One Startup. No Secrets. Start at the beginning.
Today is my first day of unemployment. Or, more accurately, today is the day I’m finally a full-time employee of MixedMade.
I woke up and forced myself to take a shower, put on deodorant, brush my teeth, and pick out an outfit (I did allow one celebratory indulgence: a half-bottle of champagne). And now it’s time to get to work.
When we began this, I was in my ninth year with the same company, happy and comfortable with a great salary, amazing benefits, and a job I could do in my sleep. It was the perfect environment to start a side project.
The problem was that it was safe.
I felt frustrated that my involvement with MixedMade could only be reactionary because I had a commitment during business hours, Monday to Friday. I felt like I was treading water (with increasing difficulty), but I would never be able to swim forward.
For me, the decision was obvious. I want to explore all the possibilities of this company, I want a bottle of Bees Knees sitting in every major city, I want to see our story in print. I want to swim forward, maybe get tossed around by some dangerous waters, but feel like something was driving me towards the horizon. I hadn’t felt scared in a long time; I couldn’t keep sacrificing the thing that excites me for the thing that was paying my bills.
So today is my first day as a free man. Morgen and I have so many exciting plans for the next few months and finally I’m in a place to see them all come to life. If everything goes horribly wrong, I’ll figure it out later. But for now, I’m excited and I’m scared and I’m very, very happy.
If you've left, or are considering leaving, your job to focus on your startup, share your story:
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Haven't tried our Bees Knees Spicy Honey Yet? Go ahead, order a bottle or two. We're so confident you'll love it that we'll give your money back if you're unhappy for any reason.