As I kick off The Startup Year, I can’t help but ask myself, “Who do I think I am doing this?” Most people in this space are in their twenties, often laser-focused on building the next unicorn startup. I’m not in my twenties—I’m nearly 50—and I’m not here to chase a single billion-dollar dream.
My journey has been different, and so is my approach.
I’ve always been a bit too creative, a bit too innovative, and, if I’m honest, a bit too easily bored. My mind is constantly buzzing with new ideas, and that’s both a blessing and a curse. I’m what you’d call a multipotentialite generalist—someone with many interests and a knack for picking up new skills.
But this means I’ve often struggled to stick with one thing long enough to see it through. That’s why I’m embracing this project, not as a single, all-consuming venture, but as a series of smaller, focused creations that play to my strengths.
What This Project Is
Building Products: Over the next 12 months, I’ll be creating a variety of products—some digital, some physical. Each one will be designed to solve real problems and offer value to the people who use them.
Publishing Products: Building something is just the first step. The real challenge is getting these products out into the world, launching them, iterating on them, and optimizing for growth.
Extreme Accountability: By sharing this journey publicly, I’m holding myself accountable in a way I never have before. There’s no backing out, no excuses—just a commitment to keep pushing forward.
Having Fun: Let’s not forget that this is also about joy. The joy of creation, experimentation, and the thrill of seeing what works (and what doesn’t). If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.
Innovating, Testing, Trialing: Every product is an experiment. Some will fail, some will succeed, and that’s okay. The goal is to learn, innovate, and keep pushing boundaries.
Getting Things Done: Ideas are great, but execution is everything. This project is about turning those ideas into real, tangible products that can make a difference.
What This Project Is Not
Building a Single Unicorn Startup: I’m not here to build the next billion-dollar company. I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket. Instead, I’m focused on creating multiple, smaller products, each with the potential to succeed on its own. This is about diversification, experimentation, and making sure I stay engaged and motivated.
What I’ve Built Before
Before jumping into this new adventure, it’s worth sharing a bit of my background. I’ve built a profitable Pinterest agency that helped clients significantly boost their visibility and engagement. I’ve had a solid freelance career, created courses that have reached thousands of students, and developed digital products that have sold globally. Each of these experiences has taught me valuable lessons that I’ll be applying to The Startup Year.
What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. Over the next 12 months, I’ll be documenting every step of this process—sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between. I’m also considering launching a podcast and refining my speaker bio as I go. And yes, profit is a big part of this—I’m not doing this just for the fun of it. I’m building assets, growing personally and professionally, and aiming for financial growth too.
They say 90% of startups fail, but I’m not betting on just one. I’m betting on multiple things, knowing that not everything will work out, but something will. If you’re up for following along, welcome to The Startup Year. Let’s see where this journey takes us.