Picture in your mind a high, windswept cliff overlooking a deep canyon. From the top, it’s impossible to see into the seemingly bottomless abyss below.

At the top of the cliff, a small crowd has gathered. Minutes before, a solitary, simply dressed man had approached and gotten their attention. He is curiously carrying a large, red toolbox.

“In just a few minutes, I’ll be jumping off the edge of the cliff,” the man said.

A loud gasp rippled through the crowd. A voice shouted, “Are you crazy? You’ll get yourself killed!” Others chimed in:
“Don’t do it!”
“Hey, mister, whatever the problem is, there’s got to be another solution!”
“You’re throwing your life away!”

The man raised a hand to speak, and the crowd grew silent.

“I know you think I am insane, and what I’m about to do probably is, to a degree,” he began. “But they’re a couple things you need to know.

“First, I’m not the first to jump off this cliff,” he continued. “In fact, it happens many, many times every day.” The crowd murmured, with some pressing a little closer and some taking a step back.

“Sometimes there are groups like this watching, and sometimes not,” the man said. “Some watching want and even hope the person will plunge and not make it. Yet others pray the person will somehow avoid certain disaster, and offer what encouragement they can.

“Second, whatever the reason that brings them to the edge, the people who take this leap share a few things in common,” he said. “They’re at a point in their lives when they feel they have no choice but to jump into the void. Life has driven them to the precipice, and they are eventually willing, despite all fear and doubt and despair, to take the plunge.

“Finally, each person stands at the edge with a toolbox, much like this,” the man said. He held up the shiny, red toolbox. “Inside each person’s box is a unique set of tools. No two sets are alike. But each literally holds the keys to their future—whether their leap ends dashed on the rocks,  or whether they are able to build wings and fly.”

A woman from the crowd interrupted. “That is ridiculous!” she said. “Once you take a leap like that, no one can possibly use ‘tools’ to save themselves, much less ‘fly!’”

The man looked at the woman, and then around at the others, and smiled.

“Fortunately, this is not just any ordinary toolbox,” he said. “For the ‘tools’ represent all the talents and qualities that make up each person’s life—their attitude about success and failure, their willingness to let go, their belief in themselves, and so on. And even for people who seemingly lack any special knowledge or skills, often there is real magic that takes place, enabling them to save themselves and even others!”

The man was silent, and let his words sink in. Then, he picked up the box and turned to face the edge. Suddenly, and without looking back, he went over and was gone in a flash.

The people rushed to the edge, waiting and listening and wondering what fate would bring the crazy man with the red toolbox.

*****

HI, MY NAME IS BRANDON, AND I’M A CLIFF JUMPER.

I’m about to embark on yet another big jump, starting with this website and other planned ventures. Like I have a time or two in the past, I’m counting on my toolbox to give me what I need to succeed—my real life depends on it. There is no safety net.

Before I get too far along, let me explain that the story I’ve told above is about the literal and figurative leap of the entrepreneur. (Even though starting business often feels like jumping off a sheer cliff, thankfully it’s not that dangerous!)

 

I’m starting Web Business Freedom to help others who are on a similar journey—a journey to improve your life, and your business, by using the power of the web. Now more than ever before, the tools exist to help you:

• Do more with less
• Work smarter vs. harder
• Choose where and when you want to work
• Create your own destiny, vs. “working for the man” your whole life
• Pursue your talents and passions
• Try different things without spending a fortune
• Make money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from people around the world

I want to welcome you. You have found your way to this site, and now we’re in this together (if you decide to stick with me!). It is my privilege and calling to do everything I can to make sure we all make wings and fly to the best of our abilities.

The secrets I will share are going to be found in my personal toolbox, and from those of other smart people I know and am destined to meet through this experience. They are secrets from my career as a professional communicator, web expert and lifelong student of achievement and self fulfillment. It’s a big toolbox, one that gets added to all the time.

Now here’s a confession: I can’t do this alone. I don’t profess to know everything, nor would I want to! Part of the joy of living is lifelong learning. And what better way to learn than to teach? (Secret #1 revealed!). But part of my leap is having the confidence to know that what I do know is valuable to a lot of people.

As one of my greatest mentors, the legendary public speaking expert Ty Boyd once told me he tells himself before talking to an audience of any size: “It’s not about you” (followed by a hard look in his mirror). Ty’s right! It is about the other person. (Secret #2!) Every successful person I know makes a personal connection with the people they rely on for their livelihood. Giving is truly receiving.

A Bit About Me

As I write this, I’m a 43-year-old white American male, sitting on my couch at 3:30 am. (Sidenote: this entry was started back in late July 2008, before our baby girl was born on August 10!) My wife, almost nine months pregnant with our second child, tosses and turns upstairs—bedridden and on the verge of an early C-section. Her blood pressure is dangerously high, and things are difficult for her and potentially for the baby. Beside her, our beautiful two-and-a-half year old son is sleeping (the fact that he still doesn’t sleep well on his own is another saga altogether!).

I couldn’t sleep because of my own pending leap and racing thoughts. Recently, I made the very difficult decision to leave my job—a company I started and have mostly loved running for nearly 10 years—for the complete unknown of “whatever comes next.” There was no Grand Scheme that brought me to this point. Rather, it was a combination of factors: mounting misery at my role in my former business and a nagging vision for my future (and my family’s) that necessitated making a drastic life change.

After starting a web design business from scratch nearly 10 years ago and seeing it become a million-dollar-plus enterprise, I felt empty. It took more than a year to come to the conclusion that the best thing for me to do was leave. Fortunately, my partners agreed. After a few months of negotiations, I left the company.

In reflecting on my life to this point, I realized several things.

One, I’ve learned a great deal about communications and the web. I’ve seen a lot of changes in technology that have made web design and development both easier and cheaper.

Two, I’ve found I really enjoy teaching others what I’ve learned and sharing those so-called “best kept secrets.” (Most web designers would rather not share their knowledge for fear that you won’t need them. We’ll talk in great length about this topic in future posts).

Finally, I’ve learned that success in life, and certainly in running an online business, takes a combination of both technical skills and a strong belief system in yourself. Sure, anyone can start a blog or simple website in minutes and start yammering away at whatever they’d like to say. They might even be able to cobble together some sponsors, affiliate links or some another way to make some money (assuming that’s a goal).

But having a real business requires a special mindset that is hard for a lot of people to achieve. Some of us are fortunate to have a certain amount of formal education, which is great for giving us technical expertise. Still others are fortunate to have MBAs or other advanced training in understanding profit-and-loss statements, payroll, incorporation and all the myriad details that make up any business. Yet these also fall into the technical category for the most part—and can be learned over time by anyone (I’ve run a business myself, without an MBA and without formal training in web design!). The point is: anyone can start a business, and it doesn’t require an advanced degree.

It’s the mysterious realm of personal dynamics that separates the wanna-be entrepreneurs from the ones who actually make it happen.

The goal of Web Business Freedom is therefore to mix discussions of both the technical aspects of running a web-based business (which I think is fun and challenging!) with the personal drive that is necessary to get going and keep going, especially when things seem overwhelming. The emotional side of learning how to let go of fear, doubt and criticism is so incredibly vital that ignoring it and simply focusing on a bunch of web software would be a great injustice.

Bear in mind—I’m no Ph.D., just a guy willing to share his experiences and opinions in the hope of encouraging and empowering others to live fully and take more control of their professional lives through the web.

Two of the biggest hurdles to getting going are self-doubt and perfectionism, both of which are creeping up on me as we speak! So let me wrap this up and keep moving; I’m telling myself that this is good enough.

Before moving on, though, let me give thanks to my beautiful and supportive wife, our amazing son (and now his new sister), my family and friends who’ve encouraged me throughout my life, and all the professional colleagues I’ve worked with who have challenged me to take the bull by the horns and seek the life of my own choosing.

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthwatcher, iStockPhoto.com