If you're struggling, read this.

Sacrifice and struggle are often a precursor to the life you want.

I was going to post about bootstrapping—starting and building a company without funding—today. But while I was writing, I realized that the story is more than that.

Yes, if you want to bootstrap a company, you’re going to have to sacrifice, and you’re probably going to struggle.

Building Accelity, I barely paid myself for years.

I bought a sinking duplex in front of a water tower to live in half and rent out the other half, which paid the full mortgage and eliminated housing expenses.

Before you say “but how did you buy a duplex?” here’s the answer: it was a short sale, $100k, and required 3.5% down. I understood the benefit of spending that money upfront to eliminate rent in the long run.

When my expanding family was going to outgrow the little duplex, I moved into the living room.

We sold a nice car and bought a (very) cheap seafoam green Toyota for cash. My son almost immediately spilled milk in the back seat and we could never get rid of the smell.

We practiced “no spend” months, which is a month in which you buy nothing but necessities. Groceries, gas, that’s pretty much it. These months included zero trips to Target. Painful. 😂

And still, there were multiple times where I couldn’t even make payroll when I removed myself from it. I drained my savings. I transferred balances on credit cards to keep just a little bit of cash—twice. (Yes, in hindsight, what I needed was to actually USE my line of credit. Live and learn.)

I kept going.

This is the thing: my story is not uncommon.

Most people sacrifice in many ways to have the life they want.

Just these past few weeks, I’ve talked to:

A friend who had a rough first marriage and finally found happiness.

A woman who is struggling to grow her company amidst some major personal changes—but she’s determined to keep going.

A friend who is trying to grow her family with very little help.

A professional connection that’s suffering from a lot of employee turnover and working relentlessly to retain employees amidst the “Great Resignation.”

A family member who suffered personal trauma and is still, 10 years later, trying to recover and create the life he wants.

A woman whose partner backed out from their business with very little notice, leaving her to pick up the pieces alone.

If you’re sacrificing and going through it, know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Keep taking care of your mind and body. Keep trying. Keep working hard.

You are not alone, and you can do this.