When I became an entrepreneur in October of 2001, it took me one year – 12 months – to get my first paying client.

During that time, we lived mostly off my wife’s salary and credit cards.

For a while, I even worked stocking shelves at my local Target. (Fun side benefit – they also had me design a few editions of their store’s printed newsletter – a portend of things to come, I guess!)

My first year in business was “revenue free” but since then, I’ve learned how to make it rain – I’ve really become a pretty good rainmaker.

I didn’t achieve revenue until I stopped fooling myself.

See, just because I had a business and business cards and a website, I said, “well, I’m guess I’m a small business owner”.

Well, guess what – I wasn’t a small business owner.

If you don’t have revenue that can sustain your business and your expenses and pay you something as the owner, you don’t have a business.

Earlier, I mentioned participation trophies.

See, 80 percent of small business owners fail within five years.

That. Statistic. Just. Doesn’t. Change.

Entrepreneurs, like you, who DO create amazing success design Dream Businesses aren’t in search of trophies.

They become entrepreneurs so they can reach a certain goal.

They have a very clearly defined goal of what their dream business looks like, what their dream lifestyle looks like, and they reverse-engineer and figure out how to do that.

The winners, the people who are at the top of their game, are people with guts and courage.

They get up every day seeking to push their upper limit just a little bit higher.

To make it work, they create new benchmarks, serve more people, find ways to Serve First, serve often, and keep serving.

So you see, it’s very, very important that you step up, create your own Dream Business, and be able to live your dream lifestyle.

Because living your dream lifestyle, whether it’s living on a boat or living in the mountains, or living right where you are right now, but paying off all your debts, paying for college weddings or whatever, whatever your dream is, I will tell you your best chance to achieve financial freedom is to become a small business owner – a Dream Business owner – and create success for yourself.