Why I finally bet on myself (and won)
One year ago, I started a business.
With an old desk from a secondhand store. A chair I bought for $40 on Amazon. And a loaner laptop from my previous employer that overheated if I ran too many tabs.
No visions of grandeur. No investment. No loans.
I didn't start ROH (Rohman Operations Hub), because I had some grand plan to become a consultant.
I started it because the universe presented it to me. And not in some fairy tale way.
The truth is I didn't see another option. My full-time job had dwindled to part time and the job market looked (and felt) bleak.
But I remember sitting at this same desk I'm typing at now thinking that if the companies I interviewed with didn't want me, it’s their loss. Perhaps a bit of bravado (or delusion), but it was the catalyst. So I thought: "I'm taking control of the situation, I’m going to bet on myself."
And I did.
365 days later:
I've learned that building something from nothing isn't just about the business; it's about rebuilding yourself in the process.
Sometimes clients move on, despite best intentions. Sometimes I need to move on from clients as they no longer fit my criteria for a strong partnership. I've discovered that saying no is just as important as saying yes, maybe more so.
I've learned to trust my instincts about operational problems before I can even articulate why something feels broken. That intuition (and confidence) has become a superpower.
And what about that overheating laptop? It’s long gone. My business afforded me a new one, plus flexibility and more financial freedom than I expected. But more than that, I wake up every day knowing that what I build matters. That the companies I work with actually get better because of what we do together.
No PTO, paid healthcare, or matching 401K, sure. But I call my own shots, choose my own challenges, and get to solve puzzles that most people find mind-numbingly boring but I find fascinating.
As a teen, I had a baseball-themed inspirational poster on my bedroom wall that said something like 'You can't steal second and keep your foot on first.' Well, I finally lifted my foot. Stole second. And now I'm rounding to third.
The guy who bet everything on himself? Turns out he was a pretty good investment.