Learning outside of the classroom.

I've often said I am unemployable. That's because I have such a terrible Resume/C.V.
I got fired from my last four jobs in Toronto, and have no formal qualifications or skills.

I always told myself I don't need a piece of paper to know I am smart or I can be a success. I have life experience, experience that has come from failures. And boy have I made some dumb mistakes. Learning from dumb mistakes makes you wiser. Smarter. You educate yourself. And when you succeed, that's the best graduation you can get.

My "timeline" looks like this:

·         Sept 2009 - Let go from my job of two years at a toy company.

·         All of 2010 - Received funding to start my own company selling unique embroidable toys called Cubbies (named after my pet dog).

o   Was a complete disaster. Factory made very poor products. Website was a joke. Wasted a lot of time and money. #Fail

·         November 2010 - Used up a lot of time looking at becoming a licensed agent selling mutual bonds and insurance.

o   The company were cowboys. My "mentor" was a great salesman. He had me convinced for a while I was making a good career move. #Fail

·         Jan 2011 - Invested another chunk of cash (and a parental financial gift) becoming a licensed mortgage advisor in Ontario, Canada.

o   Never made a cent! My broker had no intention of helping me. Nor did my "friends" who didn't come to me for a mortgage loan. #Fail

·         Spring/Summer 2011 - Spent more of my original Cubbies loan to create organic toys for children and high end crochet animals.

o   Never got off the ground. Competition too fierce. Not enough funding or connections to make it work. #Fail

·          Winter 2011 - Formed a website promoting "premium incentives" to businesses, in particular, car dealerships.

o   Business partner was a bum. Wasted more time and energy. Never got off the ground. #Fail

·         Jan 2012 - Started working on Cubbies again, but only researching options. Avoid any financial commitments.

·         Spring 2012 - Researched and formed a business plan making a brand of raw dog food for a local butchers.

o   Unrealistic. Out of my knowledge zone. #Fail

·         April 2012 - Got a "real job" working for a large manufacturer producing and designing insulated bags.

o   Released after my three month probation. Was never given a chance. My supervisor was a sociopath (again) #Fail

·         Summer 2012 - Put 100% of my attention in re launching Cubbies, spending every cent as if it was my last.

o   #Success

What I am saying is this. All my failures provided fantastic knowledge, insight and wisdom. You should always remember your mistakes and remember the reasons why they happened. You educate yourself in not making that same mistake again and you can't learn this in a classroom. No business degree guarantees you will avoid failure or helps you deal with falling down. But determined people with an entrepreneurial spirit learn to pick themselves up again.

'Tis a lesson you should heed:

Try, try, try again.

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try, try again.

W. E. Hickson