So here’s the excuse: We don’t blog about yearbooks much here because:

1. Our Starter Packs and other support resources contain almost everything you’d possibly ever dream of…
2. We honestly think blogging about yearbooks is dry…

So instead of letting Blogstar Memoirs whittle away, we’ll use this to write about other topics we find interesting. The first one being, starting your own business!

People who write…

A lot of people write about starting a business. I’ve read lots of articles written by self-professed experts on starting a business. Much of what is written can be helpful, but at the end of the day there’s more than one way to do it. I think you should just follow your heart.

People who write about starting businesses are generally old. By old, I mean, older than 30. I’m 28, and I consider myself, nearly old. Old people don’t relate with young people.

I’m writing about starting a business for young people – 14 to 30 year olds. I’m no expert at starting a business – I just want to share my experiences because starting Rockstar has been one of the most rewarding experience of my life.

I’m not writing this because I’m up-myself or anything. It’s more like “I’ve found a breed of chicken that lays $2 coins”.. and I want to tell as many people about this breed…. damn the analogy sux – but you get the drift…

Short bio…

My name is Nathan, and I’m 28. Went to high school in Sydney, completed an undergrad university course, backpacked europe for a bit, worked for a year for a large company, then started Rockstar.

You’re different…

Not everyone is able to start a business. Different people have different skills, and at the end of the day, particular type of people are better suited to having their own business. In my opinion, you need to have two particular characteristics:

1. a special spark
2. the ability to believe in yourself

A special spark inside you…

If you have ever played Sim City, The Sims or Transport Tycoon, and gotten really addicted, loved it, and dreamed about the game at night – you have that spark. I think quite a lot of people have the spark, but don’t act on it. They don’t try to start a business because they’re too afraid of the risks.

Society conditions us to hold onto handrails of a secure future. It’s hard to stand up, stick your head out and be different. We make excuses of why things won’t work, and needlessly run nightmare scenarios through our heads.

F*** that. It’s going to work out, and you know it will.

The ability to believe in yourself…

Until recently, I was never a very confident person. While my friends always seemed to be more confident than I was, I always knew that one day I would be truly confident and will one day “make it”. That sounds a bit wanky, but it’s said by the quiet short guy in class who didn’t ask girls out because he was too shy.

If you want to start a business, I think that being super confident is a bad characteristic to have. What you need is to have the belief that you will “probably” make it. You could think to yourself… “yeah, if I work hard, and things worked out, you know what?… yeah… .I’d probably make it”.

If you’re going to make it in life, you’re going to make it before you’re 30. Stop dreaming of hitting 40, and suddenly having the balls to quit your job, start a business, and suddenly be succesful. It’s not going to happen that way. How things start out is usually a good indication of how things will go long-term.

So in summary – if you’re young, and want to start a business…

• know you have that special spark
• do it before you’re 30
• remember that: It’s going to work out – and you know it will

Motives…

People start businesses for different reasons. I think one of the best reasons is that “it’s cool”. It’s cool because…

1. you can do for a job, what you think is fun or like a hobby
2. you can build something and help it grow, and get really cool (like playing a Sims game)
3. you’re your own man/woman

The first two reasons are self explanatory. The third reason is about standing up for yourself.

I look at my friends slaving away for large faceless corporations, and feel sorry for some of them. Some of them are genuinely happy – good on them.

Others however are not. They’re part of the system – their soul is literally owned by rich old men flying corporate jets. That’s kind of… gay… (gay as in – not cool).

Were we born to be conform to the system? We were born with a brain, a heart, and hopes and dreams to be used.

Is it not far better to chase your dreams and fail, than to just compromise and take the safe route that everyone else is taking?

It would be tragic at your funeral for your eulogy to go something like…

“Blah was a good man/woman. She/he worked really hard for different large companies. Lived for money for retirement. Didn’t really achieve much else, Didn’t really set out to make the world better. Didn’t really want to rock the boat, and try to be, create, or do something better. Oh well…”

Be your own man / woman. Be  proud of yourself, and like who you are growing-up to be. If you’re still reading this post and semi-agreeing with me, you probably have this motive to help you succeed – (if you want to start a business).

Starting your own business is as much about doing something you like, as it is about exercising your pride in yourself.

(Huge point of clarification: Of course you can work for someone else, and have pride in yourself. )

Mehh – it’s late…. to be continued…