I want to begin by referencing Yaro Starak’s blog, Entrepreneur’s Journey. I’m alluding to his clever blog-name for this particular post, so I want to give credit where credit is due. If you aren’t yet familiar with Yaro’s work, check him out today!
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The following two-part series offers a closer look at how I became an internet entrepreneur and how I intend to continue developing a mindful online business down the road. Some of this post is personal in nature, but I believe many of you will find it illuminating. Reviewing personal history is a good way to take stock of how things are developing for you and to really consider if you’re headed down the right path. I hope this series inspires you to consider your own personal and business journeys…
The Path to Today
My career in internet business began by surprise. When I started my first online venture, I was still in college. Before the idea came to fruition, I never once thought, “Hey, maybe I’ll make a living online.” If you would have asked me about the potentials of running an online business at the time, I probably would have laughed and made some snide comment about “getting a real job.” Funny how things change.
In college, I took many classes and developed a wide range of interests. I focused my major studies in the English department. A lifelong love of reading and writing made that a natural choice. And the professors in that particular department were outstanding to boot!
While completing my college studies, a few things fell into place that definitely contributed to my current position today. First, during my final year I completed research on blogging as a form of discourse. I fell completely in love with the blogosphere and created my first blog (lost to posterity today). While engaged in this project, I also started developing a website for a student organization on campus. It was my first *real* crack at creating a website from scratch. There were plenty of hang-ups, but I learned a great deal about the web and some basics of computer programming. Someday I’d like to really dig in and learn more. I’m completely self-taught. I actually taught myself Basic Programming at 13 from some old texts my Dad always had on our bookshelves. That said, by no means do I consider myself a techno-wiz. Far from it. But I’m getting better every day.
As the end of my college career approached, I began thinking seriously about life after the 4-year degree. I thought a lot about graduate and post-graduate school, but the job market was bleak. Somehow forces beyond me came to the rescue…
I’ve always loved books. But I never considered making a profit from the hobby. Yet that’s exactly what I started doing several years ago – selling books online. I got my start by selling used books from my own collection. I used Amazon almost exclusively and saw great results! I was turning a small profit when it suddenly dawned on me that I could make a great profit by simply “scaling” the results. In short, with more books to sell, I would turn more profit.
At its all-time high, my online bookselling business was hedging close to $3000 per month. I was immensely happy.
That is, until my life took an unexpected turn - upside down. Just last year, my former wife and I separated. The separation itself was quite civil and loving. The differences that had developed between us were mostly circumstantial and had more to do with the paths we were chasing.
Despite my business success, I was still considering other paths. I wanted to pursue writing more exclusively and had strongly considered graduate schools across the country. My thoughts were not aligned with her desires to travel every summer as a working choreographer while remaining open to options for permanent work elsewhere. Our dreams were just not compatible any longer and neither of us wanted to stand in the way of the other.
With the separation from my wife came a separation from my business. I decided to liquidate the inventory. I sold the entire stock of books and washed my hands of the work I was doing. I began teaching writing classes at a local private college where I rekindled my deep passion for writing.
As time passed, my attention turned again to entrepreneurship and the internet. Initially, I tried to start everything over from scratch to rebuild my book empire. But something kept holding me back. Finally, I realized that returning to the bookselling was not the answer. There was some greater reason for my separation. I started asking fundamental questions about my life purpose. Writing kept coming up again and again. I wanted to write for a living. I wanted to share my talents with other people. But I also wanted to help other people develop their own talents to find greater success and happiness. I wanted to teach.
Everything started coming together. My first project was writing an eBook to teach other people how to find success in starting an online business. I knew others could really benefit from my inside experience in that world. And I wanted to share my knowledge in an accessible way. I wanted to create a partnership with my readers by giving them important information and a real sense of presence in the writing. As I was working to develop the first eBook, I also started this blog, the Mindful Entrepreneur.
If I could sum up my mission as an internet entrepreneur, I would do so in this simple statement:
I work to inspire other people to find congruence in personal, spiritual, and financial success. In everything I do, I strive to live congruently, to work with real purpose and intention in my business and personal spheres.
Related Articles:
- 10 Steps to Writing an Ebook - Part 1
- Keeping a Business Journal
- What is a Mindful Entrepreneur?
- The Tipping Point
