Worst Manager I've Ever Had

Worst Manager Ever

Okay so I recently quit my good paying job to start my second start-up. To be honest, it was like finishing a very, very cushy prison sentence. Don't get me wrong, the job was awesome, great pay, awesome benefits, deals every where: Hotels, computers, Restaurants, Clothing, everything. The only downside to it was my manager. We'll call her SB, for sake of some anonymity. As a side note, I recently looked her up on LinkedIn and saw that she has an MBA from a diploma mill pretending to be a college. You know the type of school where as long as you pay, you're for sure going to get your degree.

Anyway, this manager was awful. Possibly the worst manager I've ever had in my life and I've had some pretty awful managers in my time. I remember like 3 weeks in a row, when I'd sign into my computer to start my day, I'd instantly get an Instant Message from her. It never failed, it was like clockwork. I'd get IM'd from her "Hello", I'd reply "good morning". Then comes the barrage of questions and demands "what's up with this file? What's up with that file? You're late by 10 seconds, please come see me". I'd get so fucking frustrated, my eyes would feel like burning hot. She'd piss me off so much sometimes that I'd take my hour lunch break early just to get the corporate gym. She was like a nagging girlfriend

Looking back I should have seen the signs when I first got put on her team, if you could call it that. We had an initial meeting to introduce ourselves and get to know each other before going out into the trenches. When it would come time for her to introduce her self, I remember the sentence "I don't micro manage, I'm a pretty chill person". LOLWAT?! Yeah fucking right, she was micro managing like there was a cash prize in it for her. It was almost hilarious at times. I'd get so many IM's from her that I'd couldn't help but just ignore her. I mean I was on the phone with other associates in different departments, on the phone with my clients, or composing very important and information-sensitive e-mails. Those micro-managing IM's were a distraction, I mean if one pops up while writing an e-mail, I would forget to attach the document, or I would have plenty typos, all kinds of BS that would make me look unprofessional.

People like her shouldn't have jobs, point, blank, period. On my second start-up, when I start hiring staff, conducting interviews, I will specifically state that if I catch you micro managing or making some of my other employees uncomfortable, I will fire you. For the things that I've been through with managers like her, I definitely won't tolerate it. I've managed before, I ran teams, I've built departments from scratch, then proceeded to fill that department with and train over 300 people, so I do know what it's like to be on the managing end. It's not that hard. You're dealing with people, grown folks, not children, and even then, children don't deserve to be hounded like that. I really sincerely hope that SB does not get put into another job where she's leading people. She's an awful leader, an awful manager, but not an awful person. She's a good person, just when it comes to business, she gives no damn about you as an employee and associate. None. That's just how her cookie crumbles I suppose, but it does not mean that people have to deal with that. I believe she needs to get knocked back down a notch and work as a normal wage slave, not the whipper.

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Failure Is Just As Important As Success

I failed my way to success

It's funny to me how people are such groupies for success. I mean, of course it's natural to have groupies of all sorts when you're successful, but these people just blindly follow you when you're successful. but when you fail it's like they don't even know you. No return phone calls, no more invites to the parties, no more "likes" on the Facebook feed, no more of that. It's like you all of a sudden have some sort of incurable disease, it's laughable at best. People tend to make me sick, when I was a failure and when I'm successful, they're all the same.

When I experienced a bit of success, my whole world changed around me. I was invited to all the parties, always invited out for drinks with the white collars, all of a sudden my daily activities were of interest to everyone. "Hey what are you up to?" or "Hey where are you? meet us up at (insert high priced bar) at 9". Not going to lie, it feels good, scratch that, it feels great. Being somebody. I'm the man, fuck yeah. When I'm showing off my brand new Louis Vuitton wallet on my Facebook news feed, or when I'm showing the world my new rose gold Michael Kors watch, people are all of a sudden my biggest fan.

But rewind time, back when I had failed. My company wasn't doing so hot, no sales, twitter was pretty much naked, Tumblr was just looking oh so depressing and of course on Facebook it felt like everyone had me hidden on their news feed. I didn't get invited to the parties, I didn't get text messages from anyone asking me of my whereabouts, hell even at the bar, the bartenders just seemed annoyed I was there. People are groupies.

But the skills and mindset I have when I am successful was the same skills and mindset I had when I failed. People don't get that, many entrepreneurs fail because either the time isn't right, or we just ran out of resources to tap to keep business going. It's rarely because they didn't know what they were doing. A real entrepreneur will always know what he/she is doing and what he/she needs to do next. It's the resources that typically hinders us.

So when people ask me for advice on their business or how to do things, they're asking the successful me: The me with the gold watch, the LV accessories, and fat wallet. Not the failure me: The bearded man who's too depressed to shave, who spent 12 hours a day researching on how I failed, with less than $100 in my bank.

I'm still the same person and always will be, whether I am rolling in the dough or when I am broke. Difference is, the failure me is stronger and smarter and more hungry, the successful me is teetering on complacent, well fed, comfortable and at times, lazy. Listen to the failure me when you ask questions, not the successful me. Failure me is in the lab, researching, learning new skills, constantly researching, the successful me is on the way to the beach, rounding the night at the bar with a $400 tab. Those who have failed typically give the best advice, they know more about what works and what doesn't, successful folks typically only know what works, that's just half the battle.

I am glad I failed once before, will I fail again? Probably, I don't care, because every time I fail, I just get sharper and more skilled and talented at many things, every time I succeed, I'm typically really good at one thing. I will succeed again, I have already, I am trying to see how many times I can succeed in a row, and for the groupies: a six figure income does not mean success, success means your idea is executed properly to wear your customers are benefiting from whatever it is you created while generating any kind of income while doing it.

Don't be a groupie and miss out on some good advice, listen to both successful people and failures, they both have the same skills and talents that got them where they are.

-The T-Shirt Millionaire

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Can You Compete With Someone Like Me?

Can you compete with someone like me?

This is going to be a short but sweet post. I was browsing some of the top posts on /r/entrepreneur on Reddit.com to get some motivation today and came across a cool post that really got me motivated and thinking. It was a question someone posted asking members of that board how they made their first million. The first reply was really cool as the guy pretty much broke down how he did it. He pretty much learned every skill that was involved in the building of his business. He had to learn simple architecture, he had to learn accounting, he even had to learn how to cook. Every skill that was involved in the start-up of his successful business. He then asked the original poster a question that really just made me nod my head with extreme vigor: Can you compete with some like me? Kinda reminds me of me. When I started my first business. I didn't know a thing about clothing, graphic design or just business in general. I taught myself all I know. Hell I just spent the past 5 to 7 days learning HTML so that I can start my app development business. Whenever people approach me about how they're starting a business or they want to start their own company, I just shake my head a bit because I can tell that they just think it is simple as saying "I want to start a business" and that's it. No skill involved. Wrong, it takes skill, it takes many skills to start a business and see it grow. So from now on, I'm going to ask people that when they tell me they're going to start a business, can you compete with some like me?

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To Tammy, Rest In Peace, Love

So this past Friday, night, I was out with a business partner of mine and one of our interns having a few drinks, when I got the phone call: my cousin Tammy had passed away. Because this was the the third loved one to die within the past 8 or so months from the same family, I didn't really have a reaction like the previous. Though it does hurt and I will miss her, but this only raises the question: how many more do we have to lose before my family changes their lifestyle? Addiction runs rampant in my family, I've suffered the crippling effect of addiction myself, it's not easy, and sure as hell not pretty. The circumstances in which she passed was a real shocker too, could almost write a movie off of it. I mean it involves addiction, a triangle of love and deceit, family drama, the whole nine.

Anyway, I just wanted to dedicate a post to her, she was a great person, a person full of love, a person of virtue. She was too young to go the way she did. It was so weird, because she was just in town visiting, we hung out, did shots together, joked around, all that. Just crazy how you're here one moment and you are gone the next. R.I.P. Tammy, I love you and I will miss you greatly, but I know the suffering is over now.

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Why A Millionaire Wants To Help Secure Funding For My Product *pay attention*

Ha, what a title huh? You would think I 'made it'. I chose that title for a reason, and I will state that this title will not be misleading in any way, there is a ton of truth in that title, a truth that many won't understand, but another many will.

I had a chance to have drinks with a self made millionaire. A young, cool guy, someone who'd most think wouldn't have as much as he does. Had a chance to talk with him, and funnily enough, I didn't realize until after I mentioned it that I was working on an app that will cater to businesses using ecommerce.

Of course, I gave no details as I am not a dumb person, because without a patent, this idea and execution can easily be stolen and/or replicated with very little consequences. But after describing vaguely of what my goals, and what value my product will provide to other business owners, the guy was more ecstatic about this project and idea than I was. It just let me know that I am on to something. Gotta keep working on it. But these 5 factors are what helped me not only get connected with him, but a few other players that have insane access that may be able to assist on making this thing a reality.

1) I didn't ask for any money. Why should I? I have enough to support myself and I'm damn sure going to be making enough again to sustain myself and to fund this project. We had a candid conversation about folks who ask for money when they have an "idea", he disclosed that had I asked for some type of financial help, he would have ended the conversation promptly. don't ask for money, it makes a person look worthless, like you are not able to help yourself. I simply asked for a price on a Developer or Development team

2) I spoke about my project as if it's already in the market. I learned this in retail sales, you've got to paint a picture, whether it's for prospective clients or investors. They can't see your idea, they can't read minds, you have to help them visualize. Explain how this product is helping others, explain how this product helps a person do this, do that, talk in present tense, no hypothetical talk.

3) Confidence and Passion. The fact that I even spoke about my product as if it is the second coming of Christ, though I haven't even completed writing the plan and making the blueprint of it yet, shows that when I do launch the product, it will definitely gain traction, because of me, I trust in my brand as much as I trust in myself, it gives them the impression that it will be very hard I will fail.

4) Value, I simply tell people what my product offers, what it can do for them. I keep it short and sweet. No need to talk peoples' ear off, cut to the chase. This is what my product does, this is how it will help your business, it will solve this problem and increase revenue. Save the fluff talk for Public Speaking class.

5) I don't take myself too seriously. My chill nature, while still remaining professional, is what attracts people to me. If I stutter, or say something wrong, I joke about it. I smile when I speak, I remain positive. People don't like intense personalities, you give folks anxiety when you are coming off as high strung or intense. Just calm down, it's just money, it will come when you just relax and just focus on your goal. Even now, where I am not working and I'm living off of my money I had made from earlier this year, I always tell myself that, even when I'm broke, I will make money again, it's gone now but not forever. Whether I get another job, or one of my businesses or executed ideas take off, I will get it again, plus some and each every time I do, it will be more than the last. So I just chill out and remained focused on my goals.

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I just discovered a skill within me, that makes me 'expensive'

Some Have It, Some Don't, But Everyone Can Work To Get It

So I just realized a skill and maybe talent that I have discovered during my little vacation. I have what you call innovation. This is not the innovation where one says "I have this idea" and that's that. It's where one says "I have this idea, I have researched it, I have written a comprehensive plan with data and examples and will push this idea forward". That's what you call innovation.

It only makes me expensive because I not only think of new ways to fulfill a need, I actually follow through with it. I do research, I draw up plans, I even design up mock website pages and product pages to show the vision I have. In these times, our society seems to lack that, innovation. Many folks just want to start a business that everyone else is doing, because they deem it safe. They don't like risk, they don't like ridicule or criticism, they just want the money while not providing something that society can really use.

My friend, whose business I am currently working on to get launched and kickstarted, is a very lucky man. Because I'm currently writing the blueprint for and trying to design a platform that I believe can possibly change how businesses utilize their eCommerce shops. Shoot, I think this may even change the way we look at eCommerce and social media as a whole, that is of course if I continue to work and do my due diligence. I'm using his business as a Guinea Pig. Most folks would charge you just to try out a new plan or app on their business. But it just shows how much faith I have in myself and my new plan and hopefully one day, app.

I remember reading the history books, seeing all of these innovators and inventors and reading their stories. Every country had them, every culture had them. We don't have that anymore, we don't have innovators or people trying to create something that can benefit others. It's all just face values now. Everyone wants to be rich or look rich while contributing to society. How can you get people to part ways with their money for you, if you're not providing value to others. I want to provide a need, I want to contribute to society. I no longer want to start businesses that are "safe" or businesses that look profitable, but they're not providing value. I now want to give back to society and I want to make peoples' lives better in some form or another. I of course want to be rich doing it, but atleast let me do get rich doing something that provides value.

the next post I want to write about my idea, of course it will be vague, because it's an idea :), a very valuable and potentially very profitable one at that.

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Being Half Way Successful Pt. 2 + New Business Venture

It's weird now how I developed a strong need to want to provide something of value to society in regards to business. You know, if you own a restaurant, you're feeding people, a Web business provides content and information to people, and owning and selling real estate gives people a place to live or gives their business an office.

Clothing brands, honestly don't contribute much value to society. I may catch heat for it, but I will explain my feelings towards that. When I owned my own clothing brand, all I was providing was a luxury, a want. Someone may shell some extra cash to buy a t-shirt or a hoodie from me. Most sales that I made was from people who had to wait until they had extra money to buy my products. That's not a need, at all, and it's dangerous to depend on that. It's hard to attain millions when you depend on wishy-washy sales and revenue. I need something that gets me paid everyday, every week, every month. Also, of course this has to involve the least amount of involvement as well. That's what is called, Fastlane. It's one of the best ways to attain lots of money, fast.

With that said, I'm sort of a hypocrite, because I am the Lead Designer of a clothing business, as well as manager. I design for that brand and pretty much run the day to day operations of this brand and start-up. But, I will say, this is my last clothing-based product before I am out for good. Cashin' out. It's tough to leave the biz I admit, because I still have other owners and players in the local market who still hit me up with  the desire to work with me and do a venture with me. I just fell out of love with the business, because everyone is doing it. Every one and their mom thinks that they can start their own clothing label. It's funny and frustrating at the same time. The clothing biz just gets on my nerves, heavily.

But while I'm in this deal, and I'm under contract, I'd figure I'd try to make myself and the owner very rich, hopefully very quickly while not depending on just stupid-ass clothing sales. I will tell exactly what I will be doing, and I'm not scared about anyone stealing these ideas because they're my ideas, these ideas are made to the public and anyone can implement them, it just takes a lot of work, which separates the men from the boys.

1. Social Media
I was looking at a few people who are self-made millionaires from taking advantage of social media. At first in my head I'm like "okay yeah, twitter?! how do you make money off of that?!". The answer of course is a bit complex, but in a nutshell: utilizing the right people with the use of Social Media can boost sales and more importantly help leverage joint ventures/deals (which is what I'm aiming at, JV's and Deals or Endorsements).   I have a technique in place, but of course, there are dozens of ways to accomplish this.

2. Content 
This aspect will take a bit of work and it will take some effort and brainwork. Content. Photos and Videos. All of that will show the brand's lifestyle and day to day operations and activities. It worked wonders for Wiz Khalifa, who is now a multi-million dollar earning recording artist. He had the Daytoday vlogs and that was probably one of the best forms of marketing I've ever seen. I've already got the owner, to go talk with some local photographers and videographers to hire, I am hoping they won't be too expensive, but on the flip side, expensive alot of times does equate to quality, and it's all about quality.

3. Deals And Joint Ventures 
This is one the things that many in the clothing biz don't either think about or don't have the know how to utilize. This factor is the factor that gets you paid while not depending solely on sales. If you can garnish a big following, it will be a lot easier to leverage an Endorsement or a deal or joint venture. Liquor companies, clubs, bars, all of those. These companies are just waiting until a hip and smart brand comes along and presents a good deal to them to do a venture together. I do not believe it takes millions to do that, it does take money, which will not be much a problem at this point, but it also takes a solid plan and concrete proof that you have a big enough following for them to take advantage of with the sale of their product.


I believe focusing on these 3 factors instead of just sales, will help put this brand to a level beyond what the owner had even envisioned. It will take a lot of work, it won't be easy but it will pay off and it will pay off big. Of course with me being the brains behind it, it'll be fun and cool to see and to show the owner of the brand what I can do and it should also make him step up his game as well and to look at this as a business, not just a chase for fame, glory, and supercars, but an actual business that maybe one day can help him attain those things. But first he has to realize, and maybe already has realized that you have to provide some sort of value to society in order for society to fork over their hard earned money. More updates and posts to come.

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Being "Half-Way Successful" for my age Pt. 1 + New Business Venture and Project

Wow, didn't realize that my last post was in January, holy moly. Well a lot has happened since then. Since then of course I've been working my 'dream' job making thousands every couple weeks and throwing even more into my savings account in anticipation of starting my Real Estate Investment business. 

Since then, I have resigned from the job, I got screwed and never really had a chance. It sucks to say because I was really talented and skilled at what I did, but working under someone who does not support you nor encourage growth is a recipe for failure, so I had to leave before being terminated due to their negligence. I got my money and left. 

funny thing is, it didn't really get to me like I initially thought. For the first time, I had money to live off of for a couple of months, and finally had something where I made more money than I ever have before, and for my age too, THAT's something to not be ashamed about, and now I will never have to earn less than that again, given the current state of my local economy of course. 

So here I am, unemployed with thousands in the bank to get my back into the game. Of course, that money won't last for a long time so I am hoping to get another 9 to 5 soon before that well runs dry, or even half way dry at least. In the mean time, I have been signed as Lead Graphics Designer for a local clothing company owned by an associate of mine, but I won't receive any payment until after the brand launch, which will be around fall/winter. Until then I can only just keep billing them for my work with the business. 

So while being Lead Graphics Designer and, oh yeah, ahem, Manager of the company, I am still working on getting another  9 to 5 job while also still preparing to start buying property by early next year, hopefully. The goal is still to be a self made Millionaire, it's attainable, and for the first time, it's been made clear to me that it is very possible and real. Next post, which will be part 2, I will go into detail on what my plans are and what I am exactly working on at the moment....

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