I remember back in March 2019 I was beginning to feel burnt out at my job.
Until around February of the same year, I was feeling fine, handling things as best as I could, even though the workload kept getting bigger and bigger.
“This is just for the time being,” I would tell myself and my roommate at the time. “Things have to get better.”
I don’t know why I thought it would be different with this job since I wasn’t unaware of the bureaucracy that occurs at places of employment. However, I used to think that a place that stood up for the rights of others must also, first and foremost, stand up for those of their employees.
Thankfully, it didn’t work out, and I decided to take a chance at something different–entrepreneurship.
Here’s how it went.
Network Marketing and The Business Bootcamp
Before I submitted my letter of resignation, I knew that if there was a business model out there that could help me achieve my monetary goals in no time, it was network marketing.
For years, I had been affiliated with my current company simply as a consumer. I liked the idea of getting great products with a discount, and also getting paid for it, but I never used the platform to develop a business.
Then, I remember one day talking to my mom and asking her how it was going for her (she had been my sponsor), and to my surprise, she was having immense success.
At first, it felt like a step back, embarrassing even. How was I going to leave my fancy 9-5 (where I was not being valued whatsoever) to start a career in network marketing?
I knew I needed to make a change, so I dove into the educational system provided by the platform, and soon I was more aware than ever of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. I was no longer seeing shadows on a wall, I was instead aware of a whole new world of possibilities.
See, the company provided what I consider to be a business boot camp for those who wanted to make a radical change–fast.
Best part? It wasn’t applicable just for network marketers, it was principles I could apply for any other business I wanted to get started with.
Since March, when everything had surfaced, until May, when I finally submitted my resignation letter, I read approximately 10 books and listened to more than 100 conferences by successful leaders in every industry.
“Overcome the Fears That Frustrate You,” a live recording from a conference given by a renowned networker in my company, Luis Costa, was my daily encouragement on my way to work.
It is what kept me going for so long, but also what gave me the courage to take a step toward my dreams.
After I finally left my job, this business boot camp was my savior.
I learned about how to connect with people deeply, write compelling copy, sell based on meeting the customer’s needs (not just to make a profit), leadership, personal development, the law of attraction, storytelling, and a plethora of other skills that I’m still developing.
The most interesting part was that the business boot camp was the most I had learned and worked with my skills in two years.
Although I had an interactive job, I was only really learning things based on my focus area, not outside of it. I was very good at ONE thing or a few things, but my creativity was stunted.
In entrepreneurship, I found my muse again.
Burning All the Ships
When I turned in my badge, ID, and laptop at my last place of employment after quitting to start my own business, I walked out into a hot July day knowing I had just burnt all my ships.
I knew then and there that there was no turning back, and that I couldn’t let myself down. Perhaps to this day, it has been the biggest act of self-love I’ve ever carried out.
Once I had submitted my resignation, I gave my employer six weeks to find my replacement. Then, I booked myself a seat at the next business conference my company was hosting, which to my surprise, started on the same day as my last day of work.
I walked out of the office after turning in my old life and drove straight to the airport toward my future. As the plane took off, I felt a mixture of sadness and excitement rise in me.
I closed my eyes and told myself: You can do this!
At the business conference, three speakers from three different countries shared their stories of success, and I knew one day I wanted to be one of them, so once I got back home, I set aside my excuses, and started to work.
Then, the real journey began.
Karla, Meet Karla, A Truly Amazing Person!
In his book, “The Power of the Subconscious Mind,” Joseph Murphy says that whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion eventually becomes a reality.
Man, did that lesson come in quickly.
Up until I had started on this journey of entrepreneurship, I figured that with my skills I could achieve success fast. What I wasn’t counting on was that:
- Success is a journey, not a destination
- Success happens first in the mind, then in the material world
- I would have to face ALL my demons before manifesting anything
If up to this point you’ve been reading to find out how I made tons of money, you can stop here because this is not what this is about.
I’m going to give it to you straight: monetary success won’t come to you until you work on your inner self.
A job doesn’t lead you there because you’re there to follow the path that has already been laid out for you.
But if you want to be a leader, an entrepreneur, a creator? You better start getting acquainted with your subconscious and working on how you’re going to become a GIVER in this world, not a taker.
That’s the greatest takeaway.
A year later, for me, the intangibles have been the most worthy of the journey.
The money? It came eventually.
The learning? It happened because I applied myself, and is still happening every day.
The connections? The best ones I’ve made in all my life.
But you have to be willing to meet yourself where you’re at and become the person you want to be.
When I used to see people fail at business, and fail at making things happen for themselves, I didn’t realize that simply what they were lacking was the courage to TRUST themselves, and the courage to learn about who they are.
So I followed Joseph Murphy’s advice, and I wrote a letter to myself that I’ve read for the last 365 days at least, and that letter starts with “Karla, meet Karla, a truly amazing person…”
Ready to write to yours?
Ready for 365 More
The last 365 days have been a process of becoming.
Becoming the person I had always wanted to be. Letting go of this insane belief that life has to be hard, that we have to work all day, and that our jobs are the most important things in our lives. When in fact, it’s everything outside of that which matters most.
Thanks to the opportunity network marketing provided me with, in February of 2020 I launched “KM Consulting, LLC” a branding and social marketing agency that helps current and aspiring entrepreneurs grow their businesses through clear communication strategies, tailored content creation, strategic development plans, and personalized services.
When I wake up each morning, I am thankful that I chose to believe in myself, believe in my path, and believe in an industry that is growing day by day thanks to the opportunities it provides people with.
The bottom line is if you don’t take control of your life someone else will. If you don’t fight for your dreams, you’ll be fighting for someone else’s until the day you die.
Choose you. Believe in you. And start making your dreams come true.
Are you ready to start on your journey?
