In 2007, my business partner and I each invested $26,000 to kickoff our 1st venture together and start building my first startup.
I maxed out two HELOCs, my credit cards, my savings, and off we went into the cold waters of no salary, no safety net, but 
– We had Hope
– We had Dreams
– We had a Hunger
Looking back, I can also see how naive I was to the whole startup world and to “business” in general.
We operated somewhat alone and mostly on gut instinct.
Fast forward to 2012…
We ended up with a product company, service company, manufacturing company, real estate venture, management/consulting company, and a few other businesses all under one umbrella/brand that we rolled up to an eventually exit (late Dec 2012).
The journey of building from inception to an exit changed my life.
– Every day we wondered if we would make it to the next.
– Every day we had to find the courage to persevere.
– Every day we had to break through limits we didn’t know existed.
Those lessons shaped and forged me.
Fast forward to today, I’m building something bigger, but this time in a larger community and alongside those that inspire me, push me, pull bigger levers, and come with me on this daily journey.
All the same factors are in play every day, but because of our investors, partners, mentors, operators, and fellow founders (our tribe), we’re playing a new game… a bigger game…
Thank you tribe…
————————————–
To learn more about what we’re building, and how to get involved, visit theblacksmith.com. If we’re a fit, let’s talk.