Every story has to start somewhere, and this particular journey starts way back in high school. For some reason I have always had a fascination with business and networking — basically anything entrepreneurial in nature. This really started taking shape in my thinking and actions while in college. My friends and I would sit around and talk about starting our own business someday. We were dreamers but real passion was birthed in me simply by having room to dream with others.
I was also very naïve at this time. While many of my dreams were far-fetched, these “dreams” kept the fire going and kept me driven to actually pursue them someday.
Around that time I also develop a very specific personality trait that would carry me through starting a business all the way to where I am today. And while I was naïve about this at the time, looking back it was a huge key to my success. That trait is confidence. For whatever reason when it came to school, work, etc. I thought I was smarter and had a better chance to succeed than anyone else. Pretty crazy, right? Yet in reality that wasn’t always the case, though it is still something I carry today. Why is this so important? This gave me the confidence to go after my dreams. The only person that can stop you from achieving your dreams is you. And when you have complete confidence in your abilities, that confidence will constantly be driving you forward.
I know the confidence I have is God-given. None of the success I have is from myself. It has all been a blessing from God. The confidence He has instilled in me is the single greatest reason for my success today.
So we have a crazy high school kid with an unrealistic amount of confidence, dreaming about owning his own business someday. Where does the story go from here? I had a few friends who were accounting majors in college and hearing about what they were studying intrigued me. I have always been good with numbers so I thought this was a natural fit. I decided I was going to go to college for accounting, get my CPA and start my own accounting practice. While it ended up actually working out that way (still crazy to think about) the road was not as straightforward as I had imaged.
I ended up studying accounting at Widener University. I worked an internship at a regional public accounting firm in the area and worked there right out of college. I passed my CPA a few months after starting my full time job. Things were going well at this point.
February of 2012 I finally got my CPA certificate and decided to leave my job 2 days later.
A quick note: I learned so much at that firm, not only technical accounting knowledge but how to carry myself as a professional. I still stay in touch with quite a few people there and would absolutely not be where I am at today if it wasn’t for them.
So, its February of 2012, I am unemployed with a small desk in my parents’ guest bedroom. I was excited and terrified but ready for a journey — because I was right where I wanted to be.
Stop back next week and I will share with you how to steal your parent’s Wi-Fi and begin to build a business.