As 2013 has come to an end and 2014 is upon us bringing new challenges and opportunities; it is imperative to think back and reflect on a great year. 2013 has been full of highs and lows resulting in an amazing time not only for Fresh Jets as a whole, but also all of the individual players, and everyone who helped us along the way. This year brought countless obstacles that we had to hurdle- but we kept our eyes on the prize knowing that some day we could be responsible for creating something much larger than ourselves that will revolutionize the way that people travel.
Like almost every startup, the largest obstacle that we have faced this year has been funding Fresh Jets and supporting ourselves so we can pay rent and afford food. Being tight on money really makes you use your brain in a way that you might not get to experience otherwise. When you really go for it, you find yourself constantly looking for little side jobs like landscaping, driving for Uber, building other people’s websites, and moving peoples furniture just to support your dream and your addiction. We have even gone so far as to create a luxury transportation service named Everything Executive that will be fully operational in 2014. At many points in time, we have felt like addicts and have questioned ourselves, but its all part of the hustle.
Quite possibly the toughest part of starting a company is taking the leap, and just going for it. Although taking the leap from a stable well paying job, to scraping by just to make rent and live seems idiotic at the time, it is a feeling that few get to experience in their lives. Remember those finance classes where the professors insisted on diversification and not putting all of your eggs in one basket? You can forget about that as you put every dime and ounce of energy that you have into your business. Like the great Andrew Carnegie once said, “Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.”
While living on hardly any budget is a tough way to live, it has taught us to grind and stretch our money in a way we never knew was possible. It has shaped who we are as individuals and as a company. Looking back on it all, this has been one of the most rewarding lessons that we have gathered along the way and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, you must have experienced the bottom to truly appreciate the top.
If there is any bit of advice I can give for 2014- it would be to chase your dreams. While the bottom is tough, life is too short to tell yourself that you will start your own venture after you have learned more and have more experience. Before you know it you will be stuck in corporate America, in too deep to really go for it. I can tell you first hand that there is nothing more gratifying than proving everyone wrong and accomplishing goals that even you didn’t think were possible. Many thanks to everyone who has been involved thus far and cheers to another great year!
This article was written by Johnny Sengelmann, co-founder and COO of Fresh Jets. Fresh Jets aggregates private jet schedule and pricing information in real-time matching inventory to the travel needs of businesses and individuals instantly.