Zero To $1M Challenge #3: We Left Zero.

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Something unexpected happened this weekend, and it felt like the universe winked at me.

I was gearing up to officially kick off the challenge today, Monday, full of plans and a fresh cup of optimism.

Then my phone buzzed. A friend is asking for advice. The kind that, coming from anyone else, I’d have quoted at $200 minimum without blinking. 

I didn’t hesitate. We met up the same day. I walked him through the challenge and what I’m building, and I made him an offer: $10/hour for five hours. Fifty bucks total. A fraction of my usual rate.

That’s intentional, because friendship without skin in the game isn’t commitment. Making it transactional, even at a steep discount, means we both show up. And regardless of the number on the invoice, I won’t let him down.

Here’s the part that matters: we left zero behind.

Fifty dollars doesn’t sound like much. But psychologically?

It’s enormous. Zero is paralysis. Zero is theoretical. The moment money actually moves, the challenge stops being a concept and starts being real. We’re in motion now.

What’s Next?

We’re running lean, very fucking lean. But here’s where the first dollars are going:

I’ll still use Buy Me a Coffee and Gumroad for transactions and digital products, but I need a real home base.  A brand, not just a link. Something that can grow. Something that says I’m serious about this.

From there, I can layer in free and paid digital products, build credibility, and gradually plant my flag.

One thing I’ll say upfront: service-based work is not my endgame for the $1M Challenge.

The scalability ceiling is real, and trading hours for dollars will not get me to a million. But as a launchpad? It’s low overhead, immediate cash flow, and it keeps the lights on while I build something bigger. I can work with that.

What’s The Service, Exactly?

I went back and forth on this. Corporate consulting was the obvious move. I’ve got years of playbooks I could dust off and update for today’s market.

But honestly? It felt like putting on an old suit that used to fit perfectly and realizing you’ve changed. I’m not interested in that version of myself right now.

So I’m going with something that actually excites me: founder coaching and career-pivoters.

The people who are sitting in their corporate jobs, staring at their LinkedIn feed at 11 pm, wondering if they have what it takes to bet on themselves.

That’s a different crowd. Smaller, more specific, more human. And here’s what I’ve noticed: even with AI, even when ChatGPT can spit out a five-step business plan in 30 seconds, there’s still a real hunger for someone to just look you in the eye (or camera) and say, “here’s what I actually think.” 

That’s the niche. Human reality-checks in a world drowning in algorithmic advice.

The model I’m aiming for is CaaS: Consulting-as-a-Service. Monthly retainer, not hourly rates. Predictable income, deeper relationships, and no more “$200/hour but I’ll do it for a friend” math.

I’ll map out the full plan in a dedicated post so this one doesn’t turn into a novel.

Next Steps & Goals

At this stage, I’d call it the warm-up lap. It’s also a hedge. A stable, low-risk foundation I can lean on while I take bigger swings down the line. Because there are bigger swings coming: day trading, poker, micro-acquisitions, and other arenas where risk tolerance isn’t optional, it’s the whole game.

But first things first. Here’s the immediate to-do list:

  • Land on a brand name
  • Buy the domain (.com, fingers crossed)
  • Get web hosting sorted
  • DIY a logo on free Canva (done it before, can do it again)
  • Build a clean, simple website (DIY)
  • Route sales and payments through BMC or Gumroad
  • Create a free digital product to build credibility
  • Find more people to coach once the site is live

The next milestone is $1,000 in revenue. Real, documented, in-the-bank revenue. From there, we start expanding. That might take a while, and I’m okay with that. Slow and steady still beats standing still.

Read also: Zero To $1M Challenge #2: It Started.

We’re officially off the starting line. I’ll be sharing the full thinking process, the strategy, the decisions, and the missteps as we go.

Thanks for being here. More soon. 🚀

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