Written by Elio Harmon
It’s 10pm Monday night and I am fried. I just finished taking my daughter’s braids out and her mom has
taken over to do her hair for school. I should go to bed but I can’t. I have a full day of work ahead of me
at National Church Residences, this week’s episode with Naveed Iqbal of Dolr is in post-production, I
have to send show notes to Ski for next week’s episode with Sam Baddoo of Fleri, I just read Module 1
and have assignments due for my ENG205 class at Franklin, I spoke with Joelle Brock of Leading Edje
today and she asked if she was on the right email newsletter because she hasn’t seen any episodes
lately, and I am over here obsessing about your freaking customer journey in preparation for my
meeting with Mike Faga of Studio MFP in order to Double My Success in 90 days. Oh, did I mention that I
need to close on some sponsorships so that we can live to fight another month?
I launched 614Startups in 2017 and I have run this business on pure passion while ignoring all the advice
from my guests, books, Rev1’s Customer Learning Lab, and countless hours of YouTube. Then I met Mike
Faga who became a sponsor of the show and then asked me to set aside 2 evenings per week (4 hours
each time) and he would Double My Success in 90 Days. The reaction I had in my head would make my
daughter say, bad word daddy. But what the hell.
Day 1 Session 1. Who is your customer?
Simple, right? Wrong. I am up writing this article instead of getting the rest I sorely need because I am
thinking about you. Yes you. You with the family, full-time job, startup idea or side hustle, and too many
obligations to count. You with no plan for how to make it all happen. You who might be already in too
deep or too scared to start. I know you because I am you.
After 3 years? Yes, after 3 years. Starting a company is not a fairytale. It is tough and if you don’t
approach starting a company with the reverence it deserves, the same respect you would give Kamaru
Usman in the Octagon, then you deserve to get your teeth kicked in. But that’s why I am here and that’s
why 614Startups is here.
To help you start and scale impactful startups and small businesses the right way. So, join us for Chapter
2 of the 614Startups saga. Welcome to 614Startups Nation.
