TL;DR: Transitioning from being a financially successful freelancer stuck in a "slowlane" mindset to pursuing entrepreneurship and building wealth vehicles that don't require trading time for money.
This blog post is part of documenting my business (success) journey. The last few years I was a wantrepreneur. Always listening and consuming business content, business books, Hormozi videos,. It felt so good, listening to all of this. But I never took any action! I was stuck in my own rat race. I was probably a slowlane success. 25 years old, no debt, net worth of more than 150k and making 10-15k a month as a freelancer. I know how to live cheap, know how to be a minimalist and know what I value and what I don't. Life should be good, but it wasn't.
Last I took the decision change my life 2024, and got to work. The goal: Get out of the miserable headspace I'm in. Move away from Germany, to a different country where the weather is better, and the culture is different. Follow the advices you have listened to so many times already, don't trade your time for money. Start building a wealth vehicle that has unlimited leverage you can control.
I'm on the road down south to Spain in my RV. I have no clear plan on where I end, but I have my laptop, Starlink, savings the need to live a different life. Leaving my known surroundings helps me see my own life from another perspective. I have no material baggage, I sold all of my stuff back home, waived goodbye and went on the road. Right now I'm writing this from somewhere near Fontainebleau in France. I'm currently staying nearby a horse stable, with a friend from the UK and in our freetime we go bouldering in the forest.
I have been working as a Freelancer starting 2023 in June. I make great money doing so, the job is not too stressful and I have a decent amount of freedom, but I don't on the other hand. Having to do pointless meetings. Having to plan and decide with over people over the products features and architecture. Not getting any punishment out over a products failure. And not getting any reward out of a products success. It just meaningless.
With freelance projects you can earn good money. I make between 10-15k net a month, without working myself to the grave. I always put a big chunk of that money into savings, and since I'm living a slowlane lifestyle: Saving money on $6 starbucks lattes. I was able to save a good amount, that helps me stay relaxed with starting my own business.
The contract with the client was a longterm contract running one year. So it will close in a few months. I have decided to not renew the contract with the client, and embark on a new journey.
I will start a real business. Not a freelancer, one person show business. Recently a guy I have been following for many years on X.com posted a job offering. He is looking for a contractor that can help him with his two startups. He has been decently succesful, and I want to learn how he did it. The deal is to work 4 days for him and his products, on the other days I will spend the major chunk of the day working on my own product. His compensation offer is not as high as my current freelance gig, but I'm willing to take the risk and the pay cut. I want to learn from him, and I want to be able to work on my own product.
Everyday I will now take a good chunk of the day to figure the what and how out. I will listen closely and observe of what people are complaing about, and what could be solved by a software piece. Something I can build.
I will keep you updated on my journey.
