Running a company on the road is hard. Explaining to your 9 best friends that you run a company is hard. I just wrapped up one of my favorite weekends—a weekend with my eight best friends from college. These incredible women are more than my best friends; they’re my partners in crime, my “iron sharpens iron” friends, and the keepers of memories that you wish you had. 😉 Being the only one not based in the Texas trio—Dallas, Austin, and Houston—makes these weekends even more special to me. Living in Atlanta, I only see them a couple of times each year, so I absolutely cherish every moment I get with them! Funny enough, our last get together was in The Highlands in North Carolina, and just two days before that trip, Sam and Joe pitched me on Sam’s List.👇 This was me in our AirBNB, in what had become "my office", trying to get a hold of 100+ accountants.
I ended up catching maybe five hours total of sleep over that four-day trip while working on the MVP. Little did I know, things were about to get even more interesting! Fast forward to this weekend, and we’re at a ranch outside of Boerne, Texas. For the first time ever, I felt a disconnect. As the only one without a 9-5 job and the only “entrepreneur” in the group, my unconventional lifestyle stood out more than usual. Previously, even with my side projects and oddball ventures, I had a traditional job that occupied the majority of my work time. This time, though, there was no 9-5 buffer. Everyone was curious about my recent activities, myTikTokantics about running the “world’s most boring company,” and how I manage work across different states. I felt like a Presidential Candidate dodging questions about my current job. Seriously Friend: “Kimi, what’s a typical day in your life like these days?” Me: “Wait. I think the US Open Semi Finals are on. Can someone turn it on?” *flawless topic change* But really, how do I describe the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship to people who don’t really get it? At one point, someone asked how my boss felt about me calling our company boring. I had to hold back the truth: “I am the boss!” It felt too arrogant to say out loud. Then, someone suggested we now have similar jobs….I knew we were far from the same page. But again, saying so seemed arrogant. So, I dodged the questions with vague responses like, “I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” Naturally, that only led to more frustration and confusion. Meanwhile, my friends are watching me answer emails in the middle of conversations, taking calls, and grabbing my laptop while everyone else is heading to bed. They worry that I work too much, and while their concerns are valid, they don’t always understand why I’m so absorbed in my work. Despite the disconnect, one of the best things about working with Sam’s List has been connecting with people in similar positions online! On my way to the ranch this weekend, I had a phenomenal chat with a guy namedJordan. He’s someone in a similar position as me but way further along than me. We talked for about an hour as I’m in the middle of driving from Baton Rouge to Houston. It was a breath of fresh air to talk about what we both do, his thoughts onSam's List, how we got to where we are, our days, and our interests. He actually said something interesting that I might implement for Sam's List...we shall see! Meeting people who just sorta “get it”, even just through a brief conversation, can be incredibly validating. It reminded me that while I might not always connect with my best friends on this front, there’s a whole world of people out there who understand and share the same excitement. I met with another guy from the internet, and his company may very well turn into the first Sam’s List partnership. If it doesn’t, he’s another guy that I feel fortunate to have met with. So, here’s to the unique paths we tread and the unexpected connections we make along the way. Bridging the gap between traditional jobs and entrepreneurship can feel as challenging as discussing politics, but I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. Anyways, it's time to get back to Accountant Matchmaking. -Kimi / kimi@samslist.co
I ended up catching maybe five hours total of sleep over that four-day trip while working on the MVP. Little did I know, things were about to get even more interesting! Fast forward to this weekend, and we’re at a ranch outside of Boerne, Texas. For the first time ever, I felt a disconnect. As the only one without a 9-5 job and the only “entrepreneur” in the group, my unconventional lifestyle stood out more than usual. Previously, even with my side projects and oddball ventures, I had a traditional job that occupied the majority of my work time. This time, though, there was no 9-5 buffer. Everyone was curious about my recent activities, myTikTokantics about running the “world’s most boring company,” and how I manage work across different states. I felt like a Presidential Candidate dodging questions about my current job. Seriously Friend: “Kimi, what’s a typical day in your life like these days?” Me: “Wait. I think the US Open Semi Finals are on. Can someone turn it on?” *flawless topic change* But really, how do I describe the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship to people who don’t really get it? At one point, someone asked how my boss felt about me calling our company boring. I had to hold back the truth: “I am the boss!” It felt too arrogant to say out loud. Then, someone suggested we now have similar jobs….I knew we were far from the same page. But again, saying so seemed arrogant. So, I dodged the questions with vague responses like, “I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” Naturally, that only led to more frustration and confusion. Meanwhile, my friends are watching me answer emails in the middle of conversations, taking calls, and grabbing my laptop while everyone else is heading to bed. They worry that I work too much, and while their concerns are valid, they don’t always understand why I’m so absorbed in my work. Despite the disconnect, one of the best things about working with Sam’s List has been connecting with people in similar positions online! On my way to the ranch this weekend, I had a phenomenal chat with a guy namedJordan. He’s someone in a similar position as me but way further along than me. We talked for about an hour as I’m in the middle of driving from Baton Rouge to Houston. It was a breath of fresh air to talk about what we both do, his thoughts onSam's List, how we got to where we are, our days, and our interests. He actually said something interesting that I might implement for Sam's List...we shall see! Meeting people who just sorta “get it”, even just through a brief conversation, can be incredibly validating. It reminded me that while I might not always connect with my best friends on this front, there’s a whole world of people out there who understand and share the same excitement. I met with another guy from the internet, and his company may very well turn into the first Sam’s List partnership. If it doesn’t, he’s another guy that I feel fortunate to have met with. So, here’s to the unique paths we tread and the unexpected connections we make along the way. Bridging the gap between traditional jobs and entrepreneurship can feel as challenging as discussing politics, but I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. Anyways, it's time to get back to Accountant Matchmaking. -Kimi / kimi@samslist.coLooking for A weekend in my life as a Cofounder?
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