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This is Part 2 of 2 about the beginning of my journey into entrepreneurship. If you haven’t read part 1 yet make sure you check that out first.
After barely surviving October, I knew my work was cut out for me in November, but I truly had no other option but to make it work. Two weeks into November I still had no clients, and barely had enough money for basic necessities like food and toilet paper. I was literally scraping by. One night I was hanging out with a girl, and she was about to leave. As she was walking out, she turned around and gave me $60. “Go get yourself some groceries Cam, you need to eat.” I had to take the money against my will, because I knew not taking it was stupid… I needed to eat after all.
“Success is my only mother fucking option, failure’s not.”
–Eminem
With two weeks to go and at least $1000 needing to be made, I started trying to make money in any way I could. I began whoring out my photography with $100 photoshoots. I didn’t know how to make money on the dating side yet, so photography was my only option. I would (pretty much) beg people to let me do a photoshoot in exchange for $100. (Little did I know this would end up killing my passion for photography.)
Working my ass off I was able to make about $400 off my photography. I wasn’t anywhere close to having rent, and I only had one week to go. Things weren’t looking good. I had to start looking at backup plans. Where would I go if I didn’t make rent? I refused to let myself ask my parents for help, and moving back home wasn’t an option either. I seriously thought I was going to end up sleeping in my car until I could make money. It was bad.
Everybody kept suggesting that maybe it was time to get a part-time job; a thought I entertained for about 30 seconds. Getting a part-time job was not an option – I was determined to make this work.
With time running out, I thought I could start selling stuff. Christmas was coming up and I had a few valuables that could make great gifts. I found someone interested in buying my Wii, but the only way I was going to get close to making rent was selling it for basically full retail price. Of course that isn’t attractive to most people, so the potential buyer began backing off. I had 2 days to get rent or I was off on my own.
Back against the wall, I begged this person (a good friend of mine) to buy it. I was completely embarrassed that this is what my life had become, but what else was I supposed to do? On the last day before my life was about to crumble, my friend came through and bought the Wii off of me. I had rent and somehow survived another month without a job. I wasn’t concerned about doing well, I just wanted to survive. By being able to survive I gained confidence that I could make this work, while also learning a lot about making money –and of course learning a ton about my character.
During December I started to meet a few more prospects looking to improve their dating lives. Momentum was beginning to build. I sold one guy on a bootcamp, for $600. I did a few more $100 photoshoots and made rent. Life was beginning to come around. January 2009 I had 4 clients, including my first one outside Calgary in Edmonton. Things were finally starting to come around.
At the end of January I met Kevin, and after a meeting at Café Beano we decided to join forces to start Kingpin Social. I have worked full-time for Kingpin Social ever since, and over the last 2 ½+ years I have been able to help guide over 120 other people in leading a better life, full of healthy relationships and passion, while living the badass life of working for myself. I haven’t had to call in sick, or listen to my boss bitch at me once. I’ve been able to do my thing, and take vacations (like the one I’m currently on) whenever I mutha fuckin’ please. I finally have the freedom to do what I want, when I want.
Since October 2008 I’ve been able to work on my passions. I’ve been able to get by, and even become successful.
The only difference is taking that leap of faith and diving in. I forced myself to sink or swim. No Plan Bs.
If I can do it, so can you.
When I started out I had nobody to help, nobody who cared. This isn’t the case for you, because I will help you if you allow me to.
So what is holding you back? What do you think you need to plan for before jumping? What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Share it in the comment section below. I’d love to help you make that push. Also join our fan page, some real talk happening on there lately.
Post is dedicated to our favorite Jamie, who is currently taking the leap and quitting her job on September 1. I know she will be successful, and so could you. It all comes down to the choices we make and the people we surround ourselves with. It all comes down to Social Dynamics. I’m super proud of her for taking this step.
“After enlightenment, the laundry.”
I’ve been going through a very similar phase these last few months. I know that if I get another easy 9-5 job I’ll end up smoking weed 24/7 to compensate for the monotony and loose my motivation to move forward with my life. With that being said, the perceived luxury of having a plan B is tempting.
This reminds me of the fourth chapter of 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene where he talks about how creating a sense of urgency and desperation and jumping into a battle with no bail out strategy can motivate an army to overcome stacked odds.
Thanks for the post.
As the days get closer to when I give my resignation (5 more days,) the deeper the fears seem to get me and fill me with a lot of self-doubt. This is just a reminder that it’s just my ego trying to limit me and keep me unfulfilled and mediocre.
Cam, your story is inspirational, thank you so much for sharing and for the shout out. I can’t express how much gratitude I have for having someone like you in my life who supports me and pushes me past my own limitations. You’re a great coach and friend.
🙂
Tony: Thanks for the comment man. The story I really like to relate to is back in the day when the Romans would go to war, they would bring their army across the sea and to the land they wanted to conquer. Once there they would burn their boats, and tell their soldiers they had two choices: to win the war or to die. They didn’t have any boats to go back, so those were the only options they had. I think this mentality can work extremely well, if you understand that all problems can be solved through creativity and persistance. Plan B’s are necessary because they are a pre-determined solution to potential failure of Plan A. But if you go into Plan A without a Plan B, you will be forced to make it succeed. The kicker though is that sometimes your original Plan A isn’t the one that succeeds. It’s an evolved form, from being forced to adapt and survive when the original one wasn’t working out. You have to believe in your ability to adapt and be creative. Believe in your ability to be persistant, without giving up.
Jamie- Resignation day is almost here. No going back now. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words.
You burned your ships man, you mastered in that period of pure hell the secret that is taught in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, and made it yours. Get paid for your results, not for punching a clock, it’s a habbit man, excellence is a habbit. That’s why you say how much you would resent getting a part time job even though everything had hit the fan by that time. It’s not really a secret though, you just said it. There was no other option *in your mind*. In the mind of a quitter, giving up is “OK” because whatever they are chasing was never really that important to them in the first place, and so mediocrity becomes a habbit. A definate aim, and persistence in the face of the hardest thing you can imagine, and things you can’t imagine yet. That’s true grit my friend, I’ve been there, I know what I wanted and didn’t quit even though I could have on MANY occasions just because I wanted to win THAT badly. Word up.
Hey Liam. I think you nailed it dude. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
It’s funny that I’m at a similar cross road. I could keep a simple 9-5’er and make a pittance or I Could go for broke, go on commission only and make a fortune but take some serious risks… I know I will take the riskier path but at the same time it’s a bit nerve-wracking!!!
Gotta dive in at some point. 🙂