Graham Byers has always had an entrepreneurial mindset. When he was in high school, he sold items on eBay to provide an income for himself rather than rely on a part time job. But when he was struck with the reality that working for someone else and relying on them for an income can lead to financial struggles in the case of a recession, he knew he could never work for someone for the rest of his life.
The 2008 recession hit Byers’ family hard, and he realized then that he needed to find a way to make his own money. That would come in the form of an internet ecommerce business, one that would prove to be successful for him and his business partner. The business allowed him to be financially free, and relocate to Puerto Rico where he still lives today. But even with all of the success he has had on paper, he has had to battle mental and emotional struggles along the way.
He faced many setbacks along the way, things most other successful people do not like to discuss. All of Graham’s mentors have spoken to him about their failures and how they have learned from them, and he quickly became able to spot fake gurus as all they do is boast about their achievements. The realistic journey to success involves setbacks and struggles, and Byers will always speak of times where he did not succeed just as much as when he wins. He has seen the most personal growth during setbacks, and he feels it is extremely important to preach this to an audience that may otherwise not realize that failing is completely alright.
If he had given in when the going was rough, he would certainly not be in his current situation of financial freedom and peace of mind. Rather than moving onto the next venture when his idea was not panning out, he took a step to figure out why and address ways to right the ship. He credits his ability to continue working hard even when things were falling apart to his success, and urges anyone wanting to give in to just keep working.
As an entrepreneur, Graham has sacrificed the idea of certainty to chase financial freedom and true fulfillment. He wanted to enjoy life the way he wanted, even if it meant going into a line of work that never guarantees when the next paycheck is coming. His work ethic and faith in himself has never steered him wrong, and anyone feeling defeated should take a page out of his book and keep fighting on.