Welcome to the Fearless Innovator Podcast, my name is Mechiel Kopaska and I am your host.
This week’s topic Embrace Losing Your J.O.B.
I quit my J.O.B., not once but TWICE!
The moment I realized I was not longer a “great” employee, I quit being an employee!
Did my J.O.B.. serve its purpose? Yes! I excelled in project management. I ran very large, complex deals with difficult people! I loved my work! I made a lot of contacts in and outside the U.S.
Did I earn a good living at my J.O.B.? Yes, I made over 6 figures!
I had colleagues for years, telling me that I needed to start my own business. What would I sell? Why would I do that? How would I do that? I just blew them off and continued traveling and working upwards of 12-15-hour days on multiple projects and watching my expenses build up but I was getting no where!
Then one day, something clicked. I realized that all I ever wanted out of my employer was recognition for a job done well. After all, I ran complex deals, travelled, worked with multiple vendors and worked hard! I wasn’t getting recognized, nor was I getting ahead in life being an employee, but they would dangle the money carrot in front of me that went something like this. If you do XYZ, then I’ll give you more $. That sounded like more of a bribe than someone that valued my work. Now, they wanted me to work more hours and travel more? I was even offered a Directors role, but I turned it down. Are you kidding me? I know what my boss does, and I was NOT interested! My employer quite frankly didn’t know what to do with someone that didn’t want more money or a promotion.
During a very low time in my life, my father had passed away, I was in menopause at an early age and didn’t know it and I was maxed out in the stress department running two large engagements and I was in a failing relationship.
One day it finally happened! My J.O.B. and I decided we were no longer a good fit and I was out of there! There’s more to this story in another episode!
Do you know what the worst part was? My best friend died the next day from cancer!
Do you know what the best part was? My stress was gone and I could breathe again. I didn’t have to wake up and figure out who’s problem I had to solve today. My time, just became MY TIME. I took off the next two weeks with no worries in the world and went to be with my best friends family. I decided to just let go of something I could not change and embrace my new freedom. I told myself I would not worry about anything happening back home, until I got back home.
It was during this quiet time – here’s that bucket time again, that I was able to let everything sink in. Boom! It hit me! I was not going to let a J.O.B. get the best of Me. Why? Because I had skills and talent and I get to take that skill with me wherever I decide to go. I see and hear people all the time in fear of losing their J.O.B. I know and you do too, that if you lose or decide to quit on your own, there is always something better on the other side. I also know that employers like to instill fear in you, why else do they write bad reviews? It’s to make you feel less than what you really are. You know who you are, so start living that way!
I got back home and I immediately, tapped into my network across the US and before you knew it within a couple of months, Project Strategixx was born and I was on plane traveling the US from FL to Hollywood to Kansas City and New York City, gainfully employed and living my dream. Was I scared? Absolutely, I was scared! But I’ve also learned that when I’m scared of something that’s where I win, so I tend to be scared A LOT!
However, there was a new storm brewing behind the scenes, now that I didn’t have a J.O.B., how was I going to pay my mortgage? I’ll share that story in another episode soon!
Wait for it….and then
I got a call from a prior local consulting gig. They called and needed my help on a part-time basis for 3 months. Which meant I’d be back in the employee status again.
By the way, going off on a tangent here, do you all know that as employee you are taxed higher tax rates than that of a self-employed person? Here’s an example: In 2020, let’s say you are an employed single person making between $40k to $80k your tax rate is 22 percent. If you’re married, you can make up $171,000 at the same 22%.
For a self-employed person making up to $137,000 your tax rate was 15.3%. Yeah, don’t get me started on that topic…
Here’s the punch line……
I took the J.O.B.! You didn’t see that coming, did you???
Why did I take it? It was temporary pain….. You know kinda like when you give blood, that first prick in your arm is a doosie but it quickly goes away?
This part-time gig would allow me the time I needed to focus on my real estate portfolio.
I had been investing in real estate since 2000 and this would free me up so I could build up my portfolio and my real estate network! At the time, I had 8 rental properties that I managed myself!
Bad news is, this gig lasted 3 years – not 3 months. , the great news is when they fired my boss, I knew it was only a matter of time before they dissected the whole IT team. I had been in and out of companies across the US and I had firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of businesses and how they operated.
One day we had a meeting. In that meeting, we were told, we were going to get One on One’s to determine what type of player we were, A, B, C, or D. I raised my hand right in front of everyone and asked what type of player am I?. You should have seen their faces! It was priceless and my new boss said, “Let’s do your one on one today!” I said, “Great, I’ll meet you at 3pm”. By 4pm, I had been given my 30-day notice. Sweet!!!
That door never hit me in the ass, and I was gone! I was free!!!! Free, to do whatever I wanted. Well, I already knew my plan.
My plan was to dive in, heads down into educating myself more about real estate. I took a 6-month Robert Kiyosaki online real estate course, joined several networking groups, attended weekly REIA meetings and other specialty courses taught by people in my area. I even found MY own tribe! Today, I have a huge network of people just like Me, doing what they love in real estate.
Through this education, I now know how to evaluate a property to make the deals, how to buy it at the right price, how to sell a property, learned how to use Seller financing to my advantage, how to invest in Notes and how I can use my own or a friends/family IRA money and convert it to a self-directed IRA and buy more real estate! I even write my own Land Trusts, Quick Claim Deeds, etc. I have firsthand knowledge in flipping houses and I’ve even bought my first commercial property! Months later, I researched developing an RV park in GA.
Hey, when I write my goals down, I MAKE them happen!
Evolving into an entrepreneur is NOT EASY! There are several days where you doubt yourself, but I’ve found that if I get around MY tribe they typically can restart my energy.
Is a J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) holding you back from being happy? Are you fulfilling your life goals? Do you need a kick in the butt? Are you trying to invest in real estate while working your J.O.B.?
If any of those sound like you and you need help, reach out to me at fearlessinnovator.com/contact.
Thank you for listening, I hope you were inspired, entertained or you learned something new!
You can get a free copy of my book Why my J.O.B. Quit Me, jumpstart Your Firing, go to fearlessinnovator.com/freebook..
Hey, I’m looking for homeowners that may have a second home, but you’re not sure you want to keep it or let it go? I may have a solution for you. Hit me up on Fearlessinnovator.com.
Catch me later…
