Do you know what's been extremely fascinating in my life over the last 15 years of owning and operating businesses?

The number of people whose paths have crossed mine, who have had a "DESIRE" to start something new, create a side hustle, build their own business, but have never had the Vision of what their life could be like, courage to take the first step, or confidence to stay the course. I want to talk about these for a quick minute! Stay with me...

I have to admit when I first stepped into the world of a "Side Hustle" I had the same issue. I just jumped in, not really knowing what I was doing, and had a significant amount of UPs and DOWNs.

We've all seen this description of the Day and Life of an Entrepreneur, right?

Makes me laugh every time I see this. So true!

It might be helpful for me to tell you a little more about my story, how I made changes I did and how it led me to where I am today...

Growing up I was always a serial entrepreneur.

My first experience of my business life started when I was 8 years old delivering papers to neighbors in my community. In the 1980s that was one of their only resources for local information. They relied on me and honestly I felt the pressure.

My second experience of business was at the age of 10. Our task was to use garbage cans full of water with a watered-down chemical solution poured over a grass area to get worms to come out from the ground, pick them up off the ground, put them in boxes, and sell them to a bait shop for money. I still have nightmares about this one.

My third experience was a little later in life, 16 years old when I worked for my father, who invented and created a Pinball Gumball interactive game. We built and sold those machines all over the world. Traveled all across the US meeting with business owners and selling them the concept of a passive monthly residual income.

The fourth business experience was the first time actually being involved in the startup of a Door to Door Satellite Sales Company called Vision Satellite with my brother, Rob. We recruited and trained sales reps to go door to door selling satellite dish equipment to use for their television service.

The fifth experience was building a significant consumer base with a Direct to Consumer manufacturing company. I have continued to build this business over the last 13+ years. We have helped 1000's of people change their lives for the better through the manufacturers product or through the strategy business relationship I have helped establish.

My sixth experience was my most recent 10 years of building a Digital Marketing agency to over $1.5M in annual revenue, a team of over 30 people, and an interesting merger/acquisition model for growth.

Some of these businesses have been an all hands on deck, full-time effort, while others have been "Side Hustles". My experiences were unique in nature but amazing in personal and professional growth and development.

These experiences have shaped and formed me into the business leaders I have become throughout my career.

My experiences have helped me answer the question... Where do I begin? Quite frankly, that is one of the questions I get more than any other... Where do I begin? How do I get started? What are the keys to success?

My answer is the same - Build a Vision for your Life, Take the Chance and Stay the Course.

Building a Vision for Your Life

In conversations, I often ask...

• What do you want your life to look like?
• If money is not an issue, where would you be? What would you be doing?
• What makes you happy?
• What would your life look like if you were to have the confidence to take action?
• What things do you imagine you could accomplish, if for just one day - you were living the life you always dreamed of.

Take a minute right now... Pull out a piece of paper and write down an answer to these questions.

Here's the reality, if you have never taken the time to answer these questions, you're living in a Dream World. You have never really put a gameplan together in order to take the proper action to accomplish the live you always wanted.

I've heard it said before, "The difference between having a Dream for your life or a Vision for your life is simple. A Vision has strategy and action. A Vision will get you to your Dream Life."

Now that you have what you want your life to look like - you need to build a strategy.

Strategy comes through creating meaningful tasks that can lead you closer to your end goals. For instance, from my past of building businesses, the very first task was to take action. Take the First Step.

Taking the First Step

Taking the First Step is probably one of the hardest actions you can take. It takes courage. It takes getting outside of a level of comfort. It takes moving in a direction that you may have never considered.

The one thing that's amazing about taking action is that it is fulfilling. One step builds upon the other. When you take that first step, it also gives you the courage to take the next step.

I remember the very first time I delivered newspapers. I was uncomfortable with people. I was scared. I didn't know how people would react.

I distinctly remember a couple of the young kids on my paper route that were known as the tougher crowd. I often tried my best to sneak past them without them seeing me. They used to give me the look that scared me out of my mind. In the beginning, I thought it was the scariest thing I had to encounter. I later realized they were just like me. Insecure and trying to do they best they knew. I also realized that acting with confidence, and as though they didn't phase me was the best thing I could do, because they left me alone.

I have seen this over and over again in my life. The lesson that the first step is usually the hardest, and scariest, but it leads to more confident steps. At some point we all look back on those scary first steps and count our blessings for the experience, but realize that it was exactly what we needed to get started.

Confidence to Stay the Course

Action leads to confidence. The feeling of growing confidence takes a new form when you do it repeatedly. This repetition now becomes a habit. Habits change and shape the way we do life. You show me someone who is successful and I'll show you how their Habits have helped them accomplish that.

James Clear - the author of Atomic Habits said the following:

Consider... It takes time to develop good habits. Those habits influence confidence. Confidence grows with repeated positive experiences.

Remember - Create a Vision of what your Life should look like, Take the First Step necessary for growth and Stay the Course on the things that are working!