I've reached the point where people text me randomly for favors, like, 'Hey can I pick your brain?' People I haven't talked to in years are asking for favors. It's like, 'Wow people really got some nerve.'
When people say things like, 'Oh, I can't find black or brown whatever position it is,' I wanted to be clear that we exist in droves. When I tell people, 'Hey, share your work, share your LinkedIn,' it's with the ultimate goal that somebody on that thread gets hired, or something positive happens.
As a freelancer, as a writer, and running my company, people have always tried to negotiate me down. Some might think that I might accept their offers because they think I don't have many options. The truth is, I always have options available to me.
You can't just set the vision, take a nap, and not keep working on making your vision happen. Your intention has to be backed by work.
Sticking with your craft goes a long way in ensuring that you'll be successful.
I need to sleep more. The 'sleep when I die' mantra is not cute.
Fire Yourself. Outsource some of your life. Because you know what won't be cute on a tombstone? 'Her grind was impeccable, and she did it all by herself.'
Working 16-hour days to ensure that I can pay my bills has been a bulk of my entrepreneurship life. And on days when I don't, odds are I'm running to the airport.
Doubt has purpose sometimes. If we don't think our work is good enough, we strive to do better and be better. Which then makes us better because practice does just that.
I wish people were realer in talking about how leaps of faith don't have to be taken without at least looking down first.
I am a firm believe in the power of dreams, because the world is basically one giant realization of people's collective dreams come true. We need to dream to aspire to do something that keeps us striving. But those dreams and ideas and wants mean nothing without execution, which doesn't usually happen without a plan.
What I sacrificed as I pursued my dreams was my comfort, not the lives of other people who looked to me to stay afloat. That alone freed me to take more risks, which did pay off in dividends. Having a safety net is an asset that most people do not have.