Episode #1 - Why We Started TSP Podcast

Hello and welcome to the Sequoia Project podcast. This is the podcast dedicated to talking about business, everything ups, downs and everything in between. I'm Koby and I'm joined with my co-host, Dale.

Dale: Good day guys, episode number two.

Coby: Episode number 1

Dale: Yeah, this is our first take this time. So we're going to try and get everything right on the recording end. What I want to talk about today is last week we kind of got into a bit about what we, like, you know, what this podcast is about and, you know, a little bit of our stories and stuff like that. And I think that'll unfold naturally as we keep going through this. But I think today, the most important thing is kind of for people, if I was someone listening to this, I'd want to know firstly, who we are and what we do and all those kinds of things, which covered a bit on that last week. But I think the second thing I want to know is like, why, why we got started and how we got started, like the actual reason behind it all, because yeah, I think a lot of people that listen to business podcasts, they got like in some level, they want to get into business or interest them at some level, you know, whether they're in business or they're not. But yeah, I think the reason why is such a crucial part of why, like, you know, why we do what we do and why people bring a new product or a new service into the market, because if there's no why, then you might as well just keep doing whatever you're doing. So I think we'll jump into that today. And probably my first question for you, Koby, is like, what was up in your world before you started business? Like before you made that thing and you were like, dude, like I need some help here and I want to get into business for myself. Where were you at before, like before that moment?

Coby: God, where was I at? It's not like I was at a bad point in sort of life. Like I was working pretty well. I was in management, at a gym getting, still getting paid decently. I mean, like as far as management goes and everything like that. And being 20 years old, getting paid a decent management wage, you know, like it's, it's getting you by. I had really low mental health at that point though, which was a big thing that I felt like so much was sort of out of my control. And I think that's when I kind of decided to go out there and actually try something new. The work was good that I was currently doing, but I was always like craving that little bit more when it comes to it and wanting to be able to achieve more, to be able to like purchase a first home, to be able to like actually live a life. And I saw so many other people around me doing so much more while I sat there and like spent all my time just earning money and trying to save and everything and I just wanted to, yeah, I think at that point I just wanted more from life, not to just sit there behind a desk like all day.

Dale: Yeah, and when you say more, man, like, do you mean like more control, more say over what you did and how you did it?

Coby: Yeah, more ability to be able to do what I want sort of situation. So like, suppose that freedom. If one day I wanted to be like, yeah, I do want to go out and purchase something that was important to me, I could do that or not having to look at your bank account when you're trying to pay bills, that sort of situation, or even just being able to spend time with people that I cared about and actually having that time to be able to spend and not having to spend your entire day working and then have to catch up on all that sort of stuff. I think that was the big thing to me, being able to have that financial freedom as well as that time freedom to be able to experience life in my younger years.

Dale: Yeah, dude, that's actually the number one thing when I ask those questions. And when we talk about stuff like this with customers in the Sequoia project, freedom is the number one thing. And it's hilarious that you say that because if I asked that question to myself, the answer would be exactly the same. And I think for a lot of people listening to this as well, it would be — I think that would be the number one on average thing that comes to is just being able to do something like for yourself in business gives you freedom to make choices. You know, and I think anyone that's worked a job has looked at someone, you know, a direct supervisor or something and go, man, like, why do you do it like that? You could do it so much better if you did it like this. You know, we always say, you know, like these people don't know what they're doing. And I think when you like the idea of getting into business, the sexiest thing is the freedom that comes with it. The ability to choose. And for me, very similar story. My thing was just more so I hated where I was working and I said that I don't know how many days I sat around in those workshops going, could do this better than it's being done. And it's very easy to say when you're not taking any of the risk and none of the money is yours and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, for me, it got to a point where I was just so miserable and I was so unhappy that I was like, if I'm going to risk all of this for this business, I may as well risk it for my own. If I'm not going to get paid super, I may as well be self-employed because I don't have to pay myself super. So that's kind of where I was at. And yeah, I've been saying for years, oh man, I could run this so much better. And then I thought, well, I'll actually go out and do it and literally prove that point to myself.

Coby: I was very much taught that you'd go there, you'd get your job, you'd save. And then that was it. There does get to a point though, where I'd started like thinking about business and thinking about that sort of stuff. And you'd scroll through Instagram and you'd see your friends out on the beach and that sort of stuff. And that's when I kind of got to the point of being like, what am I doing? Like I'm in my early twenties and every single day is spent doing this. Like there has to be so much more. Eventually it was work hard, save up. It'll all be worth it in the long run.

Dale: Yeah, that actually might be a better direction to go down because there is a huge thing — I don't know anyone that hasn't been told that. Even now I talked to guys that run multinationals are huge businesses. Yeah, they've got 500, 1000 employees and stuff like that massive businesses. And they were told the same stuff. Like you're just supposed to get a good job, do your work, be good at it, they'll give you a promotion and then you'll make your way there. And I think the people that kind of tell you that, like the people that are close to you, like your parents tell you that, your friends tell you that. You're meant to climb the ladder.

Coby: Yeah, absolutely. Like everyone in your life that you meet. Until you go to that sort of internet point and they're always like, well, I didn't do that and here's how I'm living my best life.

Dale: Yeah, and I think that's interesting because that's where kind of the two roads, that's where they split. It's like you do what you're told and you do that for a long period of time and it'll pay off. Or you go down the other road, the less traveled road, and you try something that's riskier and has a little bit less security and stuff like that, but the payoffs are so much bigger. And I find that there's no right or wrong way to do it. I think for a lot of people it's like so many people were so different in so many ways. So it just seems weird to me that 98% of us should all take the same path, you know, go and get employment and do that.

Coby: You can take it like literally any way that you kind of want to go with it. Something so important to acknowledge with it as well is two very different points of life, two very different jobs, two very different ages and everything from when you and I started, but it was the same process to get into it. No matter where we were. Even anyone out there, you can be 16 years old, you can be 40 years old, you can have no money, you can have all the money, you're going to have to do the exact same process that I did, the same process that you did, everything to get into it. It's a simple — find something you want to do, find something that people might need, learn how to do that thing and put it out there.

Dale: That's exactly right. Because it's a good point that you bring up — when you start in business, you're never going to have something perfect from the get go because it's day one. So you have to basically set yourself up in a way that you have a problem to solve for a certain person that has that problem. And you need to know how to do it differently to everyone else. That's really the backbone of starting a business. If you're thinking of starting a business, the group is probably a great place to start. It's $50 a week and you can ask me any questions that you want in there.

Dale: Yeah, I would think for me the key takeaways — listen to what you're saying to yourself on the day to day. That would be the biggest thing because like I haven't even thought about that thought in my head that I used to have. I remember it so clearly. Sitting in the break room, turning up at work, I used to think there has to be more to life than this. Every single day. I haven't thought about that for years and years and years. But the reason that I started business is because I started listening to what I was saying to myself when no one else was listening. When I started saying in my head, I started listening to, which was, well, if that's true, we should at least try and find it. So if you are in that situation and you find yourself saying these kinds of things in your head, and you think business might be that avenue for you, I would encourage you just to listen to what you're actually saying to yourself on a day to day basis and ask questions about it.