I’ve been entrepreneurial all my life.
I remember as a kid not having a clue what I wanted to do, but knowing innately I was never going to walk a traditional path.
As a zitty teenager, I’d hack Gamerscore (points accrued by completing certain challenges in Xbox video games) and sell the accounts on eBay while my friends were working retail for a pittance.
(No judgement — I did two stints at retailers myself.)
When I became 18/19, I started designing websites, writing articles online that promoted products like the Amazon Kindle, and selling digital products to a variety of markets.
Until I found fiction publishing.
Since then, I’ve written 16 books (across three genres) with many more collecting digital dust on my hard drive (I will get around to those one day). But if there’s one lesson I learned in my time that has stuck with me, it comes from a man named Dan Kennedy.
Namely, the “most dangerous word in business.”
That word?
ONE
As in, relying on any one tool, platform, or revenue stream.
I think we can agree that relying on any ONE thing can be catastrophic if it disappears. But here’s the kicker…
It doesn’t just apply to business.
It applies to life as well.
You can never predict if your car will remain functional, your marriage will last, or your income will remain secure. God willing, they do. But being a risk-averse fellow, I can’t help but have one eye on the horizon “just in case”.
It’s why I have life insurance…
Some coin squirrelled away in case we get a flat tyre (like yesterday)…
And it’s why I spent months building my very own Storehouse and refused to enrol my books in the Kindle Unlimited programme.
Some deem these moves excessive, counterintuitive even.
I see it as peace of mind.
And hardly anyone talks up the benefits of a mind not laden with stress. There are too many to discuss in this email alone (perhaps we can get into some of them in future musings, should there be sufficient demand).
All of this to say:
Peace of mind provides more than just a better night’s kip.
It fuels my creativity to create stories that need to be told. Stories that many of you, my Patrons, have come to love and enjoy. Stories you can get right here at my Storehouse should you wish:
https://www.djjwatsonstore.com
DJJW
P.S. Not sure if this email will benefit anyone, but it’s something that has been on my mind today.