I don’t have it all together. I don’t know what I’m doing. I have no idea what the next few months/years hold for me. But I’m okay with this.
There’s beauty in uncertainty. There’s intrigue in not having a perfect plan.
With ambition and hard work, you don’t need to know everything.
The 10 years I’ve been an entrepreneur are proof of this. I’ve almost never known where I was going next, or what the 3-5 year plan looked like (heck, what about a 6-month plan?).
I often find myself dreaming of owning a simpler business. A business where I have one product to sell that speaks directly to one customer. But then I think about the limitations that “dream” would bring. The box that “dream” would put me in creatively and operationally. It is much safer to run a business with a single, focused product, targeting a specific customer. But I choose not to play it safe.
I’ve never wanted to play by the rules
I’ve never wanted to play it safe. I’ve never wanted to accept things as they are. This is who I am, and this is what brings me personal fulfillment.
I’ve been a 7-figure business owner, but I can tell you it didn’t mean I had everything together. At every level of business, money does not mean you know what you’re doing or have it all figured out. It just means you’re doing something that people are paying attention to (and paying money to).
I’m okay with not making nearly as much money as other entrepreneurs. I’m okay with not having huge amounts of money in my savings account. Focusing only on money has only led me to dark and unhappy places.
I look at my many businesses as canvases. The ideas for those business are the brushes and paints. Sometimes I paint wildly, ending up with a business that only suits my needs and costs me money to keep afloat (Bumpsale). Sometimes I paint by the numbers, which leads to a business that provides more consistent (but not super sexy) income (Teachery). I’ve come to learn that a mix of both balances everything out.
I’m not in the pursuit of having it all together.
I’m not searching for a perfect idea or perfect business. I’m not sure I’ll ever find a truly sustainable business model for myself. But that’s okay.
As my wife Caroline and I like to say: Life is an experiment.
I’m excited to keep playing this game at my own pace and by my own rules, because that’s what gives me satisfaction.
If you feel the same way, then keep trying things. Keep building things. Keep swinging wildly with your paints and brushes. Enjoy the outcomes, whatever they may be, and know you can always start a completely new canvas at a moment’s notice.
