https://unsplash.com/@photoripey

In 2013, I graduated from college with a degree in Political Science (and a minor in French). The moment that I had been waiting for since I was 6 years old had finally come to pass. I was officially an adult. No one would ever tell me what to do again. The world was my proverbial oyster, and I was ready to squeeze a lemon over them and indulge in the pleasures unavailable to a full time student. As a New York City native, I figured I would need to earn at least $25 dollars an hour to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Who doesn't enjoy exploring what a city has to offer? As a youth, it was important to have access to a robust nightlife, fine dining, and consumer goods.

I very quickly realized that it wasn't going to be that easy.

I made it to the final round of interviews at a boutique tutoring firm ($35 hourly!) only to be turned down for a more qualified candidate. With a bruised ego, I decided to travel to Honduras to teach English for $250 USD a month. Ever since then, I had positioned myself at the periphery of the workforce, unwilling to fully commit to the 40 hour workweek, despotic supervisors, or mindless bureaucracy.

Fast forward to 2018. My career in the English teaching industry had finally picked up some momentum. Instead of thinking in terms of hourly wages, I had finally secured a salaried position. I started out as a substitute teacher and rose through the ranks, eventually securing a relatively comfortable managerial role. Little did I know that the comfort that I felt would soon metastasize into apathy and sloth. My excitement at being given new responsibilities faded as I realized that I too, was being squeezed. Labor is a resource, and employers will try and exploit an individual for as much labor as they are willing to do. If you were laboring on your own behalf, your gains should be proportional to the effort you put in. When working for someone else, you're essentially putting money in someone else's pocket.

A Hustler's Spirit

When the Nintendo Wii came out, I begged my mom to buy it for me. She declined my request, citing the outrageous lines and the violence that broke out during the release. I refused to take no for an answer, and took matters into my own hands. After teaching myself how to repair and jailbreak PSPs and iPhones, I would travel around New York and charge $20 per device. Some nights, I would bring home $300 a night. I remember my stepfather would look suspiciously at my bankrolls, and I assured him these profits weren't ill-gained.

Needless to say, I got the Nintendo Wii.

I love photography, and I carry my camera around even when I'm not taking photos. People take notice, and when they ask my hourly rate, I usually tell them somewhere between $50. There's no boss, no red-tape, just business.

Travel is one of my biggest passions, and I have been to over 10 countries and 4 continents. When I travel, I act as a consultant for people who need to come to the US. From high level English classes, accent reduction, or immigration assistance - I did it all. All of a sudden I found myself making $75 dollars an hour in Mexico City - more money than I ever made in the US.

There were times when it felt like this all fell in my lap, and there were other times where I remember the countless hours, the ups and downs of managing your money, your time, and your business as your OWN boss. My greatest successes mirrored my harshest failures in magnitude, and eventually...I returned the the comforts and security of a 9-5 (until now).

So what next?

I want to share my journey with people on this platform. I feel like a lot of people think that they can get rich quick by making content on Steemit or dTube. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. You have to provide value to the users in order to make money. I created General Public in order to help individuals develop the mindset they need to be successful. Make yourself into a one-man/woman army. Learn as many skills as you can, and learn to market them to a broader audience. Don't violate the trust of your clients; be consistent. Be hard on yourself (but not too hard). Think things through, set realistic goals, plan things out, and stick to those plans. Your time is worth more than you're selling it for, so set your price HIGH!

And most importantly, follow us here at General Public. We'll be dropping more gems along the way.

http://www.generalpublic.ga