Believe it or not, I almost wasn’t going to share this post. I wrote it as a memo to myself.

But I want to share it because it’s an important part of my personal journey. It is starting to change the way I live my life and the way I see the world. And maybe it will resonate for you too.

A lot of people have been asking me why at the age of 40 I wanted to start a new business. Why not just keep a good corporate job? Why not just focus on my passion as a speaker and writer?

My answer is simple. I am building my own business because I am creating freedom.

Now, I know that on the surface this sounds trite. Everyone wants to be free. But the sad truth is that almost nobody is. At least not in the way I want to be.

The kind of freedom I am creating is specific to me. I have chosen at age 40 to build a content marketing agency because I love the fact I can create for other people while creating freedom for me.

My quest is clear: I need to grow my client roster up to the point where I earn $100,000 a year. That’s $8,333 a month. And that’s more than enough to live the quality of life I want.

In my corporate roles, I’ve exceeded that salary amount before, so it’s very achievable for me. As long as I stay on the path, I will get what I want.

Now I don’t mean for it to be passive income. I want it to be active income that I earn through working with people and serving them. I love to work and want to do an excellent job creating value for the clients I work with. I want my business to be a real, tangible entity that sells a product and services.

Here’s the thing: it might take me two years or five years to do it. Even if it takes me ten years, at least I am pursuing my quest. At least I am on my path, getting closer to the person I truly want to be.

The benefit of running my own business is that I answer to nobody. I work where and how I want to. I work with people I want to. I create work that matters to me, and to the clients I serve.

Best of all, it gives me total freedom to speak and write about what I want to. I am not chasing speaking gigs for money or trying to build subscriber lists to sell to. I am free to give everything I create away for free. That to me is the ultimate success.

Gary Vaynerchuck is buying the New York Jets. Elon Musk is retiring on Mars.
I am creating freedom through my own business.

Will you join me on the journey?