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It’s 2009, Christmas time.
I’m sitting in the passenger seat of my Mom’s car, on a long drive to somewhere I don’t remember.
But I do remember our conversation, because it set a series of events in motion that changed my life forever.
Here’s the story:
I’ve spent the past three months in my university dorm room, trying to figure out how to build an “online business”…
A very weird, very rare concept at the time.
This is 2009, remember:
The internet stone-age.
Facebook is still new, I’ve never even heard of Instagram, and TikTok is a decade away from taking off.
Heck, at this point, Vine is still a thing.
The idea of an online business is a bit like the idea of a unicorn or Bigfoot:
People have heard of them, but nobody actually thinks they’re real.
So Mom is pretty worried, and I can see why:
I have no experience (I’m only 19).
I have no money (again, only 19 here).
And my parents have no idea…
Until now:
“You’re doing what?! Are you serious? You better still be going to class. I’m pulling the plug on this if your grades start dropping.”
But I am serious, I tell her.
And I am definitely still going to class (once in a while, anyway…)
And, as I explain my business model and my plan of attack, she begins to realize:
My mind is made up.
My heart is set, my targets are locked, and the process has begun.
I’ve already made my leap of faith, and I’m not turning back.
9 months later, Prolific Shooting launched to the public and generated 80k in three days.
13 years later, we’re still going strong.
And if I hadn’t made that first leap of faith, my life would look radically different today.
Now, please understand:
I’m not saying you should drop out and start a business.
(the older I get, the more I realize most people should not be entrepreneurs… and wouldn’t want to be, if they knew what it actually involves)
But I am saying this:
The greatest experiences in life are on the other side of a leap of faith.
Taking the game winning shot.
Travelling through new countries.
Falling in love.
Asking her to marry you.
Starting a family.
And yes, starting a business.
All leaps of faith.
And faith doesn’t mean choosing the safest path with the most comfort and the least risk.
Faith is an act of courage:
Dreaming up the most spectacular life you can imagine, and pushing towards it with nothing but the force of your will.
(and trusting that even if it doesn’t come true, something better will emerge along the way)
Of course, there are no guarantees.
And your leap of faith could end in a spectacular belly-flop.
That’s where courage comes in.
But if you don’t leap for what you truly want, the only guarantee is settling for something you don’t want.
So I hope this story helps you make the leap towards whatever it is you’ve been dreaming up over there.
The world is waiting for it.
– T
