Trying to get better at not letting things phase me as a solopreneur. Easier said than done, especially in the business world.
In fact, if you start your own solopreneur business, the only thing you can be certain of is there will be ups, downs and setbacks along the way. Probably lots of them.
But like anything, it’s up to you to determine how to react to it.
I’ve had some great times and also very bad times as a solopreneur, and the very bad times can be tough. Stress, anxiety, sleepless nights, etc. In a weird, yogi-esque way though, it’s controllable.
The better we become at separating our thoughts from our feelings, the better we will be able to keep our cool and make the most of what we can.
For example, you can freak out, stress, lose sleep, and do any number of things that aren’t actually productive when something goes really bad.
But none of this will get you anywhere, and in fact, can just cloud judgement and make things worse.
On the other hand, if you can become a master of your emotions (note: I am not), it may not solve the problems immediately, but you’ll at least be able to stay calm, continue to get enough sleep/rest, etc., to wake up the next day, do what you can and move forward in the best way possible.
I’d say I’m pretty average at being able to keep my cool, maybe slightly above average, around a 6.5 out of 10. But lots of room to improve.
Things like exercise, meditation and/or daily exercising can be a great way to improve them, that I’m slowly working on. Or if you have any other suggestions, please let me know!
On a somewhat related note, I hate to say it, but we hear a lot of horror stories in my industry.
In immigration, there’s a lot of shady dealers.
Tons of people and companies out there simply trying to take advantage of people, whether it be over-charging, scamming, using fake documents, you name it.
It’s sad to say, but hearing horror stories about scams is somewhat common.
But today I shared one on LinkedIn, both because it was particularly sad and also because it affected so many people.
For those who don’t know, there are study abroad agents all over the world who help students apply to schools in different countries. The most popular tend to be the US, Canada, UK and Australia.
And because most work on commission, they do whatever they can to help students get admitted to schools and get their visas approved.
Some even go as far as falsifying documents in order to get students approved, so they can earn their commission – and leave the student out to dry if they get caught.
Well, this week they got caught – in fact, 700+ students in Canada got caught and are facing deportation.
All because one agent forged documents that he used to apply on behalf of the students, helping them get to Canada successfully, some even studying and working there for years, until the forged documents were finally discovered.
To give you an idea of the money at play here, a successful student typically earns an agent ~$2,000 CAD. Take that times 700 students, and we’re talking roughly $1.4 million.
And guess what – that agency is surprisingly “closed” and they can’t get a hold of them anymore. Surprise surprise.
Anyway, just another day in the life of an immigration lawyer and tech founder.
Oh and don’t forget to always do your due diligence before choosing a service provider.
Have a great day, make sure to get my best updates daily here, and keep grinding.
