to me many times, in fact, I still deal with it. If you're sitting around waiting to figure it all out before starting, remember this... Your business plans will probably not unfold the way you think they will. I rarely see people succeed with their first business idea. Instead, they start one thing and figure out what they were meant to do through trial and error. When I started my first side hustle in 2016, I had no intention of becoming a full-time writer. But I just got started and failed at a few side hustles. I learned how to pivot and eventually figured out where I fit. So, if you're putting off starting something because you need clarity, let it go! Find something small you can do in the next week to get started—even if it's selling something on Facebook Marketplace, writing a blog post on Medium, or posting on social media. Anything that will get you moving forward. Have a wonderful weekend! - Colin |
9-5 Escape by Colin Graves
I built a six-figure remote business and walked away from the 9 to 5 at age 46. Every Tuesday, I email a story, tip, or idea to help you climb down the corporate ladder and live life on your terms.
Hey everyone! I recently had the opportunity to share my solopreneurship story with Andy Hill on the Marriage, Kids, and Money podcast. The episode went live this week, and you can watch it on YouTube or listen to the podcast! If any of the following sounds familiar, you need to watch this interview! You feel completely stuck in your corporate job and can't find a way out. You like your job, but dream of living the "laptop lifestyle". You're struggling to come up with a good side hustle idea....
July 2016. The sun, almost directly overhead, was beating down hard. I could feel the sweat gathering on my forehead, and I hadn’t even hit the stage yet. My black button-down and dark jeans weren’t helping. My bandmates and I stood backstage — if you could call it that — it was a white tent tucked stage right. Security and staff buzzed around, focused on their tasks. At least we had cold water. After about 30 minutes, the signal came. The five of us climbed the stairs and stepped onto the...
Hey everyone! A quick thought for today... The dream isn't a business. Most people think they want a business, but what they actually want is a life. A life where they wake up excited. Where they choose how to spend their time. Where they work because they want to, not because they have to. A business is just a tool. The life is the goal. What are you designing — a business or a life? Best, Colin _________________________ 🚀 Ready to take action? Here’s how we can connect: → Join the...