Launching my business

Oct, 1985 Dear diary

I’m washing dishes in the college cafeteria for $4.85/hour. Lots of blisters. I need a new job.

Oct, 1985 Dear diary

I sold 100 t-shirts in two hours knocking door-door in our dorm. I think I found my new job.

Feb, 1990 Dear diary

I opened my college clothing store, Campus Rags, today. Woohoo!

Jan, 1992 Dear Fortune Magazine

“I closed my store. I was a great marketer but a financial failure.” Time to go to work for Corporate America.

11/12/03 @blog

Living The Good Life. Spunky wife, adorable son, making good money running a division that Orbits the Giant Hairball.

01/19/05 @blog

Monthly reviews, all-day meetings, and budget battles. Ugh. I haven’t been true to myself. Must get some guts, life is short.

11/1/07 @LinkedIn

Am running marketing for a start-up. Working with great people, especially Tracy, the product management leader.

5/26/08 @LinkedIn

Not happy working for someone else. It’s time.

8/22/08 @LinkedIn

Tracy and I resign to co-found our new business, FanMinder. Finally did it!

9/10/08 @blog

Just conducted research with potential customers. We are on to something big.

10/8/08 @Facebook

Economy spectacularly collapses

Ooops.

10/8/08 @Facebook

No more eating out. Cut the housecleaner, etc…I luv Subway $5 FootLongs.

10/27/08 @Facebook

Is my To-Do List too focused on gaining funding?

My daughter just came into the office and gave me a big kiss ☺

11/7/08 @blog

Wednesday was one of those moments when your dream feels so much more real...

11/14/08 @blog

Attended great Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs on how to get funding.

12/1/09 (ummm, not posted)

Economy heading off cliff. Wife is still supportive…up to a point. Lots of sacrifices and worry about our future to pursue a dream.

12/6/08 @TechCrunch

Fundraising just got a lot harder: The End of Venture Capital As We Know It

12/31/08 @Facebook

Why the heck would anyone use twitter?

1/3/09 5:40 PM @twitter

My VOIP phone stinks. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

1/12/09 @blog

Team is up to 12 people, all putting in sweat equity

1/16/09 1:29 PM @twitter

What a difference 18 years make

@date unknown 3 AM

cant think strayt anymre…must slee

3/6/09 4:12 PM @twitter

Just three weeks until beta launches. Can’t wait to see how it will go…

March 3rd, 2014 @ my WiiiPhoneKindle

It’s been five years since we launched.

Today 450,000 ecstatic merchants electronically connect with 65 million consumers through FanMinder. In 2013 we had $200 million in revenues.

250 employees love it here. Me too.

Advice for others

My story is about staying true to your dreams. I ask you, "How badly do you want to own your own business?" It needs to burn in you, day and night, and never dim, because as you get older, it gets harder and riskier to do it - families, good paying jobs, and other priorities increase the sacrifices you need to make for your dream.

Yet if the fire truly burns in you, it's even more risky to do nothing.

Only you know the answer to this question. It's the only question that's worth contemplating.