The only person I have ever seen that didn’t have to follow this rule was Michael Jordan and Superman.
I talk to a lot of people about a lot of things. I just got back from an event where I spoke to a large group of people. It was a little intimidating; there were hundreds of people there. Most of them were highly educated professionals. They were the tops in their industry.
I got off stage and was greeted by their positive feedback, requests for personal consultations with their companies and general adoration of my grasp of the subject matter. I was feeling pretty good.
It took me almost two years to get that speaking gig. Since then (about two weeks ago) I have been offered two more bookings to speak – paid, all expenses covered for travel to cool locations. I have been offered a few paid consultation projects and even an offer to be a consulting partner on a new business venture.
I am not saying this to brag. Truly I am not. I am saying this because I have been organizing this hustle for two years. It started with establishing myself as an expert in this particular field. I read everything I could get my hands on. I started talking to others in this field. I worked my ass off to be taken seriously. I took on small projects, anything, that would allow me to gain credibility, no matter how small the projects were. Some of those projects got bigger as I finished the smaller ones. I used those small projects to meet more people.
I looked at each small project, connection, conversation and exercise as a small step up to the next level.
And now, I see it beginning to pay off.
Along the way, those in my employ questioned if I was making the right moves. My wife and I even talked about changing strategies. There were plenty of reasons to give up, but you see, I was moving. I was moving forward. I was moving up. I was building a platform from which I would launch my next business. Each small success was a brick, mortared into place.
In the process, I have met two other influential individuals who want to hook their wagons (and resources) up to my train. They know I will do the work. They know that I will bring the money. They know that with their money and resources, they can keep me moving forward and upward. I have proven it. They have seen what I have been able to do so far on my own. They want to stand next to me with buckets as the money rains down.
So why am I telling you all of this?
Too often I hear about people who set goals and spend their time trying to jump up and catch them. I used to do it myself. Almost like I expected success to fall on top of me and knock me on my ass.
I would envision it like winning the lottery. No one plays the lottery without thinking that they are going to win. It is ridiculous to pay for the ticket without thinking you are going to win right?
Odds are you are not going to win, but you buy the ticket again next week.
But the same people will not put $10 into a savings account or spend 1 hour a day developing a business strategy or educating themselves. They will spend $3 or $4 on cigarettes but not $5 on a used book on something that would make them $500 in a year. The big goals are too huge and too high to reach by jumping.
What I am telling you is, you can do it. Obviously you are motivated. If you weren’t motivated you wouldn’t be reading this. So you have the most important part of making that goal, that dream, a reality – motivation.
Now you have only to define your goal and take that first step.
Even if that first step is to read a book, or a blog or a video on youtube, that will move you forward. That step will move you upward. The next step is to get off your ass and meet someone. It could be someone interested in the same thing that will help you start your crew or a new customer or client.
Just keep moving forward and keep hustling.
Congratulations on your opportunities to speak, consult, and travel! 2 years of hustling has paid off.
My immediate goal is to graduate and get a job (as a teacher), but I do not want that to end my hustle. Ideally, teaching will be the platform for a bigger hustle with more freedoms than teachers have–I just don’t know what that hustle will be yet.
Questions: Do I need to decide now exactly what I want to do? Can I wait to decide for a couple years? What was the process you went through as you were coming up?
There is a never ending supply of opportunities. It only comes down to where you are going to throw your mind and your time.
Coming up I went through a lot of stages and hit a lot of bumps. I kept getting wrapped up with who I thought I was vs. who I wanted to be.
When I was running the streets, I thought I was tough and well connected. I am a relatively big guy. I had been through some close scrapes, hid in some bushes, run from some people and chased some people. In my little world, I was a king among men.
When I got older and my world got bigger, I realized (luckily) how small time I was. I had Tony Montana dreams on a PeeWee Herman budget. I learned later that this was called maturity. I met a mentor who help me get my head on straight. That was the first step, to set goals and see myself as a different person.
Once that happened, positive things began to happen.
I still have bad times. Things don’t work out all the time. I get random, unexpected bills or expenses. But when you have the Hustler’s frame of mind then you know that whatever problem is coming your way, you will make it through.
It is that faith in yourself, your skills, your network and your ability to see opportunities that will get you through.
And to answer your main question. You don’t have to grab on to every hustle that presents itself. I have walked away from some myself because the time just wasnt right for me. You don’t have to have a clear plan in your head either. Just pick a path and start putting your feet down. As long as you are moving, opportunities will present themselves.
*Keep moving*
Thank you.
YEAH YALL ALL OVER HUSTLER I REALY DIG THAT I NEEDTHIS ERRDAY WISH YALL COULD EMAIL AND TEXT ME STUFF IM CHECKING THE WHOLE PAGE OUT.
Hey! I just turned 20 and i own an auto detailing business, I like what you write and it motivates me to do more things. I work very hard and sometimes i work 16 hours a day with just 2 or 3 times of 10 min break to eat. But i have a bigger idea to go to college to get into medical field, i know it will be very hard but i made my mind to it if God will give me life i want to do it. I know some people say that i have my own business at young age i should continue doing it but i feel like i need something more stable and much more pay. What do you think about this? I know i can grow my business but its too much hustle, id rather save up a mill then open something bigger to make me more money and something more serious. Thanks
A smart hustler knows where to invest time. Its the only thing you cant get back. If you can make it through med school, and you have passion for it – do it. Here is why. If you have a Hustler mindset, anything you do with expand your opportunities. Say you decide to be an ER doc and you pull down $200,000 a year. You will see things that work, and others that don’t. You will always have your hustler mind working. Maybe you come up with a new tool or procedure. This puts you on the speakers circuit – now you are t $200,000 plus $150,000 in speaking engagements around the world. Patent that tool and you collect a royalty every time some hospital buys a box of them. Now you are in $1,000,000 territory. If you have a hustlers mind – it doesn’t matter your environment. But the more education you have, the better environments you get to move into.