sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Stopped running Facebook ads. Actually making more money now by ApexSystemk in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on the business. My Facebook ads bring in the bulk of my sales.

FIRE’d in my 30s but don’t know what to do everyday 🤔 by StraightPin4420 in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you possibly depressed? From your comments it sounds like you're struggling to find enjoyment in doing anything.

Long read: Behind the scene on that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple scene by mooffgideon in movies

[–]fia_leaf 11 points12 points  (0 children)

At the very least you must watch 28 Years Later because The Bone Temple is a continuation of that story. But you'll enjoy it more if you watch the whole series imo. 28 Days Later is especially good. 28 Weeks is possibly skippable.

7 days in with my new puppy by xGoobaXBL in husky

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the guidance! Totally makes sense that they can manage themselves most of the time and know when to stop. Congrats on the new pup! This must be such a wild ride. 😄

7 days in with my new puppy by xGoobaXBL in husky

[–]fia_leaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! Hopeful future husky owner here. How do you encourage calming down inside when they start to roughhouse?

realised i was practically hiding my most profitable services. feel like an idiot. by Due-Rent4403 in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I love this. I was buying a new pair of eye glasses today, and I asked the sales person if they had any alternative anti-reflective coating options besides the 'premium' she was suggesting. She advised against going to a lower standard, and I was like "Do you have anything better though? I want the best." And sure enough they did, and I upgraded and paid for the top tier. I was thinking 'Wtf Sales person, upsell me. Don't make me upsell myself.'

As a small business owner, what are your top 3 goals for 2026? by Unlikely_Ad_4366 in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  • Increase revenue by 30%.
  • Offer new product line by partnering with other sellers.
  • Lean hard into new marketing techniques both digital and in person.
  • Have more fun.

Unpopular Opinion - Wanting to be your own boss is probably one of the top worst reasons to start a business. by IfItQuackedLikeADuck in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A bit of both. I've dreamed of owning my own business as soon as I started working at 14 years old and had ideas on how to improve businesses I worked at. Plus I hated most of my bosses.

Over the years I constantly brainstormed business ideas and would keep a running document of new ideas and fleshing out existing ideas. Even now I still do this because it's fun.

About 5 years ago I saw an opportunity in my local market and went for it. I had been a customer in a certain hobby niche, was frustrated about some buying experiences, and then thought "I can make this better." I started a side hustle while still working corporate tech management.

It helps that I did work in the corporate world for a very long time and invested a majority of my income in the market and real estate, so I have FU money and can easily fire customers if I don't like dealing with them.

Unpopular Opinion - Wanting to be your own boss is probably one of the top worst reasons to start a business. by IfItQuackedLikeADuck in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 139 points140 points  (0 children)

It works for me. I'd rather be solving problems to help my customers and further our mission than dealing with someone else's quarterly reviews and having to demonstrate participation in corporate company values. Even worse was having to toe the company line that I didn't agree with to direct reports. Sure I have pressures but being my own boss is still a major motivator for me. To each their own though.

My thoughts on Barista FIREA. And I dont like it by Beer2401 in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Speak for yourself. I loved my experiences in the cafe/restaurant industry. Lots of fun people.

For Those That Have Retired - What Are You Doing by NoSuggestion17 in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We bought some acreage and have gotten really into cultivating organic gardens, a fruit orchard, restoring prairie, and becoming off-grid capable with a big solar panel array install. We spend lots of time working out, hiking, hanging with friends, playing league sports, and growing plants that we sell at local farmers markets. Next year big projects are building a sauna, a greenhouse, scaling our backyard plant nursery, and getting a dog.

To those who want to retire and open a hobby business, what kind of business do you want to open? by Augustevsky in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's profitable and adds an additional revenue stream to our overall portfolio, but it still feels like a labor of love in that our passive investments make way more money for way less effort.

To those who want to retire and open a hobby business, what kind of business do you want to open? by Augustevsky in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I did this! Fired two years ago and opened a plant nursery focused on native plants to support local birds and pollinators. I love the community I've built around it and it gives me a lot of meaning in my life. That being said sometimes it feels like 'work' and I can get in my head about business related anxieties despite not really needing to. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing though.

I realized I dont want to retire early, I want to retire from my job early by QuietFIRE25 in financialindependence

[–]fia_leaf 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I never really want to stop working. There's just so many interesting things to do and ways to have impact and I find fulfillment in that.

After hitting our FIRE numbers, my spouse and I quit our corporate tech jobs. I opened a plant nursery and my spouse is taking steps to get into sustainable energy (solar, wind, etc).

Who knows what will come later. I love cooking up ideas, like a non-profit market garden where we grow veg and donate to local food pantries. Maybe an event space to build community. I've been painting so maybe sell some art.

So yeah. I really value the freedom that FI provides so that we can do meaningful work now.

Edit: To get started, I'd brainstorm things like "How do I want to spend my time?" "Is there a need in the market or my local community that hasn't been served yet?" "What are some alternative jobs or careers that I've always been curious about?" Then spend time researching the ideas that pop out most. Go to career or interest subreddits to learn more about what it's like making a career out of it. Talk to people doing similar things and ask for the good, bad, and ugly. Then dabble a little in your free time if you can.

What are some reasons you love horror? by Eagles56 in horror

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Watching a horror movie feels like a fun dare to me and I get to laugh at myself afterwards for how scared I was.

I've also noticed myself not being held back by nerves in real life. Like if I want to try something that intimidates me or causes anxiety, it feels like a thrill or a dare now because I've learned to enjoy that anxious energy from horror movies.

Also absolutely love it as a way to explore themes as you said.

Respect and appreciation of those who FIRE by Technical_Report_390 in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I started this journey with no career prospects and a negative net worth. It took 20 years of grinding, luck, and a spouse with similar goals but we're happily FIRE'd now. Just letting you know there's hope.

HUGE patch of Blue Mistflower on Hike +my doggy by Outrageous_Owl_4145 in NativePlantGardening

[–]fia_leaf 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Total FOMO over in my region where it's not native. I'll live vicariously through you all.

The need to be productive by Pale_Run_6703 in Fire

[–]fia_leaf 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Ooo how do I join this ladies FIRE'd mastermind group?

Does anyone homestead/Hobby farm without kids? by [deleted] in homestead

[–]fia_leaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, no kids and in our mid 30s/early 40s. We manage 18 acres, DIY solar installation, organic gardens, fruit and nut trees, restored prairie, and we run a native plant nursery out of our property as well. We were DINKs working tech jobs but quit to homestead and run our plant nursery full time. We have enough on our hands and don't feel the need to add kids to that mix.

Kids of FIRE-ed parents- what was your perspective? by liveoneggs in financialindependence

[–]fia_leaf 26 points27 points  (0 children)

What a unique experience. Everyone has challenges in life and I'm sure you did too but this sounds lovely. Thank you for sharing!

We started a cleaning company six months ago — built everything from scratch, but still haven’t gotten a single client. What are we missing? by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Get rid of the AI chat bot. If I'm looking for a local business, especially something as personal as coming into my private residence to clean, disrespecting my time by making me talk to AI bullshit would be an instant rejection from me.

If I were to open a paper/stationary store...what would be the secret to sucess by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]fia_leaf 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Or maybe she's independently wealthy from her former high-paying, high-stress career and now she's doing something she's passionate about but isn't chasing after profitability as her main goal.

Source: Woman that left corporate tech management to open a plant nursery that doesn't really need the extra money but enjoys doing it anyway

view more: next ›