iced-out skull game..

big ups to juelz and the dips.. today, i was reading 'the solopreneur's million-dollar mindset' blog on inc.com. the post, entitled "its never too late for success: one man's story," resonated with me because it seems like a lot of my recent efforts have been met with failure but i keep my head up, dont worry.. here is an excerpt from the author's q+a:

My life has been blessed. I knew exactly what I wanted to do in life the day I walked into a dojo. I was fourteen at the time and I’ve been involved in Karate ever since. I’ve applied the lessons learned over the years to every aspect of my life – in both thick and thin times. I’ve found that what you think about, you bring about.

The first principle I live by is that you have to believe in yourself, because if you don’t, no one else will. The next step is commitment. You have to be completely dedicated to whatever it is you chose to do -- no matter what. In Karate you learn to visualize – see yourself connecting with a kick or punch before you throw it. In life, you have to see yourself being a success before you do it. And finally be passionate about what you do. Your passion will not only fuel you, but also others nearby.

My greatest external resource comes from the people surrounding me. My immediate family has always believed in me and been supportive of my pursuits. Additionally, I associate with people whose philosophies and direction mirror mine. There is no substitute for a positive and reaching outlook on life.

we all go through adversity. the test of life is our response to the challenge. persistence//repetition have been known to conquer much..

"get rich or die trying.." --curtis jackson.

entrepreneur: small biz start-ups[!]

..so thats whats really good for the first few weeks of two thousand 10. but we genY//millennial upstarts got another idear about all this nonsense. some stay on the grind and hustle hard-er like none other.. and some get that lifestyle money.

get it how you live it. this is life and there is no dress rehearsal..

the kids call it crack, i call it...

i think it is quite amusing that some people are still mystified that some businesses thrive while others get the pink slip/chapter 11.. the businesses that thrive consistently are those that sell goods with inelastic demand. what that means is that the product will be consumed on a regular basis, whether the price is up or down. i thought i would do a redux of recession-proof businesses for the uncouth:

1. energy [natural gas, oil, electricity]: buildings need to be lit/heated/cooled, vehicles need to be gassed.
   
2. food: people eat it almost every day of the year.
3. alcohol: consumed during the best/worst of times/prohibition/morning/noon/evening by the rich/middleclass/homeless on a daily basis.
   
4. cigarettes: see number 3.
5. shelter: except for the homeless and people living in govt housing [ie: the president], people pay monthly rent or a mortgage.
6. healthcare/insurance: business model = customers pay monthly fee for coverage + insurance company deny claim x insurance company use funds to buy large houses and personal aircraft.
   
7. governement: pay your taxes, every year, or WE WILL FIND YOU wesley snipes.
8. illegal activity [racketeering, drug traffick, etc.]: these activities provide the best profit margins, by far, by keeping uncle sam out of the money laundry.

i did not list anything concerning the arts [music, print, motion picture] because it is simply not a good look trying to make it big with a career in the arts. ask tom ford. sure, he only destroyed the fashion game while at gucci and ysl and also on with his own line; but fashion is the day job that helps support his pursuit of his art, cinema. get oprah money, then one can do oprah things. wealth buys time. the learning channel has a show called 'the lottery changed my life' and u may be able to guess what it's about. there was a family who understands the reasoning behind this list; they bought new cars and remodeled their house but also purchased a parking lot on peachtree street. the money comes in each and every month.. allowing plenty of time to knit + sculpt +paint. holler at etsy.

"money is everything. and its every other thing." --drake.

entrepreneur: markus frind.

yes. it is a brand new day. in a brand new year [feels like the old one]. each new moment is an opportunity, an instance in time to either add to the wealth of knowledge and achievement in human history, or to simply survive [corny motivational speaker: "to thrive or just survive.."].

i always find inspiration in the pages of business magazines fastcompany and inc. they provide excellent insight into innovation and entrepreneurship in addition to chronicling struggling and successful business owners from around the world. i found an article from inc's jan 2009 issue about markus frind, the owner of plentyoffish [the largest online dating site in the world, by traffic] and how he single-handedly took over an industry from the comfort of his apartment and now only works 1 hour per day while banking $10 million gross revenue per annum.

It's a 21st-century fairy tale: A young man starts a website in his spare time. This person is unknown and undistinguished. He hasn't gone to MIT, Stanford, or any other four-year college for that matter, yet he is deceptively brilliant. He has been bouncing, aimlessly, from job to job, but he is secretly ambitious. He builds his company by himself and from his apartment. In most stories, this is where the hard work begins -- the long hours, sleepless nights, and near-death business experiences. But this one is way more mellow. Frind takes it easy, working no more than 20 hours a week during the busiest times and usually no more than 10. Five years later, he is running one of the largest websites on the planet and paying himself more than $5 million a year.

i found it particularly interesting that he lacks a post-secondary/graduate degree from an acclaimed educational institute. instead of reading case studies about what people are doing, he simply did it. he hired three customer service employees and moved into a proper office, but he still has the ability to vacation and enjoy a beautiful canadian life at 30. if that aint living the dream, then i dont know what is.

i live vicariously through the successes of the collective written-off underdog. 2010, i know exactly what is in store..

in the eternal words of lil wayne: "the, the money is the motive.."

im on the road to mogul-dom. im living a movie, not living by rules. and the script is called 'thug motivation 101: lets get it.' c. young jeezy.