Here's The Truth...I Failed

The Tom Ward Show

I interviewed Rhuigi a couple of months ago and he said something that really stuck with me: People need to share their sorrows. Because not everyone knows what it feels like to win. But everyone knows what it feels like to lose. So, that’s what I did for this week’s video. I shared a loss with you. I quit my job 10 months ago to focus on the podcast full time. And it’s failed. There’s a number of different reasons for this but the main one was that I pivoted my content. Instead of interviewing big creators every week, I branched out starting interviewing entrepreneurs from all walks of life. I love hearing their inspiring rise to success and learning tips on how we can do the same. But unfortunately, the views and downloads have just been too inconsistent to generate steady revenue. More people want to see me talk with David Dobrik than with a business person. And I totally get it. I’m still going to make the content that I want to make, even if it’s not getting huge views, because there’s a lot that I gain from doing these interviews that goes beyond money. I just won’t have the time to devote myself 100% to it. So, maybe it will mean more Zoom interviews. Or less frequent videos. Who knows? I’m going to start looking for a new job soon. When I first realized that I was devastated. I felt like a complete failure. I’m beyond competitive, and hate losing, so to admit defeat was just unthinkable. But after I sat back and looked at the last ten months, I realized that I made the right decision; even if it didn’t succeed financially. I got to work from home and shared amazing moments with my family. I could pick up my kids at school and take them to the park, or to get ice cream, without worrying about a conference call that I needed to be on. And I also worked harder than I ever had before. I put more hours in than any job that I had before. And 90% of it didn’t even feel like work. It was fun! And my mental health is in such a better place than it was. Every morning, I would chug Pepto – Bismol because I was so anxious about the day. I hated my job, I felt trapped and I didn’t know a way out. Now, I wake up at 5AM. I meditate for 20 minutes. I make the kids breakfast and I drive them to school. Then I work. And when I’m done with work, I hit the gym. I’m about as healthy as I’ve ever been, both mentally and physically. But beyond health reasons, there have been so many more positive experiences that have come as a result of this journey: I've done some coo shit, I've built an incredible network and I've learned about business and social media from the most successful people in the world. The point of all of this is, I don’t regret pivoting my content or quitting my job ten months ago. Did I lose some money? Yeah. Do I look foolish to some? Definitely. But am I in a way better place mentally and professionally? 1000% yes. I’ve been so anxious about posting this video this week. I’ve never admitted failure publicly before and it’s beyond scary. Friends, family, neighbors, etc. will see this. Some will laugh at me. But I really did it because I felt the need to be honest. If I stopped making YouTube videos tomorrow and I never was honest about the real things in my life, I think I would always regret it. But if I really gave it 100% and got real on here, and failed, I could accept that. And additionally, I wanted to share a message with you: It’s never too late to chase your dreams. I think you should do the same. Go pursue your passions. Chase your dreams. It may not make you a millionaire. It may fail. You may look stupid to some. But it will make you happy and fulfill you like nothing else. So, good luck on your journey.

Tom

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