What we’re seeing today is effects of mass access to data, access to an unfiltered reality. Whether you think that’s a good thing will depend on your ability to see through the filters you’ve chosen and/or already paid for.

We have access to opportunities our parents would never have dreamed of. And it’s not just the millennial generation that’s seeing through veil of the centuries. Why do you believe what you believe – religion, finance, limits, jobs, fashion, education… question all of it. Then, be you, for you, BY YOU.

The next couple of decades will be interesting. Thoughts? Comments? I’d love to hear from you.

DFW Nouveau. 2013 to Present.

You’ve more than likely been a part of an event I’ve led (Dallas Startup Week, Dallas New Tech, BigDOCC (the 8 other spinoffs technically count as there were zero when I started the first two), Ignite DFW, Player’s Lunch, the “tunnel tour,” or you’ve at least heard my name attached to DFW and startups. It’s appeared in Dallas News, D-Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, Launch DFW (of course) and many others outside of the region. I’ve mentored and judged at The DEC, Startup Weekend, Lean Startup Machine, and dozens of other events.

None of this happens in a vacuum. When I first arrived in 2013, remarkable people welcomed me. Gabriella Draney Zielke started it all, Trey Bowles, Jennifer Conley, Joel Fontenot, George Barber, Matt Himelfarb, Matt Alexander, Pam Gerber, Daniel Oney, and many, many more helped the new guy from Boulder understand what was here, and who was doing what. That’s community. Every one of them: “How can I help?”

And that’s the “startup” side of my life. I’ve also been entrenched in the homelessness conversation: a dozen 40+ people meetings at Dallas City Hall that produced the Commission on Homelessness, and of course Dignity Field. I was the President of the Cedars Neighborhood Association (2015-2017), and routinely meet with people about my ideas in solving poverty issues. That too has landed my name in the press.

But that’s 2013 to present. To understand why I’m leaving you have to understand the full story. Some of you have heard this, hang in there, I’ll make it quick.

Early Dallas: 1994 to 2006

My good friend Bracken and I built several internet things in Dallas in the 1990’s: Apartments On-Demand (1994), Coupons On-Demand (1995), Classifieds On-Demand (1996), and finally sold one in MeetMeOnline.com (1997-1999). We did this with no support, no formal education (business, technical, etc.). In fact, we didn’t know a soul building anything like this in the 90’s. It was just us, building. I also ran Intelligent Networks, and zerologic corporation – both Apple related technology consulting companies (1993-2001). There are at least a dozen other experiments that never succeeded/got traction.

Boulder, CO. 2006 to 2013

While building HyperSites (in Dallas, 2001-2007), we decided to move the operation to Boulder, CO. We’d end up selling it in Boulder in 2007 (coincidentally, to Dallas based investors). That’s an important point, but the Boulder story doesn’t end there. Later came Callisto.fm (2010 to present), which evolved into Epic Playground (and MediaGauge). I also dabbled with GrillM (2009), Michael’s Garage (videos produced in my garage on how to build PCs from scratch), four podcasts (Boulder Open Podcast, Three Insight, Blipcasts, and OS Perspectives) and produced This Week in Techstars w/ David Cohen. I took over BOCC (2010) and started DOCC (open coffee clubs).

But Boulder was different. The power and confidence of being a part of that community was something that I hope everyone feels at some point. Sure it had its pain points (right Andrew?), but over all the experience was like getting a PHD in “startups.”

In fact, Andrew Hyde is one of the most influential people in my life. He gave of his time and energy constantly to help foster the very things I remember as great. He started Startup Weekend. By that, I don’t mean Startup Weekend Boulder. I mean Startup Weekend, period. He launched Boulder Startup Week, which I’d later implement in Dallas, and hundreds of others would all over the world. He also ran the largest Ignite event ever, in Boulder. But I digress.

Techstars would have a tremendous impact as well. Not just because two of the founders had committed a little money to the HyperSites round if we could get a lead (didn’t work out), but because that accelerator would bring in 10 new teams to Boulder every year, feeding the ecosystem with new blood. Eventually, it would have a more direct impact as my team and I went through Techstars Cloud in 2012.

Exodus 1.0

Over the course of the seven years in Boulder, several of its high profile members would leave – Andrew Hyde, Matt Galligan, Micah Baldwin, Rachel Ryle… and many more. Many of the teams that came in for Techstars would leave too, going back to their home towns, or on to other adventures.

How does the community respond with changes like this? There’s the natural “OMG, everyone’s leaving! What are we going to do!?” reaction. There’s the “I guess they weren’t committed to the community, man!” response. And the “Who needs them anyway, this place rocks!” response.

Something remarkable happens in a strong community though, as we’d come to find out. Other people step in, and step up. People that have played a role increase their visibility, and become the next change agents. New events, new relationships, and new opportunities for serendipity. Growth happens.

Today.

Instead of casting any doubt on the state of the DFW startup community, I’d encourage you instead figure out how to step up and take an active role in building the next version. Don’t just go to events, participate. Don’t just talk about a startup idea, build it. Don’t complain about things, take actionable steps to fix them (see The Five Why’s). Every strength and weakness in this community starts with you, dear reader. Be a part of something. Make it better by participating. Reporters/journalists, focus on the great things, and not the obvious drama… we need more from you. Use your power for good.

Back to us, and the fact that we’re leaving Dallas. The “why” is actually quite simple. Frankly, it has nothing at all to do with the Dallas Startup Community, and has everything to do with the fact that Heather and I want to do something epic. We want to travel the country in an RV for a few months, to experiment with a truly mobile lifestyle. We want to build a mini (550 sq. ft.) home by hand, and we want to be near Disney World when we do it. Remember, Heather is a Disney travel planner. But the bottom line is that we want to get the most out of life – today.

Heather and I wish you the best, and we’d be thrilled to have you along for the adventure. If you’ve ever dreamed of selling everything and hitting the road… follow us as we do exactly that: EpicMini.life. It might just inspire you to do the same.

Heather and I have been fascinated with smaller for a while. We proved we could do it when we moved from 3,400 square feet in the burbs to 1/2 that in The Cedars. We’ve arranged our lives around reducing our overhead, not increasing it. We are focusing on fewer “select” things. We took a trip in October with nothing more than a backpack each, including our tech, clothing, and toiletries. Flawless.

All of this talk has become more than a conversation, and we’d like to share what we have in store for 2017. I promised late last year that changes were coming, and it’s finally time to share the full scope! It’s a doozy.

We’ll be hosting a Facebook Live feed on Saturday at 5:30PM Central, and we hope you’ll join us. Many of you have reached out with specific questions about how you can make changes in your lives to live better with less, so we’ll leave plenty of time for Q&A too if the need arises!

Join us? This link will automatically point to the right place at 5:30 PM Central.

Listen, I was the king suburban champion just 5 years ago, walking through brand new $750k houses thinking to myself “One day!” Oh the things a big exit could buy. Toured the Aston Martin dealership, got his card. We’re taught to want more, bigger, better, faster. It’s the north star on the path to success. My dreams were big, and it all centered on FUM: “Fuck You Money.”

“Who wants to come with when I rent out Mugello or Misano for a track day with MogoGP bikes at our disposal? Or take the helicopter for lunch in New Orleans?”

What is FUM? Loosely, it’s never having to answer to anyone for anything about anything. You’ve made so much loot that you can do whatever whenever. You “can’t possibly” run out of the fuel of life… money. It affords a lavish and care free life. FUM’S grand appeal to me, in retrospect, was autonomy. Ok, sure, maybe “lavish” was a nice idea, too.

Let’s look at practical autonomy. The kind of autonomy that doesn’t require 80 hour work weeks for decades to build a unicorn.

First, both Heather and I have crafted incomes that don’t require us to be in a physical space for any extended period of time. For me, maybe that means a meeting here or there as Epic closes larger and larger customers. Heather’s professional life centers around entertainment and Disney travel planning, so at most it’s a trip to a park or learning up close and personal about a newly remodeled Disney cruise line.

Second, a smaller footprint means that we can live in a smaller space, and if you take that to a logical conclusion, it may eventually mean a mobile scenario, or an even smaller permanent space. Today we live in about 1,650 square feet. In Flower Mound, we had 3,500, our largest ever. The goal is to get to a point that we can live in 350 sq. ft., comfortably. Things, when looking through the lens of autonomy, have a strange way of becoming a tether.

Third, with an intentional footprint as small as we’re aiming for, the income we’ll have will go much, much further as compared to traditional American lifestyles: “The American Dream.” Imagine being able to put 75% to 80% of your income into investments, savings, and “entertainment.” How long before your vision of autonomy becomes reality?

This is the path we’re exploring. We’re not looking for permission, we don’t have employers to ask, or schools to clear it with. We don’t have any of the traditional tethers. What we’re building toward is autonomy. You can do this too… and we’re here to pass on what we’ve learned.

Frankly, the normal behavior when realizing that you’re not being effective is to reflect on what’s “important,” create a list of tasks based on whatever filters, goals, and outcomes seem to be the priority, then commit to doing it. Again. Because this time it’ll be different.

I propose something new. Instead of creating another “to do” list that adds to your already pressed psyche, how about a “Not to do” list. What are the things you do day to day that aren’t helping achieve your goals? What things or obligations do you have that aren’t ultimately going to help you?

Downsizing is common today. Less stuff, smaller places, smaller ecological footprints. Why not apply that to external obligations that may simply be in the way of achieving your version of greatness?

Here is my take, in no particular order:

You already know, intrinsically, what your next career path will be. It’s the thing you wake up thinking about, and the thing you think about while you’re doing your current job. It’s the thing you talk to your friends about, non-stop.

If you’re looking at practicing medicine (Dr., nurse, dentist, etc.), your path into college/university is already set – and that’s a good thing for all of us, frankly. But before you commit, you can learn more than you ever wanted to know about the human body with many free resources available. Think of it as a deep dive/trial to see if you really, really like it.

If your path is lawyer/attorney, you may need to move. Pick a friendly state (one that doesn’t require a JD (Juris Doctor degree) or Doctor of Law degree, to take the bar) and study. Lots. See this article in Slate to begin with, then the resources below for courses.

Find (or start) a meetup group in the subject area. This will get you close to people in the field, in a friendly, non-pitchy way. You get to learn from them and see what the culture is like. A meetup group can mean the meetup website, or another association/in person meetings.

Look at maker spaces for opportunities to learn about subjects: from woodworking to lasers to 3d printing and welding, circuit boards, electric cars, hydroponics… so much more. You’ll meet some great, very passionate people already in the field. If, for example, you’re interested in welding, many maker spaces have the hardware and classes to teach you the fundamentals. You can supplement this with YouTube or many of the resources below, and practice in the maker space on your own time. As you get better at it, find a local shop that will let you apprentice.

Use social networks to find people already in the field of interest, and ask for 30 minutes of their time to learn more about the practical side of the business and their function. What classes did they take, and what would they do differently knowing what they know now? People love to share, especially if they’re passionate. It’s one of the most valuable aspects of higher education, and this is method is free (well, you should pay for the coffee or lunch).

Assuming you have the desire, and the aptitude, the simplest career change is to doing something “online.” This can be learning to code, online marketing, WordPress development, or anything having to do with turning what you know (not what you “do”) into money. It’s not for everyone, nor is it a silver bullet, but it’s the most direct.

One last note. If you’re crafty, you can find the classes required for a degree. Then, using the resources below, take the classes (free in most cases) and achieve the equivalent education (and sometimes certified) to the degree you’re seeking. No, you won’t have the degree, but you’ll have the education, and that’s a big help when making a career change.

[ask] If you enjoyed this post and found value, please share it. Thank you! [/ask]

Resources:

• Dallas Maker Space
• EDX
• MeetUp
• iTunes U
• Coursera
• Lynda
• Free Code Camp
]]> https://friendmichael.com/Blog/how-to-change-your-life-occupy-wall-street.html Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:35:13 +0000 http://www.friendmichael.com/?p=9 I've spent a lot of time here discussing ways to improve your lives. From integrity, to debt, to relationships… I've tried to be pretty inclusive. Today I'm doing something a little different. Today, I'm going to express my opinions on the Occupy Wall Street movement (or OWS, as it's being referred to). This is a long post, so strap in.

I'll start by saying that I believe I understand why the Occupy Wall Street movement is under way. We as Americans have had enough of the mega-banks and their grips on our economy. We've had enough of corruption, lobbying, big oil, wars, and inequalities. No, OWS wasn't started with all of that in mind, but I believe they've all culminated in the OWS movement. We're sick and tired of the status quo, and really want to affect some form of positive change.

I've posted a few pics of businesses with help wanted signs, and they've offended some. While I know that this movement isn't specifically about jobs and employment, I believe that many of the problems in our country begin there. There's a perception that in order to “get ahead” or to be successful, you have to have a good job. You need an education to get a better paying job so you can afford the lifestyle you've always dreamed of.

My perspective is likely different from most. I believe that the core of our problems, especially with those struggling the hardest, isn't the big banks or the death of the auto/manufacturing industries in America – mind you, there's definitely room for improvement. It's not the job market at all, as a matter of fact – there are as many opportunities out there as can be filled by those diligently looking. They're simply not “the ideal” job, or even in the pay grade we're accustomed to. Underemployment anyone?

The problem, I believe, is the Cycle of Poverty. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it describes the cycle wherein it's harder to extricate one's self from the grips of poverty, from generation to generation, while in poverty. Fewer opportunities, a grim outlook on the future (due to an unpleasant “now”), apathy toward the situation, they're all a part of the cycle. And it worsens with each generation.

That certainly applies to the poorest people in our country, but in a way, the exact same outlook is prevalent across many income levels. It's not called the same thing mind you, it's simply called “life.” Symptoms: every day is a challenge financially, there are no “good” jobs available, and we simply can't seem to “get ahead.” Sound familiar? If you watch the news (any news) you'd think the world is coming to an end tomorrow.

Here's my proposition: Instead of protesting the mega-banks and the evil doers on Wall Street, let's instead focus on doing things we have direct control over. If we start there, truly make changes in our lives, the rest will follow. I know it goes against the OWS movement – it feels way better to be a part of something. It's what we as humans strive for, we like to be associated with like minded people. But that's the problem.

To completely change who you are, and your situation, you really need to examine your influences. I wrote about this in another post, and it applies here. It applies directly, actually. If you're surrounded by apathy, dissent, and disgust, guess what properties you'll inherit? Look at your peers, your boss, the people you spend the most time with. Are they positive influences at least 85% of the time? If not, seriously consider giving them the boot. Your life, and outlook will thank you.

I'm putting an outline together that will address the Cycle. It'll be a process, proven over time, that will help people from all walks of life (even the poorest of poor) that want to do better actually achieve the goal. It all begins with a plan to provide high quality, free child care for working single parents. If you're interested in this project, please let me know. It's going to be a challenge, but the rewards will be many.

Back to the matter at hand. If you have credit cards, loans, or mortgages, it's really important to understand that banks make their money on them. They're called products and have profit, lots of it built-in. They're the things, especially the sub-prime ones, that made the big banks what they are. YOU are a big part of the problem, too.

The solution to the “big banks problem” is not picket signs. It's paying off your debts, and refusing to give them another dime in interest payments and fees. They'll die on their own – they're too big to bail out now as the headlines say.

There are plenty of things to fix at the executive compensation level, yes. But to support “innocently” picketing banks and Wall Street when you've got debt and uncontrolled spending of your own seems a bit hypocritical.

Leave a comment below. I'll answer every one.

]]> https://friendmichael.com/Blog/how-to-change-your-life-debt-is-a-tool-of-the-poor.html Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:10:28 +0000 http://www.friendmichael.com/?p=10 We've covered several things that have changed my life, and I hope will positively affect yours. Today, I want to talk about your perspective on of the world as it relates to money. Money is one of those subjects that people don't like to talk about – because most people haven't quite figured it out yet. They just muddle along without a plan, or make decisions based on what everyone else does (or worse, typically, what their parents have done).

The basics of money management are pretty simple: in order to have a sustainable household, you need to bring in more money than you spend. And to be really well off, you want to bring in way, way more than you spend. Doesn't that about sum it up?

That's certainly a good start, but managing money goes far beyond that. Managing money (to me) means having cash for emergencies. It means knowing that every month I'm setting aside a bit for the future, when/whatever that is, and that I've got adequate insurance for both life, and health.

If you can do that with as little risk as possible, you're creating an unshakable foundation. You're investing for the future (like 20 years), not tomorrow, so who cares if the stock market goes nuts? If the housing market gets a little wonky, it doesn't really matter because you've purchased a house where the payment is 1/4 of your monthly income (or less). And, if the worst happens and you're out of a job, you've got some cash tucked away to make a payment (or 6 if you really need to).

How do you do all of this? It starts with changing your mindset on what it means to be in debt. Relax, this isn't personal, it's an observation. Remember the first paragraph? Most people don't know how to handle money, so they've done it however it happens, with no plan. Is that you? It's OK, there's never been a better time to start.

I've come to the conclusion that any kind of debt is just a hair better than pay-day loans. The major reason people use credit cards is to buy things they don't readily have the cash for. There are exceptions, as there are to every rule, but those in trouble with credit are those that leverage it.

If you're using the credit card as a living account and pay it off every month, use the debit card instead. If you're extra paranoid about your card being stolen, use a debit card on an account with $2500 in it. That way you're only out a max of $2500 while Visa works it all out and pays you back.

Sure, you can be paranoid and use credit cards for the protection, and you can extend your warranties, and you can get miles, and a million other things, but none – NONE of those are going to increase your bottom line. Simply put, they're not going to make you wealthy. They don't even help. Those are all things thought up by marketing people designed to get you to use their credit cards. Has it worked?

Saving your money, not spending it (like on, say interest), and investing your money will make you wealthy. Doing it with diligence will make it happen faster. A second income will make it happen even faster.

You're not poor, you're already wealthy, you just need to tweak a few things for it to surface. Start with viewing debt as a tool of the poor. Because the longer you're in it, the longer it's going to take you to become wealthy.

Ready to get started with your path to wealth? Wipe out your debts. All of them. Smallest to largest.

]]> https://friendmichael.com/Blog/how-to-change-your-life-foundations.html Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:52:54 +0000 http://www.friendmichael.com/?p=12 I hope you've enjoyed reading the “How to change your life” series as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you can think of anyone that might benefit from it, use the ShareThis widget at the bottom of each post. If we can touch one person, or help them through a tough spot, it'll be amazing.

Birthdays are something nearly everyone celebrates. Sure, another year of life is important. As cool as it is though, I think we should be celebrating another year of learning, experience, and understanding of how the world works.

If our guardians succeeded across those many birthdays, we have a pretty good idea of how things work, how to manage money, and how to get along with others. We should have a good base of nutritional knowledge, and a fantastic understanding of right from wrong.

This is where todays discussion begins. We all know what needs to be done (budgeting, health and nutrition, etc.), and of course we know right from wrong. So why do many choose for one reason or another to set these things aside? Maybe it's philosophical, maybe it's money, heck it could be anything. But is the excuse good enough?

Navigating life is complicated at times, but it's important that we make decisions that promote a lifestyle of integrity, health, and prosperity. Think about it. Every decision you make affects your life either directly today, or will affect it in the future.

An example might be that your go-to meal at the burger joint is a double cheeseburger with fries and a coke. The better decision, and the one we all know is the better one at a burger joint, is to make it a single with a side salad and a non-soda drink. Why don't more people do that?

Another example is that you're sitting down to find something to watch. You stroll through Netflix and Hulu, but come up “empty.” So instead of hopping on Bittorrent to grab a copy of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, why not pick a movie from the DVD case? Or hop on over to Amazon, VUDU, or iTunes to rent one? There's even Red Box. That's the right decision, but why don't people do it?

I believe that a high quality life is built on a foundation of good decisions, integrity, and leadership. From now on, make every decision as if your life depends on it. Because in the long run, its quality does.

If you found value here, please share it with others. Together we can make a difference.

]]> https://friendmichael.com/Blog/qa-how-do-you-live-frugally-with-a-sense-of-grace-and-abundance.html Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:50:41 +0000 http://www.friendmichael.com/?p=13 This is a great question sent from a friend on Facebook. I thought it was important enough to share here.

“I am curious as to how you think a community can be encouraged to live frugally without forfeiting a sense of grace and abundance. Your thoughts are appreciated.”

The answer is a matter of perspective, in my opinion. The law of attraction and the abundance theory are really beliefs. Attraction is to bring the things you want into your life by providing them persistent, positive focus (“Think and Grow Rich,” “The Secret,” etc.). Abundance, at its core is simply the opposite of scarcity, both of which are perceptions.

Look at it this way: everyone should want to “attract” a strong sense of calm and abundance with your finances. Budgeting and frugality are not contradictory with that desire. Instead of approaching them from the perspective of scarcity, approach them from the perspective of abundance.

Don't focus on squeezing every penny out of the “little money” you have. Instead, focus on telling the wealth you're building specifically where you want it to go. The problem with most people's finances is that they have no idea how or where their money is being spent. Be a good shepherd.

Other people's perceptions of our actions cause us to do, or not do silly things in life. We buy new cars because it makes us look wealthy. We buy new houses with payments far beyond reasonable so we look wealthy and affluent. I'm here to tell you that your perception of your actions is what matters most. Grace is in your heart. If you know deep within that you're doing the right thing for you (and your family) then that will become apparent to those around you.

I hope that helps.

If you found value here, please share it with others. Together we can make a difference.

]]>