Do you have a sacred cow holding you back?

According to Wikipedia, the term sacred cow is used for a person, institution, idea (often a theory) or ideology that is immune (usually unreasonably so) from criticism or opposition.

As I was wrapping up things at my job last week, a frustrated co-worker came to me to vent about a problem they had during a brainstorming session. The purpose of a brainstorming session, he (correctly) explained, is to get all of the ideas out, and then narrow them down based on their feasibility. The problem that they were having was that too many people had gone to the session with pre-conceived notions of what wouldn't work. So much so, that every time a creative idea came out, it was shot down. The results they walked away with were less than desired.

He went on to tell me that his biggest frustration in his professional career has been all of the sacred cows that he has encountered. I gave him the what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about look because I had never heard that expression before. He explained that every company that he has ever worked for (and probably every company in existence) has self imposed, unnecessary constraints that limit their problem solving creativity and ability to innovate. Frustrated, he told me that every once in a while you need to go out and slaughter one of the cows.

I couldn't agree him more. We all have sacred cows at our jobs and in our lives. It seems like successful people and successful entrepreneurs are able to recognize these unreasonable constraints, slaughter some cows, and discover new and better ways to do things.

It's official: I QUIT!

I have officially resigned from my job as an engineer. Today was my last day. As of this moment, I am now a full time entrepreneur! I have never felt the energy and excitement that I feel now. I am going to live the American dream. There is no telling what the future holds for me and my business - the sky is the limit!

I have a weekend of celebrating ahead of me, followed by a week of moving. Although I will get some work done next week, my first "official" day will be February 6, 2006! 2006 will certainly be the most fun year of my life. Thanks to all of you who have supported me...I'm off to grab some beer.

Entrepreneurs Inspire Others

One of the most rewarding fringe benefits of being an entrepreneur is that you inspire others. You are traveling down a path that many people consider but few ever take. People respect you and look up to you for being able to do that. The main reason that I write this blog is for that very reason - to pass along lessons learned from my experiences in hopes of inspiring more people to pursue their passion.

Today I had an interesting experience when I realized that I was inspiring someone without even knowing about it. Since I only have one day of work left (I am so pumped), I have been making my rounds and saying good-byes and there was one friend that I hadn't talked to much in the past few months. She knew that I had the business but was shocked like everyone else when I announced my resignation.

I expected the typical conversation with the standard questions and my standard responses. Instead, she said that she was inspired by my courage to leave and that she was seriously looking into doing the same thing. In fact, she has done quite a bit of research on two potential businesses (both doing things that she loves) and is entering the business plan phase. She told me that she always wanted to but was afraid until she saw that I was doing it.

That is the type of thing that helps remove any shred of doubt that I have in my mind about my decision to leave my job to run SportsLizard.com full time. The decision to start your own business will be met with much skepticism and you will undoubtedly face many obstacles, but one of the rewards of making it through it all is what you can inspire in others.

Entrepreneurs Get to Use All of Their Skills - Even the Ones They Thought Would Be Useless

For better or worse, our past experiences play an enormous role in determining the person that we are today. As an entrepreneur, you need a vast skillset to survive. If you are only good at programming, or sales, or marketing then you probably shouldn't be an entrepreneur. Because of this need for an understanding of broad subjects, I find that one of the beauties of being an entrepreneur is that I am drawing upon past experiences that I never thought I would.

For instance, as a junior in college I was required to take a writing elective so I took Writing to the World Wide Web (or WWWW as we at RPI called it). The only reason I took WWWW was that I heard it was easier than the expository writing class (which is a pretty good reason). At that point in my life I knew nothing about e-commerce or web programming and had no clue that I would start an online business a year later.

It turned out that taking that class has paid endless dividends. We studied what web content is and how successful web content is drastically different from successful print content. Both textbooks we used I refer to frequently to this day, and as a result one of the selling points of SportsLizard.com is the fresh content that I provide (if you don't believe me, check out this awesome article by Jeff Clow in this month's issue of Tuff Stuff Magazine where he refers to me as a "prolific writer." I can't explain how nuts it is to hear someone say that, considering I was a horrible English student in high school and once told an English teacher that "English and History are just what people who can't do Math and Science end up doing." She didn't like that very much.)

Another great example is art. At first glance I would appear to not be the most artistic person alive (I do have an engineering degree and engineers aren't always known for their creativity). But as a child I loved drawing and the first thing that I ever won was a local drawing contest. Today, I am able to use that same artistic skill in my web design and in painting custom sports figures. I was able to tie the customs into SportsLizard.com, and the section where I have how-to articles and galleries has surprisingly been one of the most successful parts of the business.

The fact that I am able to use all of my talents, even those that I never thought would be of any use to me is one of the more unexpected, and yet also gratifying, things that I have found about being an entrepreneur. If you are considering starting your own business, I bet you'll find yourself drawing upon skills that you have long forgotten or previously deemed useless.

6 Day's Left Until I'm a Full Time Entrepreneur!

A week has passed since I put my notice in at work. Time seems to be going about as fast as it did when I was in a three hour Friday afternoon lecture back in college. I am still totally pumped and I can't wait for the end of the month. That said, everything at work has been exactly the opposite of what I thought it would be.

I figured everyone would leave me alone to wrap up my work and pass it on, and I could spend most of my days socializing. Unfortunately, it's gone exactly like that, except the complete opposite.

For a day or two everyone was in I'm-happy-for-you mode, but that has quickly turned into do-as-much-work-for-me-as-you-can-before-you-leave-so-I-don't-get-screwed-over-by-you-quitting mode. My calendar is jam packed and people keep adding to it. I can honestly say that if I work my a** off for the next week I still probably won't get everything done. Not to mention I need some time to clean out my desk, meet with HR, and socialize with friends that I won't see very often in the future :)

One of the guys who sits next to me just laughs anytime someone comes over and asks me to do something. He said that it's always been that way. Every time you leave a job they squeeze you for everything they can. To me, that's a little counter-intuitive. I still would think that once you put your two weeks in that they would focus on moving on rather than getting every little bit they can out of you.

Regardless, the whole thing has been a learning experience and all it does is make me more excited to quit and get out of there. The only downside is that I am getting pretty burned out trying to still work on SportsLizard.com while coordinating a move and leaving my job. I'm going to have to take a few days off before I can hit the ground running because right now I am running on empty. This whole thing isn't as easy as I thought it would be.

MLK Day Reflection

This is a little bit off topic (which I tend to do from time to time) but something I thought people would find interesting. I think some people in my generation tend to downplay the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, mainly because that world is one that we have never been exposed to. We live in a world that still has prejudice, but the racism/sexism/age-ism that we experience is nothing compared to what Dr. King fought. I had one of those "wow" moments yesterday that put into perspective how much things have changed in the past 50 years.

I was on a business trip (my last I hope) and was making small talk with one of the guys we were meeting with to kill time before everyone else arrived. We got to talking about movies and the new Disney movie "Glory Road", which lead to a discussion about the progression of racial relations and eventually to a discussion about Dr. King.

It turns out that his 10 yr old son is learning about MLK in school. The other day he came home and asked his dad if segregated schools really existed. When his father said that unfortunately they did, his son asked him whether his (white) father attended the black school or the white school. Turns out that the young man doesn't see color.

Sometimes I think we don't realize how much things have changed and how far we've come.

What I'm NOT Doing

This is obviously the first time that I've done the whole quit-my-job-to-run-my-business thing so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from people. A few weeks in, most people have been overwhelmingly supportive, but it appears that there are a few common misconceptions:

1. I do not hate my job. I work for a good company with good people.
2. I am not leaving CT because I hate it.
3. I do not think upstate NY is the greatest place on earth.
4. I am not moving to NY to be closer to my friends.
5. I am not moving to NY to be closer to my family.
6. I am not "taking a break" from working to "find myself."
7. I am not going to get a job when I move to NY (that one really drives me nuts).

None of that means that I don't love my friends and family, or that they are not a priority in my life, just that they were not a factor either way in my decision. My decision was solely to do what is best for the success of my business.

I AM pursuing what I love so that I can truly say that I am living life to the fullest each and every day. Period. It's that simple. I hope that every decision that I make for the rest of my life has the same passion and purpose. As time goes on those decisions will probably be less about running a business and more about starting a family and helping those less fortunate, but will still reflect my love of life none the less.

One other thing of note that I seemed to be finding out: my co-workers are generally more accepting and supportive than friends and family. My hypothesis is that this has to do with the fact that my co-workers know me only in a working environment (and have seen me thrive in it) whereas my friends/family don't know me in that manner. Or maybe it's something else. These are just my initial thoughts...

SportsLizard.com Featured in Tuff Stuff Magazine!

One day after quitting my job, I came home to find the February issue of Tuff Stuff Magazine (the #1 Sports Cards and Collectibles Magazine) sitting in my mailbox. About a month ago, one of the columnists gave me a "heads up" that he was going to mention SportsLizard.com in his February or March column, but no further details and no early copy of the article for me to screen.

Needless to say, I was anxious about what it said and how prominently (or not) SportsLizard.com would be displayed. SO, when I saw the issue, I dropped the rest of my mail on the floor, ripped off the plastic, and flipped to the Figure Fan column by Jeff Clow.

I scanned the article quickly and saw my name and SportsLizard.com each mentioned several times! It took about half an hour of me running circles around my apartment, jumping up and down to calm down enough to read the article. Clow wrote about the internet's impact on the hobby and used my site as his prime example. He cited multiple features on my site and even based the rest of his column on an article that I wrote about sports collectible sites that you've never heard of!

My jaw dropped. This is literally one of the nicest things that anyone has ever written about me. Not to mention that it highlights my business in the leading magazine in my industry! This far exceeds the credibility that I could get with a $100,000 marketing campaign. His opinion is extremely influential among collectors and will be invaluable towards the growth of SportsLizard.com.

So how did he find out about my site? I always have read his column so I contacted him waaaaay back in July 2004 when I launched SportsLizard.com. Every time I have made a site change since, I have made it a priority to send him a personal email notifying him of the change and how it helps the hobby. I made it a point to develop a relationship with him. It just goes to show you that you don't always reap the benefits of your hard work immediately.

What a crazy two days I have had!

I Quit My Job Today!!!!!

I haven't been posting as much as I like to lately, but it comes with good reason - I have been busy planning my future as a full time entrepreneur because I QUIT MY JOB TODAY! Anyone who has ever read this blog or talked to me knows that my passion lies in SportsLizard.com, not in being an engineer.

I have always preached that you should do what you love in life, that doing what you love will make you happier than any amount of money. Well, as of today, I am officially practicing what I preach. I am leaving a well paying job at a large, stable company (where I was recently promoted after working for them for all of 8 months out of college) to run my business, which, I am not ashamed to say, has just begun to make me money (I saw a lot of red numbers in the first two years).

I left the security, the benefits, and my beautiful apartment to move back into a bedroom in my parents house in NY. Despite all of that, I couldn't be happier - I am pursuing something that I love. I can honestly say that each and every day I will wake up and love what I do. How many people get to live life with that kind of passion and enthusiasm? As far as I am concerned, no dollar amount can be placed on that. There's no doubt that the next year or two will be tough financially, but the beauty of my decision is that when I succeed I will likely be making more money than I am as an engineer AND waking up to a life that I love every day!

As sure as I am that I made the right choice, it didn't make leaving any easier. I spent a year doing a co-op at this company in college before coming full time after I graduated, so most of the people I have known for three plus years. They have all been an integral part in my growth and I will continue to turn to many of them for personal and professional support long after I leave. My leaving came as a shock to them. It was hard to avoid feeling like I am letting them down. The only comparable emotion that I have ever had is breaking up with a girl...except this felt like breaking up with ten girls in a row. Everyone was sad to see me go, but also very supportive of my decision, which made it a little easier.

Needless to say I am pretty spent emotionally. I am excited for what the future will bring. I will certainly be more involved on this blog and in the blogging community in general. I plan on making 2006 the year that SportsLizard.com becomes known by each and every sports collector on the internet. It will take seventy and eighty hour work weeks and many sacrifices to succeed, but I anticipate 2006 being the most fun that I have ever had. Regardless of where I am at a year from now, it's going to be one interesting year and one hell of a ride.

Thank you to all of my friends, family, co-workers, customers, and fellow entrepreneurs. In your own way, each one of you has inspired me to pursue my dream.

Surround Yourself With Other Entrepreneurs

A large part of what defines us as people is the people that we surround ourselves with. Each and every one of them is a reflection of ourselves. One of the reasons that I am able to maintain focus on my business is that I am surrounded by other entrepreneurs that share the same passion and love for what they do.

I have been blessed to have such great friends around me. There are four of us who have all ventured down the path of being a young entrepreneur. We have known each other for years, long before any of us thought about going into business, but to an outsider it would appear that we were destined for each other simply for that purpose.

Last night I spent an hour on the phone with each of them individually and it was like one big support session. We unofficially meet frequently to discuss business and life. The four of us all share the same passion for innovation and, although our businesses are all unrelated, we are constantly feeding each other ideas. These are the friends that I have chosen and I couldn't be more proud of what each one of them has become.

I realize that not everyone will fall into the same situation. For some it may take joining online networking groups or message boards, or even developing relationships with other bloggers who share your passion. However it comes about, I can't underestimate the value of having other entrepreneurs around you. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. Having a support network will help you thrive at this challenging lifestyle.

Only Involve the Necessary People When Starting a Business

Before I started SportsLizard.com, I nearly started a product design company with a close friend from college. Prior to even completing our business plan, we had nearly all of our friends lined up for positions. I think that we thought that the more people, the greater the chance for success. A business advisor that we met with pointed out to us that this is not exactly true.

I think many entrepreneurs involve friends and family to make them a part of the excitement. I think that they feel that if they start a business with one friend then they have to bring on other friends, or they will feel left out. What they fail to realize is that first and foremost it is a business and you need to make your decisions accordingly. If a friend or family member will truly provide a valuable resource to your company, then involve them. But if your business already has the capability to do what they do, then you probably should pass.

By adding more people, you make communication more difficult and decrease your share in the company. You have to ask yourself the question: will this persons skills be more valuable to the company than the time and money that will be saved by not involving them in your business?

I am bringing this up because I know a group of friends who are starting a business that seem to be suffering from this problem. There are ten of them running a company that easily could be run by one to three people. I reviewed their business plan yesterday (which I think is great by the way) and that was the only criticism that I had was the number of people involved, for all of the reasons that I cited above.

Our product design company never happened for many reasons (the main one being that our cornerstone product had already been patented by someone else), but, among other things, I learned to only involve the necessary people when starting a business.

Fix What's Wrong in '06

I tend to keep these blog posts business related. After all, the purpose of this blog is to pass along the business lessons that I have learned at a young age in hopes of saving other entrepreneurs from some of the troubles that I went through. However, I also think it's important to give people a look inside my personal life because, like it or not, your personal life will be different after you start a business.

In the past month or so I've decided that I am going to devote 2006 to fixing my mistakes from the past. I am going to clean up all of the messes that I have created that will hopefully result in living the life that I want to live. It's not easy, but man does it feel good.

I started by focusing on my work life. Trying to be an Engineer and running my company is burning me out. I am working 80 hour weeks. My head is all over the place. And that has trickled down into my personal life. It's hard enough trying to build a successful company, but I am finding it very difficult to do it while working a demanding full time job (this shouldn't surprise anyone). So, I decided that I am quitting my job in 2006. Done. That's it. It will be tough financially, but I will survive. I will be able to wake up every day and do something I love. How many people can say that they do that? To me, that is what being an entrepreneur (and in a larger light, a human being) is all about.

Once the dust settled from that decision, I looked at the rest of my life. There was a clear void in my social life because I had strained many relationships by devoting my life to my work. I decided that I would need better work-life balance in 2006 or I would definitely burn out. So, one by one I am beginning to work on all of those strained relationships.

There was one in particular that has been on my mind ever since I moved to CT a year ago. My pride and stubbornness wouldn't allow me to reconcile. Instead, every time I would think of it, I dove further and further into my work. While I am proud of my success as a business owner in 2005, I know that it shouldn't come at the expense of those people in my life who are so important to me.

Earlier this evening I spoke to this person on the phone. I hadn't talked to them in over a year, and we didn't leave things on the best of terms back then. It was hard for me to contact them because it meant admitting to myself that I was wrong. It meant admitting that I had suppressed my feelings and emotions instead of dealing with them. But I did it, and words can not express how happy I am that I did.

Somehow, three days into 2006, I feel as though I have done more positive work on my life than I did in all 2005. In my last post, I talked about taking a step back to evaluate your business. While you are doing that, be sure to take a step back and look at the whole picture. I think that you will be surprised how closely related the two are.