First Indoor Ride in a LONG time...

I can't begin to explain how crazy my dreams have been lately. They are the type of dreams that are so good you look forward to going to sleep and entering that other world.

It's weird, I remember them kind of when I wake up. Some I try to go back to sleep to get back into the action.

Last nights was a good one, it involved Matty O, Heather, Alice, me and many others and a full party bus that was groundhog day. It seemed that it was one party, go to bed, wake up, same party situation, go to sleep and repeat. It had something to do with work and just before I woke up the partying was so much that I was concerned that people would recognize I was wearing the same clothes and we were running out of time for me to even wet my hair so it wasn't bed head. I felt bad for Alice, she was in the same position as me.

Weird dream.

The day before was also as wacky but can't remember it now.

Last night was a late night. I was on the phone with Atul, my finance guy until 12:15 am. He finally tapped out and said he had to go, he has a real job in the morning he has to be up for. I had not clue the time I was too into the spreadsheet.

It's strange how you meet people. They somehow appear when you need them. I've met so many off twitter. In Atul's case about 4 months ago I posted on Kijiji, which is like an online ebay classifieds or  Craigslist looking for a finance guy to do budget modelling. Not accounting, but finance modelling.

I was looking for a special type of person. Basically your Anderson Consulting type guy.

Within 30 minutes of posting, I got an email and within 2 hours I was on the phone with Atul. His skills are amazing. He's only 31 years old, MBA and a whole bunch of other letters behind his name, I can't even keep track, and has done financial modelling for one of the largest telecoms in India and now a very large corporation in Canada. We laugh because he had never before looked at Kijiji for part time work and it was the first and only time. His background was the exact one I was looking for.

Since that fateful call, we have done over 300 hours of financial modelling and what ifs together. I've shown people the level of work we have done and they are blown away. Essentially I can change any business assumption and it changes the financial statement. It's amazing how incredible this is. You have no idea how much I've tried different alternatives and one that I did as a joke and was counter intuitive was actually a major home run. On gut feel you would never have thought it was even a strategy.

So here I am, I'm pretty much done the numbers. Well kind of. All day today I was pouring threw them, just to make sure they all added up. When you deal with complexity at that level it's great, but you have to make sure it's QA'd and the numbers all work. I only found one error and it had to do with printing. Something I had been in for over 25 years. What irony.

Just to put things in perspective, just by changing the model with respect to a sales approach we were able to reduce the amount of money we need to raise by $1 million USD.

It keeps me coming back to the numbers. Is there a strategy I'm missing that could work?

So now after near 3-months of working day and night and weekends on my plan for DW I'm ready to raise the money and get started. I just haven't put a plan together, I've validated it. I even have a major company ready to sign up and a number of others wanting to keep the dialogue going and get others in the organization involved. The funny thing is I don't even have an app built yet. It's just an idea. I've sold the entire concept off a presentation deck.

So here's the rub....I'm bored. I have nothing left to do, until I raise all the money. It's the most strange feeling I've ever had. Actually it's a feeling I've never had. I've always been in implementation and make things happen from an organizational level. I like building businesses from the trenches.

The upside is I have the plan ready and when all the money is raised there is no question what I'm doing. It's like having the architects drawings of a building. Follow the plan.

It's been a great experience going through the process. I got accepted into an accelerator. I've learned so much about Angel and VC investing and what is required. Reality is these guys are pretty smart and sharp and they do not separate with their money quickly. They challenge, and it only makes the plan better.

Like I said, it's been great, but now I'm ready to get back to what I do best. Make things happen and scale a business. I have the dominos lined up and I feel like a caged tiger. I just want to be let loose.

Frankly I want to grow this and not have to go back to fundraising. It's not really fun. Don't get me wrong, it's not over yet and I'm dreading it, but know it's the necessary evil. It's kind of like a presidential campaign, there is a lot of hoops to jump through. It does make the plan better, but I'm ready to get into the oval office and start working.

It's been an emotional roller coaster of sorts and I think for some, primarily Canadians, I'm a little over the top. I've always built my businesses in the US, because Canada has been to conservative and slow moving, and I feel American when it comes to business. Americans are more of risk takers and bet on people at the end of the day. An aggressive, get things done, over the top type person doesn't scare them.

I guess I could equate this to Ironman too. There is those that want to do an Ironman and they take sometimes years to pull the trigger. They read all about it. They talk to everyone about it. They analyze what is involved from every angle. If they do sign up they are the people that are in bed early, that are strict with their diets and prior to the race know everything about it and immerse themselves in it.

Me on the other hand. If I think about it. Can visualize it. I sign up immediately. No hesitation. I know that having the goal and with the pressure of race day and the goal, you naturally will just figure it out. I don't pysch myself out. I don't sweat the small stuff. I know the 20% of the stuff you NEED to do to get 80% of the results. Oh, and I can't tell you how many Ironman's I showed up to, I think ALL, and didn't know much if anything about the course. In all cases I'm at the beginning of the swim, on the beach and asking those around me if it's clockwise or counter clockwise and one loop or two.

Americans get that. Canadians are much more conservative and cautious. I guess that's why when the financial crisis hit, Canada was pretty safe because they didn't do many bad loans. For me it's a little frustrating and I'm now primary focused on raising the money I need from the U.S. Mind you the exchange rate is pretty darn good for Americans now. It's basically a 20% discount.

So instead of sweating things, I'm really trying to do something I've never done before, enjoy the moment and let things fall where they may. To cope I'm feeling great about my renewed motivation and am again looking forward to training.

Today was the first day I rode my bike indoors in I can't even remember how long ago.

It was kind of cool. It felt like old time. Other than I have the hairiest and woolliest legs I have ever had. I don't even recognize them and even if I wanted to, with my broken hand I could shave them regardless.

Got a good sweat. I forgot how much you sweat on an indoor trainer. I did remember to set up a fan which definitely helped.

I woke up this morning, down some weight. Put a smile on my face, 20 lbs to go. It will happen.

Good day.

Bike Ride - 1:02 / 28 km
205.2 lbs