⛅ How I made my first dollar $$

Also Meadow Walker, writing tips, and "under 40" lists

Happy…Monday? Testing out Monday as the new day to send out this newsletter (seems to be a more popular choice). Always appreciate feedback of course.

Let’s get into it!

How I Made My First Dollar $$

The other day while watching Netflix, one of the characters in the show reminisced about how he earned his first dollar. As any entrepreneur knows, that first dollar is a big deal even if it doesn’t feel that way. It’s an unimpactful amount of money, but it’s a huge milestone that sets the stage for (hopefully) many more dollars to come.

My first dollar came about six years ago at age 26 (I’m a late bloomer, I know) after I bought an online course, Monthly1k, from some guy named Noah Kagan. One of the lessons in the course was to spearhead the milestone by asking a friend or family member to Venmo/PayPal you $1 — a little uncomfortable to do, but an easy way to check the box.

I texted my friend Jon and a few minutes later, boom, I had $1 in my Venmo. It was a rather unsatisfying moment. Sure, technically I had made my first dollar, but it didn’t feel like I had earned it.

My first ACTUAL dollar didn’t come until several months later. I had just quit my job (like a dumbass) and had basically no experience as an entrepreneur. But, I did have some experience writing blog posts for my own website, which along with some desperation, led me to the freelancing website, Upwork.

After submitting what felt like a billion proposals to various gigs, I eventually landed a ghostwriting gig for a guy who needed high-quality 800-1200 word articles. I was over the moon and ready to hit the ground running. A couple of hours later, $25 hit my account after fulfilling the job. My first dollar and then some had been earned.

Though $25 is far from life-changing money, it was life-changing to me in that:

1. It sparked my foray into entrepreneurship for years to come (still at it today).

2. I had no guaranteed income since I had just quit my job, and that experience at least let me know that I just might survive, and maybe even be OK.

3. I learned the power of providing value in exchange for money.

That first dollar made it all happen.

Best links from around the web

• Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker, just got married. Guess who walked her down the aisle?

• “40 One-Sentence Writing Tips” to improve your writing

• The Fed are cracking down on policymakers and their individual investing habits

• Regrets of the dying

• Anti-Cancer Drug Derived From Himalayan Fungus Clears Early Clinical Trials

Something to feel inspired

From Doug Murano:

Have a great week!

Best,

Jason