Have you ever hit rock bottom?

I sure have. Let me tell you a little bit about what my rock bottom looked like. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a pilot. I started taking flying lessons at 13, took my first solo flight at 16, and earned my pilot’s license on my 17th birthday.

I got a job with Spirit Airlines and was living my dream. Married and with our second child on the way, I showed up to work on September 11, 2001… and realized that my life was about to change in a big way.

After the planes crashed into the twin towers, the American public was scared – and especially scared of flying. Spirit put me on furlough and I went home.

I felt absolute despair and panic about my situation. But rather than give up, I started to explore my options.

Desperate to earn a paycheck and support my family, I began to start online businesses using the resources that I had at my disposal. My father taught a course on earning your builder’s license, and I asked him if I could sell his materials as an online course; he agreed. I created CDs and a website, priced my product at $99, and couldn’t believe it when I made my first sale within a week! And the sales kept coming.

We also kept growing, adapting our materials to meet the requirements of each state. Of course, the online landscape at that time was different. Websites could be simple and to the point, and our system was able to be fully automated without requiring an expensive staff.

Now, websites require much more thought and effort. You have to consider if you have the right copy, messaging, colors, and layout – the entire process is scientific, and competition is rampant.

Even though I was very much back on my feet with my new venture, every entrepreneur knows that there are ups and downs. In 2008, the housing market crashed. No one was interested in getting their contractor’s license, and we lost 50% of our sales.

It was time to expand our staff and bring on a sales team, adding the human element to drumming up business. But how could I train a sales team if I didn’t know anything about sales myself? So I started my sales education, learning from the masters via CDs and books; Robert Cialdini was extremely influential. We brought on sales expert Mike Kaplan to train the sales team – and me.

Our live sales teams now generate 50% of the revenue for our companies. 

The hard truth is that change is inevitable. These days, you have to be willing to adapt and change faster than ever before. New technology, new concepts, and new ideas are surfacing at an alarming rate, and startup costs are dropping. It’s easy to get left behind if you don’t evolve.

For several years, starting and running my businesses took up all of my time, focus, and energy. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. But my passion is still aviation.

I was lucky to not have to give up on my dream of being a pilot. After becoming connected to some high-net-worth individuals, I was approached to fly them around the world on their private jets on a part-time basis. I have managed to run successful companies and still travel and pursue my true love of flying.

What had become a hobby for me turned back into a source of income, as well as a major networking and personal development opportunity.

No matter how far down your rock bottom may feel, and how far you may stray from your dreams, if you remain committed to finding a way, if you keep learning, and keep adapting, you can find your way back. You may even reach higher highs than you had previously experienced.

I know I did.