WhyGoSolo Coming Offline
Posted on August 15, 2009
Filed Under Business, Entrepreneurship, Lessons, Life, Startup | 6 Comments
(I wrote the first part of this post 4 weeks ago)
In the next couple of weeks, WhyGoSolo (and Tickets with a Twist) will both come offline. I’m not entirely sure when the end came…however, I do know it was before now; it just took me this long to admit it and come to terms with it.
I feel just as strongly and passionately about the concept/premise of WhyGoSolo and Tickets with a Twist as I did two years ago, but I currently don’t have the resources to pull it off; the most important resources being the money, drive and energy to revive it. I made some attempts that all lead nowhere.
Two years ago, we were in pace with and in some respect ahead with development – now, we’re behind. No matter what, the sites would have to come offline for a full facelift and I don’t have the developers or money for developers to revive the technology or to go mobile.
Two years ago I was in the buzz and part of creating buzz…now, I don’t really care. I’m not done “playing” online by any stretch of the imagination, but my involvement will be different. The echo chamber got old real fast and I got hung up on things that really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
I’m coming out of the last two years with baggage: exhaustion, guilt from letting people down, knowledge of mistakes I shouldn’t have made and a mountain of debt I’m still trying to pay off. I’m also still angry at some things that happened and things that didn’t pan out.
I can’t even begin to honestly describe how shitty having to write this post about pulling the plug on a dream and vision is like. People who don’t dream big will never know what killing a dream feels like. This is my second time doing it and it’s much worst this time. I’m thoroughly humbled and awaken compared to where I used to be.
Now that the end is here, I want to close this chapter by acknowledging and sending thanks to all the people who at some point or another got involved in WhyGoSolo, all the developers, WhyGoSolo members, bloggers, DC Tech community, Pownce crew and all others who supported me and our efforts.
Above all, I want to acknowledge and thank Darcy Laycock and Michael Busselli who both really stuck through till the end – literally till the end; they will be the ones pulling the plug and purging the databases.
I wanted success for WhyGoSolo for Darcy and Michael more than I wanted it for myself – I was not able to deliver the grand vision they joined the team to realize and that is the HARDEST part of closing the sites down.
What’s Next?!?! (Four weeks later)
I was still extremely hurt and angry at the thought and need to shut down the sites, a month ago, when I wrote the first half of this post. I still needed more time to accept what was inevitable. Now, I’m in a much better place. I’m finally in a place where I can take what I’ve learned and apply it to something new under Yut Media Inc. Although, this time I’m going to avoid fighting the uphill battles that have always kicked my ass:
- Entering a field/area that I have no background or contacts in
- Being heavily reliant on technology and development to get started
- Needing investors to succeed – Success makes getting investors a much simpler process
- Stressing myself with unrealistic expectations and pressures
- Starting a business that I think will eventually be fun. I’m starting something that will be enjoyable and fun from day one.
I’m in a good place with my life. I don’t remember ever being this happy or satisfied with my present and the outlooks for the future.
I’m more relaxed, balanced, in-tuned, grateful and knowledgeable/cognitive of what needs to be done to meet my dreams than ever before. I’m not pressuring myself and I feel I have already had a huge win in my life; realizing what happiness truly is and what it means to live life.
I have a wonderful life NOW. Turns out I didn’t need to realize my dreams to have a wonderful life; it was mine to have all along. Having a wonderful life does not take away my burning desires to realize my potential/ambitions and build an empire to call my own. However, now I get to do it and enjoy it a lot more.
Life is a journey, it really is. Life will show you everything you need to know about yourself and the keys to happiness, inner peace and being absolutely content.
You have to grow, act and change your thinking and circumstances for life to bring you the opportunities you’re looking for. I left DC and moved to New Orleans. I changed the way I did many things once I arrived to New Orleans – different behaviors and actions have brought me different results and outcomes!! I’m taking that new mindset into business along with everything else I’ve learned – lets see where that will lead me.
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6 Responses to “WhyGoSolo Coming Offline”
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Excellent post Ann. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Good Luck Ann. The journey you’ve been through is very valuable and sets you up for round three.
I’ll keep following your pursuits, and maybe someday will get more involved. You can lead Ann, but it’s the sum of your experience that shapes you as a leader.
Again, Good luck, and I’m happy most about the fact that you sum up your current place as:
“I don’t remember ever being this happy or satisfied with my present and the outlooks for the future.” — Ann Bernard
Take Care,
Patrick. (Trik)
Wish you the best Ann, and i know i was precisely the one that questioned the execution of the concept all the way back then. so i will not pretend i didn’t. but that don’t means i didn’t hoped for you to succeed.
And i am very sorry that it has come to this. but i am also glad you are having a great life to balance this experience off. That alone is more important.
I know you will continue to be excellent.
1. Entering a field/area that I have no background or contacts in
2. Being heavily reliant on technology and development to get started
3. Needing investors to succeed – Success makes getting investors a much simpler process
4. Stressing myself with unrealistic expectations and pressures
5. Starting a business that I think will eventually be fun. I’m starting something that will be enjoyable and fun from day one.
You have just passed on knowledge that many will benefit from as i will be ensuring this is taught to our networking group (many of who are starting businesses of their own)
Looking forward to see your next endeavour, built on the hard won experience that will make it a success
[...] read her most recent blog post this morning about how she has made the difficult decision to take those two businesses offline for [...]
Hey Ann,
It’s good to hear you have been doing well now, despite the obstacles you’ve had to overcome. It’s been long road, and I won’t repeat what others have said here since I wholeheartedly agree with them, I’ll just join them and wish you luck in whatever you do. The pursuit of happiness is a funny thing, just when you think you know how to get it, it can at times elude you. When you think all is lost, life finds a way to show you it was waiting for you, as you said “yours to have all along”.
Don’t know if you remember any of our past conversations way back in the distant Pownce days, but I went down a similar path as you before in business and as with yours, it didn’t end with quite the outcome I’d have thought it should have come to at the outset either. So I can totally empathize with some of what you had to go through. One thing’s for certain, people that always strive to “be their personal legend” (If you’ve read “The Alchemist” you’ll know what this means. Great book by the way) tend to always fulfill their destiny in one way or another.
I’ll be eager to see what you come up with next!
P.S. I still have the WGS card! Charter member all the way!
Take care,
J