So around Christmas last year, I was sitting at my friend’s house, doing up my vision board in all of my glee. I knew that I had a few big things in the works and they were pretty much a sure thing, due to the advanced stages I was at with everything. 2019 was going to be the best year that I have had to date! For the first time in my life, I felt like I was finally doing what I was supposed to be doing. It seems the universe had some different plans for me because at the 11th hour, the 2 big projects I was working on, all fell through and I needed to shift my mindset.
At no point was I ever thinking about a 9-5, mainly because I still have some good things going on that I am taking my time to nurture. But it seems the universe once again had other plans for me and here I am, working for a great company and talking to you about why I took a 9-5.
You see, my favourite platform to be on is Linkedin. It’s the platform that usually has the best conversations and all of the decision makers are all on this platform. Over the last year I have doubled down on putting my content out and I have used KeronRose.com to start creating conversations and also teaching.
I began realizing that in the Caribbean, we struggle with this concept of building an online business and leveraging the tools to make it work. Everything I have done since 2016 has happened because I have leveraged the tools available to me right here in Trinidad and built my brand and a fully functioning e-commerce store. My brand also lead me to the failed deal with Bmobile to become a Brand Ambassador/Content Creator and I was also building an online school teaching sales reps about tech for a major company in T&T. Again, everything happened because of the work I have been doing.
When both deals fell through, I decided that this happened for the best. The Bmobile deal wasn’t the greatest but it felt like it would have given me more experience as a Content Creator and I would have met more people in T&T since I have only been here a few years and networking is high on my list. The online school would have been great but I was having doubts because the company wanted exclusivity and my original goal was to build the school for global purposes, so I had doubts about being exclusive.
The mindset shift I needed to make was to understand that both opportunities actually were going to stymie my growth and throw me off my trajectory. So when I had the meeting where I was told the online school was off the table, I came to the realization that the doubts that I had were definitely warranted and the universe saved me from 2 bad deals.
As I was on the way home, I got a call from a company basically saying they have been looking at me and like what they say and they have an opportunity for me. Now, anytime an opportunity is presented by companies within my field, I listen. The meeting set wasn’t for a few days and I didn’t give it much thought at the time but when I got home, I decided that the online courses I wanted to enrol to help me build my businesses, I would start to take.
I started to map out those funds since the courses are going to cost a pretty penny but I know I needed it to grow personally and also to help me grow my Keron Rose platform.
The meeting happens and then a couple more happened. I had coffee with a friend to lay out what they were offering, my plans for my businesses and if I could make it work and it turns out, this was definitely a gift.
You see, I never set out for a job, didn’t have a reason too…But the offer had a few things that just made sense. The office is down the street, the compensation is great, it’s a job within the field I love (Telecoms), the value what I bring to the table, I can take my courses without any worry of strain on my businesses as they grow and ultimately, I can start to really invest in my businesses and growth.
None of this would have happened, if I didn’t share my ideas on Linkedin and constantly put myself out there. That’s why it is so hard for me to subscribe to the mindset of things are hard, when there are so many opportunities that you can create and there are people out here looking for people of value, who can add to their organizations.
I use social media to learn and educate, and I do dabble in scoping out some memes for the odd laughs lol, but right now there are just so many opportunities out there that people aren’t taking advantage of.
What allowed me to even take the job with C&W, is the fact that I have built an online business, that runs and earns revenue without my physical presence needed. I am about to hire a Virtual Assistant that will be handling the fulfilment part of my business and I will be free to continue to make content, do my online courses, work a 9 to 5 and continue to grow as an educator for online businesses.
The fact that I can now look and say to myself, you know, 2019 hasn’t gone to plan but you are a young man of perseverance and resourcefulness, makes me happy and puts me at ease. It also allows me to be a case study for those who are thinking about leaving their 9-5 or keeping it and building an online business, to create other streams of revenue.
If you guys thought you saw a lot of me before without spending a single penny in advertising since Jan 2018, I am about to flood your timelines now, as I get back to investing in the Keron Rose brand.
Keron, this is how I see it:
1) Following from advice you gave in one of your blogs where you stated that you need to build a portfolio doing volunteer work etc., I see doing an 8 – 4 (TT time) that allows you to build your brand as well done. For many of us, we will have to do it for free. In my case, I have spoken to someone about doing their transcripts for some videos that they have done and will be doing so that they can then state that their transcripts for SEO were prepared by CLWH TRANSCRIBE.
2) If you read the stories of or talk to some of the legal and general transcriptionists that have their own agencies now, they will tell you that they too worked for an agency as a freelancer when they started. It took many of them over three years to get their agencies and brands established.
2) Things are changing so rapidly in the global economy that you have to keep constantly moving to new opportunities.
You’re a great case study on how shifting your mindset can reap positive and unintentional rewards!