Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the sixth of the series of questions and my response:

Q6:"What is your long-term goal?"

Freedom. I'm pretty sure I knew that when I was a kid, but throughout the ambiguity of my teenager-hood to adulthood, my goal in life became rather unclear. I think I've spent the last two years digging it up again, and now, whenever I remember it, it takes me by surprise. Losing your dream for a while also makes it hard for you to believe in it, so I'm working on that, too: I believe I am meant to be free!

(Me posing at the "My cause is" wall inside the Amway Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, October 2014.)

Let me tell you what I mean by "freedom." I mean that I want to get to a point where money is no object and where I have time to do things that I actually care about instead of spending most of my time working on making money. The more money you have, the less time you spend worrying about how you're going to pay the bills next month. Money gives you options, the freedom to act on your dreams. 

(Read more here.)

When I get my freedom, I won't have to say, "I can't afford to go on that trip" or "I can't afford to build a house" or "I'll never be able to help other people in the way that I want to." There are hundreds--maybe thousands--of good, wealthy people out there who have that freedom, and the difference between us and them is that, while we're busy doubting ourselves, they're asking themselves, "Why not me? Why not now?" Ask yourself those questions, then ask yourself what freedom means to you.

(Click on this video to let Jim Rohn ask you a few important questions.)

These days we hear a lot of people talk about how rich people are evil and the poor are being cheated out of getting a piece of the wealth the rich enjoy. We hear a lot of people talk about how they think Communism is the answer and how Capitalism doesn't work. If you happen to be one of those people, I'd like to invite you to let Earl Nightingale change your mind. 

(Click here to let Earl change your mind.)

Need more convincing?

 

(Just in case you needed more convincing...) 

So, basically, if you aren't rich yet, it's nobody's fault but yours. And one of the best way to help other succeed is to help yourself succeed first. The best way to help someone climb a mountain is to lead the way. 

Aside from the common sense perspective provided in the excellent talks posted above, I'd like to explore the Catholic perspective with you a little bit. 

(Read more about St. Josemaria Escriva here.)

I myself have much to learn, but I get the idea that God wants us to take it upon ourselves to become saints, and sainthood isn't acquired by faith alone. It comes, in part, through works. "Works" doesn't just apply to charitable works (ie. Corporal Works of Mercy), it also applies to the work that we do to make money. So we must sanctify our work--offer it up for the glory of God and make sure it aligns with His Will. Perhaps God has led you to the work that you are doing now. If that's the case, quit wasting time, because He's waiting on you to make things happen. It is through us that He accomplishes many of His own works. Zig Ziglar says that he believes God wants you to succeed. 

(John Paul II giving both spiritual and practical advice, as usual.)

So don't settle! Claim your God-given freedom and don't let anybody take it away from you. There's a lot of work out there for us to do, a lot of people out there for us to help, and some really big dreams for us to reach in the process. Decide what your own long-term goals are and, as Dexter Yager says, "Get the heartbeat for freedom!"

Q5:"(Do you have) advice for others trying to become small business owners?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the fifth of the series of questions and my response:

Q5:"(Do you have) advice for others trying to become small business owners?"

As far as the technical side of starting certain kinds of small businesses goes, I can't help you very much on my own. I myself use a very simple business model, and I am still learning all the time about how I can work it to my advantage. Consequently, my first piece of advice would be to get help. Look around you. Do you know anyone who is running a business similar to the one you have in mind? Go to them right now and ask for a bit of their time. Schedule an appointment with them so you can ask them questions pertaining to their experience and knowledge, and don't forget to write down or record what they say. Be around people who know what they're doing, or who are figuring it out. You don't have to start from scratch. Go and learn from others. You will get untold value out of learning about the mistakes they've made, the struggles they face, and the ins and outs of the kind of businesses they're in.

Attend seminars and workshops. I attended two such events in 2014, and both were worth the time and money I invested in them. I made valuable connections, received exclusive information, was forced to think and produce under pressure, take lots of notes... Don't miss out on opportunities like these. They are invaluable, and they can provide you with the knowledge you need to start and run a small business. Plus, when you get around groups of people who are motivated to follow their dreams, like you are, you start to feel a whole different energy from what you experience anywhere else.

Join a mastermind group. Energy. Information. Motivation. Accountability. Focus. Support. It's all there for you in a mastermind group full of winners. "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with", so choose your mastermind group wisely and let them help you set yourself up for success.

Get into personal development. I would not be writing this blog post right now without the art of personal development. I used to have a rather low opinion of it, thinking it was mostly just rhetorical philosophy. Jim Rohn, Dexter Yager, Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Matthew Kelley and many, many others soon showed me that I was WRONG. Perhaps I'll write another post about it later. But plug yourself in! Get your hands on all the right books and audios (Ask me for recommendations). I myself subscribe to a bi-weekly education program that sends me four CD's and one new book to read every month. Seriously make time to consume these kinds of materials. It doesn't even matter if you can't put your full attention into them all the time (I, for example, usually listen to audios when I'm cleaning or driving, and I often read when I'm eating a meal). There are so many things to say about personal development, but what I want you to understand for now is that it's what's going to keep you going when things get confusing or rough. Never go a day without improving your mind through business and personal development materials.

Ask yourself, "Why do I want to do this?"Many people who start businesses seem to lose their way. How many businesses have you seen close over the years? It's probably because something broke their focus. You have to have a WHY. What's going to make it worth it for you to get up everyday and work on your business, through good times and bad? To weep over it, stress over it, bleed over it, get frustrated with it, push it, fix it, tweak it, win with it? I, for example, clean houses. I enjoy cleaning houses because I enjoy that sort of physical labor. I enjoy seeing how I can change the appearance of a home on the inside. I like knowing how clean I can make something. But cleaning houses is not something I can do long-term. In fact, I don't plan to be doing it for too much longer. But I started doing it because it was a great way to transition from the life I had (college student, 3 bosses) to the life I wanted (carefree with an awesome residual income). For the sake of my why, I have scrubbed many a toilet. It's all for my WHY.

One of my most recent revelations about business is that in order to be a good business person, you have to be a good consumer. Good business people like to see other business people succeed. I know other business owners, and it's awesome, because whenever I need something, I know who to go to! And they know to come to me when they need something. There's a give and take aspect to it. "The more you give, the more you get!" (Dexter Yager) If you support other people's businesses and open yourself up to being sold to, you might see other people treat you and your business in the same way. This is also a good way to put yourself in your customers' shoes and really find out how you can reach them.

I got the best advice from one of my personal development heroes, Earl Nightingale, over a year ago: "Don't compete: Create!" I heard it on an audio entitled "The Strangest Secret." You should go and listen to it right away; it's on YouTube. I heard Earl say it over and over again until it finally sank in. I live by that quote. Whenever you start to stress or you feel you've hit a dead end, just remember: "Don't compete: Create!"

Practical tips:

• Find a mentor!
• Get educated!
• Mastermind it out!
• Develop yourself!
• Define your purpose!
• Be a consumer!
• Don't compete: Create!

Q4:"What's the best lesson you've experienced so far?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the fourth of the series of questions and my response:

Q4:"What's the best lesson you've experienced so far?"

The biggest lesson I've learned so far: DON'T QUIT. The world is full of quitters; I chose not to be one of them. People quit good things all the time. They quit when it gets hard or confusing or when they forget why they started something in the first place. Quit being a quitter! And quit being around quitters! Stick with the things that move you forward in life, and get rid of the things that don't.

(Image found here.)

I had a mastermind session with my friends a few weeks ago. We went around the room and said one thing about ourselves that we wanted to believe in. "I'm worth more", "I'm genuine", "I'm a force to be reckoned with." When it was my turn, I said, "I'm a winner." It felt so crazy and so right to say it at the same time. What was even cooler is that my friends said that they believed that about me, too, and told me why they thought so. 

(Me with some of the winners I surround myself with, September 2014)

And now I tell it to myself all the time: I'm a winner, I'm a winner, I'm a winner. In times of doubt, I tell myself I'm a winner and I stop doubting. In times of confidence, I tell myself I'm a winner and I suddenly find more ways to win, or I get closer to winning at what I'm doing in that moment.

"I'm a winner." It's an affirmation. It's something you have to believe and tell yourself everyday, because "what you say is what you get." You words affect your thoughts, and your thoughts affect your actions, and your actions affect your belief, which repeats the cycle of success--or failure. I don't let things get in my way. "I don't have any hangups!" (Dexter Yager)

(Dexter Yager exercising, not long after he suffered a stroke, because he's a winner.)

As I wrote before, I was faced with challenge after challenge when I was trying to go to England, but I won in the end and I went to England in spite of everything. Whenever I face a challenge when I'm working, I find a way to deal with it and accomplish what I set out to do. When plans change, I don't fall apart: I reset my goal and go after it with a new game plan. Whenever I have issues with other people, I keep my attitude up and keep moving forward, because that's what winners do. When I decided at the last minute to do a month-long trip this year, I found and accepted ways to make it happen, despite all the crazy things that happened in the process. When I set an income goal, I reach it. When I set a sales goal, I reach it. When I'm scared to set a goal, I set it. And when I'm scared I won't reach a goal, I review it, review my plan, adjust my plan if necessary, and keep going after the goal. It's a funny mixture of looking ahead and going with the flow.

(Me, posing with a winner during my whirlwind, last-minute, totally worth it trip in September-October 2014)

Learn to ask yourself this question whenever something, good or bad, happens: "What does this experience make possible?" (Michael Hyatt)

(Michael Hyatt was one of the winners I started listening to via podcast when I decided I wanted to be a winner, too.)

But..I can't--!

Honestly, I'm not perfect at it. But I've found a way to eliminate my tendency to make excuses: I'm a winner because I've learned how to redirect my energy. Instead of spending my energy on being sad, anxious, stressed, or anything else negative, I take that same energy as soon as I feel negative feelings coming on and use it on something else: contacting people, making sales, scheduling appointments,  finding new clients, following up with clients, digging deeper into my mind to solve a problem, imagining how I can make things different and imagining what things will be like when they ARE different. I learned how to do this through (1) trusting in God and (2) believing I was made for more.

(This is God meeting you on your entrepreneurial journey and telling you to chill out and trust in Him. Image found here.)

Also, work with what you've got. I you live at home, work with it. If you're married and have kids, work with it. If you're broke, work with it. I don't mean perpetuate or eliminate it; I mean improve it.

(Me, excited about the conference I was attending, which happened to be full of winners, October 2014)

And don't forget to say:
I'm a challenge-crusher.
I'm a problem-solver.
I'm motivated.
I'm focused.
I was made for more.
I'm a WINNER.

Practical tips:

• Find or create a mastermind group (I'll write about what a mastermind group does in a later post).
• Read and listen to personal development products, because you're not going to adopt a winner's mentality by accident.
• Surround yourself with winners, because they'll build you up and impact your mind in powerful ways.
• Focus on your WHY--your dream, your purpose.
• Affirm yourself everyday with affirmations like "I'm a winner!"

Q3:"What did you say to inquiries about job security...?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the third of the series of questions and my response:

Q3:"What did you say to inquiries about job security, retirement, health insurance, etc. that everyone claims to be the biggest reason why they wouldn't go on the same quest and even discourage you from continuing to do so?"

People bring up those things because they're afraid of failure. Bottom line. I'm working to be too wealthy to care about job security, retirement, health insurance and all that jazz. Get out there and make it happen! Failure is just part of the process. Dexter Yager says that success is a journey, not a destination. Understand that failure is crucial to your success.

(Me having lunch at one of my favorite cafes and listening to Jim Rohn tell me that it's okay to fail as long as you don't let it get in the way of your success.)

B-b-but...what if...?!

No. Stop your worry-wheels right there and remind yourself of your dreams and ask yourself if they're worth it. If they're not, then you need to get yourself some bigger dreams!

(Observe this awesome pic-quote I just created with the help of my mentor Michelle and picmonkey.com!)

Also, the biggest risk a person can take is to take no risks at all!
The job security myth is something you'll start to see through whether you become an entrepreneur or not. I myself was never able to hold down any of my traditional jobs, and yet I've been able to happily and energetically devote myself to my multi-preneur career longer than I've been able to concentrate on anything else in a long time (And no, it wasn't because I have ADD or something, it's because I knew I wasn't meant to be at those jobs, working for someone who wasn't ME). There are tons of people much older than myself who've devoted themselves to jobs which they are now losing, and tons of people who can't retire because they are broke and in debt! So much for that. Take 100% responsibility for your life and give yourself the chance to make more money than you know what to do with.

(Dexter and Birdie Yager with more money than you know what to do with.)

Practical tips:

• Work on your list of dreams.
• Don't listen to negative people or the negative voice in your own head.
• Listen to leaders who've achieved what you want to achieve.
• Take risks!

Q2:"What was the biggest, most difficult challenge..."

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the second of the series of questions and my response:

Q2: "What was the biggest, most difficult challenge you had to overcome within the year? How did you address the challenge and what was your mental attitude like before and after said challenge?"

One of the most difficult challenges I had was convincing people that I wasn't crazy. This blog post, in fact, is a sign of my victory. 12 months ago, I was afraid of people asking me, "So, what are you up to these days?" My, how the tables have turned! I was actually doing a mock-interview with a friend yesterday. He asked me whether I thought the minimum wage increase that will be implemented in Guam in January 2015 was good or bad, and I said that I couldn't really answer that question because I'm always telling people to stop working for the minimum wage and start working for what they're worth. He tried pinning me down with some other pointed questions, but it wasn't possible because of my "If you want more, get more" attitude.

(Me and my talented friend Amber Word hanging out at a networking event.)

When I finally made the decision to leave school in spring 2013, after facing the fact that I'd been hiding from my desire to leave school for a very long time, I had an extensive sit-down talk with one of my teachers. He did his best to convince me not to leave. If you think about it, I spoke with him at a very critical time. The semester was still going on, and it had been the best semester I'd ever experienced. Productive, drama-less, and educationally stimulating. In spite of all that goodness, I sat across from him for two hours and, in spite of his good intentions (which I really appreciated), I stuck to my guns, and said, "Don't worry. I'll check you in six months." 

(Me and the Brandi Hawthorne Co. brainstorming at Startup Weekend, November 2014)

I had come to see that the same time, money and energy I was using to get good grades in class could all be put toward achieving my dreams. Either I could start building my businesses right away and feel right about myself, or I could keep wasting time while I went crazy on the inside.

(Me and my fellow winners meeting one of our business role-models, Jeff Yager, at a conference in Michigan, October 2014.)

I've had several encounters with other people I respect, and it was honestly very hard to think of what to say to them. The "most people aren't even able to use their majors anyway" answer didn't work with everybody, and I began to realize that wasn't really one of my reasons for leaving school. I used to feel a little lost for words when someone would say, "But having a degree helps; even if you don't use your major, you can still get a good job." I don't know how long it took, but after a while, what I felt inside of me finally found it's way out of my mouth one day: "But I don't want to have a job."

(Me and 10,000 other people who don't want jobs, either, at a conference in Michigan, November 2014.)

Crazy, right? But that was the truth, and I've stuck to it.

Practical tips:

• Be honest with yourself and stick to your values. The rest will follow.
• Know what your time is worth and spend it on the things that align with your goals and dreams (don't waste time trying to please others when it comes to how you make your living).
• Allow yourself to begin to know what you want your life to be like, and use your time, money and energy to get there.

Q1:"How did you get started?"

December 17, 2014 marked my first anniversary as an entrepreneur and college drop-out. I invited friends to ask me about my journey. Here is the first of the series of questions and my response:

Q1:"How did you get started?"

Technically, I've been on the entrepreneurial path my whole life. I didn't know that, however, until I finally faced the fact that I had to choose between continuing to go to college and dropping out to concentrate on my entrepreneurial pursuits. I know a lot of people who put most of what life has to offer on hold because they want to concentrate on getting good grades in their general education classes (for example). I wasn't one of those people.

(Me being an Anthropology student in Spring 2011)

I started going to the University of Guam in the fall of 2010, and by the time fall 2012 rolled around, I was taking 12 credits, working during the day at the university and at night at a restaurant. I was also the president of a club at school, and we were planning to go to England the following year for a field trip. Long story short, that field trip never happened. I bring it up because the decision to travel to England was a decision I stuck to. It was a long-time personal goal, and I wasn't going to let anything or anyone take it away from me. 

(Me fundraising with the club Fall 2012. You can see quite clearly where my priorities lie.)

I didn't know it then, but my "England or bust" decision was a major turning point for me. With that decision, I began to believe that what felt impossible was actually possible, and, what's more, meant to happen. I also began to believe that it was up to me to make it happen. 

(Me, longing for more in 2013)

Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, it seemed (i.e. money loss, a car crash, getting fired from a job), for the rest of that semester, but by mid-spring 2013, I was was on track with my savings and doing research on how to find my way through the enormous Heathrow airport in London. It was also around this time, I think, that I started cleaning houses with my sister Michelle. We were cleaning houses from Merizo to Yigo, and it didn't take too long for me to figure out that I could make more money, faster, without the stresses of working a regular job, simply by cleaning other people's houses. Cleaning houses was easy for me, so I thought of some other things I was good at (house-sitting and babysitting) and started to advertise. I ended up house-sitting up until the day before I got on the plane! 

(My car, after a truck crashed into it in August 2012)

At that time, I was totally focused on making sure I had enough money to go to England, so I'm not sure if I had too many other epiphanies as I scrubbed toilet after toilet. Those came later. But it was clear, by the time July 2013 came around, that getting paid for what my work was worth was a lot better than being paid minimum wage, or even the slightly higher wage I was earning as a work-study at UOG. It turned out that I didn't just go to England, I explored a lot of it, and also spent good amounts of time in Ireland, Wales and Denmark for more than a month!

(England, July 2013)

(Ireland, July 2013)

(Wales, July 2013)

(Denmark, August 2013)

Apart from the fact that going to England was a huge goal for me (I literally felt like a failure every time a year passed and I still hadn't gone), I also had to get there for the sake of proving something to myself: I had to prove that I could do it. That I had control. That my goals could become reality. I knew that if I proved that to myself, I'd be opening up my  mental floodgates and embracing my potential!

(Me looking epic at Bodnant Gardens in Wales, July 2013)

THAT is how I got started.

Practical tips:

• List all the different ways in which you can make money.
• Choose what you will do (2-3 different streams of income is best) and advertise yourself! (At that time, I asked people to spread the word and also gave out flyers).
• Open up a savings account JUST for the goal you are saving for and put chunks of money away. Never keep your money on hand, unless you need it for something important (like gas or food). (I opened up a savings account in a bank I hated driving to so I wouldn't be tempted to go to there on a whim).
• When you do spend money, use cash as often as possible. It makes you more aware of your money leaving your wallet.
• Stay calm and focused when it seems like things are falling apart. It's all a part of the process--And it'll make a heck of a good story when it's over!

Albany Rose, 7 Years Later

In her latest Youtube release, Albany Rose really gets into the details of the REAl results of the abortion she was forced into 7 years ago. I must have heard about her for the first time a little over a year ago when I was searching videos on abortion on Youtube. I watched the video she made 2 years ago, in which she described her abortion experience. I watched it, then I watched it again.

There is a lot to reflect on in regards to her post-abortion experience...

This Facebook comment by one of Albany's followers pretty much sums up some of the things I wanted to say:

"Every time I listen to you speak, I forget how young you are. I get so caught up in what you're saying, the maturity, confidence, and honesty you say it with. When I hear everything you've been through and everything you had to fight against, it is just incredible what you've come through in such a short time. So I forget that you are only 2 years older than me. 

I hope I get to meet you one day. I'd love to actually talk in person with you.

I'm so grateful for your videos. I know it isn't easy to come out and be honest with the world about the icky parts in your past. I wish I could be that brave. But, like you said, it is so important for people to hear. You're making such a huge difference in the world!"


Please watch her video. Please share it.