As many of you know I recently left the PAP forums, as well as the parent company, AP.  As much as I loved the forums and my former business partners, it was just that time for me.  I can’t quite yet speak about all the projects I am currently working on, but when I can, I imagine it will make more sense to many of you.  Needless to say I haven’t been this busy in a few years, and I love it.

One thing is for sure though; I have never been more excited to be an entrepreneur as I am right now.  With the global economy being in a downswing, many people are tightening up and taking fewer risks.  This is where I differ, I am going to loosen up and take more risks!

Although this may seem reckless, it isn’t.  Over the past 10 years I have always been one to get in and out of businesses and situations at the exact right time.  And in respect to the economy, I don’t know any serial entrepreneurs that are letting this recent downswing halt their dreams.  Even if the stock market tanks and we are in a full blown depression, there will still be a select amount of people that will make more money in the next few years than they ever have before in their life.  This needs to be YOU! Remember, opportunity is recession proof!

With that, here are the top 5 things I (Jeremy Enke) love about being an entrepreneur:

1. Freedom - Some people can work for a boss their entire life, not me.  I love having the freedom to make my own business decisions, hire my own people, and be responsible for every aspect of my business.  My theory is, “Why work for the man when you can be the man”

2. Money - Financial Freedom - I can’t imagine knowing I am only going to make X amount of dollars next year.  Like almost every other entrepreneur out there, I have been broke before.  I never want to go back there.  I love money and love having financial freedom to take vacations and provide a great life for my family.

3. Time - Although I easily work more than 40 hours a week, (probably 60+) I do it on my time.  Too many companies in the U.S. have the dumbest policies about time and schedules for their producers.  I literally have buddies that produce 20 times their wage, and work overtime hours for free, yet if they show up at 8:05 versus 8:00 two days in a row, they are in deep shit.  I am happy to say at 8:00 I am checking emails on my couch drinking coffee…. I love working my own hours.

4. Opportunity - After you have become a successful entrepreneur and have established yourself, it is amazing how many opportunities get presented to you on a monthly basis.  Over the last few months I have actually had to turn opportunities down that I knew were profitable simply because I did not have time.  Nonetheless, entrepreneurs look for opportunities and will always find them sooner than people hoping to be in the right place at the right time.

5. FUN - I have fun every day in both business and life.  I love my job, I love what I do, I love being my own boss.  Whether you want to be an entrepreneur or not,  if you’re not having fun in life, make some changes.  Life is too short to be miserable or not happy.

Make it a great week everyone!

Jeremy

Of course it’s Monday so I am obligated to do a motivational post. Because I am on vacation, it is only appropriate to do a post that revolves around vacation. I chose the title of this post because often times as an entrepreneur and full time affiliate, people don’t think I have a “real job”.

Although I can see why some may think that, I do consider what I do a real job. My office is the internet, and I can guarantee that I spend more time in my office than 95% of typical 9-5 workers ever will. If you’re willing to accept the long hours of “making your money online” and being an internet marketer, you too can get the benefits of living your entire life like you’re on vacation.

Take away the fact that I am really on a vacation right now. If I ever want to break out for a day and go to the zoo with my kids, I do it. If I want to mow my lawn before it rains, I do it. If I want to take off early on Friday to golf, I do it. I can’t imagine having t put in a request to some dude in a corner cubicle to get off early on a Friday, and then even worse having to wait to see if it gets approved!

Don’t get me wrong though, I DO work over 60 hours a week consistently. However, I have the flexibility to some extent to choose when I will work. Although for those of you that know me, you know I am online almost every day between 8-6. Sure I could screw off and never work, but then I wouldn’t have the flexibility that I explained above.

The reason I still work so many hours even though I have the flexibility not to is because I truly love what I do. Likewise, I am extremely driven by the goals I have set forth for myself. I learned a few years ago that life is just too short to be owned by someone else in this world. It’s a good life when you can make decisions for yourself and take ownership of your personal and financial situations.

In order to have this type of lifestyle however, you also have to be willing to take accountability for every action and decision you make. The bottom line is that every person in this world has the ability to live a life in which they are able to manage their own time and determine their future earnings.

If this type of lifestyle motivates you, then take the proper steps, and start making it happen!

Make it a great week!

When I was a kid I wanted to make my own money from as early on as I can remember. In fact I had a paper route with my twin brother from the time I was in 6th grade all the way up until I could get a real job. I was a middle school baller with pockets full of singles!

Well maybe I wasn’t ballin, but I was making my own money. Anyhow my oldest daughter who is 5 years old is starting to learn the value of money herself. We started giving her an allowance so that we could simply get her to clean up around the house. Now she is hooked on finding different ways to make money since she realizes all the neat stuff she can buy with her allowance. If only we could all be happy on a $5 a week budget!

Anyhow like the post says, Being an Entrepreneur is just in the Enke blood. I came out of my office to see this in the driveway today. I have to say it was a proud moment and put a smile on my face. Next thing you know she is going to be asking for her own amex black card.

The old saying saying says that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. There is actually a great deal of truth to this statement. Unfortunately almost every person you have ever heard say this phrase says it it with a negative connotation…… This is why they are not on the “richer” side.

Allow me to go off on a slight rant for a moment. Yes, the gas prices in the U.S. suck, the housing market is in a slump, and the U.S. dollar is garbage right now….. Who cares, it’s reality and in the big scheme of life you could have far worse problems.

I often speak about surrounding yourself with other successful people. You need to do this, but you also need to surround yourself with positive people and positive energy. Do you think the entrepreneurs getting richer this year are sitting at Starbucks griping about gas prices? Hell no, they are making big things happen regardless of what the economic state is.

The reason the rich get richer is because they surround themselves with positive energy and associate with other positive people. Instead of complaining about things that are out of their control, they speak about how great things are and how they are growing their business by capitalizing on what they can control.

People that say the rich get richer because of tax breaks and special privileges are fucking idiots wrong. The top 10% of earners in the U.S. pay over 68% of the total Income tax in this country. Furthermore, there is no reason the wealthy should be punished in the form of taxes for being successful. Nonetheless, the rich get richer because of ingenuity, perseverance, and hard work……not tax breaks.

Believe me, I realize how easy it is to get caught up in negative conversations with friends now days. And we all know a few people that are constantly complaining about “their situations”. Unfortunately surrounding yourself with these types of people or negative energy in general is a one way ticket to nowhere.

Try something this week. Make an effort to go out of your way to have a positive attitude and surround yourself with positive energy. I don’t know about you, but I want to be on the “rich get richer” side of the fence.

I watched the movie “The Secret” a few months ago, and although I am not 100% sold on every concept, I am sold on the law of attraction.

Make it a great week!