From Working for a Janitor to Building a 6 Figure Business
Sometimes I get messages from followers who just want to quit their job and make a lot of money online.
"I want to have what you have, Michelle."
My response is always: "It takes time. Prioritize your self-development over your business. And remember that desperation pushes what you want away from you."
And I also say, "My story is not that I quit my job and started a successful business, so I can't help you actually do that. I help people know what to focus on in order to speed up the process, but it's still going to take time and you still need to pay your bills with your job while you build your business on the side and grow yourself as a person."
I started my blog/personal development journey/business in 2011. That's nearly 10 years ago! It took 5 years before I could quit my "jobs" and make a full time income with my business.
My "jobs" were little self-employment ventures that I ran to pay the bills while I worked on my online business stuff at night. They consisted of...
- cleaning other people's houses
- babysitting other people's kids
- selling smoothies and fried food by myself at markets
- court-reporting
- running a cafe by myself
Before starting my online business, I had even worked for a janitor while I was in college. I cleaned public restrooms and buffed floors. Not only was I working as a janitor, my boss WAS a janitor.
No job was "too low."
It has not been quick or easy, but I was determined to keep the pressure off of my business and pay my bills with my short-term side gigs.
Now I have a 6 figure business, I retired my husband a year ago, I live where I want to live, I do what I want to do, and best of all, I've created a community of thousands of customers who are all so loving and positive and I absolutely love serving them in this journey we are on together.
When I decided to take 100% responsibility for my life nearly 10 years ago, I never thought it would turn into a movement that would include and resonate with so many other people.
I don't want people to think that all they have to do is take a magic course on business and then that's it. Taking 100% responsibility for your life is a process that requires you to SHOW UP on so many levels. You can't pick and choose where you're going to exhibit personal responsibility. You have to practice it every where - from paying your bills with your day job to taking care of the future version of you with your budding business that you build in your cracks of time year after year after year after year.
I'm here to help people speed up the process, but I'm not here to make the time or the sacrifice that is ahead of you magically vanish into thin air. That's not my story and I probably wouldn't be where I am today if it was ever as easy as that.
I remember when I quit my janitorial job because I was leaving college after one semester. The janitor I worked for was a nice, old man. He gave me a big hug to say good bye and told me, "There's something special about you. There's something different about you."
I think his words are true for all of us and if we give ourselves the time and grace to grow, we'll end up believing it too.
