Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hey there... :-)
You`re certainly not alone, but I suspect you`re not fully appreciating what`s going on. There`s a huge movement (generational, actually) toward the precise self-awareness you`re finding. It`s not political, it`s cultural and a result of all sorts of historic things that have been happening during the past 45 years.

What catches my attention is your certainty that you "can`t just walk away." You list all the excuses and reasons, most of which are completely valid. So try this instead:
Which is more important in life---and to you in particular: your job and security, or your family? Now try reversing that, and ask your wife which is more important to her---your job and security, or you and your marriage?

I think you`ll find that security is a false illusion. All of us are subject to total life changes nearly in an instant. You could be hit by a car and end up in wheelchair, blind, or deaf. You could be fired, or be shot in the arm. All kinds of catastrophic things could happen, the LEAST of which is to be laid off! If you walk away, you still have your health. Without that, all else is moot.

But if you take control of the timing, you do yourself a lot better service than to allow circumstances to dictate that timing.

The first, most important, and all-abiding start to your problem is serious and on-going discussion between you and your wife. She and you both are resources for creating products, making money, earning money (not the same as creating it), and managing your lifestyles. How you live is your choice. It isn`t a given, it isn`t automatic, and it isn`t an entitlement.

To my mind, there`s little question that the economic climate we see today is only the tip of the iceberg. Business will become much worse in the coming years than it is now. And starting a business will be much more diffcult due to the stampeded by everyone to do the same thing.

So you should move right now. That means examining a scenario where you lose your job within 14 days, as you work through the logic, probabilities, and brainstorming. What would you do? How would your wife be able (and willing) to help?

From there, consider each week a 7-day extension. Stockpile as much money as you can for startup capital, and cut as much debt as possible. Reduce your lifestyle to minimum while you`re working out what you`d like to do. Because whatever  it is, it`s going to cost money. And you likely won`t be able to borrow that money easily.

What if you went into foreclosure in 20 days? The sheriff`s department shows up, posts an eviction note on your front door. You come home, and all your furniture is out on the street. What then? What`s your plan A, B, C, D, E, and F? And what happens if Plan F collapses?

Each week that passes, consider that while you`re working, if you start a business, you`ll have a better option in terms of credit and loands toward starting your eventual business.

Take control of your life. Use the new agility you`ve trained for in your body, and allow it to move through your mind. Understand that your body is how you directly connect with reality and the world around you. But your mind is how you assign thought, reason, logic, and vision to what you`re experiencing each moment. The two work together.

You have a huge number of skills, and might enjoy reading "The Three Boxes of Life," written in 1978 and an excellent initiation into solving your problem.

VEPS -- If I might make a book suggestion... "Tribes" by Seth Godin might be a good starting point for you in formulating a business related to BJJ, since BJJ enthusiasts are, essentially, a tribe.

You do not necessarily need to do BJJ or sell BJJ to be involved in it as a business. All you really need to do is pull together the tribe, then offer them something for which they`ll pay money. You might start a magazine or a content site focused on BJJ; there might be some invention you could create just for the BJJ tribe; maybe you could do event planning, and coordinate BJJ events in your region or even nationally. Who videographs BJJ competitions? Perhaps you could do that; or perhaps you could set up a subscription service where enthusiasts can watch the competitions online. Perhaps you could start up a national tour of BJJ performers, like that skateboard tour that came here to my town last year. (I can name a dozen people off the top of my head who`d pay hard-earned recession money to see that!)

I think you have a wide range of options, you just need to widen your view a bit. Think of all those people in the music industry who are neither musicians nor retailers. How do they make money? Can you do the same for BJJ? I`ll bet you can, and even better, I`ll bet no one else is doing it yet.

--paula

Cool concept, there, Paula....the "tribe." I hadn`t thought of it, but as I do, it brings all sorts of opportunities to mind. Perhaps the older word that I grew up with is "enthusiasts."

We don`t have a boat, nor do we know anyone with a boat. We`re not near an ocean and don`t spend much time on the Great Lakes. And yet we enjoy making signal flags, which are particularly interesting to the boating "tribe." Just as you`ve suggested with the jiu-jitsu tribe.

Thanks Craig, yes "Tribes" really puts everything in a different light and opens up all kinds of new ways of thinking about stuff. I downloaded the audio book and have been listening to it repeatedly as I work since last week. You might like it Craig... its as much about leadership and not allowing oneself to get sucked down by mediocrity as much as it is about how people organize themselves.

It does sound like you are torn given financial and family commitments.  However, you should leverage your assets and possibly consider a part-time business.   Check out our FREE entrepreneur guide as to how to start, operate and grow and business.  This will answer ALOT of your questions as to the transition and creating your freedom and dynasty of doing what you love. 

this is some of the best advice i have ever read.  Just like the thread starter I am into BJJ, hate working a 9-5, and have my Bachelors in social sciences.  anyways I hated my job(first job since graduation) from day one and thought i needed to figure out a business plan but i kept on putting it off.  I felt like i was lucky to even have a job so instead of getting my act together I just kept going to my boring job working for the man.  Long story short my company downsizes and i find out I am no longer needed.  Boom! just like that im out of a job.  I wish i would of read your post 5 months ago.  Its not too late for me but I just need to get my priorities straight for 2009