5 Reasons why starting my own Business was like going on a J1 Visa to New York in the 1986.

I started my own business called Viridi Connection on the 1st October 2020 following a 32-year career in Global Telecommunications. Owning my own business has been a life-long ambition, yet represented a big risk replacing a well-paid regular income with the prospect of none but a challenge I just had to take. Others may say it is more of a #midlife crisis but, hey, I’ll roll with it.

As I reflect back on my first 6 weeks, I notice time has passed in the blink of an eyelid, with many adrenaline charged highs and lows with not enough hours in the day to get things done. However, the feelings experienced reminded me of my time back in New York during the summer of 1986 as a student on a J1 visa desperately looking for work in the inner-city of “The Big Apple”.

To put 1986 New York into perspective, it was a city of 2 halves, the haves and the have nots, the hopeful and the hopeless, I was one of the hopeful have nots. The Manhattan streets were contrasted by extraordinary wealth amid glaring population poverty. Hundreds of mentally ill homeless people, were chucked out of institutions as a result of Reagans Medicaid expenditure cuts & crime rates spiked to all-time highs due to an out of control Crack Cocaine Epidemic. 

I was a naive 19-year-old. A red headed, naive paddy from Kilkenny. I was staying in a not so glamorous albeit, culturally diverse, YMCA on 34th street for a pretty $34 per night. This was particularly painful seeing as I had a mere $250 to my name. What I quickly learned was, $250 was not going to last long in NYC. My only bailout was an embarrassing return flight ticket to Ireland. Survival meant getting a job fast. I was prospecting Manhattan Bar’s, Café’s, applying to New York Times small adds like my life depended on it. I guess it kind of did. I hustled every network contact that I had. Finally, with little time to spare, only $12 left in one pocket, and a big "New York Slice" in one hand. l landed a job in Fire Protection in NYC.

Now, 35 years later, as I started up my own company just 6 weeks ago I am vividly reminded of my fateful J1 experience. Here are the 5 reasons why it was so similar;

1. I entered a new challenging environment where the source of my next income was uncertain. I had to adapt and overcome the challenges that arose every day and, there was absolutely no safety net if I failed.

2. Knowing my value proposition and being able to tailor it to opportunities. Overcoming my inhibitions to sell the benefits of my skills & capabilities was pivotal. To quote from a recent lesson I had from Jane Manzor, “don’t be afraid to sell your 10% difference.”

3. Engaging with my network of contacts to let them know what I was planning to do provided great insights into potential opportunities. This lesson was extremely beneficial, enabled me to win my first Viridi Connection order. In New York it helped get me my first job.

4. Money was tight, and I needed to be ruthless with creating a budget and keeping to it  while containing costs and spending wisely to reduce outgoings and achieve income. I was down to my last dollars in New York before receiving an income, budgeting was essential!

5. Being authentic, creative, focused and persevering has helped me uncover and pursue opportunities. To quote Winston Churchill; "success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm", a lesson particularly relevant when starting your own business.

These lessons learned at the age of 19 have thankfully served me well over the past 6 weeks. In these uncertain times, no matter what the next 12 months brings, we’d better continue to dig deep, persevere, adapt, and support our communities to get through this Corona-virus Pandemic.

Thank you for reading. Please, feel free to get in touch if you have a similar experience or story that reminds you of your younger years both in business and in life.

Canice Keane.