In the beginning…

I got started in the web world after taking a job with some friends as a design consultant. I’ve always been artistic in some way, but the computer added a whole new dimension to my skills and I really needed a job. I had no real experience but I had the desire to learn and I could work from home… what more could I ask for?

I was being paid 500.00 a month salary and I was working 90+ hours a week. Yep, that was less than $2.00 an hour! I designed T-Shirts, CD Cases, DVD boxes, websites, advertisements and billboards during the day; and taught myself the required design skills and lingo I needed to play the part at night. I would work for three or four days without leaving my desk – aside from bathroom breaks and coffee refills. See, I took the job with some friends who had just started a business. A media company. There were five of us in all with each having a different skill and we happen to live under one roof.

Getting fired sucks.

After four months I had it. I was tired. I was sick. I was stressed and not eating or sleeping. I was a total nightmare and I decided to move into Cassey’s apartment to get some breathing room.

The result… I got fired! The fellas decided that it was all or nothing for me. No raises, no extra cash, nothing under the table, no girlfriend, and no moving out of hell! I was FIRED! Aside from Cassey, life was pretty crappy at this point. I continued staying up hunting for “freelance work” during the day and teaching myself how to design at night only this time with the bigger picture in mind.

Landing my first gig!

I landed my first major job for a local organization who promptly hired me for 3 months of solid work. I was paid $1,200.00 out of $8,500.00 and told to beat it. Yep, I got nailed again. First by my brotherhood then by my client. Needless to say depression was a serious issue for me and I didn’t think I’d ever fully recover.

To make an already long story short, Cassey was busting her rump as a waitress to keep us alive as I sat around learning this new found career. I picked up a few smaller gigs here and there and got burned on most of them. I got into gear, picked up a real paying job and kept on learning.

The casualties of war…

Through my startup, I was in one major car accident (flew 60 feet out of a car’s side window), been evicted three times form three different places, lost one car to repossession, a motorcycle to theft, lived in a motel for months and still managed to keep the dream alive. Cassey supported me through it all and for that I’m ever grateful. Her help and effort, allowed me to come full circle…

The turnaround.

Coming around full circle years later is somewhat of a blur and exactly how I got here is an even bigger one, I’m now the guy in charge, making a six figure income, and blogging about the journey! What an amazing ride it’s been, and what an amazing woman I’ve got. Man, to stick with me and my bullshit takes one hell of a woman. Well that should be enough about me for one day so on that note, I’ll paste this into my About Me page and call it a day. If you’ve ever got questions or just wanna chat… let me know… I’m all ears

- Thanks for reading! PB