I made the decision to pursue of life of entrepreneurship in mid-2008; I made that decision a reality by leaving my comfy career job later that same year. My first venture, asIrent.com, with my first partner, dissolved in early 2009 (they say “fail fast” - well we did!). My second, and current venture, TurnSocial.com, was born in June 2009. Currently, some very tough decisions need to be made about the future direction of the business. This is part of what being in a startup is all about; we’re in the thick of it. And it’s right where I’m supposed to be.
I can hardly put into words how the experiences of the last 2 years of my life have changed me, and reshaped me (for the better) into someone who I wouldn’t have recognized just a short time ago. I knew that the journey down into the canyon of entrepreneurship would be tough, and I thought I had some idea of the emotions, experiences, and relationships I would encounter, make, or break along the way. But you can never really anticipate how things will play out. And to borrow a famous phrase, “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”
Although there is constant change swirling everywhere around me, I’ve lately felt an inner peace that somehow, someway, I’ve passed the first test on my path to success. I continue to make my way through this valley of daily uncertainty, and realize, now more than ever, that there are absolutely no guarantees in life. And although I haven’t yet found my path out of the valley, for the first time I can finally see a complete picture of the landscape around me, and my inner compass is pointed in the right direction. Now I just have to find my way out.
And so 2010 will be a year of personal reinvention; the experiences of the last 2 years have broken down who I was before, and reshaped my perspective and persona into who I will become in the years ahead. This year will be the beginning of my realization of those changes; embracing the lessons I’ve learned, and stepping into the next phase of my life.
Not a New Year’s resolution, but a New Year’s Evolution.
