Finally hit my first goal - I started a reselling ebay store back in february and since then i’ve been able to get my monthly gross to just over $1.5k with about a 40-50% profit margin. My first goal was to get my 90 day total to reach $5k and ... See More i finally reached it. Only being 16 with a low paying job the capital really isn’t there but now I’m able to use the profit to feed back into it. $10k here we come💪💪

Put a chat widget on your website. No joke - I'm in a lead oriented business and for the longest time we had a contact form on our website and that's how leads could contact us and whenever we saw their email we would follow up. We then experimented with ... See More a chat widget in the corner of our website that says something like "Need an estimate? Ask us here!".
Rather than a chatbot, it was more of a disguised opt in form, as we would ask for the customers for a phone number before they submitted their message. We then automated it so it would immediately text the customer something like "Hey John! Thanks for reaching out to us, I'm happy to help. Can you tell me more details about the project?". It would send me a text saying "John is a new lead! His number is 18888888888. Contact him asap", and as soon as I got that text I would text (or preferably call) the lead immediately.
Our tracking showed we were getting infinitely more leads from the chat widget than a contact form. My guess it is because the contact form seems a little more traditional and motononous for customers, and customers often don't care enough to fill it out because they don't think youll get back to them for awhile. A chat widget is more associated with immediate help. Just some friendly advice, worked well for us.

Anyone else here have a fulltime job + a family and grinding out the dream during their free time. - I hate the feeling knowing I should've pushed harder when I didn't have the major responsibilities I have now. Such is life I guess, how are you folks doing it?

5 Habits to go from Founder to CEO - Over the years, I've gathered some knowledge about transitioning from a startup founder to a CEO. I started my company 7 years ago. We are now not super big (65 people), but we have learned a lot. We raised $19M in ... See More total and we are now profitable.

The transition from Founder to CEO was crucial. Your startup begins to mature and scale and you need to scale with it. It's often a challenging phase, but I've managed to summarize it into five habbits.

**1. Say no to important things every day**

Being able to say "no" to important tasks every day is an essential practice for a growing leader. It's a reality that as the magnitude of your company or ideas expands, so does the influx of good ideas and opportunities. However, to transform from a mere hustler to a true leader, you have to become selective. This means learning to refuse good ideas, which is crucial if you want to consistently execute the outstanding ones.

The concept that "Startups don't starve, they drown" resonates deeply because it underlines how challenging it can be to reject opportunities.

A key strategy to develop this skill is time-constraining your to-do list. Here's how you can do it:

* Weekly: Formulate a weekly to-do list, including only those tasks that you're sure to complete within the week. Leave some buffer room for unexpected issues. If there's any doubt about whether you'll have time for a certain task, it should not feature on your weekly list. I use **Todoist** and **Notion** for task management.
* Daily: Apply the same rule while creating your daily to-do list. Only include tasks that you're confident about accomplishing that day. If a task seems too big to fit into one day, break it down into manageable chunks.

**2. Journaling**

Journaling is a powerful strategy that can help an individual transition from a reactive approach to a proactive one. As founders, we often find ourselves caught up in a cycle of endless tasks, akin to chopping trees in a dense forest. However, to ensure sustainable growth, it is crucial to develop an ability to "zoom out", or to view the bigger picture.

I use The Morning Pages method, from Julia Cameron. It consists of writing each morning about anything that comes to mind. The act of writing effectively combines linear, focused thinking with the benefits of a thoughtful conversation. If you just want to journal, you can use **Day One app** (The free version will be enough)**.** If you want to go a bit deeper, you can try **a coaching app**. I use **Wave.ai** and I also hired it for the managers in the company because it combines both journaling with habit building.

​

**3. Building Robust Systems and Processes (I know, it is boring and founders hate this)**

As a founder, you often need to wear multiple hats and juggle various roles. But as a CEO, it's vital to establish strong systems and processes that enable the business to function smoothly, even without your direct involvement. This includes:

* Implementing project management systems.
* Establishing clear lines of communication and accountability.
* Designing efficient workflows and procedures.

To many founders, developing these systems might seem monotonous or even tedious. After all, the allure of envisioning the next big idea often proves more exciting. I experienced the same predicament. In response, I brought onboard a competent COO who excelled in systematizing processes. This strategy allowed me to kickstart initiatives and explore them in a flexible, less structured manner. Once an idea showed signs of gaining traction, my COO stepped in to streamline it, crafting a process that turned the fledgling idea into a consistent business operation.

​

**4. Meditating**

Meditation is about reprogramming unconscious mental processes by repeatedly performing fundamental tasks with a distinct intention. This practice can be even more crucial to leadership than acquiring a business school education. Because meditation provides the most direct route to understanding your mind's workings and thus, forms the most effective basis for transforming it.

To transition from a founder to a CEO, a significant shift in your mindset is required. This shift involves moving from a hustle mentality to precision, from acting as a superhero solving problems to consciously stepping back, thereby providing room for your team members to discover their own superpowers. It's about shifting your success indicators - from individual achievements to the triumphs of your team. This transformation might not feel comfortable initially, and your instincts, shaped by your scrappy founder phase, might resist this change.

However, with consistent practice, you can align your instincts with the stage of your company, promoting more effective leadership. This is where the value of meditation truly shines. It allows you to identify your distinct thought patterns in real time and, over time, modify them.

I use **Headspace** a lot, and I also encourage the employees to use it. The company pays the subscription as a perk.

​

**5. Balancing the Macro and the Micro**

As the CEO, your primary focus should be on the big picture – your company's vision and strategy. However, you also need to keep an eye on the details, as these can make or break your execution. It's all about balance:

* Delegate the details but stay informed.
* Prioritize strategic planning but be ready to dive into the trenches when needed.
* Keep your eye on your long-term vision but adapt to short-term realities.

The transition from founder to CEO isn't about giving up what made you successful initially but augmenting it with additional skills, perspectives, and practices. It's a personal and professional evolution that can lead to greater success for both you and your business.

Every great CEO was once a founder. It's just about taking the next step.

I’d love to hear your experiences or any tips you might have for this transition.

In which step of your journey are you right now? Do you have employees already? What are your main challenges right now?

I hired a Green Beret to keep me accountable - He didn't yell at me like Goggins or talk in a really deep voice like Jocko. We went over my goals: he helped me make them measurable, actionable, and tenacious. We spoke once a week for 45min, and he checked ... See More on what I said I was going to do throughout.

No hand holding, no waking me up, no babysitting. I'm driven already, I just needed someone to hold me to it.

Best money I have ever spent.

Got my first order within 12 hours of launching !! - I started a coffee brand that’s aimed towards Devs and other techies. Within launching I had my first order at 18.99 !!!

Words can not express the excitement and joy I was going through for that first sale. I ... See More have tried different things in the past and I never had a sale happen before so seeing this for the first time was something else. In a way it feels addicting. I sometimes open up my live view Shopify store and watch when a visitor is there to see if another order will go through. Making a few bucks through your own business vs working for someone else is a day and night difference.

To all those who are also starting out just like me I wish you guys the best and hope you get to experience this feeling soon. Everyone deserves to have a chance.


Edit:

Thank you everyone for the feedback and kind words. I will work on fixing some of the things you guys pointed out like better pictures today hopefully.

For those asking for the link of the site it’s leetbrew.com

I was blessed to get my second order today recently and almost in tears from support you guys have shown. This subreddit feels like a family and I wish each and every single one of you the amount of joy I have experienced these past 2 days

I've challenged myself to make $100K in 100 days (DAY 11) - Hello everyone. My name is Marat, I'm a Software Engineer living in Serbia. 10 days ago, on June, 1 I started my journey to $100K and I want to do that in 100 days. I won't count my ... See More salary as an engineer, only other sources of income.

I've started posting short videos of my progress on TikTok, now I want to also post here, for some additional motivation and discipline.

I don't consider any investments at the moment, because I've started from zero. What I've done already?

My main expertise is Java and Backend development so I've started offering mentoring services for those who want to learn Java. Also I'm working on a mobile app which will help developers to prepare for technical interviews. I've chosen TypeScript and React Native to create the app. I didn't have any experience with them before but I'm learning and hopefully I'll be able to create an MVP in a couple of weeks.

I've also started networking on LinkedIn, just sending cold messages with invitations to connect. I've already had a few very nice communications with people from different countries. I was very anxious about writing to people, and now I realize that my anxiety is slowly disappearing. This post is also aims to reduce my anxiety and fear of negative evaluation.

I'd be happy to hear some advices/recommendations as long as any successful stories. Thanks :)

Entrepreneurs who love their work, have breathing space and life-work-money balance. I admire you. How do you do it? Tips please. - The best stories I have read are from entrepreneurs who genuinely enjoy what they do and have found smart ways to make money.

It’s a real mindset and ... See More art.

I would love to hear how you created and run your business, so you have life balance and breathing space.

Looking for help finding an investor/mentor - I’ll keep this short. I’m 25, Dad handed me an asphalt maintenance and paving company (can’t wait for the comments about free handouts). He always kept it small. I’ve accidentally found myself holding down the entire market in the area. THE PHONE DOES ... See More NOT STOP RINGING. With two employees, we’ve accidentally smashed last year profits in the last two months. P&l statements are extremely solid. Everything is legit. Books are clean, there’s money in the bank account. Looking to expand. What the next step?????

I need some advice regarding starting a small business. - I live in Canada. I don't want to start anything coding or app related. I love working with plants and vegetables. I don't want to go through the traditional farming route but I also want to commercially grow food that ... See More will give me a good profit at the end of the day.

I have always liked the idea of a tech based greenhouse where I can automate the process of humidity, temperature, environment, moisture control, etc. Being that Canada has most of its land in the cold zone, a self controlled green house seemed like an good alternative in and around places where regular agricultural methods won't be able to be carried out. And we have so much of that kind of land.

The question is with this greenhouse process I know I'll be restricted to a certain amount of crops that I can grow. I was wondering what advice would you have for me where I can do this by growing x and y crops which I can not only supply locally, but I can export as well which would be in high demand.

Obviously there are fast growing crops and then there are these like Wasabi, Saffron, Vanilla, etc that take a lot of time and effort to produce but are highly worth it. And not just North American crops but other crops from around the world such as Jinseng and Ashwagandha which again are also time intensive. So I was thinking of primarily starting off with faster producing crops that will have a high demand and then on the side focusing on the longer time taking herbs and crops.

I was also thinking I could source my products both to market and to restaurants as well.

Then there is the question of capital which I am not too sure of how to acquire since doing it out of pocket in this economy would be quite hectic.

Love to hear what your thoughts are. Thank you.

Has anyone had a successful business without investment? - Hi all. I’m building my product and would really like to make it without getting investment. Has anyone successfully launched their b2c and b2c product without any seed funding investment? Thanks

What are the best cash flowing businesses I could buy? - I live in a midwest suburb. I'm looking to buy and grow a cash flowing business. I'd like to grow it to the point where I can eventually step away and have an operator run it. Would also like ... See More to have some balance so I can spend time with my wife and two young kids (2.5 and 3 months). For example, driveway sealing.
What are the best cash flowing businesses I could buy?

Best affordable resources for SEM? - I’m working on expanding the outreach of my online store and I figured a good place to start would be with search engine marketing, but I’m completely new to it. I have a pretty small budget, so affordable resources are really appreciated.

Guide to service based businesses - I'm the one who posted the revenue thing landscaping. I've sent screenshots to those who were naysayers.

I'm currently writing a guide , very detailed on how to start any service based business with next to no money and how to survive and flourish. Is ... See More anyone interested?

Pm me and I'll have a chat with you and let me know what you're stuck on or what you need help with or what's holding you back from starting a business

And when my guide is finished I'll send you a copy.

Found a podcast that takes an honest look at how the famously wealthy actually got to where they are. - It won’t be for everyone, the guys swear a lot and sometimes overshare on the political side. Also their humor is a little weird, but when I was in my ... See More early 20s, I bet all of my savings on an app idea and drove it into the ground doing what the uber-wealthy claimed to have done. I took big financial risks, preserved equity at all costs, pulled away from my day job, yada yada. Anyway, hopefully it helps someone on here who’s starting from nothing and looking for what not to do. The podcast is called Profiteers vs. the People.