When you lose your footing, bloggers will be your crutch
Last night I tweeted this:
As Yu-kai says, I’m a very emotional person. I wear my happiness, excitement, frustration, and depression on my sleeve so that everyone around me knows about it. Last night I took my emotions and threw them on Twitter. I was not looking for sympathy; I was not looking for advice. I was looking for a place to vent and let people know that this entrepreneurial life is not glamorous at all.
I hit a wall. I started regretting leaving Navigant Consulting a year and a half ago and leaving that steady paycheck. If I hadn’t left, I would be making $70,000, would have completely paid off my student loans, and would be able to give my girlfriend that romantic suite in Vegas this Valentines weekend. Instead, I’m making $100/month, am paying the minimum on my loans, and Kim is taking me out to dinner this weekend (don’t worry, I actually bought her something super nice that she’s going to love).
Just when I was about to leave to a bar to drink my life away, I get these series of Tweets:
Not only are these two girls really pretty (which for some reason is a huge plus), but it actually made a difference that they took the time to send me an encouraging Tweet. At the time, I would not listen to reason or logic.
“We just launched Drop For Me and we had a really encouraging start!” Yu-kai pleaded. I didn’t want to hear any of it. He could have told me that we just got $1M in funding and I would have just punched him in the face (figuratively speaking of course).
But for some reason, Violet and Nisha’s tweets hit me at my core. It took me a while, but I snapped out of it and was back hard at work this morning. I was refreshed, and felt like an unleashed beast ready to take on anything because at least two people outside of my immediate friends and family cared enough to see me succeed.
People always praise blogging because you get to share ideas, meet new people, and blah blah blah. I was getting tired of hearing the same’ol praise about Gen Y bloggers. But it’s true; Gen Y bloggers really do care and support each other. Just yesterday I reached out to my closest friends online and they all Tweeted out a message to go check out Drop For Me. Some even emailed back asking what more they could do to help.
I used to think blogs were online diaries for women…
… Well call me June and slap a dress on me, because I’m a blogger for life!
Thank you for supporting me.
Haha, I enjoyed this. Keep it up!
I’m glad you enjoy my depression. And good to see you’re alive! What’s up man? What’s been going on?
Glad to see things are looking up again bro! As I mentioned on Gmail, most people I know that are ridiculously successful went through a really rough patch at some point, so I have no doubt you guys will come out of this and do great work!
Jun,
I just want you to know that I am really happy I found your blog a few months ago and I visit it almost everyday. Seriously. Well done man. Times are tough for us all, but I’ve looked into what you are doing and it’s only a matter of time before things take off with your multitude of projects.
Cheers,
Brian
Brian Linton’s last blog post..The Launch of DailyEntrepreneurTip.com - I Need Your Help!
Hey but it was uplifting! Haha. Nothing man. Just keeping busy…
@Jun - I think we all go through periods of asking ourselves if it is all worth it? At least once a week I ask myself if coming home from work everyday just to do more work is worth it. There are plenty of days when I just want to lay on my couch and watch television all night.
Then I remember the quote you shared with me. I can’t find it right now, but basically it boils down to, “Entrepreneurship is be willing to work like others won’t so that you can live your life later like they can’t.”
Different things motivate different people, and that’s one of the things that works for me.
Maintain your contagious passion and keep plugging away and I’m convinced that you’ll be uber successful in one of your endeavors.
Best of luck!
@Ian - Yea man, it looks like everyone who does succeed has to get through the hardship. Maybe that’s what separates the weak from the strong?
@Brian - Thanks Brian. If we stick together, I’m sure we can support each other to success.
@Ryan - Uber! Has to be my favorite word. Keep trucking man, I like what you’re doing.
Jun Loayza’s last blog post..FDTV Episode 24 - Promote your talents on youtube with Olivia Thai
Hahahha… it’s funny to me that girls Tweet me and guys leave comments on my blog.
Jun Loayza’s last blog post..FDTV Episode 24 - Promote your talents on youtube with Olivia Thai
Ahaha, I love the last line - I’d love to see you in a dress! I want to see you succeed because if people in my circle succeed I have a greater chance of succeeding. It’s called karma or something like that. Also, you’re pretty much an awesome person and it’s hard not to be infected by your drive and energy.
@Rebecca - You are one of my favorite persons online. Thank you for breaking the chain of all male comments on my post.
Hope to be in the East Coast soon.
Haha, girls comment too! Sorry I didn’t comment sooner, and that I ended our g-chat convo so abruptly this afternoon, but I’ve been swamped like no other today so I’ve had to ignore the blogosphere. Anyways - if my little message could help motivate you then I’m glad to help
You will do awesome things, I’m sure!
Nisha’s last blog post..In Defense of Liberal Arts
Hey Jun,
I’m glad you’re feeling better. Don’t be so hard on yourself! You’re doing great so far. Most of the people I knew from college are desperately trying to make it through their consulting or finance job because they thought that was the way to go. Others are going to law school or getting their MBAs because they don’t know what else to do and need a “safety net.” It takes someone really strong (and brave) to say ’screw it’ and live out their dreams as an entrepreneur!
Besides, one of my most successful friends told me as an entrepreneur, if you just keep going, others eventually give up
Cheers!
@ my two fav girls - You guys are awesome!
Violet, for some reason, you just have the greatest quotes. I’m gonna start a site called VioletQuotes.com. Or VioletZen.com. What do you think?
She’s totally right. I have a friend who is working for a Fortune 100 company and a lot of our other friends are jealous. And he likes to brag that he works for a cool company and stuff. But, he gets absolutely no joy out of what he’s doing. I can’t see how he can keep at it when he’s not passionate about it at all. But he’s no different than all the others who did the same — take the cushy job because they thought it was the way to go. At least you are living out your dreams and doing what you’re passionate it about rather than taking the “safe” route…
Nisha’s last blog post..In Defense of Liberal Arts
Dropforme.com is having a great start AND WE JUST GOT A MILLION DOLLARS! You wanna fight now? Huh?
You should read my blogpost http://yukaichou.com/real-life-entrepreneur/
I kinda wrote it after seeing you being so sad. I argued that in both phases of the e-life (struggle and success), you have control over what you do in your life, instead of making money as a servant to shareholders you will never meet.
How many people out there who say they love their jobs will keep their jobs if they suddenly got $10M in the bank? Not that many. But successful entrepreneurs keep going back to that life of struggling because it lightens up life. NPCs never need to stress about anything, but they will never taste the joy of beating the game.
Yu-kai Chou’s last blog post..How I started my Career as an Entrepreneur Freshman Year in College
Hey Jun….this happens to me every few days and then I think of all the better things Im learning and experiencing. Then I look it as close to a Harvard MBA, real life experience