This August represented my 11th year as being a full time Entrepreneur. What that means is that starting in 2000 I launched a company from my basement, it grew. 3 years later I got a new idea, went back to the garage, and launched a second company. And it grew. (Still growing as a matter of fact with offices down in the financial district). A year ago I launched a new company, Only Influencers, LLC. 

I haven't gotten rich but I haven't done too bad. I've created things that just didn't exist before. None of my companies failed, although one morphed into something else. And I've only worked for myself in that period of time. I've put kids through college, suffered the typical entrepreneur's personal problems (in my case a separation and divorce), kept a roof over my head. Some days it has been stressful beyond belief. Some days you look back on what you accomplished. Some days your up, some down. But it has been a joyous and fee life and I wouldn't change a thing. 

I think people look at the "big score" too much. In entertainment terms, I look at myself as the working actor, not the star. Being the star is too stressful, so much is not in your control, even though the payout is big if you make it. Like winning the lottery. The working actor just gets up and does the errands of his trade, knows how to make a lving and long ago made choices to live a more modest lifestyle in exchange for personal freedom. Instead of the lottery, it is like getting up and working everyday. 

The problem with being an entrepreneur is that the creative urge never lets up: as soon as one thing is up and running, you have ideas on how to expand, service other markets, create new products, make a difference in the world. 

Over the next few months I'm going to start writing regularly on the topic of entrepreneurship: entrepreneurship for the working actor. The sole proprietor. The lifestyle entrepreneur. I'm going to be talking about how I was able to launch a company that feed my family and gave me a good income during the Internet bust of 1999/2000. 

Entrepreneurship is a passion and I love it more now than I ever have. To me it is about empowering people to fish for themselves, live the life they have always wanted, and to achieve the ultimate goal in life: personal freedom.