When I first embarked on this entrepreneurial roller coaster, I gave myself a nine-month runway. The goal? Make it work or go back to the drawing board before my family's financial health took a hit. We’re now in month five, and I'm happy to report that our net worth has not dropped. However... and there's always a however, isn't there? I completely underestimated the wild ride between month one and five.

Take July, for example. Our bank account hit a low that I hadn’t seen in a long time—like "if the mortgage had been due that week, we were going negative" low. Naturally, this triggered a bit of a mental spiral. I mean, it wasn’t too long ago that I’d reached the sweet spot of being able to put the mortgage and credit cards on autopay without sweating it. But there I was, staring at the bank balance like a deer in headlights.

Cue panic attack. Fun times.

Luckily, once I stopped hyperventilating into a paper bag, I remembered that I actually had a plan in place. But planning is the easy part. Execution? Well, as Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." And boy, did my bank account feel like it took an uppercut.

For a natural saver like me, it's tough to start drawing down on accounts that I’ve worked so hard to build up. Watching the numbers dwindle after years of sacrifice... let's just say it stings. But you know what? This month, I decided to give myself a raise. That’s right. I had a serious one-on-one with myself and, after some tough negotiation, we decided I was worth more than I was getting paid. Am I drawing a full-on living wage yet? Nope. But I’ve already booked another performance review for next month. Wish me luck.

Sometimes I think about whether I should have started this journey earlier, back when I had fewer responsibilities. But then again, hindsight’s 20/20, right? Sure, I could’ve hustled my way through the challenges, but I also would've taken the long scenic route. The benefit of waiting is that I’ve had years to soak in all kinds of information on entrepreneurship, which means I’m more prepared to execute (even if it feels like a slap in the face some days).

In the end, I suppose things happen when they’re supposed to. So, here’s to five months down and the rest of the ride ahead.