As 2019 comes to a close, It’s natural for us to be taking stock of what went well this year and what we could have done better. I probably couldn’t have predicted the way this year was going to go. You know, like the great Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan, till you get punched in the mouth.” I had some big plans to start 2019, they didn’t come through, I also never expected to get a job offer and actually take it but I did and now I can say that I resigned and I am back to being a full-time Entrepreneur again.

When you are going the self-employed route, sometimes it’s necessary to jump back into the corporate life. Maybe you need to make connections, get experience or get a cash injection.

For me, I was presented with an offer, the same day I learned that one of my big plans I had been working on since 2018, was getting shelved. I decided to take the job offer presented and use that money to build my brand and fuel some of the initiatives I had planned.

It meant that for the last 6 months, I needed to work. I committed myself to get up at 3 or 4 am, getting my work done for my own business before I headed out to the 9-5.

Now…When you ask anybody, they all have different scenarios as to when you should quit your daytime job. Some will tell you to save for 6 months of your expenses, some say 3, others will say for your business to earn at least 75% of your salaried income and to be honest, I think everybody is right but you need to understand your situation.

For me, I quit because of all the seeds that I planted over the last 6 months, many of them have started to bear fruit. Others require me to invest more time and also for me to invest in upgrading certain skillsets in order for me to close some deals.

I definitely feel like I am taking a leap, the path isn’t always clear. The security net of a salary is always nice but it’s not something I could get used to because I knew I was never going to be there for long. I had given myself a 1-year max to leave and a minimum of 6 months. I am happy that I was able to put myself in a situation that I could leave at the 6-month mark.

I am glad that I did the 9 to 5 again, it reminded me that it’s really hard for me to work as an employee. You have a lot of ideas but you can’t always make the changes that you want to help the organization or the space you want to move forward. Especially when, I have a much bigger impact on my niche with own brand.

Physically & mentally, it wasn’t hard to get up earlier and work 7-days a week for 6 months. I was always fueled because I knew this was a sprint and I was seeing the opportunities opening up for me.

Heck, it always made me chuckle when people even heard I had a job and would let me know that it never seemed like it since I was still creating content every day and I was at a bunch of different events.

So pulling double duties wasn’t the hard part for me, the hard part was really just trying to keep it together at the 9 to 5, knowing you have a bigger calling then what you are doing within the organization.

Another huge key for me over the past 2 years has been to reduce my expenses to as minimal as possible. Selling my car, moving in with family to get the biz off the ground, experimenting with my business and new paths to earn revenue. One of the biggest things that helped me mentally, was never being scared to be seen starting from the bottom.

I sold my car, I take a maxi or a Rideshare everywhere. I know that 2 years of living below my means and putting in some heavy work, will be the difference between success and failure for me.

If the Keron Rose or Droid Island brand doesn’t work out, I can always go back to a job. These jobs are a dime a dozen…So in my mind, I am prepared to go all out in the things that make me happy because I know that I would never want to back into a job by force or for a lengthy time period.

I just turned 33 on Dec 10th, I feel great to be in a much better position than I was in Dec 2018 and I am ecstatic with the opportunities that are on the table.

I have met some great people along this journey and I believe we all keep each other motivated by simply focusing on being the best versions of ourselves.

There are a few people I am really good with and I genuinely love hearing what they are working on or the opportunities they have created. It’s a reminder that the Caribbean market is ripe with so many opportunities. Those who are busy trying to crack the code of how they can build their brands and how to create their own opportunities will be the ones who continue to find success.

The key thing I want people to take away from this blog is that, don’t be afraid to be seen starting from the bottom. I haven’t made my first million yet, but the work I have done has attracted people who have made theirs. I get the encouragement from them to keep on pressing forward and companies have taken notice of the things I do as well.

Do what you gotta do to find your happiness and peace of mind. Dedicate yourself to learning, experimenting and adding value in your own way to the niche that you have selected for yourself. Do this and even if you don’t make that million, you will have found something that you enjoy doing and also help others in the process.

Let’s make 2020 the best year to date.

My time in a 9 to 5 was fun but now it’s back to being in that wilderness, where there is no security, nothing is for certain and I have to get creative in order to survive.

I’m up for the task and I hope to continue to grow with you and help you on this journey of Entrepreneurship as well.

Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year.

P.s…Feels great to say “I resigned.”