Post: #1

Hey,

I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. I took the red pill about ten years ago. It was a bitter medicine that changed my life for better in ways I wouldn't imagine. I got all the girls I wanted, and I'm in a LTR with a thin 8 who really loves me, thanks to the Matrix being revealed. I pity the fools who can't or won't see the simple truth.

There is, whoever, one aspect of my life that I can't see a way to change: my professional life. I have a pretty good office job that allows me to work 6 hours a day, with a good pay that allows me to have good hobbies (motorcycles and music, among others). But at the end of the day I feel empty, because there's not a thing into there that makes me proud. There's no end product, I'm just a good cog that keeps the corporate wheels turning. And it is fucking scary, because the day Big Corp decides I'm no good anymore I'm out, and I have no idea about what to do, how to earn a living outside the grid. Also, having house and car payments to do, I don't believe I can afford to take big risks.

I do, however, have a strong like: the thing I care the most, the thing that really gets under my skin, are motorcycles. I remember almost crying - crying! - when I saw for the first time an Indian from the 30s in a bike museum near home. This is why I keep daydreaming about have a garage-studio: being someone like Shinya Kimura, or Deus Garage, but I cannot see a way to make my wheels start to turn. It seems too hard, with no financial return, being then a mountain way too big to climb.

So here's me asking for help. I read a lot of entrepreneurs blogs, work ethics books, biographies and go-get-it sites, but most, if not all, has little real knowledge to give. Most of them give feel-good posts, generic advice, or worse, advice about how they got rich, which, when you look really close, looks a lot like a scheme that suspiciously seems to predate the very need I have: "buy my book and I'll tell you how yo be rich!" - and then they get rich.

What I need is practical advice, places to learn about the scene, things to do and not to do, what happens when you fail, how to cope with fear. In short, a Return of Kings or Roissy (among others) for business. Books,sites, movies. Is there a red pill community for people who wants to get off the grid?

Post: #2

Welcome. A few questions came to mind from reading your post.
1. How old are you?
2. What are your obligations other than the car and house(kids, alimony)?
3. You're talking about motorcycles. Can you repair or restore bikes?
4. Can you take classes to repair or restore bikes (time/ afford)?

Take some time away from the daily grind and figure out what you want to do. If you can start working at what you love then it's not work. Shit, look at Roosh and some of the other cats on the forum. They're vagabonds that have found a way to do what they love and make a little coin doing it.

Post: #3

I'm 40yo, with no kids nor alimony, but a huge debt (car, house, medical, about 300k). I can take a bike apart and put it back with some difficulty, so I've been done mostly superficial repairs in mine (cable, brakes, windshield, things like that). I live in an apartment complex, it's pretty hard to really tear the bike apart without security or managenment showing up saying I can't do that.

I've been doing my learning mostly through websites and youtube videos, and could take classes but the nearest one is about 600km from where I live. I could do online classes, but without having an engine in front of me to apply what I read makes things pretty empty.

There's a guy I really admire in my country (I'm brazilian, by the way) called Ricardo Medrano, he's an architect that left his office behind to create the Johnnie Wash garage (http://www.johnniewash.com.br/). The guy invested half a million to create this about ten years ago and now he turned it into a franchise. Pretty much my role model to follow, minus the money.

Post: #4

You're still young enough to chase your dreams. Find a way to do it on a small scale locally. I'm sure there are a lot of small bikes, and even scooters that you can work on. Find a junk yard and get to learning. Then sell peoples junk back to them. Good luck.

Post: #5

If you make good money, work only 6 hours a day and only yourself to deal with I would advise the following:
1. Downsize to a minimal home and car...as small and cheap as you can tolerate while freeing up more money from your job.
2. evenings and/or weekend try to find a basic job working for an auto or motorcycle shop to learn more about the business and mechanics
3. use the money from your current job and new evening job to pay off your existing debts
4. once your debts are paid off start saving that surplus you were formerly using to pay off your debts
5. use that surplus to finance/buy an existing motorcycle shop and slowly change it into the kind of business you want

There is no miracle here, just steady persistence and sacrifice.

Post: #6

Thanks for the replies, and sorry for the month long silence. I was figuring out some things that I'd like to share, thanks to your replies. I've knocked on some doors, but there is no mechanic around here willing to take an apprentice even for free - they fear litigation for taking free work. BUT a friend of a friend found that a new motorcycle mechanics course will happen in my town in May, and I already enlisted to that. Also, I'm rearranging my finances to build my own little shop, and maybe in a year I can have it. It will be something for me only, to customize my own bike until I feel the confidence to take clients.

Also, I found some articles and links that bring me closer to the "red pill" mentality in entrepreneurship. I'm thinking about organizing it in a new thread if you're interested.

Post: #7

Hey Macchinario,

In terms of a “red pill” for business the guy that comes closest has to be Dan Kennedy.

Most business “gurus” will invariably see the world through corporate tinged glasses, but for someone who’s looking to set up for themselves, Dan Kennedy is the only guy (that I’ve found anyways) that tells you like it is, and what you really need to do to succeed.

Start with his “No BS” series of books on Amazon, No BS Business success is a good one to start with.

Another great guy to check out is Ben Settle. He often talks about game and the parallels between being good at business and game, and he even mentioned this forum in one of his newsletters.

DJ

Post: #8

Yes, Dan Kennedy is great. I've got a copy of No B.S. Business Success next to my bed and have a bunch of his other No B.S. books scattered about the place.

Every guy should read MJ Demarco's The Millionaire Fastlane. I would call that the 'red pill' of making money.

Jay Abraham is also worth looking into - not so much for 'red pill business' but for good business advice that works.

Post: #9

Great resources, thanks a lot. I will definitely take a look.