Why I, in my 23rd year of independence, started a note from scratch using 'anonymity and illustrations'.

Thank you for visiting KURUME's note!

More than 20 years have passed since I became independent, and I have reached the status of a veteran, with 6 commercially published books including those I supervised, and the business community I lead entering its 11th year.

However...

this time, I started this note with a 'handle name and illustration icon'.As generative AI accelerates, the commoditization of 'intellectual content' is remarkable. Furthermore, with sales promotion methods also tending toward uniformity, I have a strong feeling that 'individuality' is what shines most as a differentiator.

If that's the case, I have a burning desire to verify it and get confirmation!
There are two reasons for starting from zero by hiding everything and becoming 'non-individual'.

One is that I thought it might give courage to those who feel they don't have anything that stands out by sharing my actual experience of starting from zero.

The other is that by verifying how far I can go and what I can do, I want to understand the 'hardships' and 'difficulties' by putting them into actual experience, rather than ending with predictions.

For example,

・'Someone who knows snow is cold by looking it up'
・'Someone who knows snow is cold by touching it'

There is an unbridgeable gap between these. The latter experience is what becomes nourishment. I thought that through operating an anonymous account, I could broaden my knowledge while understanding the feelings of those who are just starting out.

There is also the purpose of bringing back results to the members of my community, but I will share all data with those who follow me and 'wish to see it'.

So, I opened this note to verify how far I can actually go with a zero start of non-individuality.

I set the conditions for starting the note as follows.

If I start in this state, it is truly from zero. I can put effort into my 'profile', but without being able to use my name or books that have a certain level of recognition, a profile that gives the impression of being 'nobody' is rarely read.

In that case, the only thing I can freely manipulate is the 'posting theme'.

The posting theme is something that is not swayed by trends.

The reason for centering on academic fields such as behavioral economics, behavioral psychology, social psychology, and cognitive psychologyis that I thought they are compatible with generative AI, which is not good at focusing on the 'now' without being swayed by trends.

Generally, the keywords that appear in the above academic fields originate from various sales promotion techniques. Therefore, I thought it would be an article that leads to hints!

Also, like many marketing terms and words for brand components, if you create an article with generative AI without specifying anything, the examples will only be from companies.

For example, even if examples like Starbucks, Apple, Amazon, and Tesla are lined up, it just brings to mind images of shops and products, and it doesn't really click. It is difficult to apply them to 'sole proprietorships, freelancers, and one-person corporations'.

Therefore, I incorporated into the prompt to list usage methods that are familiar examples for 'sole proprietorships, freelancers, and one-person corporations'.

As a plus, since I spend my days verifying hypotheses, I also hope that the articles output by keywords will be of some help to the ideas of those who read them.

I am actively doing mutual follows and follow-backs. If you'd like, let's connect!

From here on, I will write about my thoughts from the time I became independent until now.

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I started my business with 30,000 yen in total assets.

Looking back over twenty years ago, I couldn't see a bright future in employment, so I became independent with 30,000 yen in total assets. I jumped in with high spirits, thinking that employment and entrepreneurship were just options and nothing special, but my annual sales in the first year were 60,000 yen. In terms of making a profit, it was a crushing defeat.

But... I realized something.
There is a world where you can enjoy creating from scratch and express yourself to your heart's content.

For example, short-term projects and events have the fun of working with friends like a school festival, reaching the day together, and raising a toast. And long-term business has the fun of being able to immerse yourself in it, like the music I was obsessed with in my student days.

Based on my own experience, let me present you with '4 stories that will change your feelings just by reading them'.

My annual sales in the first year of independence were 60,000 yen.
This was my beginning.

It was 22 years ago. My annual sales in my first year of starting a business were 60,000 yen...

Even though business isn't just about money, even if I spent 20 hours a day working, it was nothing... There was no way results would follow me as I was doing things half-heartedly one after another.

At the time, I was a person who would use being a 'beginner/inexperienced' as an excuse to be lazy and make convenient excuses for myself. There were times when I felt very ashamed of my way of being, knowing that there were many people who were seriously staking their lives on business. ...This happened when I was 23 years old.

After that, I uploaded my resume to the web and made my identity public. From there, I involved many people in my projects and began to approach business with the 'greatest determination' I could think of. I deliberately imposed on myself the pressure and responsibility of 'not being able to cause trouble for the people around me'.

It's a drastic method, and it's by no means healthy. But for someone like me who gives up easily, I needed this kind of medicine. Since then, after eliminating 'giving up' and 'making excuses' from my options, my business has changed completely.

Even if it were something that could be solved immediately if taught by someone, if you don't develop the habit of solving it yourself, it will never lead to confidence. In order to develop the ability to derive answers on my own, I didn't buy teaching materials, didn't go to seminars, and researched and verified everything on the internet.

Recently, the convenience of generative AI has been attracting attention, but behind that convenience is the promotion of mental stagnation. Not giving up on thinking, and training the ability to solve problems and make judgments on your own while stumbling many times, will be a strength that lasts a lifetime.

30,000 yen in total assets, no experience, no connections, almost no knowledge. Even from this state, we have an environment where we can climb up. I have sold hundreds of millions on my own, supported by seniors, juniors, and friends, and have realized an environment where I can 'work only on what I like', and more than 20 years have passed since I started the business.

Now, I am running my business with the stance of giving back my experience to the friends who supported me and those who will enter the field from now on, and making them happy.

I'm sure you also have an 'ideal business you envisioned when you started', but please cherish that. Instead of fitting into the mold of individual business models, let's have a stance of picking and using the good points of individual business models.

The 'ideal business image' you envisioned becomes the core that breaks away from the flow of the masses, and your own unique business is born. Even if there are other similar businesses, there is only one 'person' who is you. The brilliance of that individuality becomes a unique differentiating factor.

No matter how much digitalization progresses, business is 'person to person'. The 'existence of you', who cannot be replaced by anyone else, will create originality and develop without sugarcoating. In the Sengoku period, it's the person who has the momentum to be a member of the foot soldier unit and charge into the enemy camp at the forefront, that is, 'firmness of determination' that speaks volumes. It is a world where people who really have this kind of determination climb up. Knowledge and techniques at the start stage don't matter.

So, to repeat, please cherish the 'ideal business image you envisioned when you started'.

Back then, I was always thinking that nothing I did worked out, but I think I was ultimately missing the very simple fact that 'business is about making people happy and receiving compensation in return'.

My business slogan is“Alright! Who shall I make happy with all my might today!”It is that simple. And while there are various interpretations of business, I believe that business is a stage where 'professionals who make others happy gather'.

When I first started my business, I never imagined I would be saying things like this. But I am so in love with an environment where 'people who transcend the barriers of age and occupation' meet through the common denominator of business, hone their skills together, and fulfill their dreams with passionate hearts.

Through starting my business, I truly realized what it means to be raised by people, to be stimulated by people, to empathize with people, to be moved by people, and to be grateful to people.

Having jumped into business feeling its potential, we are like comrades. Even if we started at different times, if we were to group us in a history textbook, we would fit on the same page as people who lived in the same era.

Alright! Who shall I make happy with all my might today!

Even if this way of thinking is called childish, I prefer this way of living over a life of complaining and grumbling without having any dreams, so I will stick with it. There is a trend in the world that if you produce solid results, that becomes the 'correct' path. If so, I strongly feel that in order to spread my voice further, I should make the most of that trend and 'produce results'.

For me, it is the 'ultimate entertainment' that I feel I want to dedicate my life to.

Entrepreneurship is a 'non-fiction film' where each person is the protagonist.

Entrepreneurship is a film where each person is the protagonist. I felt that way shortly after I started my consulting business.

The environment we grew up in, existing skills, past experiences, time we can spare—it is truly different for each individual. There is not a single person who is exactly the same. The more I face them, the more the client's individuality becomes visible.

There are various methodologies to achieve results, but in conclusion, 'if there are 100 people, there are 100 best ways'.

Also, a consultant is in a state of watching the 'film where the client is the protagonist' from the best seat in the front row. It is a non-fiction story of overcoming various hardships and shaping things step by step. The excitement of that moment when things finally start moving while sharing the joys and sorrows is incredible. Sometimes, I can share feelings even more than the client's family.

Whether it is individual clients who were full of unknowns or client companies taking on projects that stake the company's fate, the bond between those who face things seriously deepens more and more. We often talk about things other than work and discuss our views on life. Transcending the barriers of age, a relationship as friends begins.

Being able to share a part of life's turning points in this way, the profession of a consultant where there are moments when my life intersects with a challenger, is something I feel is my true calling.

The one drama that exists only between me and the client might be uninteresting to a third party. But to me, it is more magnificent than any movie, and the non-fiction story behind the product is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of emotion.

I am lucky enough to be able to watch that non-fiction film from the closest distance as a consultant. It is rare to find something that shakes the heart this much. I myself naturally come to accumulate experience in order to become the person who is needed.

When I think about 'what kind of people will visit me' in the future, I want to be someone who can offer the most optimal proposal better than anyone else. I want to be someone who can say 'it's okay because I'm here'. With that feeling, I naturally get motivated.

This repetition leads to my own growth, and I become absorbed in the new drama that is ours alone, and it becomes an asset that never fades.

When I welcome clients from before my independence, I end up walking alongside them for 5 or 10 years, and the longer the path we have walked together, the deeper our mutual trust becomes, and it becomes very easy to work as partners.

Perhaps it is because I have colleagues with whom I have created a masterpiece non-fiction film that I can confidently say in public, 'It's okay because I'm here'.

I am proud to be involved in life's turning points, and I want to meet colleagues one by one with whom I can have a deep relationship, even if it is a small group and a narrow circle.

We pave the way and
connect to the next future.

For individuals who cannot invest a large amount of capital, or for those who want to open a physical store in the future, business via the Internet can be scaled with the smallest amount of funds. Just as I started with small funds 20 years ago, it is possible for an inexperienced individual to get it on track.

The reality that even an individual can generate 100 million yen in sales. A business with the highest profit margin of 200 to 300 million yen with a few people has become possible due to the promotion of digitalization.

It must be because they are that kind of person. I don't have any outstanding talent. I truly understand the feeling of saying that, but it is also a reality that opportunities do not come to those who have given up. These words were the thoughts I myself held at the time when I first started my business.

It is your choice to do it, and it is your choice not to.

However, the higher you climb the stairs, the emptier the path truly becomes. It is only crowded near the entrance. As for me, it took a long time to realize that I was always the one crushing my own dreams and possibilities.

In this day and age, the number of people with dreams is decreasing, and the number of people who cannot find hope in society is increasing every day. In general society, there is a tendency to criticize them as 'lazy' and view them as 'people without motivation'.

I can say this because I am one of those who were included as 'people without motivation', but most of them are by no means 'lazy'. They just haven't been able to find something they can be passionate about. Society might describe that as being soft, but...

Certainly, I have seen articles expressing the opinion that it is a 'lukewarm environment' where one does not have to worry about food, clothing, and shelter, and that might have some influence.

However, while society tells young people to 'have dreams', as they get older, it tells them to 'face reality'. Because they are shown 'reality' enough, more and more people are losing hope and struggling. The ability to find what they want to do is being whittled away.

That is why, although 'entrepreneurship' is not the only option, I have been running since 2002, determined to pave the way by becoming a 'practitioner myself' of the things they can be passionate about, as a sign, as a hope, and as a new guidepost.

Because I was in the same situation as them, there must be something I can convey.

I will continue to show more and more that there is a 'place for ultimate self-expression' in this world where you can test yourself to the fullest.

Far from feeling the risk of everything carrying responsibility, I feel it is more of a risk not to do it. I will continue to convey that such a passionate stage exists. The moment they find something worth doing, there are still many people in our generation who can turn 180 degrees and work with a different look in their eyes.

Just like when I was obsessed with games, just like when I was obsessed with sports, just like when I was obsessed with bands, I will give my all to what I am obsessed with, even if it means sacrificing sleep.

Everything can be built by your own will, you can obtain a sense of fulfillment, and you can become obsessed. And at the same time as your self-desires are achieved, you will gradually be able to pay attention to those around you. You learn humility, and you can become kind from the ease of mind. You become warmer.

I myself still have a lot to learn, and I receive many lessons regardless of whether they are seniors or juniors in life, but overall, there were commonalities in things.

To create a positive spiral from a negative spiral, someone has to 'pave the way'. Let's have more and more fulfilling days! Let's update every year how many days in a year we can think are fun!

As if projecting your way of life onto business
To you who are seriously committed

Suppose there are many 'fragments of happiness' scattered on 'a certain riverbank'.

The first condition for obtaining these 'fragments of happiness' is that you must go to that riverbank. Only those who have traveled to that place and searched can obtain these fragments.

However, many people, although they know of the existence of the fragments, find the journey there troublesome, or only look for easier ways to obtain them, and in the end, they cannot obtain them.

But they know where the 'fragments of happiness' are. There are people who are good at searching and people who are bad at it, but in the end, you cannot obtain them unless you go to that riverbank.

If there is something you want to obtain, just 'knowing' is useless. There are many people who are more knowledgeable than me, but the fact that there are countless people who have not achieved results is the best proof of that.

After all, nothing changes unless you 'act on your own will'. Even if your knowledge is minimal, no one surpasses those who take action. However, since no one forces you, some people will not be able to keep up their motivation.

Because 'it is your choice to go, and it is your choice not to go', and because we can make decisions and choices somewhat freely, this 'freedom', which should originally be a joy, induces 'self-indulgence' when starting a business.

At such times, let's temporarily set aside the consciousness of working for yourself. It is the same as when your parents tell you, 'Study because it's for your own good,' and it doesn't click. Surprisingly, people can be simpler, easier to understand, and exert more power when they think for someone else rather than for themselves.

On the way, I think there will be times when you feel lonely being alone. But there, you will meet many positive companions who are full of ambition to obtain 'fragments of happiness'.

There is no one there who complains or grumbles, and it is full of comfortable companions who seriously talk about dreams and hopes. The first step is very lonely and requires courage. But little by little, your ideals will become reality.

By the time you arrive at the riverbank where the 'fragments of happiness' are, some of your ideals will have already become reality.

I realized this fact again through business, but I realized that it applies to life itself. What I have experienced might be something like struggling in the shallows to the great seniors of life.

However, as long as you have the courage to take a step forward, I can create a turning point in your life.

It is natural to have anxiety, and you might feel like giving up or turning in another direction... That is normal.

But I am here to overcome that. So that I can say that with confidence, I myself will do more work than anyone else. Let's connect the dots into lines, lines into circles, and circles into spheres, and grasp the overall picture of business and move forward!

Thank you for reading until the end! I look forward to your 'likes' and 'follows.' I will also be sure to like and follow you back.