“I’ll become an entrepreneur. . . No, you got played.”
I live in Austin, TX, a bustling city, focused on two things: technology and food, breeding an environment with more “up and comers” than a L.A. casting call. If you live here, you know that there are two questions we get asked, painfully often. “Are you from here?” and “What do you do?” After I start getting glassy eyed looks while trying to explain the intricate balance of the multiple verticals I am learning about and playing in on a daily basis, I usually just go with being a “budding entrepreneur.” My two top priorities currently are Talent Labs LLC, which I co-own and focuses on recruiting top technical talent in the software development space, and, The Other 23, which I was lucky enough to co-found with an amazing team of genuine people, and focuses on providing new opportunities for disabled Veterans to enjoy the benefits of Surfing Therapy.
Before we get to our main focus, let’s talk about the number one killer of productivity in America – lack of motivation. Most Americans would describe their work lives as “dissatisfying” and “unfulfilling”.
In order to understand this trend, we have to recognize that the majority of Americans have been told “go to college, get a job, and you can have your dreams.” Okay….now repeat that sentence without laughing at how absurd it is compared to reality.
Don’t take my word for it, let’s walk through the statistics. The average job in the United States, for someone with a college degree, pays around $41,496 a year. Here’s why you should care:
Where $3,458/month goes in 2018:
– Taxes: $1,200
– Rent: $800 (maybe with a couple roommates)
– Food: $400
– Car Payment: $300 (not including gas)
– Car Insurance: $140
– Health Insurance: $320
– GRAND TOTAL: $3,160/month
The simplified math: $3,458 (income) – $3,160 (expenses) = $298 (left over)
Congratulations! If you don’t ever leave your house, don’t have a cellphone, don’t watch cable, don’t have the internet, love sitting in the dark, are willing to never have a family of your own, never drive anywhere, (we didn’t budget any money for gas) and have zero bad luck, you can save $298 a month. In total, that would afford an annual savings of $3,576 which is just enough to pay the interest on your student loans. Yay, you! Maybe you can take that vacation in the next 20+ years. . .
The average American, will take up to 21 years to pay off their loans. Time having a baby correctly, and they might be able to completely pay off their loans before they help their child begin paying off their loans. Remember what the number one killer of productivity in America was? I wonder why?
We have been legally scammed by a society tolerating educational institutions who have antiquated concepts, which are being held high in the air like trophies from former glory days at your alma mater. College taught us History 101 but never how to actually learn from history to better ourselves economically as individuals College taught us Sociology but never how to improve society and make an actionable difference. College taught us many things, and I’m sure most with a college education, would agree, the money wasn’t necessarily wasted if you had the money to afford but therein lies the problem. Many of us took on massive debt, with the promise of a paved road to follow into our future, only to be slapped in the face with tough realization that knowing how to get good grades leaves us ill-equipped to get paid in the real world.
Am I shunning a college education? Not at all. College is incredible for a lot of people. However, the college curriculum is not built to develop entrepreneurs, creative thinkers and risk takers. It simply does not teach you how to take calculated risks in life and make money. Speaking for myself, the idea of “learning how to make money,” wasat the root of why I went to college in the first place.
The painful truth is that the majority of self-made millionaires accomplished their goals through networking, a telephone and a laptop. . .oh, and a lot of sleepless nights. If you’re reading this, you probably have three of those covered, and could easily accomplish the fourth with a new espresso maker. This is good news! You have everything you need to genuinely and drastically change your life and without seeking an advanced degree.
Do you want to be an entrepreneur? The most important next step for you is not watching more motivational videos on YouTube. Find the motivation within yourself, or you move on. Focus wholly on quickly mastering a system or business that allows you to make money and grow, without limitations.
Notice, I’m not suggesting that you reinvent the wheel, because let’s be honest, that’s rough, will take you years to launch.. and I’m guessing, if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you need money for everyday life. . .like next month’s rent!
Get up earlier, read books about subjects you’re weak in, learn how to leverage your income, how to add additional streams of income, and make time management your master. Become an entrepreneur by accepting the sleepless nights, the risk, the failures, the self-doubt, or become the most knowledgeable and dependable employee within your company. Either way, as Nike so adequately put it years ago, “Just do it.”
Yes, our educational system is sorely out of date when it comes to encouraging creativity, but it affords us the chance to learn from others’ mistakes. The responsibility of education sits squarely in your own hands. Drop the excuses. Find what you’re good at, double down, and then triple down! Stop playing a role in the world and become the director of your own life.
Written by Michael Ward