After completing High school I went to a community college (I think is what you american’s call it) where I studied ‘Automotive Marketting.’ This confirmed to me that I wasn’t interested in school and could gain more excitement from living life, how original.
I dropped out, moved across the country, away from my small town, to a Big City to start my life over. I worked for various employers primarily chasing the money. At a young age (20) I found myself in ‘management’ positions that were underpaid and overvalued.
After a couple years of bouncing around I landed at a large corporation that provided great oppotunity and a pension. Amazing right!?
One year at front line, then 5 promotions up the corporate ladder in the following 18months. I was doing so very well, from what my upbringing taught me. I had a house, a nice truck, a higher level job and was only 25! WRONG!
During a ‘Performance Review’ with my boss I had been told that I was too green in the role to warrant a raise and/or promotion… I’ll go down this path in another post. But no way, I QUIT!
That is when my real eduction started!
A friend and I quit together, we bought some equipment, and jumped on the biggest industry boom that was underway in my area. We were off and running, working too many hours and too many long days. We were making GREAT MONEY!
KABOOM! The industry tanked… Now what!? We made some money, we both knew we couldn’t go back to the corporate world. Back to what we know.
Traded up the equipment and went off and running on a new adventure, which is now my current business. At this point we employ 25 people, and are growing 30% plus year over year since we started… (on point to be 150% this year).
Between my friend and I we still own the entire company and continue to chase it’s growth. At the same time we have started five other business’ primarily supporting our current but providing some diversity in our day to day lives. Though it isn’t something I would recommend at this point in the process but it has some great potential.
I’m quickly learning, it’s BUSINESS I love, not the specific industry I’m in. So much to learn! It’s an education that’s just beginning!