55, Unemployed and Faking Normal: A Warning
- Thread starter newworldafro
- Start date
MR. Conclusion
All Star
Agreed. Unless you got another job lined up, you stay, stack, and work the midnight hours on your dream. If you business venture has consistent income to pay you bills plus generate profit, that's when you start to think about leaving.
MR. Conclusion
All Star
Elijah looking like he’s been saving money since the year 600 a.d. ; just out here donating funds, looking happy and content af to do it too. Shyt, that’s the real story. I need to know more about Elijah. That’s the financial thinkpiece right there. Looking bummy but he’s rich enough to give out money.
He’s sitting on his own generational wealth from savings, not a care in the world. What did Elijah do?
Nothing is free. He tryna pay for that vintage box.
I wouldn’t say that. Just do it in a practical way so you don’t end up ass’d out if it doesn’t work out. There’s plenty of people who started their business on the side until it made enough to pay the bills. Then you go all in.Yep she chased passion instead of money.
My college professor once told me, "only rich kids/people should follow their passion in this economy, the rest literally cannot afford to as passion/interest doesn't pay the bills"
Now with this lady, she shoulda said fukk a brick and mortar and sold the items online
I see she opened the store in the late 90s and went out of business in 2000. A lot of folks especially Black people didn't see the future of the internet and online shopping yet. She woulda saved a lot of money and succeeded if she had her own site and sold on eBay/amazon/etc. https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...s-lease/bdc67e39-ed8f-4d25-83d2-da956c062dae/
Article that mentions her store going outta business, might be a paywall if you've read too many articles already
You would be surprised. Believe it or not, let’s not pretend that this stuff isn’t the norm for double minorities like this woman is who try to strike out on her own to break free from the 9-5 cycle.
Retirement in the private sector at 62 isn’t a reality anymore.
That is how it used to work. Nowadays companies track your outside business activities. The minute they see that you have outside interests that conflict with your current employees, best believe they would have found a way to get rid of her. They aren’t paying her to fund her dreams. That’s not how this game works.
That isn't exactly clear. If she had a permanent job at the world bank then yes, she gave up that steady income plus a nice pension to pursue her dreams. But a lot of jobs at International organizations are temp jobs where you hustle from contract extension to contract extension until you run into a dead end and your contract doesn't get extended anymore. That's when people normally start with the consultancy jobs. If that was the case, then it's understandable that she grew tired of that and tried to establish her own business. Anyways, what did her in was the financial crisis in combination with the fact that her savings went up in smoke when her business failed.
Not with government jobs, well the feds. They have workshops regularly on starting small businesses.
I wouldn’t say that. Just do it in a practical way so you don’t end up ass’d out if it doesn’t work out. There’s plenty of people who started their business on the side until it made enough to pay the bills. Then you go all in.
Now with this lady, she shoulda said fukk a brick and mortar and sold the items online
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...s-lease/bdc67e39-ed8f-4d25-83d2-da956c062dae/
Article that mentions her store going outta business, might be a paywall if you've read too many articles already
Yeah, traditional brick and mortars were going under way back then. You can only succeed with a b/m front if it has a strong business model, and art/music is surefire way to go bankrupt unless you have major donors....
Ebay eliminates overhead big time....how is she a business pro and not see that wave coming?
This is true. I've actually seen it in employee handbooks where working a second job is prohibited. These companies want you completely beholden to them.
That's why the minute any company offers me more money I jump ship. Other dudes I worked with who stayed loyal are making 20-30K less than me now. I tried to put dudes up on game but most refuse to bet on themselves.
The World Bank isn’t a government job.
Anyone with half a brain knows damn well it is tough as nails to start AND grow a business working for someone else. Anyone can start a business, it takes commitment to grow and scale the business.
Simply put, it is challenging to start anything in life using half measures. It’s either you are in or you aren’t. Most companies know this which is why they punish people who try to re-enter the workforce after going the entrepreneurial route.
It’s not as easy as many people make it seem in here. Most of us who are minorities do not have the luxury of pursuing a passion when we are in our youth. That desire does not simply fade. Although I am projecting here, this woman probably thought as many of us do that a job with a six figure salary is enough until it isn’t...
We shouldn’t chastise people for making the choice to go to school and become educated and wanting to shift gears once they had enough. That job of hers at the world bank could go to two kids coming out of school. Her passion in the arts should be supported.
Just my 2 cents.
I never said the world bank was a government job, I was just stating that some employers, like the federal government, encourage entrepreneurship.
And I agree with you, it is hard to grow a business full time, while working full time. I can’t speak on this woman’s moves because, as you stated maybe the world bank job wasn’t “enough”.
It’s all good. I think this is a glimpse into what the future of black people in America looks like. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. There needs to be an in between. I know it’s easy for us to say she should research operating in the digital space but realistically speaking, how many of her customers would be seeking her merchandise online rather than in store?
Another question for debate is how many people her age are knowledgeable of digital marketing? I never had a fraction of the academic opportunities that the woman had but I salute her for coming to the realization that she needed to pursue her passion. Many business owners try and do not succeed but at the very least, she should be honored for her efforts to break free from the monotony.
I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying. It’s very brave to give up normal for something you’re passionate about and I applaud her efforts. She was actually successful for a bit though, I tried and failed like a bish. With that said she needs to find a balance of work and passion to maintain her finances.
I think what’s confusing or harder to believe, is her being unable to find employment. Her education and experience are “enough”, especially in DC. I don’t want to make too many conclusions without the details, but everything presented doesn’t add up, IMO.
I guess you didn't hear the part where she quit her $200k job prior to, in order to open up a boutique business during the start of a recession, precipitated by the 2008-2009 crash
I'm still trying to figure out why she has a MBA degree and didn't have foresight to predict a volatile market, in a very specialized art sales business.