Apr 24, 2012

Let me remind you of something you might forget.

Today, in this wonderful night filled with sadness, anger and a hint of insomnia, I'd like to do something different. Instead of just ranting the first thought that comes into my mind, I'm going to take the calm route. Oh yes, you better call the authorities. This will not be a anger-fiesta post. Nope. I'm going to be all analysis and shit in this mo'fo. I'm going to invite you, if you wish to continue this adventure, on a small little exercise. A dare, if you wish to call it that. At the end of the post, raise your hand - or maybe post a comment, you choose - if you think you could do it. At the end of the post, maybe 1 out of 10 will understand this post, and it will be, sadly, Me. This is a post for Me, by Me. But I promise, it is in good fun...

Ready? Set? Go.

Ok. Let's imagine that you and I go to Vegas. Yeah man, Sin City. Filled with lights, booze, cheap women and lots of gambling. Let's hit it for just a weekend... but with a twist.

Interested? Good! Oh... Um, yeah, you can pack your bathing suit. Sure, pack your nice suit and shoes, you're gonna need them. Nope, we're not going to any Cirque Du Soleil. We're gonna do something even more exciting. No... no were NOT going to the Champagne Room. No dammit. If you want to get recreational gonorrhea then you have to go by yourself. You're missing the point to the story... where was I?

Yeah so pack your bags and make sure to bring your wallet. Know why? Because we're gonna have some fun betting. Yeah! No, you're right, I don't like gambling. I can play only 20 bucks and cannot find the courage to lose any more because, as anybody can vouch for me could tell you, I know how damn hard it is to earn it. But still, this type of gambling, I wanna do.

Yep, you're gonna bet some hard dough. 200? C'mon man. That's for kids. A thousand? Nah. We're gonna do it Money style. We're betting something mo' interesting. You know, to keep the thing fun! You know what we're going to do?

We're gonna bet your house. Your car. All your cars. We're gonna bet on your savings. On your retirement plan. But not only yours, your wife's money too. Your kids. Maybe the money that you had for your parents... or maybe your niece or nephew.

We're gonna take it all and lay it on the line. And nope, we're doing it Roulette style. Yeah, like a just throw a ball and let's see what happens type of bet. Let's see how you would react. What do you have on your bank account? Fuck that. We want all of it. Give me your credit cards as well. What's that? Ooooh you trickster... you had some hidden cash in your closet. Cough it up!

Nope, I'm not crazy. What do you mean it can't be done? Huh? What do you mean no normal person could do it? Are you kidding me or what?

I do it every damn day. I have a business. I play my future on the line every damn day. I bet on myself every damn fucking day. But the worst part is, I sit there, poker face, while I'm dead scared seeing everything that I have built over the past years being gambled on.

Why do I write about this? Because no one remembers that. When you fight with your boss over coming in on a weekend to work. When you fight over a job's estimate being too high or maybe too low. When you get nailed for getting to work late and bitch about it.

When you have a business, you place EVERYTHING on the line.

My house. My car. My savings. My future. My unborn kid's education. Everything I own and have fought for, I bet every single damn day. And if I lose, it's not like I can just move to another job. Having a business means a shit of things that people who have NEVER had a business can't understand. If something goes wrong, it's my neck. My blood. My sweat. My tears.

It's never just an agency. It's never just an office. It's dedication. It's long nights. It's playing it, all in, that you will be able to make the payments for the next month. It's about fighting to make enough to make ends meet... or to be able to keep you hired.

And yes, it's also about money. Because while you go to your job, do your shit and get the check, the ones that have a business, well it's not that black or white. We have put THOUSANDS of dollars on our projects. And that is a fact that NO ONE seems to understand. For some fucking strange reason, people think that businesses run on... I don't know. Ethanol? Gas? Praying?

If we "get fired", we just find ourselves fighting with the government over taxes, payments, bank loans, unpaid employees, social security payments pending... it's just not that easy bouncing back. Your name is responsible for not only you, but for all the people that count on you, both in your personal life and your work. It's not a "sorry try again" situation. Losing a company, or losing a bet on a project can destroy more than a brick and mortar office. It can destroy lives.

So! Interested in playing? Oh. No, huh?

Here ended the lesson.

2 comments:

Joker said...

That’s one of the many reasons I’ve never been too enthusiastic about my own business. I’ve seen my mom go through two businesses and it’s heart wrenching because it was made with love and closed with bitter spite. On one occasion it was a store that couldn’t compete with a megastore that gave sweatshop prices, on the other it was a salon whose toxic employees caused my mom to implode the thing. She tried and failed and while some people would like money to buy fifty condos and a hundred cars, I’d just want to be able to buy my mom one more chance.

Having a business is no easy task… it’s taxing on your body and soul and forces you to do anything to save a business until you see you’re beat at the table.

So could I make a successful business based on past failures? Maybe. Now am I willing to risk that heartbreak? Nope.

Osama Zain said...

Good another post :)
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