Have you ever want to do something for so long, that it put you in conflict with another dream? This is what happened to me and today marks a very tough and exciting day.
For anyone reading this that does not know me, I am a very big car “nut”. A core passion of mine is building, customizing, and driving automobiles. As with many young boys, one of my dreams was to own a Porsche.
That dream came true almost seven years ago and it was everything it lived up to be. I also had the opportunity to transform it over the years into the exact Porsche I wanted. I customized the body, the suspension, and I even installed a supercharger on the motor — most of it on my own. By the end, it was the ideal image I had of a Porsche and it was such an awesome car to drive.
However, there is another dream I have always had. One where I owned and operated my own company. Where I could explore, experiment, learn, network, and build an awesome technology product.
So when I made the decision to venture on my own, I knew I would need to bootstrap capital to make it work. This is the point where the toys have to go and where one dream was given up for another.
The End of a Dream
It was a cool and wet August 15th when the new owner arrived from Seattle to take the car home. The car was sold on eBay and with the currency exchange, I had done well enough to support my living while focusing on building a business.
That was the logical side.
As to the emotional, it was tough to pull it out of the garage for the last time. To see it in my driveway in its glory. What was a vision I had years ago, and took me almost three years to complete while going to school, minding new twin boys, and all the other distractions in life.
I must have thought to myself at least 20 times: “What am I doing?!”
The new owner showed up and he seems like a great guy. Experienced with higher performance cars and an obvious appreciation for what the car was. He was smiling ear-to-ear and it brought back memories of when I first bought the car myself.
After going through all of the details and taking it for a test drive, we shook hands and the deal was done.
The Next Phase
As I watched it drive away and went off to the bank with my cashier’s cheques in hand, I was a little sad and a little excited to have the funding in the bank to start my new adventure.
With the freedom to explore, I am now even more excited to attend the GROW Conference next week.
Will this work and be the best thing I have ever done? Will I crash and burn, Maverick? Will I be in a position again to buy/build my dream car again?
There are all equally exciting and scary questions. However, such is life. I am using Mark Twain’s quote to inspire me along the way:
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
All Is Not Lost…
Listen, at the end of the day, a car is a car. They build more every day.
Beyond that, I do have one toy left in the toy chest — a 1969 Dodge Super Bee that I restored with my Father and has the most amazing story where I have tracked it back to the original owner. It is a joy to drive in a different way.
But also more importantly, I have two healthy sons and a supportive family in my crazy pursuits.
As I close a door on one dream, I open another. Time to step through the threshold…
Want to help?
I’m open to advice, feedback, ideas, and of course…. business! Feel free to contact me if you want to chat.
Cheers,
Aaron