Published:  03:55 PM, 03 October 2019 Last Update: 02:27 AM, 15 October 2019

4 crucial lessons to learn from Michael Peres’ early days in business

4 crucial lessons to learn from Michael Peres’ early days in business Michael Peres public speaking in Seattle, Washington
In a lot of areas in life, being able to take control ofyour environment can bestow an advantage; and nowhere is this easier to seethan when you’re trying to break free from the 9 to 5 rat race routine.

 
When Peres graduated, he turned down six-figure startingsalaries at well-known companies in order to pursue what he loved. “There’s noamount you can offer me to abandon my dreams,” was the idea, and he stuck tohis guns. That very same year, he booked a flight to California and — with lessthan $100 to his name — set about crafting a life for himself on his own terms.

Peres put his head down, and got to work doing what heloves. Today, he runs multiple startups and advises others on how to break outof the rat race themselves. The journey wasn’t an easy one, but with byfocusing on patience and self-discipline, the travelpreneur grafted his wayalong the path, step by step.

The adventure young entrepreneurs start out on is acompetitive one that will last a lifetime. Short-term thinking needs to go outthe window, as does limiting your imagination. Now more than ever it’simportant to ensure that every move you make is one which will benefit you andyour goals for the future. It’s tough, but once you’re at the top and can lookback down, you might just discover that the path you’ve followed turns out tobe the clearest of the lot.


 
A solid foundation — of education, of ambition, and ofawareness of one’s own abilities — is the best way to guarantee that you’ll getthe maximum return on the energy you invested into the process. Peres opted fora number of ostensibly counterintuitive long-term moves in order tometiculously construct the life he wanted for himself. Here are some of themost disruptive of the techniques he came up with:

Mikey Peres’s Recipefor Disruption

1. Establish A SocialMedia Presence

Some deals were tight, and in many of those cases the factthat he already had a support base of many was what got him over the line. It’simportant not to underestimate the power of a large social media following intoday’s online business environment. Even if an immediate benefit to a projectin terms of cold, hard cash isn’t always—or even often—something that happens,it’s important to keep in mind that you’re planning for the long run. A strongsocial media presence is an indication of approval on a grand scale, and provesthat you provide value to those around you.

2. Build a Network byActing First

Starting out in web development, Peres would search forhigh-traffic websites that had been coded poorly, and then rebuilt their siteon his own. The problems were usually easy to fix, and there was no shortage ofoptions to choose from, making this a highly effective means of coming intodirect contact with major players in the industry. In order to make theapproach as beneficial as possible, Michael would then request that theymarketed his name at the bottom of the site, as well as linking back to hissocial media.

The core takeaway from this point is that in the beginning,it’s all about giving. Give first, then ask—just ask Gary V. This strategy is agreat example of how powerful it can be to create a high-quality portfoliowhile simultaneously increasing the reach of a social media presence.

3. Undersell Yourself

Waiting for the perfect job isn’t going to do anybody exceptyour competition any favors. Peres recognized this, and took the rather drasticstep of willingly ripping himself off. It was a risky strategy, but one thatpaid off as he managed to get some big clients to take a punt on him. Thelesson to learn here is that sometimes a foot in the door is the only thing youneed to blow somebody away.

4. Target Clientswith Active Networks

It’s a common misconception that the Internet is killingword of mouth style advertising. In reality, people talk just as much as theyever did, only now they use technology to help them do it. Peres made a pointof going after clients who had strong social circles, which in turn led tocountless referrals which would not otherwise have been forthcoming.



The company didn’t become an overnight success, but bystacking nights together he managed to gradually transition towardsprioritizing money. After a year, the business was alive and kicking, and whilehe sometimes felt frustrated (because he was learning so much that he had tofight the constant urge to re-do completed projects), it turned out to benothing more serious than a sign of progress being made.

What’s Next?

Peres’s example is an instructive one for anybody looking tocraft a life for themselves on their own terms, rather than the terms of thesystem they’re living in. Even though the individual techniques used willdoubtless vary across different industries, the core principles of disruptionand networking—as well as the willingness to work brutally hard—are somethingwe could all do with implementing in our own lives.

While there’s no doubt that some of the strategies he usedcan seem a little counterintuitive, that’s part of the point. Trying somethinga little different can often be the most effective way to smash throughprevious plateaus and continue to grow, both personally and professionally.

While there’s no doubt that some of the strategies he used can seem a little counterintuitive, that’s part of the point. Trying something a little different can often be the most effective way to smash through previous plateaus and continue to grow, both personally and professionally.





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