Pocket Changed turns two years old in just a couple weeks. Time certainly does fly. It seems like just yesterday I was trying to figure out what to name this site.
(Yes, I almost went with LogicWithWojcik.com. And yes, my wife pushed me toward Pocket Changed.)
When big milestones like the start of a new year, a birthday, or an anniversary come around it is human nature to be retrospective. We look back at what has come to pass and then look forward to plan the next chapter of our lives.
I’ll save the “next chapter” part of the story for another time, but in this post I’ll discuss the goals I had when I started Pocket Changed, how you have both inspired and helped me acheive these goals, and give you an opportunity to share what Pocket Changed has meant to you.
(And if you’re newer to Pocket Changed, this is a perfect way to learn a little bit more about what this site is all about and the entrepreneurial journey I’ve been on over the past two years to get to today.)
The 4 Reasons Why I Started Pocket Changed
When I originally started Pocket Changed in December 2010 I had just four main goals.
- Inspire and guide people to improve their personal finances.
- Earn enough money through work online to quit my desk job.
- Share my financial and entrepreneurial journey.
- Showcase people doing interesting and meaningful things with their life’s passions.
Let’s dive into what we’ve done here over the past two years in each of those four areas.
1. Improving People’s Personal Finances
Before I even had a blog, one of my big pasttimes was learning about personal finance and living frugally to enable me to pay off all the debt I had after college. (Man, everything about that sentence is just so sexy, right?)
That is why I initially wanted to start a blog in the “personal finance” niche (instead of one about video games, sports, or movies). Despite having to fight my way out of the pigeon hole that I put myself in, we’ve done a lot here at Pocket Changed in the realm of money.
First off, when you download the Get Paid Manifesto it also includes the free 10 part Financial Freedom email series that over 1,000 people have been through.
Next, Make It Rain, our very own 10-week personal finance course launched this September.
And lastly, out of the nearly 200 posts currently live on Pocket Changed, 98 of them have at least something to do with money or personal finance. (Of which, this post about financial advice from Jack Sparrow was probably the most fun to write.)
Goal #1 Status: Accomplished.
2. Quit My Desk Job
Measuring this goal was either all or nothing. I would either leave my job at Boeing or I wouldn’t.
Thankfully, in September 2011 I quit my job and started working with Corbett Barr at Think Traffic.
This leap into entrepreneurship was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. I am typically one of the biggest “play-it-safers” there is.
And while I may not be making as much money or have as cushy of benefits as I did at my day job, this new career and lifestyle has allowed me the freedom to do so much over the past 15 months.
- My wife and I have been traveling on and off for 7 of those 15 months.
- We road-tripped for 3 months and 10,000 miles all over the U.S.A.
- We moved from rainy Seattle to sunny San Diego (closer to her family).
- My wife is now self-employed as a San Diego wedding photographer.
All of which would not have been possible without saving up enough money to take the leap and embracing some big risks.
Goal #2 Status: Accomplished.
3. Share My Financial & Entreprenuerial Journey
When I was working to pay off my debt I found it incredibly helpful and inspirational to read stories from Trent Hamm and J.D. Roth about what their financial journeys were like.
When I was looking to quit my cushy day job and become a cubicle renegade I felt encouraged and capable when I read the open and honest stories that Jenny Blake and the writers on Revolution.is have shared about leaving their jobs behind and taking the entrepreneur’s path.
Because the people above shared their journey I felt more confident and less alone in my own journey. That’s why I:
- Used to share my personal finances down to the penny.
- Shared my biggest lessons from the first year of blogging.
- Debunked the most common “location independent” myths.
This may sound cheesy, but I share because I care. I want you to see what is possible and know that you are not alone.
Goal #3 Status: Accomplished, but will never be finished.
4. Showcase Real Entrepreneurs
There is a lot of garbage on the Internet and the make money online/quit your job niche is full of awful advice and people just trying to scam you to make a quick buck.
I started Pocket Changed to help you tune out all of that noise, find authentic people to follow online, and hear real stories from fellow entreprenuers.
That’s why we:
- Feature successful cubicle renegades like Chris Guillebeau on our podcast.
- Posted cubicle escape stories from readers all over the world.
- Gave you 35 cubicle renegades to watch in 2012.
- Asked the tough questions like whether or not you should “follow your passion“.
I hope Pocket Changed has shown you that being an entrepreneur is not all rainbows and unicorns. You have to take some risks, get your hands dirty, and roll with the punches.
Goal #4 Status: Accomplished, but will never be finished.
So, Now What?
All that to say that I set out to accomplish four things when I started Pocket Changed and I feel confident in the fact that we could now “check all the boxes”.
But that doesn’t mean that this is the end of Pocket Changed or that I am quite ready to declare victory and move on.
Going into 2013 I’ll still be spending the majority of my time on my next big project with Corbett Barr and Chase Reeves: Fizzle: Honest Video Training for Online Business Builders (which launches publicly in January). BUT, there is still a lot in store for what Pocket Changed is and will become.
This is all about getting more focused, which as entrepreneurs is something I think we could all use a little bit more of.
I’ll leave what I have in store for Pocket Changed to a future post though. 
***
If you’ve made it this far through the post I’d love to hear from you in the comments about why you’ve followed Pocket Changed or what one of your favorite posts from the archives is.
(If you’ve never commented or reached out to me before, now is the best time!)
Photo via Bryan Rupp Photography
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats on all of the success Caleb!
Well deserved
David
Thanks David. I appreciate the support over the past two years.
I ran across one of your articles last year and promptly told my daughter in college to follow you. I felt you were giving sound advice that would inspire her instead of crush her spirit. The next I new she had a t-shirt shop linked to her website and she was on her way to making good decisions about her finances and her life. She did her first public speaking gig last week (her dream, my terror) and I’m confident with role models like you she will not only succeed but make the world a better place in the process. Thank You
As for me I’ve set aside six months next year to journey across Europe on horseback, fundraising for horse rescues and charities with my youngest daughter. We are following our passion so I’m sure we’ll be a huge success. You can follow us at http://www.journeyeurope.us . So thanks again for providing inspiration that comes with a path to success. I hope your next year is everything you want it to be.
Karen Hardy
karen@journeyeurope.us
Hey Karen! Congrats on the steps your daughter has taken to move closer to the life she desires and for the 6 month trip through Europe. Sounds like a blast.
Congrats on reaching your goals! I am new to your blog (one week new!) and am already learning a lot. My wife and I are married for one year a week from now. With being a husband comes the added responsibility of providing for the family. My wife is at home at the moment and expecting our 1st child! I have made a lot of mistakes in the past with regards to finances and am looking forward to learn a lot from someone like you.
I’m also an aspiring entrepreneur and it is great rubbing shoulders with others who are like-minded.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for commenting John. I’ve enjoyed our exchanges over email as well. Cheers!
Congratulations Caleb, Your advice is for anyone at any point in their financial and adventurous life – personally I love your balance of risk with adventure and your story of course.
What you’ve done with this space is show, not just tell – that the thing we want is within reach when we strive for it … oh and to quit avoiding getting shit done.
Happy New Year and best to you here and all things think traffic!!
Happy New Year to you as well Cindi! After being super safe for most of my life, living with a bit more risk has increased my happiness by more than I ever could have imagined. I highly recommend it.
Congrats on the 2 year anniversary! It’s been great to follow along and watch you and this blog evolve. The reason I follow Pocket Changed is to read about your experiences in business and in life.
Thanks Benny! I’ve appreciated all the support over the past two years. We’ll meet in person someday!
Congrats Caleb –
You defined a destination, overcome the obstacles you have encountered and having achieved your initial goals, reset your sails for the next part of the journey.
You cannot reach the other side of the sea unless you leave the shore.
Congrats!
Thanks Tim. Mapping out the journey is the easy part. Casting away is the hard part.
It is amazing to see how far you guys have come over the past two years. “Keep on keepin’ on!”
Blessing, mercy, and grace,
Dad and Judy
Thank you Dad.
This was an exciting read. As someone who just started his blog only a few months ago, it’s great to read this kind of success stories. I’d be glad if I make even one quarter of the progress you made in my first two years of my blog.
It really comes down to a few things Jarkko.
1. Figure out where you want to be.
2. Lay out a plan to get there.
3. Follow that plan as closely as possible.
4. Surround and connect yourself with as many awesome people as possible.
5. Get shit done.
my favourite post is actually the manifesto PDF. thanks for that!
Appreciate the response Paul.
I love this post, and the summary of your results. I’ve spent the last few weeks setting goals for 2013, but I’m now realizing that my list is made up of actions. It neglects purpose. If I were to modify my goals to represent the reason I want to do what I do, I think my plan would be more fluid (as my end-year results are always great, but rarely what I set out to do at the beginning of the year).
I’m going to keep this post handy and create a similar list. Thank you for the shift in perspective. And keep up the excellent work … Fizzle is my favorite!
Glad to help Lisa.
I think you are on the right track with goals though. The more action-oriented the better. Perhaps you just need to separately list WHY you have set all those goals and determine what your main missions/reasons for the year are.
I’m so glad I found your site today, it was a perfect post to fall into. My husband Derek (http://freeat33.com) hope you escape his day job too. Looking forward to getting to know you better at the PF meetup in Vegas in January.
Thanks for stopping by Mandy. Hope to meet you at the PF meet-up in Vegas.
Cheers!