I could tell you in detail about every single step that I took, every problem that I encountered, but I’m not here to bore you with logistics.  The point I want to illustrate is just how much I needed to know and learn, beyond switching on a computer.  And you don’t realize how much is involved until you progress through each stage.  If somebody had told me what lay ahead for me in my “business venture” after the fact, I’m not sure if I would have put myself through all the pain.  But was it worth it?  Absolutely.

No pain, no gain, or no risk, no reward.  Whichever motto you align yourself with, the underlying message is, if you don’t put in the work, you won’t achieve your desired outcome.  The problem is, when we look at rich and successful people, we have this perception that these individuals are special, untouchable, have a special gift or knack for business.   Because they make it look glamorous and easy.  I can tell you right now, it is neither of those things.  You know what it is? It’s going through the motions, every day, no matter how trivial, boring, frustrating it might be, to get to that end point.  It is hard work.  And the sooner you accept it, the less painful and enduring it becomes.

There was a guy at my gym who played table tennis professionally. He looked as though he was born with a racket in his hand. I asked him what made him so special? He told me he wasn’t special. He just hit the ball every day from as long a she could remember and it got easier and easier each day. He couldn’t stand doing some exercises each day but his coach made him do it. This was called discipline. Brilliance doesn’t happen when you perform some days and don’t bother training other days. You must be your best each and every day. When you’re going through hell, you keep going (Winston Churchill) If business was easy and being the best was easy, everyone on the planet would be a superstar but that is not how it works. When you see successful people with all the trappings of success you make excused like they were born with money or their parents are rich. This may be true sometimes but more likely they worked like crazy. That is why the rewards are so high because not everyone gets there.

I always tell people when they have a business that God is testing them. He is making you go through all kinds of pain before you succeed. You know why? He wants to see how bad you want it. Do you expect to be a millionaire in a few weeks? Does the Wimbledon champion win the tournament after training a few years? No. They hit the ball for 5 plus hours a day from when they are practically babies. You must work hard, harder than anyone you now.

While you’re reading this you’re probably thinking, “gosh when does it get easier?”  The answer to this is, yes.  But not for long.  The journey of starting and developing your business does not move in a linear fashion.  There are peaks and troughs, and this is why it can be such a roller coaster ride.  After I eventually employed a great designer, who also became my “ all rounder” for the business, I eventually moved out of my parents’ study and into a small townhouse.  This was a pivotal moment for not only my business, but also for myself,  because I was physically moving from the security of my parents’ place and out on my own with my “baby” which was both exciting and daunting at the same time.  As I said earlier, with each stage that you progress into, lay new challenges.  When I hired my first employee, I had to learn about salaries, wages, superannuation, and Work Cover  again, all foreign and all of which did not interest me but unfortunately was a necessary part of running the business.

When I look back, everything that I did and each step that I took for this business was a first for me.  I learnt everything as I went along.  The further I got into developing my business, the more irrelevant that degree on my wall began to appear.  Anything I already knew or thought I knew, could not and did not prepared me for this ride.  And I say this in a positive and inspiring note, because this reinforces my views earlier on the rich and successful.  That is, anybody with an idea and enough tenacity and drive, is capable of achieving their desired outcome.