I was sitting in a truck, not mine; I was driving my ridiculous boss around that day like some sort of servant. There I was at a traffic light in downtown Manhattan… miserable, very irritable and completely at loss as to what I was doing with my life. My band had collapsed because of my inability to stay focused and my marriage was strained because I was working 40 hours plus a week for an unreasonable human being.
At that light, I watched people walk by. Some ultra cool New Yorkers with their ultra hip street wear; others were just going to their next meeting in their Banana Republic dress wear. Everyone’s life seemed so much better.
The red “Don’t Walk” people-outlines started their usual cautious blink cycle.
I decided right there to snap out of it. I could leave this life – I didn’t have to be these people walking by me because we all know that their lives can’t be that good. But no, I was going to do something about this.
So I did. I eventually left that job, began teaching guitar, bought more studio gear and began writing a business plan. Three years later –yes three years later- I am on the verge of opening up my first business. In fact, I am three weeks away.
The past three years have been long, poor and extremely difficult but completely worth it. There is something to be said about digging deep within yourself to come up with something special and it usually comes with a price. I paid for it with years of being really creative about paying the rent, really trying to be creative about spending cash- I wore the same clothes for three years.
My advice to everyone- be patient and be creative. Make something out of nothing. Look failure in its face and look just past it. Also
- When looking for start up money add everything up. Double check your math. Once you are sure that your number is what you need- double it.
- When looking for how long it will take to do the construction on your place of business, figure it out and then double it.
