Delving deeper into the world of finance options

The last post was just… lame. I mean, seriously, you can find lists like that everywhere on the internet. I had planned to make it up to you guys by delving deeper into the scenarios and talking with people who have been there, done that. After all, if you’re going to finance your company, it’s going to a helluva adventure. So, here’s the voices of a few people who I admire and you should get to know — they really are great people.

First up, Chris Brogan. Chris is CEO of Owner Media Group, where he teaches people how to create content that nurtures a community and earns you the right to sell and serve. He is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books and counting. You can learn more about Chris at Chris Brogan.com.

How I started working on my own businesses was that I had a full time job and a salary and after serving those people to the fullest, I carved out hours here and there to work on my own projects. As those grew, and as I was able to start defining what amounted to a full salary worth of revenue, I finally left the full time job behind and lived off my own revenues. I earned enough to hire a few people, and then a few more, and then I was thriving for a while.Over time, with shifts in the economy and some bad business decisions, I had to downsize my organization, which hurt. And then I’ve been running lean ever since with just three people on the payroll, including me.

Money worries exist for a reason. It’s important to have enough money to live. But it’s amazing how many people think they can’t find a way to shift from being the employee to being the owner, and how many will blame having a family for their reason for not trying. I’m not advocating the “quit and figure it out” method. That usually leads to deep failure. Instead, work and figure it out. Have a boss for a while, until you don’t need one. And then decide what you’ll do from that footing.

Chris is one of those genuine people who you come across so very rarely. When you talk, he listens. When you ask questions randomly, he answers. He makes it a point to never be too busy. Truly, it is an inspiration to me and the way I want to serve. He built this kind of trust and respect from the ground up — the tried-and-true-method of working while building something gradually on the side. Not rushed like a good deal of us seem to do.

Clearly, this method works for starting a fulfilling business that both pays the bills and makes a difference. Is he alone in this methodology of starting a company? Certainly not! Next up is Tom Morkes. Tom is CEO of Insurgent Publishing, where he teaches people a disciplined approach to success whether they are launching a book, creative venture, consulting business, or other. He’s the author of the Pay What You Want Pricing guide and several more guide books. You can connect with Tom at Tom Morkes.com.

My story is simple.

I messed around with websites for a couple years while gainfully employed in the Army. I tried to build a couple real estate related websites but discovered quickly if you don’t love a topic deeply, you’ll quit (or at least I did).

So I started Tommorkes.com to write about the inner creative war – how to start, finish, and ship work that matters.

That’s evolved now to a broader and deeper range of topics.

I started small – self hosted website, premium theme, mailchimp for EMS…that’s about it. I was spending about $50 – $100 a month on my business and made nothing for at least the first 6 months until I started selling books. That’s grown and now I’m making a decent living from my books, and even more from book publishing, launch consulting, and various collaborative projects.

We may be onto something when we start toying with ideas and side projects while still at a “day job”. It’s called a sustainable transition from one life to another. Clearly, it worked for these two. Will it work for you?

I believe it will. There is something to be said about reinventing yourself at your current “job” while keeping a new vision in mind. It’s actually a little more simpler than you think it would be. Just ask Ben Fanning, The Burnout Specialist. He was near the edge of collapse and despair, unfulfilled. He taught himself to turn it around with the help of mentors and coaches, now teaches other people to do the same. His blog and podcast are full of ideas on how you can become that employee with a vision, a life, and a damned good paycheck.

Give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose if this is a good financial path for you to take. It’s one that works.

And, if you’re like me and didn’t have this option, another post will be dedicated to you.

Got a story to tell about how to started? Tell it in the comments and tell us your tale of struggles and glory!