429. Surviving and Thriving After ’08 Crash

“When I was 14 I started a mobile car detailing business,” Stephen recalls, but it was only mobile in the sense that his customers had to drive their cars to him, since he was too young to drive. “I think being 14 had something to do with my success. I was kind of a cute kid and people were willing to do that. I have a feeling if I tried to do that today at age 36, I would probably fail miserably. I made good money. I would spend four or five hours to detail a car. It was a better job than they could get anywhere else. My rates were $100 to $150.” He credits his “mobile” business with earning him enough money to buy a car at age 16.

“With my finance degree, I went to work for a large brokerage company. I discovered I absolutely hated being tied to a desk, being told when to come in, when to leave. I wanted to set my own pace and earn the results.” Finally, it was the daily headaches that got his attention. “After a year I decided this just can’t be right!” Parents and family advised him to get through the first couple of years and get a promotion, but Christopher thought, “Right, stay 30 years and retire. I knew I would die before 30 years. The headaches alone would have killed me!”

“Even going through the crash of 2008, I learned that it wasn’t that bad. When I look back on it, it is a great lesson to have experienced and survived the loss of so much of what I thought I had to have to live.  Things like money, for example.  Short of sleeping outside on the street or not having food, I went about as low as most people will ever go. That lesson has stuck with me as I’ve been starting and growing businesses.”

1. Know that you can survive and be OK. You’re going to be all right.

2. Enjoy your life NOW. Don’t say, “I’ll be happy when…” Today is the day that matters.

3. Make your work fun and let it help you grow. You will get more joy out of it.

4. Invest in yourself and your career. Take responsibility for working on yourself first.