So there we were…

Sitting in front of the TV watching football and waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be served.

That is when “it” happened.

The “it” that I am referring to is the topic that seems to always creep into the conversation when people know what I do for a living.

The “it” is the “I hate my fucking job and I don’t know what to do” topic (better known by it’s much nicer name…career dissatisfaction) that seems to be such an epidemic nowadays.

I will save you from the long, drawn out details but one of my family members is really fed up with his job so he was reaching out for a little advice.

I asked a few basic questions and tried to give him some solid guidance as I headed towards the stuffing…but he wasn’t letting up.

He wanted answers!

He flooded me with more details about his shitty clients, selfish boss, and crazy travel schedule.

I could tell that he wasn’t just venting this time…he was at or near his wits end.

So after dinner, and before the pumpkin pie, I told him I would help.

We got down to business and, after about an hour and half of poking and prodding, we figured out a potential side hustle that he was excited to pursue.

One that he could do without quitting the job he hated oh so much.

One that he could do on a small scale to see if there was a need/desire for it.

One that he could start without putting a ton of money on the line.

We got past some big roadblocks and here are the takeaways –

• You cant know what you want until you do the work to figure out what you want. Read that again.
• Stop thinking that the shit that interests you (or dare I say that you are passionate about) can’t make you money…no matter how weird or nerdy you think it is.
• All business ideas need validation – testing helps you decide whether to pursue it…or KILL IT! Either way you win.
• Finding gratifying work can take many forms…is does NOT have to be an all or nothing situation.
• Monetization and marketing are NOT afterthoughts. Ideas are great. Money making ideas are better. Money making ideas that are properly marketed are even better.
• Doing shit “just for the money” is NOT a long term business strategy. It will catch up to you…trust me.
• Being indifferent and not really caring about the outcome that your business or service offers its customers or clients is a disservice to everyone involved…especially you!

So, as we sat there we were gaining something tremendously important….CLARITY!

We brainstormed business names and bounced product ideas around.

He was getting excited.

We talked value proposition, business models and marketing funnels.

He was getting more excited.

We laid out potential revenue streams and growth strategies.

He was seeing his vision come to life and it’s potential (more CLARITY!) and was so excited now that he almost forgot about the pie. Almost.

So, after our impromptu coaching session came to a close he walked away with a game plan…and the confidence…to actually move forward with a business that fires him up!

He was very thankful, more clear and definitely much more excited (did I mention that?) than when we started our conversation.

As a matter of fact he told me he was going to rush home, after dessert of course, to register the domain name he came up with and start on the website.

Awesome shit.

Will he pursue it and will it work out?

Who knows.

Should he pursue it and can it work out?

Absolutely.

****UPDATE 12/01****

Just a little update to share with you.

Today I got a text from my dear family member telling me what he has done in the week since we talked.

Here is what he has accomplished so far…

• Pick and filed his domain name
• picked his hosting company
• design a basic logo
• got his website up and running
• added images and content to his site
• created a signup form
• decided on his initial pricing
• connected to Paypal for payment processing
• talked to a few local businesses to partner with

He did all of this in ONE WEEK!

Just goes to show what you can accomplish when you pursue an idea that FIRES YOU UP!