I officially quit my job and built a business around exciting young people about #STEM

When this pic was taken 5 years ago, I officially quit my job and built a business around exciting young people about #STEM. Here are a few things I wish I knew then:

1) SELL a #product or service - If you're going to build a #business, you HAVE to generate revenue. I was a naive passionate person who wanted to solve STEM #diversity, but without clearly defined products and services as well as a pricing model, I struggled for at least a year to sustain myself.

2) Budget - Before you leave your job, you should have 6-9 months of living expenses saved *assuming you make $0 in this timeframe*. Ideally, your side gig should already be generating significant #income (5 figures or more) before you leave. You should also budget for unforeseen expenses such as #startup costs.

3) Know thyself - When I was working at my job, I only half-pursued my passions. I learned I needed to go all in. I put myself in fight or flight mode to unlock my best work ethic. Others may value stability or have a certain living standard. For those people, there are other, lower-risk paths to #entrepreneurship.

4) Invest - As a business owner, EVERYTHING becomes an #investment. Who you spend time with, what opportunities you seek, where you decide to eat lunch, what clothes you wear, and what organizations you align yourself with. In my early stages, every opportunity had to pass through rigorous assessment- I always asked myself, was my time well spent?

5) LEARN - Perhaps the most fun part of this journey is how beneficial #learning is. If you don't LOVE learning new things, entrepreneurship might not be for you.

#business #entrepreneurship #STEM #tech #science

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