I'm Lost

this isn't a cry for help, it's a desire to be helpful...

I’ll be helpful in two ways today:

First, I’ll open up a little bit more about my story in the hopes that it resonates or gives you a glimpse into the complex human experience of another being.

Second, I’ll be offering my help to you as a consultant/advisor (as a dear reader and friend) — read on to see what that entails.

Let’s begin…

In 2012, I knew that “the traditional path” was not for me —- and I made the [lifelong] commitment to entrepreneurship.

I wholeheartedly believe that entrepreneurship is the biggest “personal development” challenge one can undertake — and it’s always evolving, growing, and increasing in scope —- it doesn’t get easier — and it all comes down to your innermost psychology, self awareness, and ability to ADAPT to change (or die).

I climbed with discipline and consistency for over a decade. This lead to some spectacular wins and some less than stellar failures (that have been quickly swept under the rug).

Test fast, fail fast, move fast, rinse and repeat until you have yourself a winner - then leave no stone unturned.

In late 2020, I gracefully transitioned out of a business that “set me up for life” (or so I thought at the time).

I decided that I earned some time off and took a mini-retirement. This was a dream of mine for so many years.

Finally time for engaging with new hobbies, recouping my health (which suffered dearly as we dominated in a hyper-competitive space), reading, and generally — living life!

At the time I thought that I could always “figure it out”, bounce back, and determine what’s next with the same confidence as before. I was now a seasoned entrepreneur, with success under my belt, and a much wiser perspective…

I was wrong.

Entrepreneurs should never stop moving — or else they risk losing the most powerful force in the universe:

Momentum…

There are no taking breaks from this game, there is no in and out, and after 10+ years as a “self employed” and “self made” entrepreneur (who has never had a real job in his life) — I’m learning a very valuable lesson:

The game never ends, and it doesn’t get easier!

The higher you climb, the more challenging it gets — the goal posts always move forward —- and to dedicate your life to playing it safe and living a life of “ease and comfort” is certainly a form of spiritual suicide.

If you have the gifts and talents — it’s an ETHICAL DUTY to put them to use — for the market, for fellow man, and for the world!

Anyway…

The lack of stimulus, challenge, and purpose brought on by the “early retirement” era lead to a crippling depression, existential angst, and loss of “the fire” that is the reason I spring out of bed every morning.

Man must be on a mission (or at least, this man).

I played with some ideas, half-assed some projects (like this one), and abandoned many more — not giving them the light of the day.

The advice I always give to entrepreneurs is to give your idea a solid 6-12months FULL FORCE — give it everything you have — and then adjust from there — be friendly with the facts of reality and decide to abandon or double down.

When you go all in on entrepreneurship, you abandon a specific career calling — you give up a layer of safety and stability as you stretch to play a much more challenging game.

While I was a very talented advertising copywriter in a previous life (still am TBH), I abandoned the calling to become “the best in the world” at writing sales copy — and instead —- developed a very broad, general, and multi-faceted skillset…

The skillset of an entrepreneur — which encompasses everything from scientific analysis of markets and trends, to prophetic like foresight of where the world is going:

Things like product development, operations, finance, marketing and sales, distribution and logistics, to human resources and being a psychologist (of yourself and others) and so much more…

When you go all in on entrepreneurship, you are betting on yourself — through different ventures, market cycles, and different versions of yourself through life.

You are conditioned to “win against all odds” and you learn to “trust yourself” and “figure things out” on the fly —- but you also must acknowledge the winds of change and the forces of the market, luck, and the magical powers of the universe — and how they serve you on your path.

After achieving my “dream result”, I spent a year in a depressed and suppressed state — withdrawn from the world, way too caught up in my own ruminations (which seem to function like a broken tape recorder), and over-thinking things like purpose, calling, vocation, contribution, legacy, and more…

This was a sort of mid-life passage, or mid-life crisis — and I’m glad to have gone through this early - the ego death experienced is serving me extremely well as I prepare to ascend up the second mountain of my life.

And these feelings of despair, confusion, and generally “feeling unsure” about the next steps of life have been replaced lately by a much more powerful force…

The Burning Desire To Be Useful and “Add Value*” To You, My Dear Reader!

How?

We’ll start small and with the immediate, no-brainer, no friction and minimal investment step (this is great advice for anything, honestly —- just ship it! Perfection is for losers)

First, some disclosure, and the motivation behind this post:

I miss the feeling of being useful!

These days I’m living a calm, quiet, and ‘solitary’ business life — doing deals with people I love dearly and helping advise others, but with much less stimulation than is required for me to feel fully activated!

In the past I would have employees that relied on me to make a living, dozens of contractors, partners, vendors, suppliers, and thousands of customers that relied on us to make their lives better!

This was a good feeling - I miss the interactions - and as I strip away the “grandeur” of “my next thing” — I learn that one of my core needs is simply to…

BE USEFUL!

As a reader of this blog —- you’re invited to take advantage of my generous desire to be useful to you.

If you have a business and are still in the “figuring it out” stage, or are embarking on the path of entrepreneurship —- this will be immensely valuable for you.

Reply to this email and tell me about your business and your current challenge, where you’re stuck, or where you might need another perspective.

I may recommend we get on the phone to dive deeper, or I may end up writing up a detailed guide for you.

My specialty is marketing/sales/customer acquisition —- but my experience encompasses the full spectrum of business ownership (especially how to build lean and remote internet based cash-flowing businesses that are highly systemized and scaleable!)

In a previous life (it was 2015 and I was living in Medellin, Colombia) —- I served a small roster of clients (most were household names) in the role of “direct response marketer and customer acquisition consultant”

For those that couldn’t afford my retainer, I would charge $500 for a consult that encompasses this level of support — zooming out, conducting a high level overview, and giving you the actionable “next steps” in a written guide.

Now? It’s a courtesy to you — the generous reader who graces me with the gift of their attention by reading the entirety of these musings.

Hit reply and let me know what you’re working on and what you’re stuck on — because in helping you, I’m actually helping myself.

Alon

P.S. Like everything you read on the internet, this post is a massive projection of my internal landscape - insecurities, hopes, dreams, desires, and fears.

P.P.S. This post was also an exercise in my writing discipline — sixty minute timer — cup of coffee — write and publish without the inhibition of self consciousness — the egoic energy that shrinks creatives and pulls them away from their callings.

* The term ”add value” has been hi-jacked by content creators and is semi-cringe