My Journey In Becoming An Entrepreneur

Hoping to make my life better | “My Journey In Becoming An Entrepreneur!”

Dear Friends,

I’m Jonathan E. Sihay (jonsihay for short). Just like most Filipino people, I was indoctrinated and groomed to be an employee and took the same path and – syempre that is, finish a college degree and get a good maybe even a brilliant job. The degree I finished in College is Electrical Engineering. By then, that was the second hardest course in out University next to Chemical Engineering.

Right after graduation in 1990 from Mindanao State University, Main Campus, Marawi City, I immediately got  a job as an Engineering Assistant in Private Construction Company in Puerto Cagayan de Oro City. After a short while, transferred to Other Private Firm as a Foreman of again another Construction Firm in the nearby town. In just less than a year, I got a Professional Civil Service Eligibility that then gave me a chance to work with Civil Service Commission Regional Office No. 10, Cagayan de Oro City. It was a very considered good permanent position by then. But just as I was working, I got a chance to take the PRC Engineering Board and with blessed results I passed as Registered Electrical Engineer and also a top notch passer of Master Electrician. Ans because of that being a license holder, I only worked for five years at Civil Service Commission only because by then I was given the chance to work with National Power Corporation (NPC), Ditucalan, Iligan City as System Specialist  in 1995. But my work with NPC lasted only for 3 years being affected by the reorganizational movement by then. I was then back to some construction Works and after then even got employed as an Account Officer of the Growing Rural Bank Area. Yes, an Engineer working with a Bank. Hehehehe joker! .. But it was only a so short time, because I was given a chance to work with MPSC – A College University (which is now MUST Mindanao University of Science and Technology, Cagayan de Oro City). I was given appointment of being An Engineering Faculty Instructor/ Teacher. Again for ordinary simple ways of seeing things, one may find it good. But I only lasted to work in a College University for five years.

In totality with 12 years of Employment Experience, I was employed with 7 different jobs in different Companies and Institutions.

Really I was thrilled to be hired as a professional as this is the whole point of going to school for years – to get a JOB. Right?

But after just over 12 years of employment, I was already restless. I have a better Monthly income compared to ordinary jobbers. But seems, also my debt is growing!

I saw the limited income and opportunities from the corporate world. By then I started to hate Mondays and every day at work. I was constantly checking time hoping its 5 pm so I can get out of my job area.

“I’m getting sick of this.” I said to myself.

Hoping to make my life better, I changed fro career to career. I thought that could be the best for me to live the life I wanted to have. But I was wrong.

Just by analyzing that I already earned nearly P3 Million in my over 12 years of Work. I was having a dream top have at least working or standby money of at least P12M over my career life so that I can live the life I SIMPLY wanted to live. Now even was my monthly income of P20k, I analyzed that I was to earn P240K – P250K over a year which means I would a total earning of P1M after 4 years, right? So in my 12 years of employment it’s highly possible that still I can earn a total of P3M, right? … I continued to analyzed that To make an earnings of P12M I need to work  48 years right? (it’s because 4years = P1M earnings. So that for 4x12years = 48 years and I supposed to and needed to work for 48 years just to earn a total of P12M, right? And since I started working at age 22, therefore 48 plus 22 equals 70 years. I said to myself, I still can make money a total of P12M by age 70… Oh common, still I don’t have savings yet as P12M because P12M at age 70 is a money earned, right  Much more if you have P20k/ month, Can you not imagine the kind of work would you have be by having that kind of P20k Income?

Then somewhere in early 2004 a friend asked me to buy and read a short-length book titled “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. While reading this I felt the heavens opened up and the voice of God revealed what was in my DNA and that is… I was so blessed to learn than. There’s a better way and I BEGAN TO SEE HOPE!

…to be an entrepreneur.

Finally, things are getting clearer why I’m struggling through the years and why I feel like I’m a fish out of the water because I should be an entrepreneur.

Also, I realized after reading the book that as soon as I got a job after even  graduation  I simultaneously received a lifetime imprisonment in corporate world with NO CHANCE OF PAROLE!

So I decided to escape.

Without wasting time, I started a side business doing SOME NEW STUDYING in the field of FINANCIAL EDUCATION. Since I had no business background, mentors or anyone to guide me, my routine remained for the next couple of years and that is – work full-time, run my side business.

After couple of years of wearing two hats as employee and running my side business I finally quit from my job and went full-time in my consulting business. I’ll say quitting my job was the scariest thing I did in my life.

No more steady income, no health benefits, no more paid vacation, and other perks of the corporate world.

I went full-time in my business because I thought I already knew how to start and run a small business.

But it was a disaster.

Immediately I lost my all capital and savings from that business.

It was surely an expensive experience but the education it provided me was amazing. Something you can’t acquire from any business books or by taking an MBA at Harvard.

Humiliated and dismayed I went to self-employment, established a LITTLE SARI-SARI STORE and selling Insurance.

If you’re previously as working professional with a nice desk, making nice income and suddenly you see yourself WALKING DOOR TO DOOR, making little money or even no money – it is surely a humbling experience.

But that didn’t stop me. While working as a glorified insurance engineer, I also tried to go selling health supplements then DOOR TO DOOR! I assessed my situation and thought hard about why my past business ventures had went bankrupt.

During this time of self-discovery I started to develop my “Sense of Deeply-Thought  Escape Plan.”

It’s a practical and low-risk approach in business that will give me a safe transition from employment to entrepreneurship.

To make it work though, I needed to wake up as early as 3 am and work my business.

Gradually, that part-time business picked up and I scaled up my business, systematized it, and now employing my spouse and my daughter  to assist me. But this time with a NEWER HOPE!

Mind you, it wasn’t easy and I can’t promise you that you’ll get the results the way get immediate BIG results. Because even for me, I just started to make money easier than I thought to be NOW.

But what I can guarantee you is if you work hard and SMART, you’ll get amazing results from your efforts.

Win you Freedom starting today!

jonsihay ! More Little About him at::
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