Street Smart v. Book Smart: State Your Experience!

[LiquidFox]

The heated debate continues ...

State your experience here!

Age:
Experience: (Street v. Books or Combination)
Level of Success:
Reasons: Why did you choose that route?
Other Disclosures: Is your situation unique?

[StephenG]

Street smart here, high school drop out. I always wished I was more book smart. I think I would have gone further and had more social confidence.

Age: 60 yrs young

Experience: I consider my strongest points of experience in marketing as I have used that skill in promoting a number of different businesses. From construction, to a full interior products store both commercial and residential. I have done consulting for small service related businesses. I had a very successful cosmetics business going not related to any of the multi level operations that were once so popular. I have done fleet consulting for shipping companies as my primary trade is a diesel truck mechanic, have spent most of my time here as a shop and fleet manager. I have always leaned toward building a clientele more than making one time sales and moving on.

Level of success: kind of hard to evaluate this, got my kids through college, always had late model cars and a nice home, always had good credit. The family has always taken a couple of vacations a year and several weekends away. I would say solid slightly upper middle class which was always satisfactory for me. I had horrible luck with investments but always did well in business, never set my sights high enough I have been told but I always felt pretty good about where I was at.

Reasons I chose this route, I would have to say my life has been far more spontaneous than planned. Most of my work life has been full time employed by companies with maybe only 12 years in full time business for myself. I have always had side businesses of some kind. Usualy my side business would about equal my work income. ( another one of those mental boundaries)All my business ideas have been spawned by some trend I became aware of somehow. The facination with how I could sell it was always what drew me.

Other disclosures: Throughout most of my career I was lacking in social self esteem because of my education. I probably had no valid reason to feel that way as my clients always held me in high regard and with much respect. 20 years ago I was divorced and took a new path. I started doing things my own way for my own reasons. I have much more confidence today even though the computer age has probably widened the gap of education even more than it was 40 years ago. My mindset seems to have expanded itself to much larger and loftier goals that I feel are very attainable. I hope I can report back some good things over the next few years. Presently I am doing seminars, writing and promoting in something I have been passionate about my entire life, all in all life is wonderful! Steve