I guess the best place to start is at the beginning, but at the beginning of what? Let's see....
First, let me say that if you take anything away from this article it should be, "how to look at every situation as a stepping stone to help you get from where you are to where you want to be and how to use each situation to help you get there." Some times it's about using other peoples' stories and achievements to help you reach your own goals and other times it's about forging your own path that could ultimately help others to reach their goals. For me, it was about forging my own path. If my story helps you along your journey then it's a win-win.
Because of an injury in 1998 I was forced to "retrain" for employment. I tripped on a cable in the back of truck, fell hard on the tailgate damaging L4 and L5 (in my lower back) preventing me from returning to my job. But that did NOT depress me. It left me with concerns because I had to figure out my next path. So in 1999 I turned to the Internet, which was fairly new when it came to employment, but oh the opportunities that presented themselves over the coming years.
LET ME CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE.
I got involved in network marketing selling air and water purification systems and I loved it. Over the course of a year I was doing 5 figures per month in sales. This was really good and I enjoyed the success for about 2 years when I could not quite put my finger on why I was no longer enjoying the experience. So I found another company to work with, thinking this is it, I needed a change..... but I didn't feel any better months in to the new "gig". In fact, I was feeling terrible and I didn't know why. It wasn't until a friend of mine came to visit and asked, "why do you look so sad and depressed?"
That was it! I was DEPRESSED! But why? I was doing very well financially so why be depressed? I wasn't diagnosed as being clinically depressed but I knew enough about my own well being to surmise that something was wrong. I felt withdrawn, discontented, sad and yes, depressed. Through self exploration I began to realize that while I was experiencing financial success working online I had literally cut off nearly all physical contact with the outside world. To know me is to know this was not good.
I consider myself a people-person. What the hell is that? Well, I like to connect with and work with people, face-to-face. Before I injured myself in 1998 I managed a team of around 20 employees and I met with, I say no less than 50, new customers every day. I traveled yearly and was quite happy. There were people EVERYWHERE. All of that went down the drain when I was forced to "retrain" as they say, which brought me to the Internet. You see the Internet was still fairly new in 1999 and there was NO meeting face-to-face with new customers, it was a COLD LONELY PLACE. I would use the phone to talk to prospects but there was no face-to-face and I NEEDED face-to-face.
In 2004 - 2005 I began researching software that would let me meet face to face with potential customers LIVE on my website... there was nothing out there that would let me do this. So, I did further research, came up with an idea, shared it with two friends (who became investors), we hired a team and we created it.
Some people thought I was crazy simply because I wanted to create a
software program that would let me talk to people face to face over the
Internet. They said that if there was a need for it then someone would
have created it already. These people knew nothing about the Internet
and definitely were not visionaries.
What I created was just what the doctor ordered. This new software allowed me to stream LIVE on my website just using my webcam. Visitors could see me at my desk and I knew when people were on my website. I could speak to them and invite them to chat with me. Literally over night I got my groove back and things began to change.
I was once again meeting face to face with customers. While I couldn't shake their hands it was as good as being in the same room with them. Life was GOOD once again. We began selling this software and we made a lot of money doing it. However, sadly, it has since been put out to pasture in the Internet graveyard, simply because it was written in FLASH and it didn't keep up with the evolution of the the Internet. But before it died we adapted it to Facebook and we were streaming LIVE on Facebook profile pages LONG before Facebook was streaming in news feeds. In fact, there were times I thought that Zuckerberg stole my idea.
BUT LIFE DID NOT STOP THERE.
As a result of our flagship product I was contacted by a teaching hospital in Dubai who began using our software to stream surgeries over the Internet. Yes, we were doing that in 2007 - simply amazing. The image here is the first surgery every broadcast from Dubai, around the world, using MY software. I feel pretty good about that. I went on to create several products that bring people together and we are currently working on bringing back the "first idea" in an revolutionary product.
Today we have a tool bag of products that bring people together. I use them everyday and I no longer feel isolated and I am able to connect face-to-face with more people today than ever before, even before my injury. Life is good.
To learn more about what I do, the products I've created and to see projects I'm working on simply visit my Talking Virtual Business Card page. Simply click the signature card below this article. Maybe one of my product developments can help you in your business or with you next project.
Thanks for reading. Life is good!
Rodney Brace
CEO, Hyphen Tech Inc.
First, let me say that if you take anything away from this article it should be, "how to look at every situation as a stepping stone to help you get from where you are to where you want to be and how to use each situation to help you get there." Some times it's about using other peoples' stories and achievements to help you reach your own goals and other times it's about forging your own path that could ultimately help others to reach their goals. For me, it was about forging my own path. If my story helps you along your journey then it's a win-win.
Because of an injury in 1998 I was forced to "retrain" for employment. I tripped on a cable in the back of truck, fell hard on the tailgate damaging L4 and L5 (in my lower back) preventing me from returning to my job. But that did NOT depress me. It left me with concerns because I had to figure out my next path. So in 1999 I turned to the Internet, which was fairly new when it came to employment, but oh the opportunities that presented themselves over the coming years.
LET ME CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE.
I got involved in network marketing selling air and water purification systems and I loved it. Over the course of a year I was doing 5 figures per month in sales. This was really good and I enjoyed the success for about 2 years when I could not quite put my finger on why I was no longer enjoying the experience. So I found another company to work with, thinking this is it, I needed a change..... but I didn't feel any better months in to the new "gig". In fact, I was feeling terrible and I didn't know why. It wasn't until a friend of mine came to visit and asked, "why do you look so sad and depressed?"
That was it! I was DEPRESSED! But why? I was doing very well financially so why be depressed? I wasn't diagnosed as being clinically depressed but I knew enough about my own well being to surmise that something was wrong. I felt withdrawn, discontented, sad and yes, depressed. Through self exploration I began to realize that while I was experiencing financial success working online I had literally cut off nearly all physical contact with the outside world. To know me is to know this was not good.
I consider myself a people-person. What the hell is that? Well, I like to connect with and work with people, face-to-face. Before I injured myself in 1998 I managed a team of around 20 employees and I met with, I say no less than 50, new customers every day. I traveled yearly and was quite happy. There were people EVERYWHERE. All of that went down the drain when I was forced to "retrain" as they say, which brought me to the Internet. You see the Internet was still fairly new in 1999 and there was NO meeting face-to-face with new customers, it was a COLD LONELY PLACE. I would use the phone to talk to prospects but there was no face-to-face and I NEEDED face-to-face.
In 2004 - 2005 I began researching software that would let me meet face to face with potential customers LIVE on my website... there was nothing out there that would let me do this. So, I did further research, came up with an idea, shared it with two friends (who became investors), we hired a team and we created it.
STELLA, I GOT MY GROOVE BACK.
What I created was just what the doctor ordered. This new software allowed me to stream LIVE on my website just using my webcam. Visitors could see me at my desk and I knew when people were on my website. I could speak to them and invite them to chat with me. Literally over night I got my groove back and things began to change.
I was once again meeting face to face with customers. While I couldn't shake their hands it was as good as being in the same room with them. Life was GOOD once again. We began selling this software and we made a lot of money doing it. However, sadly, it has since been put out to pasture in the Internet graveyard, simply because it was written in FLASH and it didn't keep up with the evolution of the the Internet. But before it died we adapted it to Facebook and we were streaming LIVE on Facebook profile pages LONG before Facebook was streaming in news feeds. In fact, there were times I thought that Zuckerberg stole my idea.
BUT LIFE DID NOT STOP THERE.
As a result of our flagship product I was contacted by a teaching hospital in Dubai who began using our software to stream surgeries over the Internet. Yes, we were doing that in 2007 - simply amazing. The image here is the first surgery every broadcast from Dubai, around the world, using MY software. I feel pretty good about that. I went on to create several products that bring people together and we are currently working on bringing back the "first idea" in an revolutionary product.
Today we have a tool bag of products that bring people together. I use them everyday and I no longer feel isolated and I am able to connect face-to-face with more people today than ever before, even before my injury. Life is good.
To learn more about what I do, the products I've created and to see projects I'm working on simply visit my Talking Virtual Business Card page. Simply click the signature card below this article. Maybe one of my product developments can help you in your business or with you next project.
Thanks for reading. Life is good!
Rodney Brace
CEO, Hyphen Tech Inc.
709-800-0158 Office
646-484-9316 Text Message Only
646-484-9316 Text Message Only
Skype: rodneybrace
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