The Hustleman Chronicles

The Stress (99 Problems)

2007-06-03T01:56:00.000-04:00

This is your Blogmaster The Hustleman, AKA James W.D., AKA Shai hitting you all off with a quick post for this week. Sorry, haven’t been inspired to write lately. Not sure why… well that’s not true. This has been a looong week for me. Business was slow, old customers checking in which was cool, a few of them I haven’t seen in awhile. Even a couple others I haven’t seen in years.

One of my ex-girls has her share of drama going on, which kind of becomes my drama because I do care about her so I try to have her back. But then I realize I may just be more of an interference than a help. So I decided to step off and let her do her, feel me? Makes me feel like shit for trying to care.

I have haters in my face constantly, most of them smiling and trying to chat it up with me, but I can see something behind their fake ass grin. I guess they’re thinking, “Damn, is he ever gonna fall off?” My response would be, “No!”

I mean damn! I collect haters (it let’s me know I’m making progress), but work with me ya’ll. Hate me from a distance. I hate snakes. But it’s cool, I can keep a close eye on you all.

My plans for the M2 project are completely off track. A little frustrating but I can’t let that stop me from pushing forward. Gotta keep it moving, always.

I have females in my ear all wanting something. Time, attention, probably some dick but I can’t give it to them, sorry. Unless you’re helping me to build my empire do what I want the haters to do… keep your distance. Is it just me or do I always seem to run into selfish females? Yeah I Hustle, but things do get rough from time to time. Are you REALLY going to be there when that happens? That Fam, is the million dollar question. Because when things get rough for you, best accept the fact I’ll be there. I’m all about giving and receiving, but if you’re just taking then you can take yourself somewhere else. Kick rocks.

I have cops scoping me with hard-on’s; they want to fuck me. Why? Because I’m not in line with their system? Eh… whatever. You got killers, rapists, pedophiles, drug dealers and all that shit going on but yet you want to fuck with me. My boy Tee calls me Osama. I feel like a wanted man and I haven’t done anything to anybody.

People I know are getting knocked (locked up) left and right. The Game they’re in put a serious strain on them so they made some dumb mistakes.

Everyone around me seems broke (even a few Hustlers I know) so they’re coming to me for hand-outs. But where were you all when I needed one (not talking about you Mz. Mental)? The only stand up dudes I know are New York and the god, the rest of you all are on some bullshit. Where’s the integrity? How are you all playing the Game? Get right! For real.

My personal life is lacking, not complaining though, I made it that way. But it’s getting old. On top of that my sex life is sub-par.

I’m surrounded by people but yet I feel alone. One of my mentors, Zar, told me about this. I see what he’s talking about now.

And you know what Fam? The great truth and the reality behind it all is that I’m responsible for all of this. It’s the reality I made and it’s stressful. Somewhere in all of this I got off track so it’s time to put things back in order.

Don’t misread me. I’m a very blessed person, but everything is just not in line with the ultimate purpose for my life at the moment. And hey, things could be much worse.

So I’m counting my blessings and preparing to make some adjustments in my life and of course you all will be along for the ride Fam. Until next week, stay up!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman. Why? Because every business is a “Game” and every “Game” has rules. If you know the rules it’s easier to win.

CLICK HERE to find out more.

A Rant From Your Hustleman: Relationships etc.

2007-05-27T05:57:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam! How goes it? Your Hustleman is doing well and sitting up at 4am with some things on his mind so he decided to ink out these thoughts for you. Lately, for some reason, I’ve been ending up in conversations about Black Man and Black Woman relationships. Now I’m no expert on the subject but I damn sure can speak from a Black Man’s perspective.

When I was at Uptown Comedy Club, here in downtown Atlanta, listening to comedian Teddy Carpenter he brought up a few good points which I passed on to my favorite Lady who was there with me at the time.

One of the better points he brought up was that no man wants his girlfriend or wife in girlfriend or wife “mode” ALL the time. A man needs a good friend, someone not always trying to check him and watch and try to control his every move. A woman who when the car is broke down and you’re under the hood, she’s right there with you looking under the hood. When you see a big ass walking by you can say, “Damn baby. Look! Doesn’t that woman have a big ass?” and her reply is, “Yeah, she does have a big ass!”

Yeah they were jokes but you could see the light bulbs come on over the Ladies heads that were present. Most of the men were is total agreement. And this brings me to my realization or introspection if you will.

For a large part of my adult life I’ve struggled with maintaining a relationship with a woman. Most of the time, to be quite honest, I just lost interest. Once the interest was gone my mind and emotions were gone with it. The results of course were arguments, petty fights and squabbles because things had changed. Some things you can’t hide (not that I ever tried to).

When I was younger I went through all that “I’m a player” bullshit. Trying to fuck any and everything that opened its legs, just because I could. Once I got grown I realized I was wasting ALOT of time (and money I didn’t have). I mean seriously, what does pussy really do to advance your life? Sure you feel like you accomplished something (and in a way you did especially if it was hard to get), you can brag and boast to your boys about who you fucked and what you did to her but other than that what did you gain?

Once I got around True Hustlers I saw that most of them had very strict guidelines when it came to dealing with women. Simply put: Money over pussy, all the time.

Their logic was that by taking care of yourself and your home first the pussy would come to you; and even then it had to wait until after the business was taking care of. After all, what woman wants a man that’s not at least trying to better himself? She’ll lose interest eventually. No man or woman in their right mind wants to be with a bum. We can all do bad by ourselves, right?

On the other end are my natural desires as a man. I mean I love my Black Women; in all shapes, sizes and hues. As long as they look good with what they got, they’ll catch my attention. But once the conversation starts I look for intellect. Simple minded women turn me off; I gives a damn how good you look! Anyway, back on point…

So in searching for a woman I look for a friend. I mean a real friend. Someone who’s not always nagging. Someone who will let me watch a football game in peace or even watch it with me. Someone who knows damn sure that when a big ass walks by I’m going to turn my head and take a look. I respect you’re there Babygirl; I’m peeking, not staring.

My point is, I’m a man, let me be a man. If something I do bothers you then bring it to my attention in a way a friend would, not with all the attitude. Talk to me, don’t bitch at me.

No, you can’t have all my time and attention, I’ll give you as much as I can but there’s other things in my life that need my time and attention also.

Cook every once in awhile and make the food with love. Do it because you want to. Hell, I’ll even buy everything you need to hook it up.

Don’t be scared of the dick! You should suck it without me having to ask because you won’t have to ask me to return the favor.

Just because I missed your phone call doesn’t mean I’m out with another woman. I mean sometimes I do fall asleep, I work hard. And if we don’t live together, you’re not going to see me everyday. I’ll reach for you Babygirl when the business is taken care of.

Can we just chill out and enjoy each others company without having to go over every single detail of what I’m thinking about and why?

Yes, I do look at life different, especially relationships with other people. My thoughts and the way I do things come from another era. An era where directness in your communication counted for something. If you can’t meet me halfway or are willing to compromise on a few points, then we really don’t need to be together. I know you have a “wall” up around your heart because you don’t want to be hurt (and I do too). But don’t expect me to jump through hoops to prove my worth, feel me?

I overstand (stand over not under) that you may not be used to men like myself but damn, ride with it for a little while and see if this is for you.

When I look back at the majority of my relationships I realized that I lost interest in them because what I was looking for wasn’t there. It was there in the beginning, but when we put those “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” titles on, things changed. I lost my friend somewhere in that transition. Now I’m stuck with a whining, complaining, nagging, “Why can’t you read my mind?”, emotional wreck. Who wants to be around that all the time?

My reaction? “You’re stressing me baby, I need a little room to breath!”

Let me back up a bit. I’m not categorizing ALL my sisters out there, just SOME of the ones I’ve run across.

Alright, thanks for reading that. Like I said, I just had to get that off my mind. I’m always up for feedback, so if my female readers wish to add their perspective then leave a comment and holla at me. I would love to hear them.

Be good Fam, until next week. For those that celebrate on Monday, enjoy yourself. Do it big!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman. Why? Because every business is a “Game” and every “Game” has rules. If you know the rules it’s easier to win. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Reachin' And Living Lovely

2007-05-20T05:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome Fam, this is your Blogmaster AKA The Hustleman coming at you from the sunny cityscapes of Atlanta, Georgia. I’m going to keep this post short because basically I’m just enjoying life at the moment. Yeah, there’s a lot going on in the life of your favorite Hustler (now that I think about it, when is something NOT going on with me lol?) which I’ll start getting into next week. But for these last couple of weeks I’ve been taking it easy on the work tip and have been just enjoying life.

Sometimes I be on my Grind so hard I forget to enjoy the fruits of my labors (sometimes I can be a stubborn work-a-holic). I think most of us do. We get trapped in that robotic way of living. Wake up, work, sleep, take care of your family and fit a little time in for yourself when you FIND the time... wash, rinse, repeat. And in searching for that "me-time" we usually come up short. Either we don’t find it, or it’s so little time it flies by before you can blink. Then it’s back to the boring routine all over again. What kind of life is that? Damn, can I live?

So the rule goes: Don’t complain, change it!

Now me, myself, took a mini-vacation and have been out and about. The weather’s been lovely for the most part so I’ve been stepping out fresh and hitting the town.

Atlanta is an interesting city. Not as interesting as say, New York, but none the less summer and spring time is where it’s at! There’s always something going on. Whatever your tastes and whatever lane you run in, you can find something your speed.

I’m not much of a club person (although I do like the strip clubs), so I find other things to get into. Plus the club scene is a little crazy out here lately. People getting shot up and what not, so the best way to avoid a bullet is not to be there, feel me? About 3 weeks ago two young Black men got shot in the back of the head by the police of all people. They weren’t armed and posed no threat. What the fuck is up with these cops out here? They’re shooting at anything… even an 80 year old woman about 2 months ago… moving on…

So your Hustleman grabbed his favorite young Lady and has been doing it big. Dining at “Glady’s Knight Chicken and Waffles”, running through the Sweet Auburn Fest (a Black celebration) downtown.

Hitting up the sushi bar at Atlantic Station, which is for all you Ballers (big spenders) out there. Atlantic Station is built like its own little village; livable lofts and studio apartments on top of all the shops and restaurants. It’s has a cool vibe and a laid back atmosphere, imagine about 8 square blocks with a parking deck underneath and its own movie theatre and grocery store. I highly recommend it if you come out here for a visit.

I’ve also been jettin’ through the south side, the south west side and all through Clayton County getting my eat on. Trying new food dishes and desserts (within reason) just because that’s what I want to do.

I took in a couple of movies instead of checking out the bootleg copy. I’ve kicked it with my fellow Hustlers on their blocks just to politic with them and share life stories.

I took a stop at the Uptown Comedy Club, in downtown, to watch Teddy Carpenter who was headlining and that brother did his thing. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Check for him on BET’s Comic View and “Puff Daddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy”. He’s a genius in my opinion, almost up there with Katt Williams… almost.

I’ve been burning up $3.00 a gallon gas, but fuck it. I’ve been spending over my usual budget, but fuck it. That’s why I Grind (work) right? And everything feels damn good!

No clock to punch (yes, Hustler’s do “punch a clock” – we create our own work schedule’s), no whining from the customers and the workers, well I kept it to a minimum anyway; just laying cool in chill mode. Moving how I want to when I want to.

So enjoy the week ahead Fam because for me, mini-vacation is over and it’s time to get back on The Grind. But I’m well rested, laced with energy and ready to get back into doing what I do.

And despite everything that surrounds you Fam, please remember to take a moment out for yourself every once in awhile or you just might lose yourself, feel me? Peace!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn The Game. CLICK HERE.

Tales From The Block: The Unwritten Rule

2007-05-13T06:50:00.000-04:00

Peace to the Fam! It’s your one and only Hustleman back again to let you know what’s going on in a world that’s just beneath the world you live in. Some coined it The Underworld. There are many different layers in it but its all done in plain sight but out of view to those that don’t know what to look for.

It’s funny because America itself was built on criminal activities (Does The Wild West ring any bells? How about the early 1900’s?) and by using loop holes in the system that they devised (and this is still going on today). Now when you or I use these same techniques and means of acquiring wealth we’re looked at as a shameful unproductive member of society.

So here I am in the grocery store looking at rows and rows of Lottery tickets and people in line trying to “Play the Numbers”. Then I look back at history when we were doing the same thing using the stock market totals. We were locked up and shut down. Now in modern times this is all legal. Go figure…

I’m not advocating illegal activity; I’m just making a point. Some people want their hand in everything, and if they can’t do it, it’s wrong. They shut it down, flip it and bring it back so it’s legal… same Game just with different rules. They get the money now, you don’t get shit.

One rule of the Game that has never changed is INTEGRITY. I’m talking about being a man or woman of your word at all times. Some people get it, some don’t and those that don’t never quite get what they want. Maybe a quick fix, but nothing that will last.

In a world where everything is temporary we should be making every effort to have things last as long as possible, especially our relationship with people. After all, no matter what you do or how you do it, other people will be involved in it one way or another.

Now, if you’ve been reading my Blog you know that my Hustling partner is named New York. We eat of these streets, meaning we hold no job; we live off what our businesses produce.

New York is well known, loved and hated at the same time. He’s put many people in “The Game” and when things are good they all smile and laugh. When things get rough they run to New York for help or a hand out. When things completely fall apart for them, well… let me explain.

Fat boy, as New York calls him, was one of the dude’s New York schooled in the ways of Hustling. I’ve met and chatted with Fat Boy on plenty of occasions. Can’t say I really liked him all that much but he respected what I do so I returned that respect. Once New York and I became cool, I accepted him as one of New York’s people. Don’t get it twisted, I never took Fat Boy as a friend and I never kicked it with him. Certain people I just don’t vibe with, feel me? Moving on…

So Fat Boy is a family man, he has a Baby Mama and 2 young children. They lived together in College Park, GA on section 8. And Fat Boy also turned out to be a Part-Time Hustler. Know what I mean? Fat Boy would only Hustle when he needed to and sometimes not even then. He also held no job so it was only a matter of time before the shit would hit the fan.

New York receives a call on his cell phone at around 9am one morning. No big deal, New York is an early person; he’s sitting at his kitchen table drinking coffee at this point in his day. On the other end of the line is Fat Boy crying out for help. Seems he has just been evicted from his apartment so now he, his Baby Mama and 2 kids have no place to go.

He wanted New York to come swing by in his truck and pick up everything he possibly could off the lawn; all his furniture and belongings. New York lives alone, so I guess he didn’t feel there would be an issue if Fat Boy stored his things over at New York’s place.

New York, being the kind of person that he is, agreed and rushed over. What did he see outside the apartment? A couple Fulton County Sheriff cars which of course would draw unwanted attention to himself. He honked the horn at Fat Boy and kept on driving. Fat Boy was confused and a little pissed off so he called New York on his cell phone. New York told Fat Boy that despite his situation, he couldn’t help him with his belongings while the cops were there. There was a personal reason also which escapes me as I write this, sorry Fam…

New York called up Fat Boy’s cousin and told him to help his little cousin out. His cousin already knew the deal and felt the same as New York. HOW THE HELL CAN YOU LOSE A SECTION 8 APARTMENT?

Rent is what? At the most $100.00 a month (more likely under $50.00), plus gas and electric for a whopping grand total of say… $200.00, probably less. New York and Fat Boy’s cousin were both confused and a little pissed. How can you call yourself a Hustler but can’t pay $200.00 a month in bills? Shit, you can make that in one day plus some.

Once the furniture situation was taken care of, the next request from Fat Boy to New York was to let him, his Baby Mama and 2 kids stay with him for a couple of days. New York thought this had to be a joke! Once he found out it wasn’t, he agreed to a compromise. Fat Boy could stay a couple nights with New York but not his family.

The next day was work day. I was already at the spot and finally New York showed up with Fat Boy riding shotgun. Fat Boy was playing “worker” that day, helping New York sell products on commission so he could have a little change in his pocket.

That’s a rule: When one of your people goes down; you have to help them get back on their feet.

That night things went normal at New York’s place. New York woke up in the AM, left his apartment, went to get his coffee, stopped to buy some scratch off Lottery tickets and put his Lotto numbers in for the day. He then met up to see one of his Ladies for a moment and headed back home to get ready for work. He went into his apartment and what did he find? Or better said, what did he NOT find?

Missing was a fresh quarter bag of weed on his kitchen table. Plus more that was stashed in his spare bedroom. He went into his room and found some other items missing. None of the big stuff was taken. The computer was still there, both his televisions and all his music equipment. Two plus two equals four, so New York called up Fat Boy on his cell phone because he was nowhere to be found.

Fat Boy’s defense was he didn’t know about any of that. Maybe somebody broke in after he left. New York knew better, if someone wanted some serious money they would have taken the big ticket items, not the little stuff you can quickly sell off on the street.

Rest of the story short, Fat Boy bit the hand that was feeding him and so now he’s starving, feel me? Integrity is rarer than diamonds, especially on the streets, which is why I limit my interactions with a lot of people.

I have trust issues no doubt, but it’s because of reasons just like the story above. One moment you’re helping someone and the next, that someone is helping themselves by taking from you (or using you). The unwritten rules we Hustlers live by are very simple and are in place for a reason. But in the end, only the True’s live and work by them. Me personally, I never deal with people without intergrity. See you next week Fam, have a fabulous one. Much love!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn this thing we call “The Game”. CLICK HERE.

A Hustleman Introspection: The Rose And Sybolisms

2007-05-06T02:44:00.000-04:00

Peace and blessings Fam! I’m amazed at how time is flying past us. I looked up and Bam! It was May already. I don’t know about you but my year has been pretty good so far. A few bumps here and there but hey, what’s life without those? It makes you appreciate the good times even more.

So after my encounter with Robocop it’s back to business as usual. I’ve been taking it a little bit easy over the last couple weeks. I’ve also been hell of irritable. Just a lot of things on my mind and a lot of things on other people minds that find their way to me. After hearing so much negativity it does begin to weigh on you after awhile. It’s all good though, it just comes with the lifestyle I chose. I just consider it Boss training; skills I’ll need in the future, feel me? Your Hustleman stays on point regardless.

On a more serious note, it’s getting REAL out here in America Fam! Have you heard what happened in Philadelphia? Welfare has been significantly cut down. Damn near cut off completely. Families are living in tents out there! Take it from me, this is just a small sign of things to come.

They’re slowly working to cut down welfare here in Georgia also. It’s going to get to the point of either you have it, or you don’t. No more middle-class… then again that’s already happening to an extent now isn’t it?

In this weeks post we're going to get off the "street" stories for a moment and briefly cover symbolisms. I like to get deep every once in awhile so walk with me for a few minutes if you would.

There are symbols all around us and many of us have no clue that they are there and what they signify. Take the Exxon (the gasoline company) logo for instance. The two X’s in the name are crossed in such a way as to make a double cross. For those that don’t know, the double cross is a religious symbol.

Take “Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital”, familiar with that one? There are two paths in Freemasonry also called rites; both take you to 33 degrees (which coincidently is 1 degree above freezing if you’re counting temperature by the “F” not the “C”). One of these rites (paths of advancement) is called the Scottish rite. I’ll let you put the rest together.

Have you ever seen a dome? Of course you have, it’s considered one of the strongest structures. In ancient times a dome represented a woman’s breast; a symbol of fertility.

How about a Sheriff’s star (Sheriff as in law enforcement)? Sheriff badges usually use a circle surrounded by 6 points. In effect this is a 6 pointed star which strangely enough, has many religious meanings. One of which being the symbol of a man. Top point is the head, the two side points are the arms, the two lower points are the legs and the final bottom point in the middle represents the penis. By the way, the upright 5-pointed star (not the upside-down one) represents the woman; top point head, two points for the arms, two for the legs and the womb is represented by the center of the two bottom points.

So what does all this have to do with anything? Just letting you know to stop taking things on face value. There are symbols all around us and people place these symbols there for a reason. If you don’t know, then you just don’t know. And they’re not going to tell you either, at least with my people (that’s another subject).

To quote The Capt.: “Question everything, that’s where the truth resides!”

Anyway… on to the symbol I would like to cover in this post; the rose. We all know the basics: A red rose symbolizes love, white for peace, pink for passion, and yellow for friendship. But did you know that the rose, as an ancient symbol (pre-organized religion), had an entirely different meaning? Let’s look at that for a moment.

The stem of a rose is covered in thorns. The stem represents the journey of life. The thorns themselves symbolize struggle, hardship and sacrifice.

As we go through life we travel up the stem of the rose facing all the hardships until we finally make it to the flower portion of the rose; where the beauty resides.

Simply said, if you can survive and push past all the struggle and strife, your life will be one of beauty. Like a rose opening up in the sunlight.

Many people never get to see the beauty their life can become. They never make it past the thorns. They figure hardship after hardship is just what life is about; there can’t be anything else. They mistakenly stay stagnant and never move forward (or up the stem) to arrive at the beauty. I hope this isn’t you!

No matter how bleak and hard things seem, just keep it moving. As long as you can keep enduring you will eventually push past all the bullshit and arrive at a place of love and peace. There’s more to it of course, but that’s the just of it.

I just wanted to pass along a little inspiration to my blog Fam because I know it’s seems hard out here and it also seems like it’s not getting any better. Keep your head up though; keep it moving and keep it simple, always. Be good all and remember the rose.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn The Game. CLICK HERE.

Caught Red Handed (Or Just Hated On)...? PART 2

2007-04-29T00:08:00.000-04:00

So here I am cuffed and sitting on the ground while this off duty brother playing Robocop calls in favors on HIS cell phone. His mission? To try to have someone come and lock me up. This dude was serious. He wanted to make an example out of me without a doubt.

The Reverend I was supposed to meet and the reason I was up at this spot in the first place finally showed up. As he came around my car I saw the expression of disbelief on his face. By this time Robocop was walking back to us from getting his haircut.

The Rev introduced himself and talked (very carefully) to the Fulton County officer and subtly pleaded for my release. Also carefully pointing out that the officer was off duty.

“You’re police 24/7.” Was Robocop’s response. The Rev figured out what I already knew. Best to leave this situation alone.

The Rev looked down directed his conversation towards me, “James, if you need anything just call me. I’ll come bail you out.” The Reverend pulled out a couple of credit cards. “Me and my wife will be in town for a few more hours if you need me just call.”

I thanked the Rev and he left. Robocop looked confused.

“The Reverend wants to help you out?” Robocop asked with a grin over his face.

‘I’m a good dude,” I responded “I take care of my people.”

“You take car of them with what?”

“I do a lot of things.” Was all the words I cared to say.

Another 15 minutes past… still no squad car. It appeared that Fulton County was very busy with “Priority Calls” and my situation was far from priority. Robocop got back on HIS cell phone and made phone calls DIRECTLY to dispatch. The Marta officer and I were looking at each other like “This is some bullshit.” He knew it as well as I did.

So there I sat, I saw my customers drive by in their cars. Some of them waved. My boys in the nearby barber shop came by and asked if I needed them to make a call for me. I told them everything was good. I wasn’t sure what kind of help I would need but I’m glad I had options.

Mz Nici Nicole (my homegirl and book editor) drove by and saw the situation. She called my ex-girlfriend Mz Mental and let her know what was going down (appreciate that girl!).

New York pulled into the parking lot. I didn’t see him but he sent his Lady over and had her tell me that if I needed her help to call her. I nodded because I knew what she meant.

Robocop’s face was twisted. “In all my 6 years on the force I never seen anyone offer help to someone I had in handcuffs. Never! They usually stay away from me.” He laughed. “I guess you can’t be all that bad.”

My reply, “I’m a good dude.”

Robocop began to rant about how he locked up many dope boys (drug dealers) and how everyone was scared of him. Blah, blah, blah…

So there I sat on the ground, cuffed and leaning against my bumper listening to the rhetoric of Robocop when Mz Mo, a fellow Hustler and friend, pulled up with her son and daughter. She sized up the situation when she saw me.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked.

“No I’m good sweetheart.” I said.

“If you need me just call me.”

I thanked her and Robocop looked around in shock.

“That’s another person! And she has kids!”

What difference the kids made I didn’t know but I smirked. He continued, “If another person comes up here and asks if you need help I’m going to pass out. I don’t know what you do but it must be good.”

“I told you, I take care of my people.” I said and began to try to get comfortable. The ground was getting cold as the temperature began to drop.

Another half hour past and my shoulder began to throb from sitting in the cuffed position for so long. And all this time I’m still listening to stories from Robocop. I could tell even the Marta officer was getting tired oh hearing that shit.

More people came by asking if I needed them to make a phone call for me. By this time Robocop was blown away.

Are you familiar with the saying, “The Lord works in mysterious ways?” well I’m proof that it does. Check this out.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when one of the shop owners who Robocop knows and respects came by. She’s an older lady from the islands who’s a sweetheart that I just adore. If I was a few years older I’d holla at her… anyway… I saw her shaking her head as she walked up to us. I felt her anguish, it practically radiated off of her. She looked down at me and I gave her a slow nod. She tuned to Robocop and asked to speak with him alone.

They took a couple of steps away from me and the Marta cop, so I could barely make out what she said. I could tell she was pleading with him on my behalf though. I looked at her face and she the verge of tears. That not only shocked me, it threw Robocop for a loop!

As she walked off he turned to the Marta officer and said, “I respect her so much. She knows me! She’s usually like, ‘Lock them up!’ but not for him.” He looked down at me and back at the Marta officer, “Did you see her? She was damn near in tears!”

The Marta officer gave me a hidden thumbs up and a nod. I nodded back on the low.

Robocop continued, “I mean I respect that woman. I trust what she says. I believe her! And if she says he’s a good person then…” Robocop threw up his hands. He could no longer deny my reputation.

The people that I show so much love to came by to show love to me. It was in his face. I made a silent prayer of gratitude to the Most High. It was like divine intervention; Robocop’s cold heart was turned warm and sympathetic. He went from looking down on me to helping me back to my feet and having the Marta officer take my cuffs off.

I sat on the bumper of my car and stretched my shoulder which was sore at this point. And oddly enough, it was then a Fulton County Supervisor FINALLY pulled up. This whole situation had been going on for almost two hours now.

The funny part is that now Robocop was fighting for MY freedom. He didn’t want them to take me to jail, instead I ended up with a citation and a court date.

I followed Robocop into the store where the shop manger was to thank her. I shook Robocop’s hand, got in my car and put on some Aaliyah to change my mood. I was going to get gone before he changed his mind, feel me? The time was just about 7pm.

On my way out the parking lot I saw Mz Bee’s car out the corner of my eye. My eyes popped open wide as she pulled up beside me.

“You’re still here? I thought you were getting you’re hair done?” I asked with surprise in my voice.

“Yeah I didn’t know what to do or what was going to happen to you. But I was watching.” I saw stress in her eyes but what she did was some real woman shit. She was holding me down all that time and I didn’t even know.

“Well come on,” I said, “We need to get out of this parking lot.”

“I know. I’m following you.” We pulled off and drove to a nearby park so I could tell her what went down.

I called everyone who showed me love to thank them for looking out for a Hustler. I was truly appreciative.

I went to get some food since I was hungry and damn near dehydrated. I Called up New York and filled him in on the situation and took my ass home. It was an interesting day, no doubt.

My court date is in early May so it will interesting to see what happens then.

All of this reminds me of a story about one of my teachers. He was once approached with an investment opportunity. It involved real estate and it was one that could have made him a good piece of pocket change. He looked carefully at the man who presented this investment plan to him and said, “When I invest, I invest in people.”

It seems that now, more then ever, that statement sticks with me.

I counted my blessings and gave thanks. I know this story probably sounds like a bunch of bullshit but it’s a true story. Thanks for reading. Much love Fam!

MUCH APPRECIATION TO:

Mz Nici Nicole (Quick thinking on your part. Whatever you need, you know I got you! And hey, what’s up with that banana pudding cake?)

Mz Mental (I know that situation stressed you out but I know you were ready to do what needed to be done. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.)

Mz Bee (You were like the hidden witness, watching everything just in case anything funny went down. That was some real shit.)

Mz Mo (Where you came from that day I don’t know, but just knowing you were there to hold me down if I needed you says enough. I got you for whatever you need.)

Reverend M. (Big thanks to you and your wife. Same is same, may the Most High bless you and yours. And don’t feel bad, it was my choice to meet you up there that day, I take responsibility for that.)

New York (What’s good! I know you don’t read my blog, but if you ever see this just know you’re a man of your word at all times. Much respect to you and your Lady.)

And finally Ms J. (It was your sincere words that finally got those cuffs off. I don’t know what you said, but just know that you have a hidden team of people who are now looking out for you. Thanks again sister.)

Caught Red Handed (Or Just Hated On)...? PART 1

2007-04-22T01:27:00.000-04:00

So I woke up on a Monday morning. I wasn’t my usual self, in fact I felt a little under the weather. I don’t know what’s going on exactly but a few weeks ago Georgia weather had flipped from spring hot to winter cold. Hell, we even had snow flurries; just goes to show the weather is really out of sync.

Since I Hustle outside I think all that temperature changing had finally begun to catch up with me. But the day had to go on plus my cell phone was ringing off the hook. I dragged myself out the bed, I looked at the clock and it was about 2:18pm.

I got dressed and called my homegirl Mz Bee. I was supposed to meet with her and help her get a new cell phone by letting have one of my old ones for a trade in.

I met up with her near the Discount Mall off of Old National Highway (Old Nat). No luck there so we agreed just to get something to eat because she had a hair appointment at 5pm. It was about 4:15pm already and I had agreed earlier to meet with one of my customers at my Hustling spot. This particular customer is a Reverend of a church in Columbus, Georgia. He’s also in the car dealership Game so it’s always good to meet with him and build (share knowledge) about that.

I pull up to the Hustling spot with Mz Bee following me. I parked, and like a bee to honey people began to surround my car. You have to overstand I’ve been Hustling in this particular area for about 5 years so I’m well known. I always get the usual, “What’s going on?” and “Hey Shah (or James)!”

Now, I’m not giving excuses but since I was already feeling a little on the sickly side I was also unfocused. I didn’t do my regular parking lot check to see who was who and what was what. All good though because I wasn’t really doing anything but having conversation.

I mention being unfocused because if I was focused I would have seen the infamous black Mustang which belongs to one of Fulton Counties police officers.

One of my long time customers had walked up to me in the midst of a crowd of around 5 or 6 people now. She had a complaint about one of the products I sold her, so I popped the trunk to put the defective merchandise inside. I told her not to worry about it I’m a business man and she knew I would replace it.

It was at that point a young lady asked me to borrow a cigarette, as I had my back turned the officer from the infamous black Mustang walked up on me. He forcefully made himself known. I turned around and immediately recognized his face.

The words “Shit it’s HIM!” flashed through my mind. This particular officer is what we call a Robocop on the streets. He plays his Game hard and loves to dick with people who he feels are a “menace” to Fulton County (his word not mine). I’m no menace but hey, he saw an opportunity to get me so he took it. I can’t knock that… although I want to.

“What are doing?” Robocop asked.

“Damn!” I thought to myself, what could I say? My mind began to race to get my mouth piece to come up with something slick. Not smart mouthed, but slick. What came out though was the simple truth.

“Waiting on somebody.” I said looking at him in his eyes.

“And what’s this you have in your trunk?”

I bypassed his question and replied, “I’m not soliciting I just came up here to meet someone.”

He smirked and responded, “I was minding my own business getting my hair cut and I look out the window at what do I see? A whole bunch of people around your car… and I just saw a lady walk off with something.”

I looked up and all those people he was referring to had slowly disappeared. I stood there alone, face to face with this Blackman in uniform. I looked down at him and said, “She didn’t walk off with anything. She just brought me something. I’m not doing anything I just came up here to meet someone.”

He smirked harder, “Well, when we go to court, it’s my word against yours.”

I calculated that at this point it’s best just to shut up. Robocop had a hard-on for your Hustleman and was ready to fuck me regardless of the situation. I wasn’t nervous, scared or any of that. I knew if things went to the worst possible scenario (getting locked down) all I had to do was make a phone call to my Hustling partner New York.

If anything, there wasn’t much Robocop could do. He was off-duty but still in uniform. I knew he was going to make it a point to get me while he had me just because that’s the kind of cop he is. Sure enough he began to radio in to have a unit come get me. It was going down ya’ll but your Hustleman remained calm.

He had me sit down on the ground. I leaned up against my bumper and waited to see what was next.

Another officer walked up out of nowhere. I looked at his uniform and this wasn’t a Fulton County officer at all, but instead a Marta officer. Marta, by the way, is the name of the public transportation here in the ATL. Some are ex-police officers but most are trained specifically to guard and police the bus and railway system.

This Marta cop was off-duty too. Listen Fam, there were so many ways out of this situation I laughed to myself but I kept quite.

“I’m going to cuff you, stand up.” said Robocop in his authoritative tone. Then he thought a moment and had the Marta officer cuff me instead. Good move on his part, he was playing his Game tight. He was one step ahead of me. He was doing things by the book which is good for him because I was making a mental file of every slip up he made that violated my rights.

I was cuffed and asked to sit back on the ground and I complied.

So there I sat on the cold asphalt and my mind began to race to all the worst possible things you can think about in a situation like this. Robocop was talking mad shit to the Marta cop. Everything about how he does his job so well, the officers in his precinct that are “real” cops and how he wants to be on their level some day. Blah, blah, blah…

Robocop turned to the Marta officer and said, “Hey, can you watch him a minute? I was in the process of getting a haircut and that’s when I saw this guy (pointing to me). I couldn’t even finish my haircut. I’m going to get it finished, I’ll be back.”

About 15 minutes had passed and no squad car had showed up yet. The tension in the air was ridiculously thick. My mind raced, I had no idea what to expect and what would happen from moment to moment.

It was few days later when I learned that New York had a verbal confrontation with this officer earlier that day. It seems he was looking for someone to fuck with and that someone appeared to be me. Wrong place, wrong time? Didn’t matter, the events were unfolding fast.

So… was your Hustleman locked down? Does the Millionaire run of one of the slickest Hustlers on the Southwest side of Atlanta come to a horrific end? Tune in next week Fam, until then Peace and Blessings!

All Good Just A Week Ago...

2007-04-15T04:11:00.000-04:00

What’s up Blog Fam? Whoa! This week has been CRAZY for your Hustleman for real! I’m talking up, downs, surprises around every corner and I even had a run in with the law, that’s right, the Police. Had to happen sooner or later, right? LOL

Over all I’ve been feeling great. Despite the out of the ordinary temperature changes going on in the “A” (Atlanta), I’ve been feeling damn good, my energy is up and my focus is as sharp as ever. I’m enjoying every moment. What else is a Hustler to do? We live our life by moments.

So here I sit at nearly 6am inking this post for you all. Eh… couldn’t sleep so why not get some things off my mind.

Your Hustleman is currently at a phase in his life where he’s striving to maintain a balance. You know, between work, interpersonal relationships, setting things up for the future and what-not. But He has to admit that at times He feels like the only love in His life is the Hustle; the Game that never stops and is always around you. The Game that always gives back what you put into it and the end result is a satisfying sense of freedom and personal growth. The money’s pretty damn good too.

But as much as I strive for balance it seems that I just can’t get that relationship aspect of my life running smoothly. I’m beginning to think maybe it’s just me… nah! LOL On the real though, here’s what went down recently.

Things on the dating scene have did a total 180 on me. Mz Lonnie and I have fallen out it appears and sadly it started over some bullshit. It’s something that could have very easily been worked out but when emotions get involved it does have a subtle way of changing things.

Now, anyone that knows me knows I Grind hard. Not only do I Hustle on these streets but I also write books, researching things for future projects, write this blog, do meetings for things dealing with future projects, help out when needed (I am a man of the people – If you only knew), I’m a part time counselor to my close associates and friends, I also date, go out and generally just enjoy life. So as a result a brother does get burnt out. It just goes with the territory.

In between these things I always made time for Mz Lonnie to the best of my ability. Problem was I would get on her comfortable king size bed and find myself asleep. She called me on this and I had to humble out because that’s just not fair… we’re supposed to be spending quality time and your Hustleman is putting Z’s in the air like a kindergarten teacher, feel me?

I decided that maybe I needed to slow down a bit and just take it easy for a couple of weeks. Do very little writing; Hustle just enough to meet my daily quote and catch up on my rest and let my small circle of friends and associates deal with their own problems for awhile. That part was easy.

Without going into too much detail let’s just say your Hustleman wasn’t giving 100%... with only so much energy how could I? But hey, I did give what I could. The results of course were not that spectacular. With all this going, the signals got flipped between Mz Lonnie and me.

I’m a communicator plain and simple, so we talked about it and agreed we would work on things. But from a woman’s perspective I can see how some of this could be taken as a lack of attraction and interest.

Truth is, that wasn’t the case at all but it did put a wedge in between us. The end result was predictable. Just like a garden, if you don’t take care of it and put time into it, it’s going to die. So we had to admit to each other that the connection between us just wasn’t there.

A heated debate killed what was left. I thought we were on the same page, I was wrong. Funny thing is, it was all good just a week ago.

With due respects to Mz Lonnie I enjoyed our time together and there’s no hard feelings.

Coming off of the god’s comment on my last post I’ve come to realize a sad reality. Well actually I’ve realized it awhile ago but it’s so much clearer now.

The older you get, the harder it is to date. We are just less willing to compromise on certain things and everyone is afraid to let their guard down totally. At my age (31) you’re just tired of being disappointed and hurt. Let’s not mention wasting time.

In light of all of this there is wisdom. Knowing when things aren’t going to work out and knowing when you’re putting more into the relationship than your partner. I think the majority of us just want to be treated how we treat others. Am I wrong here Fam?

So here your Hustleman sits in introspection; time to make some adjustments inside myself, take a deep breath and go back after what I want. I’m NOT stopping until I get it. But I’m not going to settle for just anything either.

Some people give the advice (adding vice?), “Stop looking and it will come to you.” But I have to quote the scripture on this one:

“Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.” Or something similar to that. I’m a go getter, I refuse to just sit back totally, feel me?

Tune in next week for a heads up on what went down in my confrontation with the Police. It was interesting to say the least. Much love Fam! Enjoy your week ahead… I’m out.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

The Game made plain and simple. CLICK HERE.

A Hustler's Perspective: Street Wisdom And Hustler Axioms

2007-04-08T01:45:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam. It’s your Blogmaster once again with a slight departure from my normal subject matter for this week. Before we get into it let me give some brief updates of what’s going on in the cipher (circle) of yours truly.

Business is well and to be honest I may hit a new monetary plateau this year if things continue going the way they are. I’m Grinding hard so I’m living proof that the saying, “Effort always pays off” is right and exact.

My Hustle partner New York is well… New York. He’s still spending money on the lotto which, for those who don’t know, is at least a hundred dollars a day; I’m glad he’s got it like that though, if I ever need a loan I know where to go, feel me?

He’s been dealing with some wife issues; married for 15 years and separated for a nice chunk of that. He’s been a little down but hey, he’s a Hustler and nothing really stops on the business end of things.

Me, never being married, can’t relate but I do sympathize. You never really stop caring for people you love.

My current millionaire projects are still in the planning stages except for the M1 and M2 which are being worked on as fast as possible. The website, Hustleandprofit.com (the M1 project), will be undergoing some changes within the next 2 or 3 months as I expand the subject matter I write about.

On the dating and relationship aspect of things, well… not so good. Mz Lonnie… hmm I guess I’ll have to tell you all what went down with that next week. It’s too much to fit into this post. Dating… for those of you going through it, I don’t have to say much, you know how it can be LOL.

All in all your Hustleman is focused, feeling fantastic and still doing his thing. I hope all of you are doing the same. Now on with the post…

By now you should know (and if you don’t I’m telling you now) that the streets have their own rules; their own codes of law and conduct. From this comes wisdom, usually passed along by the “Old Heads”, the shot callers or O.G.’s as they’re called if you’re over on the left coast.

One of the reasons a lot of younger brothers and sisters are so buck wild now is because over time all the “Old Heads” have either died, been killed or locked up so the younger generation never got that wisdom handed down to them (and add in that fathers aren’t in the home like they used to be, but that’s another subject). Sure, if they survive long enough they’ll eventually learn these lessons on their own, but for the most part they were never grounded in it.

Some of this street wisdom is straight bullshit but a lot of it offers an interesting perspective for dealing with problems and situation that occur in street life and even in an everyday working person’s life.

So without anymore delay I present you with some interesting axioms that I’ve picked up over the years from various sources. These are just SOME of the unwritten rules your Hustleman lives by from day to day. I don’t present them to change your thinking but rather to let you see things from a different perspective; a Hustler’s perspective.

> If you don’t know or even if you do, don’t tell (the only way to keep a secret is to not say anything).

> A sharp tongue cuts your own throat.

> If you make $10.00, put up $6.00 and live off the rest (this isn’t meant to be literal. It’s just a reminder that it’s not about how much you make, it’s about how much you keep).

> When there’s smoke there’s fire. You can conceal fire but you can’t hide smoke.

> Pressure busts pipes (this is how you defeat an enemy, you apply alot of pressure).

> To break a chain, always pull on the weakest link.

> If you’re not the dealer, don’t show your hand first.

> If you serve two masters, you have to lie to one.

> Under promise and over deliver.

> Listen closely and talk less because if someone’s talking alot they are probably lying alot.

> The Heavenly Father gave you 2 eyes, 2 ears and 1 mouth which means you should watch and listen twice as much as you speak.

> Think before you speak and before you spend your money.

> For every Jesus there must be a Judas (a powerful or well liked person always has someone that may betray them).

> You don’t have to chase a fox. If you put all the chickens in one bunch the fox will come to you.

> You lose the bait when you catch the fish (when you gain something, you lose something else).

> Some defeats are really victories and vice versa.

> It takes way to many blows to hit a nail in the dark (if you don’t know where you’re going you’ll never get there).

> If you know you’re surrounded by snakes, cut the grass so you can see them.

> You are never as strong as you think you are. Neither is anyone else.

> Patience, patience, patience… (everything will come in it’s own time)

> If you must go through hell to get to heaven, make sure you run very fast.

> If you pay well, you are served well.

> Prior proper planning prevents poor performance (I believe this is an old military saying)

> In a storm, pray to God but still swim to shore (God helps those that help themselves).

> The helping hand you’re looking for is at the end of your own arm.

> Everybody wants to eat but nobody wants to cook (people want the reward without putting in the work to get it).

> No one notices when the floors clean, but everyone notices it when it’s dirty.

> If you only Hustle for yourself, in the end, you will only have yourself.

> There are two sides to every coin (every situation has more than one way to look at it).

> If you win, everyone wants to be your friend. If you lose only your true friends will remain.

> People are more likely to take the easiest route and it’s usually the wrong choice.

> Don’t make an enemy if you don’t have to.

> What’s coming in the future is paid for in the present.

> When you reach one goal get on with the next one (always keep it moving).

> Big problems are smaller when you are looking at them from a distance.

> Praise and criticism are temporary just as victories and defeats are temporary.

> Dogs bite and claw so if you fight with one expect just that.

> If you don’t know what to do with your life, there’s someone (or something) out there that does.

> Have your cake and eat it too. Cake is made to be eaten.

> Eventually, no one wants to feed a greedy man (or woman).

> Don’t loan money to a fool you can’t afford to lose. That way if you don’t get it back you won’t be upset.

> If you’re going to sit at the table, then bring something to the table.

> A man isn’t a man if he doesn’t take care of home first.

> If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything (one of my favorite 2 Pac quotes).

Be good Fam! Make this upcoming week all it can be, much love!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn this thing we call The Game. CLICK HERE.

Real Game, Real talk #3: Profit VS. Payout - Creating Something With Nothing

2007-04-01T00:47:00.000-04:00

Alright Fam here we go again. This is your Hustleman coming back at you from the streets of Atlanta, Georgia also known as the ATL and also know as the Dirty South. Spring is in full swing and I’m loving it! Without further delay let’s get to it.

Not to long ago I was pushed, so to speak, to stop beating around the bush and really break down Hustling. So I created this new series of posts entitled, “Real Game, Real Talk” to do just that.

If you missed the second post of this series then please CLICK HERE.

I am often posed a question similar to this: “I want to start my own business but I don’t know where to get the money. Should I get a bank loan?”

My answer to this is usually “No.” but it depends on the type of business you are starting. Now some of you are saying, “Wait just a minute Hustleman, how the hell do I start a business with no capital?” My answer is simple, yes you need capital to start a business but if you start smaller you won’t need as much. Let me explain.

Since I started as a street Hustler I’ve seen hundreds of dollars turn into a small fortune. I have done this myself so I know it’s very possible. As a Hustler, we don’t like to owe anyone anything. There’s no feeling quite like making some money only to have to hand it over to someone else. It takes longer to see your profit and the more money you’re paying out, the more difficult it is to grow your business.

It’s like that old adage, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in business terms; which comes first, looking good (professional) or making a profit?”

If your business isn’t about profit then all well and good, but if it is then shouldn’t that be top priority? That’s all I’m saying.

Most business loans require a nice amount of limitations and ridiculous interest rates, especially if you’re not sitting on some serious assets (real estate, inheritances, etc) and don’t have a nice stack of money in that particular bank. You want a $250,000 loan? Well do you have assets plus about $30,000 to $50,000 in the bank? I know I don’t. I’m exaggerating a little but follow me on this. The way we (Hustlers) see it, why ask someone else for permission to do what you want to do? Let’s get a little deeper shall we?

Let’s say you want to open a restaurant. Most people immediately formulate the idea of finding a location to lease or purchase, figuring out the cost of renting or buying the necessary equipment, then you need a marketing budget, employees (even if you use family members they still need to be paid to keep things as legal as possible for the IRS), you need tables, licenses, a business phone line (probably 2 or 3), printing, insurance etc. And it’s always a good idea to keep a lawyer somewhere close.

This all adds up very quickly. Most of your first 5 years in business (if you last that long), will be going to repaying your loan and advertising to get more money to… repay your loan and maintain your business.

All of this and somewhere in there you have to plan for growth. Anything that doesn’t grow eventually dies. That’s how nature works and that’s how business works also. Is it any wonder that most businesses fail within the first year, and the rest somewhere within the next 4 years?

So you may be thinking to yourself, what about getting a government grant? That’s a noble idea and one well worth pursuing IF and I stress IF you qualify; and IF you are eligible. I’m not saying don’t go this route (its well worth the effort), but if you or someone you know has ever attempted to get a government grant then you know what I’m talking about here. Don’t believe all that hype on those late night infomercials, it takes serious research and a solid business plan.

Now, what about investors? Good question, but this is similar to getting a bank loan. Again you need a solid business plan and make no mistake, investors want to see a return on their investment. Depending on your business model this may be the best route to go if you are sure you can deliver on time and are good at managing people. Investors are usually quite active in keeping tabs on what your business is doing. You’re accountable so that’s something you are going to have to deal with.

So let’s look at the Hustler’s way. I’m not saying it’s the best way because it does have its drawbacks, but you maintain one thing… complete control (at least until your business grows to the level you want it).

Are you still with me? If so let me further illustrate my point.

Example: How would I, a Hustler, start a restaurant?

Well to be honest I wouldn’t start a restaurant. I would make food out of the house and make it a point to make up some flyers and business cards to deliver to office buildings, construction sites and other businesses around the area. Think of it as a small food delivery service, not quite catering.

Another way to flip it would be to hitch or buy a unit to put on the back of a truck or van to keep the food hot and pay to stay in someone’s parking lot or at a busy corner downtown.

Of course I would keep it all legal with the proper zoning, licenses and permits… eventually. Meaning, when my business grew to the point enough to be “noticed”. That’s just what I would do, don’t take that and run with it LOL. Moving on…

I would start selling food and/or desserts right where I’m at NOW. Hustlers make moves, fuck the waiting. If I had a job, that’s where I would start selling. It’s also a good place for feedback on the taste, prices etc. All of this is free; you are only paying in time.

Instead of a few thousand or hundred thousand dollars to start, I could probably start for about $500. If I needed a vehicle to make the deliveries I would probably tack on another $5,000- $8,000 for a decent used van, truck or something (maybe just $1,000 if you could find one at a public car auction). I would put the menu together and be ready to change it on the fly to appeal to the customers wants and needs.

That’s just the start. I would then bust my ass to build clientele and slowly expand using profits. And using this method, you’ll see profits much faster than you would if you took out a loan. Are you with me so far?

Now here’s the good thing. As long as my customer service and food is up to par, I could eventually begin to save money. With this saved money I could then get everything I needed; the building, equipment and everything else.

Here’s the good part. I would ALREADY HAVE CUSTOMERS if I open up in the right location! That means I’ll be making money in my “official restaurant” from day one instead of dumping large sums of money in marketing. I would still market of course and probably still make deliveries if possible.

Here’s the bad part, this method would take some time to work but in the end I wouldn’t owe anybody anything. I pay my bills, count the cash and keep control of the direction and course of my business.

If I then decided to open up another location, THEN and only THEN would I go look for investors or go to the bank. What can they say then? I already have a profitable business, it doesn’t look like a liability or a “high risk” loan on their books. They know I have the skills to run a profitable business; I’ve shown and proven it.

If I structured everything correctly, I would already have a built in assets. No need to put up the house and spend the kids college funds.

See the difference?

Many of us have been taught to do business backwards. Meaning we want to look the part before we actually have the money to walk the walk. We Hustlers work the other way. We walk the walk first and worry about looking good later. We start small and get big, not start big and use up our most important asset, money.

This is real business Game here. I’ve seen it done and I’ve done it and am continuing to do it. It works, bottom line. Simple.

Peace and blessings Fam and please remember if you’re not happy right now it’s only because things are not happening (happy-ning) your way. So change that or stop complaining. Keep it moving and keep it simple… always.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn this thing we call The Game. CLICK HERE.

Creepin' AKA Cheatin' AKA The Relationship Felony

2007-03-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

What’s good Fam? I’m feeling fabulous and I’m just coming off of a very dynamic week. Let me tell you this, if you’re not getting what you want out of life, then make some new choices. That’s what’s up.

The weather here in the ATL has been great; it truly feels like spring… I take that back, this weekend felt more like summer for real. It’s beautiful to wake up and see near clear blue skies and feel the rays of the sun when you step out the door. It feels great to be outside on the block chopping it up with my people and making money in the process, no doubt.

Now, if I could just get over this damn pollen… Georgia has so many trees letting off so much pollen it gets off into your throat and eyes and it’s extremely irritating if you have allergies.

For those who read last weeks post about me being indecisive between two young ladies I figured it was time to give you all a quick update on the situation. But first let’s take care of the business…

*** Download your FREE (Yes, really FREE) copy of “Wealth Programming and the Science of Getting Rich”, written by yours truly! Get clear on the difference between thinking rich and thinking poor. I’m living proof that this book works, but don’t delay I’m pulling the plug on this book on March 31st. To get your copy CLICK HERE. ***

Alright, back on point… After weighing the situation out between both Mz Tam and Mz Lonnie I looked at things from the perspective of what I want and what’s best for the long term. Mz Lonnie is all of that hands down. She’s intelligent, takes care of business, she’s a good mother from what I’ve seen and also just a joy to be around. She’s also beautiful and possesses quite the Badunka Dunk; the kind that would bust out of some Apple Bottom Jeans if you’re following me. I like my asses big, what can I say?

Mz Tam didn’t take the news so well. I had a face to face conversation with her about my decision and at first she said she really didn’t care but as we continued to talk she didn’t overstand (stand over not under) why I didn’t want her.

Tam has some bullshit around her and I just can’t have that in my cipher (circle). I don’t think she really saw my perspective which is cool, she doesn’t have too; just as long as she respects it.

Decision made. I’ve locked it down with Mz Lonnie and have no regrets in my choice. Mz Tam has made it a point not to keep in contact with me which is what it is. When you gain one thing, you lose something else.

My moment of indecisiveness does bring up something that one of my homeboys is currently going thru. He’s a younger dude, about 22 and is actually a neighbor of mine. His girl is a friend of my EX, Mz Mental, so we became cool through them. Now my boy Cee is a good dude. He works hard, takes care of home (he paid all the bills for months when his girl wasn’t working and took care of her daughter too), and generally stays on top of his business.

Me and Cee used to chat from time to time but since I’m hardly ever home there was a little distance put between us. Mz Mental, my EX, came at me one day with that big-eyed look on her face.

“Guess what happened to your boy?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Your boy got caught up!” She responded and then she proceeded to tell me the whole story.

Long story short… Cee has an EX girlfriend that he was creeping with over the weekends. He would tell his girl that he was over his mother’s house when he would really be over his EX’s. To make matters worse, he wouldn’t just go see his EX, he would spend the night. How he got away with that for so long I couldn’t tell you, I never asked. Listen Fam, I’ve had some relationship misdemeanors in my lifetime but that’s just a relationship felony as my homeboy J would call it, you feel me?

Anyway, the EX got in contact with his current girl and they talked on the phone and eventually met face to face. Oh boy… bad business. Mz Mental was there through it all so I had a first had account of what went down next. Two hurt black women, it was on and poppin’ to say the least.

Cee’s EX and his girl teamed up to confront my boy face to face. Sort of a surprise tactic, they wanted to catch him off guard. Now damn… why did my boy have to be home that night? They both rode up, went into the house, marched upstairs and busted through the bedroom door where Cee was sleeping. I could just imagine the look on his face!

Mz Mental took current girl’s daughter into her room across the hallway while the two ladies just verbally let loose on Cee. Where he fucked up though was 1) He wasn’t saying anything and wasn’t answering any questions (then again what can you really say?), 2) When his EX was pissed off enough to just leave, he wouldn’t let her. He kept closing the bedroom door on her. This of course infuriated his current girl! Can you blame her? Ahh… decisions, decisions.

His current girl decided to stay with him after all of this and Cee was grateful, he planned to drive in the right lane. But… (you saw that but coming didn’t you?) when his EX contacted him and told him that despite all the hurt he’s put her through she still loved him, my boy got seriously confused.

You know your Hustleman is a man of the people, I don’t pry into peoples business but if you bring it to me I’ll definitely listen. One day while he was over my house he decided to speak on the situation.

“I don’t know man… I’m confused.” Cee said with his head down. I immediately knew where he was coming from. I responded with a question to make sure I knew where he was at with this.

“You’re feeling them both aren’t you?”

Cee shook his head, “It’s like I see qualities I like in my girl and I see qualities I like in my EX.” He put his head down again to contemplate for a moment and then continued. “I don’t know man, it’s like I’m still feelin’ my ex-girl because we have history. I mean we practically grew up together. We never were in a relationship into we got older but really I guess she’s more my type.”

“You know man,” I said overstanding his confusion, “Life is about choices. You have to make a decision. The thing is with that, because of the situation that went down, when you make a decision you are going to have to leave the other one alone completely. You have to dead that shit. If you don’t, then you’ll lose them both.”

Cee nodded in agreement. “It’s just hard man…”

I went on, “I feel you brother but you’re still young and I don’t know what you’re looking for out of your life right now. If you want to lock it down with someone on some marriage type level then you need to be with the one that can offer that. Think in the long term. If you’re just fuckin’ right now then just do that. Find some girl you can do that with and leave them both alone. They’re hurting right now.”

I continued, “Regardless of your decision if you continue in a relationship with either of them it’s going to be hard. Once that trust is gone, you can’t get it back. They’ll always have that doubt in the back of their mind. I’ve been through that shit with my first fiancé, its stress on the real; you’re going to be under a microscope.”

We continued to talk for a few minutes and then let it go. We all live and learn and Cee needs to make his own mistakes.

Over the next couple of weeks things between Cee and his current girl were cool. But… (yes, another but) then Cee pulled another relationship felony out of the bag. Seems he took some clothes, took some condoms and was gone for over a day in a half. He wouldn’t answer his cell phone and never called home. It was simple to know what he was up to. It’s like he wanted to be caught, I mean he knew damn well that every condom in that house was accounted for. Women keep tabs on things like that.

He could have done it differently, but then again he made no effort to hide it. He has balls though, he came right back home when his current girl was there. He didn’t wait until she was at work or nothing. Can you say DRAMA? Ahh… decisions, decisions… and now it’s on his current girl to decide what she’s going to do. To be honest I think it’s going to remain business as usual. At least until she finds someone to replace him.

Eh… I could be wrong but time will tell now won’t it?

Peace and blessings Fam. May your upcoming week be filled with joy and success.

Be sure to tune in next week when I get back into the business talk with an eye-opening look at how a Hustler builds a business with next to nothing. See you then.

Torn?

2007-03-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

Greetings Fam! I know it’s been awhile but just know your Hustleman is back at you. These last couple of weeks have been off the hook! There’s so much to catch you all up on it’s almost overwhelming, but to keep things simple (as I like to do), I’ll just cut to the chase and stick with the things that hit closest to home at the moment.

*** If you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of “Wealth Programming and the Science of Getting Rich”, written by yours truly, then go ahead and get it now! I’m pulling the plug on this book on March 31st. To get your copy CLICK HERE. ***

Ahh, where to begin… well my main business is doing quite well; it continues to grow pretty much by itself. I’ll tell you Fam there’s no feeling quite like knowing that all your hard work and effort is paying off.

Also I’m in communication with a fellow Hustler who has a lot of experience and expertise to bring to the table. This young lady is already doing her thing as far as running seminars and doing a couple other businesses. If things go as planned, she and I will put a book together. This book will be much less “street” and more accessible to the public at large. I’ll let you know how that turns out; as of right now everything is still up in the air. Busy, busy, busy LOL. I’m not complaining mind you, I’m loving this shit.

The M2 project, my car dealership, is still rolling out although I’ve fallen a little behind schedule. I’ll be making an effort to pick up the pace a little so that by the summer of 2008 I should have that business profitable and locked down. There’s still so much to learn about the business and just know, I’m in it to win – to quote the rapper Jay-Z, “I will not lose”. I hope you feel me on that.

On a more personal note, dating has become much more complex and not only is it taking up a lot of my time, I also find myself torn between how to correctly divide up that time. I mean really Fam, it’s easy to balance my work and my social life but it’s really beginning to take a toll on me mentally; dealing with various personalities on a more intimate level is not that easy.

Sadly though, the young lady I grew closest too and was feeling the most is no longer at my side. Mz Chanel and I have decided not to go any further. She couldn’t deal with my current living situation. For those that don’t know, I still live with my ex-girlfriend. I know what you’re thinking LOL, you don’t have to say it.

I had to put some space in-between Mz Chanel and myself and try to look at our relationship from the outside; you know, take my emotions out of the picture. Sadly as much as I was feeling this woman I realized that there would be no peace between us as long as she refused to accept my situation. Which is her choice, I’m not knockin’ that.

I invited Mz Chanel over MANY, MANY times to come meet my ex and to see the situation first hand. Let’s be real, my living situation is far from normal and I could have been feeding her a line of bullshit from the start.

I accept that keeping things real is always the best policy so I told her don’t believe what I’m telling you, come see for yourself with your own eyes. No go though, she wouldn’t budge; she refused to come over the house, she refused to meet my ex and she refused to even overstand (stand over not under) why I choose to stay in my situation for the time being. Eh… what can I do? I hold nothing against her but in the end I figured it like this: If she cares anything about me, she would want to meet the people that I care about, follow me? These people are a part of my life and who doesn’t want to overstand their potential mate and that person’s life better?

I think any woman in their right mind would jump at the chance to see if what I’m saying is true. I know if the situation was reversed I would. As a matter of fact almost every woman I’ve dated had no problem coming through to check out the situation first hand and meet my ex. I’m not slow, I know there will always be a hint of doubt in the back of their minds but one thing they couldn’t say is that I lied or tried to hide something. Back on point…

Mz Chanel and I ended things off on a positive note. I genuinely cared about her and those feelings don’t go away over night. Plus she’s still good people and her two kids have a place in my heart. We talk almost everyday for a few minutes just to see how one another is doing and that’s about all. I’ll admit though, I do miss seeing her smile.

So I had to make a decision. Either I give all my time, attention and energy to my businesses or try to still be successful and have a meaningful relationship also. So you know me… the search for a good woman to put on my team continues. Only a mentally trapped person thinks either/or; a wise person realizes they can have both.

Although I have met a very interesting young lady recently that’s actually sparked my interest I’ve run into an unexpected dilemma… follow me on this if you would.

One of my homegirls who I’ll call Mz Tam called me up last weekend.

“Come over, I have to tell you about my night last night.”

“Really?” I asked, “What’s up, everything alright?” I could hear it in her tone. Normally Tam is what some folks would call a firecracker. High energy, always smiling always joking. But her tone was low energy, agitated, almost as if something happened that shook her up.

“Just come over, I just can’t be in the house right now, I just need to get away. Please just come get me.”

“Alright, no problem. Give me an hour, I need to shower and shave.”

I drove to her house knocked on the door. I was greeted by one of her daughters and looking up the stairs of her two-floor duplex I could see her at the top of the stairs, she waved and then disappeared. I made myself comfortable on the sofa as her two daughters watched some Barbie crap on the television.

After a few minutes Mz Tam came down the stairs and instead of being greeted by her usual smile I got a dry, “Hello”. She threw some things in her purse, grabbed her cell phone and said, “Let’s go.”

I begin to listen to her story about her adventures at an after hours club over in East Point. One of her cousins was in town and it was her last night there so they wanted to show her a good time. Her family frequented the club so they figured that was the best place to go.

According to Tam the club owner, who was drunk and acting like a dickhead, was basically fucking with her and her family the whole night. Subtle shit, like having someone take their drinks off the table and replacing it with glasses of water; having one of the bouncers telling them where they could and could not sit. There’s a lot more but I’m trying to keep this post as short as I can.

Fast forward… Mz Tam got a hotel room because she just wanted peace and quiet and needed to detox from all the alcohol and weed she smoked all night and all morning. We talked for a few minutes and she fell asleep. I left and picked up some food because I knew she would be hungry when she woke up.

Meanwhile, the young lady I’m currently getting to know, Mz Lonnie, is calling me. What am I supposed to say? I told the truth, I was with my homegirl Tam… in a hotel room… trying to listen to her and calm her down. Fortunately Lonnie overstood and just asked for me to keep her informed of the situation.

When Tam finally wakes up we eat and begin to talk. And I mean TALK, one of those deep conversations where you lose track of time. Now Fam, I’ve heard some of Tam’s stories before about her childhood and whatnot but this time she was letting everything out. I mean this girl was practically breaking down right infront of me. She was in tears as she reflected and told her tales.

Mz Lonnie called again. DAMN, lost track of time! I let her know I was still with Tam and I would get back at her ASAP. Long story short, I ended up spending the night at the hotel with Tam. This girl was shattered in pieces, it just didn’t seem right to leave her. I tried to build her up as best I could but sleep eventually took over.

Fast forward to Thursday night… I’m over Tam’s house and one of her friends from her hometown of Detroit in there with her husband. We sit and share some stories and they eventually leave. That’s when Tam dropped the bomb on me. It’s funny because I felt it coming, perhaps I even invited it to come. I mean I’m all about living in the moment (for the most part), but some things you can see coming and they can be avoided. That’s the thing though, I didn’t want to avoid this one.

It seems that our conversation at the hotel caused Tam to see me in a different light. This was true for me too, I felt much more connected to her. Not because she was crying her eyes out and I felt like I had to save her, but because she was so real with how she was feeling and how what she went through made her a stronger and much wiser person today.

We talked about how we felt and my eyes couldn’t help but notice her smooth chocolate legs and how short her shorts were she was wearing. I’m a man, what can I say? One thing led to another and the next thing I know I’m in the bathroom washing myself off in the sink. I sat with her for another hour and then made my way back home. Friday was around the corner and I knew I had to prepare myself for Friday grind. And add to that the fact that I also need to keep things clear between Mz Lonnie and myself.

Mz Lonnie is feeling your Hustleman, and without a doubt I’m feeling her too… but I’m not here to hurt anyone so I had to tell her the truth. That’s right; I told her what happened between me and Tam. Besides, I accept the fact that what goes around comes around, so why bullshit and be deceitful? Lying takes up too much time and energy I don’t have. I’m a man with integrity and principles; I won’t be anything less.

Mz Lonnie took the news like a real woman. She overstood the situation and realized my slight confusion; for the moment I’m torn and I need to make a decision. The things I get myself into…

Well I’ll wrap this up here Fam this post is way too long. Thank you all for being patient with me and as always I wish everyone much success and prosperity. Peace and blessings and I’ll be back at you as soon as possible. I’ll try not to stay away too long this time.

Birth Of The M2 Project: Enter The Bossman Low

2007-02-25T14:06:00.000-05:00

Peace to the blog Fam! As you know, this is The Hustleman Chronicles dedicated to all things Hustle (business) related and then some. First off if you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of “Wealth Programming and The Science of Getting Rich” AKA “The Little Book”, then don’t hesitate and get it now! CLICK HERE (make sure you come back though LOL)

This past week has been extremely busy for me, then again I’m always extremely busy... I’m juggling so many things I feel like an acrobat for real. There’s a new business in the pipeline (known as the M2 project – my SECOND step toward manifesting my first MILLION), a new love interest, I’m holding down my other 2 businesses, striving to stop smoking cigarettes once and for all and also making posts here on the blog so you can share my journey, the good and the bad.

*** WARNING!!! This is a very LONG post. But for good reason. ***

I was going to split this up into parts but I have never made a post of what it’s like to get into a new business so I know many of you out there would like to see how I learn and do what I do. There’s a lot of Game in here if you know what to look for and it also represents how much easier things can be if you can have someone to show you the ropes. I literally saved weeks of work and a few thousand dollars just by being introduced to the right person.

The new business venture is ahead of schedule but definitely on time.

Also this post is broken up into “Chapters” so you can stop and come back later if you need too.

There’s so much to catch you all up on but let’s cover the important stuff first. Let me introduce you to a new character in the world of your Hustleman; the Bossman Low. My Hustle partner New York has connections all over the place but he only does business with a few. He first introduced me to the Bossman Low a couple of months ago, they do alot of business together so it was only natural that we would meet sooner or later.

He’s a laid back African brother, but his accent isn’t all that prevalent. New York refers to him as the quarter million dollar man for good reason; he runs about 5 businesses, all legit. Low is an old school Hustler pure and simple. He plays by high standards of integrity and has his hands into a little bit of alot of bit.

I’ve seen Low from time to time and I always greeted him respectfully mainly because he was New York’s man. We never had what you would call a conversation but he always returned the respect. I did notice that this dude would pull up in a different vehicle almost every time he came through the block but I never asked any questions, it wasn’t my place. Important street rule: KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT IF YOU DON’T KNOW! AND EVEN IF YOU DO KNOW, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! So Low never said anything and I never asked.

>>> Wednesday: February 14th – Opportunity Knocks

“Hey yo Shai!” New York said calling me by my street AKA, “Low’s going to the auction nigga! You should come.”

“Come where?” I asked

“Low goes to car auctions, he’s going this week coming up. You got some money stacked?”

“All the time. Low has a car dealer license?” I asked very intrigued now.

“Hell’s yeah! You didn’t see all those cars he comes up in? He gets those at auction nigga. We’re going Monday and’ll be back like Tuesday night. So… what’s up?”

I paused a moment. It’s funny how when you look for things they sometimes come to you. Let me explain… I currently have 5 Millionaire projects planned; one of which was used car buying and selling. It’s an easy Hustle from what I heard just as long as you know what you’re doing. This was the perfect opportunity for me to see how it’s done from the inside. This is the way I like to learn new things, although that doesn’t always happen when the opportunity comes I jump on it.

“Yeah I’ll go. Shit, how much money you need?” I asked

“Take about a stack (one thousand dollars) and you’ll be straight. Plus gas money you know in case you get somethin’.” New York said this with his not so subtle grin that always let’s me know he’s planning a move.

“A stack? That’s it?” Didn’t sound right to me but then again I knew little about the business. But going off of what I heard, you can get cars for literally pennies on the dollar. I continued.

“Shit nigga, no problem I got that. But that’s on your man though. He’s the one with the license.”

“Shai!” New York switched to his confident voice. “My face is as good as gold. If I tell him (Low) my man wants to come he’ll say yeah. Watch what I tell you.”

True to form, a man of his word; next time Low pulled up he asked him on the spot.

Low looked at me briefly with the kind of look that sized me up to see if the money matched (which it doesn’t, but I’m far from broke feel me?). In other words, was I a sucka part-timey Hustler looking for a free trip or was I serious? I didn’t flinch. Low’s been around enough to see how I take care of business so I wasn’t worried. He looked back at New York and was like “Yeah.” Enough said. Fast forward…

>>> Tuesday: February 20th – Up and Out

I’m up early. For anyone that knows me I’m NOT a morning person. Hell, I usually don’t go to bed until around 3,4 or 5 AM. The original plan was to go to an auction in Pennsylvania but Low switched it to a public auction in Darlington, South Carolina. The prices would be lower and less competition. Also this would be an easier place for me to learn the Game and get my feet wet, follow me? New York already had a little experience so he knew what to expect.

I got dressed and mentally prepared to be alert; to watch, listen and soak up Game. I met New York at his place and was just getting there as he was escorting one of his many females out the door. His latest catch was a younger sister who supposedly had been lesbian for about 8 years and was tired of the lifestyle. Of course New York was more than willing to help her make the transition back. What a caring gesture from such a nice dude.

We had a 4 hour plus drive to South Carolina. We were taking New York’s truck. The auction started at 6pm and we were almost running late. We picked up Low in Jonesboro and then we were on our way. We stopped, gassed up, grab some snacks and headed out. New York already tired from his morning activities wanted to sleep so I took the driver’s seat with him taking shot-gun, Low sat in the back.

Being already tired after about 3 hours I had to stop. Low took over at the wheel and New York continued to sleep.

It was about 4:30pm when we finally arrived. The weather was cool with a strong breeze but not too cold. It was overcast but I was amped, I was ready to pick Low’s brain about what to do and what not to do, but he had some business to take care of so he went straight to the office and New York and I began to check out the cars.

I was like a kid in a candy store. They had it all; trucks, economy sizes, luxuries, SUV’s, mid-sizes. Every make and model you could possibly think of. They even had tractors and golf carts.

The area was all dirt and went on for a good distance. Vehicles were scattered everywhere. All in all I probably counted about a hundred and fifty and it was still early.

New York and I hopped in and out of cars. They leave the keys in so you can start them up and even drive them if you want. Some cars were clean and in good shape, others were just plain garbage.

Outside of the gate a long line began to form with even more cars coming in to be auctioned off.

Now from a business stand point I was looking for good quality economy to mid-size cars, they move the fastest and are relatively cheap from what New York was telling me. The nicer more upscale vehicles represented a larger upfront investment but could actually be sold for more; more profit but would take more time to get off your hands.

Being as I’m just getting in the Game I focused my attention of cars I could quick flip. My dumb ass forgot though to write down the auction numbers written on the cars so I could remember which ones I thought were good quality. If I would have done this it would have been a hell of a lot easier to remember which cars to bid on and which ones to avoid. Ah well, lessoned learned, I’m never afraid to make mistakes. I’m a Hustler; I take calculated risks every single day.

Low finally came back and began his walk around looking at what was available. He was meticulous to say the least.

He looked over the body and the tires, popped the hood and checked out the engine. He then started up the car and tested all the gears to check the response of the transmission. He then would rev up the car to listen to the engine. Next he would check the lights, the radio and the windshield wipers.

He did all of this in a matter of one to two minutes. I could see him making mental notes so I asked him what he looked for. He spit some Game at me and I soaked it up.

Between all of this we lost track of New York. New York already has 3 cars so he wasn’t looking for something to flip as much as he was looking for a car to floss in. He also looked over some of the older vans for business purposes.

Whenever I look into a new business venture I look at the upside first and then the downside. EVERY business has a downside. I focus on the upside but I don’t ignore the downside, follow me? This is how a Hustler thinks. We always want to maximize our upside and minimize our downside. I immediately recognized the potential in buying and selling used cars. It has very little risk to be honest, IF you know what you’re doing.

The profit margins can be a little smaller than what I’m used to and it’s not quick money (at a beginner level) but it’s solid. You really can’t lose if you’re smart and keep your head on straight.

Still with me so far? Let’s continue…

>>> Auction Time: 6pm – Let the Games Begin

So here I am standing in a large gutted out warehouse. The crowd is there and being that it’s an auction open to the public I began to pick out the regular people and the professional car dealers (yes they were there too). It wasn’t hard.

The car dealers we much more relaxed and confident; you could tell they’ve done this before. An advantage of having car dealers there was that they would bid more carefully, I watched them as the auction went on to see at what price they would stop to get a feel of what I should be bidding on for certain years, makes and models. The dealers would never let the bid price get too far out of control.

There were 2 lanes through the warehouse where cars could drive in. They would come in from one side, stop infront of an auction booth to be auctioned off and then leave through the other side.

The middle area was clear for bidders to stand in as well as the outside of both lanes. Also on the outside of the lanes were the auctioneer booths set up with mic’s and speakers so the auctioneers could run their auctions. There were two on each side for a total of four.

I immediately realized that having four auctions going at the same time, although a way to speed up the whole process, also served to created confusion. They subtly forced you to bounce from booth to booth to see what car was where and if you didn’t pay attention, you could be bidding a lot higher than what you originally intended.

Game recognized Game here.

Also what comes into play is the case of the car title. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. This particular auction doesn’t mail them so if you want it, you have to go back and get it. You have to pay close attention at all times.

Low stood in front of New York and I and said in a low tone so not many others would hear, “Wait until later in the auction to start bidding, people will run out of money and the bids will be lower. You can catch something good that way.”

I didn’t look at this perspective so I’m glad the Bossman dropped that wisdom on me. This Game was about patience, I’m all for that.

The bidding began. The cars rolled in. Now, if you’ve ever been to an auction before (or seen one in a movie or on TV) you know that the auctioneers talk fast. I mean REALLY fast. Again, more confusion thrown in the mix to keep you off balance so you might make a mistake. Also they start high in price and if no one bids, they slowly work their way down. Low and New York put me on Game with this, so I watched to get the feel and rhythm of it.

The crowd was amped and the energy in the place was electric. Being that I’m used to being in unfamiliar territory I settled myself and blended in. I was watching and listening closely.

To get myself recognized by the auctioneers (and to let them think I was a possible dealer), I bid on a few cars and would stop long before the final bid was placed. I was very careful about this; I didn’t want to get stuck with some bullshit. You know your Hustleman, I jump in with both feet. Hesitation gets you no where.

Throwing out bids like this also allowed me to get comfortable with the whole bidding process which really is just a matter of shouting out numbers. But you have to make sure you’re shouting out the right numbers, feel me?

Keeping my budget in mind I came to the conclusion that I would have to eventually bid on a late 90 models, so that’s what I focused on. I ignored everything else. I’m focused at all times.

I began to really enjoy the vibe of the place. This was a place for Hustler’s plain and simple. If you’re smart you win and if you’re not, you lose. If you’re focused you win, if not you lose. If you have the balls to push ahead and the next person doesn’t, you win and if not, you lose.

>>> Play Time Is Over

So after about an hour I’m comfortable now, my confidence is building and I think I have a strong grasp as to proper bidding prices. New York is running around from action booth to auction booth doing what I was doing; seeing what things went for what price.

Low on the other hand was like a damn ninja; there one second, blink and then POOF! You don’t see him anymore. He actually left one time to get something to eat from one of the food vendors. This dude was serious! He was not rushing for any reason. He was walking around eating while the rest of the people were eagerly shouting out numbers trying to get a good deal.

I thought there were still some good deals moving so I decided not to wait too long and began to get serious with my bids. A car would pull up and if it fit my criteria I placed bids on it. When the price got beyond a certain point I stopped bidding.

I missed out on a 98 Cadillac Deville (I would have honestly kept that for myself – but I tried to keep my emotions out of the equation – I was here on business). I also missed out on a 98 Honda Accord – I got to the auction booth too late.

About an hour had past and the crowd was getting impatient, I could feel the tide changing. People felt as though they were going to miss out. At the same time though, they didn’t want to make any mistakes so I was ready to strike at any and every opportunity I could get. They were hesitating so I saw opportunity.

My time came pretty quick. A silver 94 Pontiac Bonneville pulled infront of one of the auction booths. A couple of dealers ran up to the car to check the mileage and lift the hood to look at the engine. I trailed behind.

This thing was clean! I mean no cracks on the body or in the interior. The fabric seats looked freshly shampooed and the tires were a little worn but in excellent condition.

The engine was clean and I could see new wires and a new battery – this car was obviously taken care of and fixed up just for the auction.

I listened to the engine and it seemed to run fairly quite – as much as I could hear with all the noise in the air anyway.

In all of that I forgot to check the mileage. Another mistake. Lesson learned though. The bid started at around $2,000. No bids came in. The auctioneer went down to $1,700 then $1,500 and so on until eventually he was at $550. One of the dealers called out $550.

“6 do I hear 6?” The auctioneer called out. I jumped in.

“6 hundred!” I yelled out loud enough to be heard.

The dealer didn’t hesitate, “6 twenty-five!”

“6 twenty-five, 6 twenty-five do I hear 6 fifty? 6 fifty?” The auctioneer went on.

I stalled for a moment faking lack of interest. Another bidder, obviously a dealer, chimed in, “6 fifty!”

The auctioneer continued, “6 fifty blah blah blah (couldn’t understand a word he said). 7 do I hear 7?”

The first dealer jumped back in, “7!”

I jumped back in just to test the waters, at this point my heart was beating fast and my blood pumped. I held a poker face and calmed myself down. I hate to lose but I couldn’t be stupid here. We had 2 and a half more hours to go in the auction. I wanted to see if these two dealers would out bid me at $750. If so, maybe the perceived value of this old 94 was more than I thought.

“7 fifty!” I yelled out. The second dealer was silent but the first dealer came right back in.

“8 hundred!” He called out. Seems I was right. I was even more surprised when the second dealer came back in with $825.

I called out, “8 fifty.” It was a little higher than I was willing to go but what the hell I thought, if worse came to worse I could easily sell this car for $1,200 to $1,500. Not much profit but I didn’t lose anything and the experience would more than pay for itself.

As a Hustler you never want to pay more for something than you can get back for it. You may not make a profit, but you won’t lose money either – you can break even easily.

The auctioneer ran with my bid, “8 fifty, 8 fifty do I hear 9 hundred? 9 hundred? 9 hundred? 8 fifty do I hear 9 hundred? 9 hundred? 8 fifty, you bought it!” he pointed at me and I went up to the auctioneer booth to fill out some paper work.

For a brief moment I wondered if I had made a mistake. Should I have really bid $850? New York and Low weren’t around to check me on this, I worked off of pure instinct. A couple of days later Low would come through to check out the ride, he did his inspection on it and said I actually came out pretty good.

>>> The Bossman Cometh… Finally

Just as I get through with the paper work inside the auction office, New York and Low come by. I asked Low where do I pick up the car and he pointed me in the right direction. I went to find it and sat inside. I looked at the interior and started the car up.

It was dark by now so I fumbled around to look for the interior light switch and I eventually found it. If I was smarter I would have just left the door open for the lights to come on by themselves LOL. I was excited though, I wasn’t thinking quite straight.

Plus, this was my time to see if I had made a big mistake and if my instincts failed me.

I looked around and finally my eyes rested on the mileage. Over 300,000 miles! Damnit! That’s waaaay too many miles, even for a 94. Shit, I thought, I got a little ahead of myself in the auction.

I drove my way out of the car lot and into the outside parking area. I parked by New York’s truck and made my way back inside to the auction. I had to see the Bossman Low in action. He hadn’t even started bidding yet.

The crowd was thinning out and once again Low was M.I.A. New York was walking around and had finally decided to get him a car to floss in. His budget was bigger than mine so he had more room to work with. He looked seriously at the Cadillac’s and Lexus’.

As the night rolled on Low finally showed back up and finally began bidding. He was smoothly moving from auction booth to auction booth looking at cars. He eventually won an auction for a 97 or 98 Crown Victoria. From what I saw it looked damn good and ran pretty well.

New York began to feel the pressure and began to panic. Time was running out and he refused to be the only one that didn’t buy a car. He made a bid just for the hell of it on the VERY last car. A 98 Ford Taurus. Not in the best condition. Matter of fact, we couldn’t even get the windshield wipers to stop and once he had a chance to get in it and drive it he was pissed!

“I got fucked!” was his choice line for the night. I laughed on the inside but I told him he should’ve followed his instincts; he fucked himself. Once he finally settled down slightly, he agreed. But that didn’t stop him from being 38 hot.

He actually left the car at the auction and said he’d take that loss. He didn’t want it. He has since changed his mind though, so he’s going to go pick it up this week. The car seems to run fine for the most part so it should make the 4 hour trip… hopefully.

Rest of the story short, we stopped and gassed up all the vehicles and stopped to get something to eat. Low left his Crown Vic at the auction and switched to a mini-van that he had purchased a week before. We made our long trip back to the ATL. By the time I made it back it was about 3 AM. Saying I was exhausted was an understatement. I called up Mz Chanel, my current Lady of sorts, to fill her in on what went down and to say goodnight. My Ex, Mz Mental, who I live with, was already sleeping when I got home. I showered, shaved and went to my room to get what little rest I could.

I woke back up around 10am; I had to get the car insured and get ready to hit the block. It was time to put some work in. When I get hold of the car title I can put the car up for sale. In the meantime Low is schooling me on the easiest way to go about getting a car dealers license and how to make the best use of it – I HAVE to get in this Game. The M2 project should be up and moving in about 2 to 3 months. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress as it happens.

Thanks for taking out your time to check out your Hustleman, it’s greatly appreciated.

Peace and blessings Fam! Keep it moving and keep it simple – always.

A Hustleman Introspection: Fold or Function

2007-02-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

First and foremost let me formally invite all of my Blog readers to download a copy of what I have nicknamed “The Little Book”. This book literally changed my life when it came to making money. It’s a “spiritual” approach to the whole process. And when I say “spiritual” I don’t mean religious, but an awareness of yourself in the grand scheme of things; a sort of inner knowledge if you will.

Again this book is FREE of charge and any commitment. This is the pre release version of the book so it is a little rough around the edges, but all the vital information is intact. To get your copy simply click on the “The Little Book” link at the end of this post. This book will only be available until March 31st so do not delay too long.

*** Side Note: Recently on Oprah she’s invited teachers of the DVD called “The Secret”, which supposedly claims to contain the secret to a fulfilling and meaningful life, to speak about how the mind and the correct use of thought can change your life. “The Secret” as the panel explains was known by great and wise people throughout history and is based on many factors such as gratitude for what’s in your life right now. I mention all of this to say that I agree with a lot of what these guests on Oprah’s panel were saying because I use it everyday; I found this so-called “secret” out along time ago. If you will, go download “The Little Book” because although it uses this “Secret” as it applies to becoming wealthy, there’s definitely enough information in it to learn how to apply it to any area of your life. Back to the post…

I sit back and think sometimes about where I’ve come from and all the dues I’ve had to pay to get where I’m at. I mean I’ve been through a lot, I’ve been homeless; engaged twice and never married; my mother and I don’t get along for a number of reasons which keeps an uncomfortable distance between my little brother and myself. I’ve had nice things and lost them all piece by piece. My life in my early and mid-twenties was so unstable that I never thought I would get out of the hole I dug for myself.

I’ve fought throughout all of this because I knew that deep down this was not my life, feel me? When we’re young, I think we all have a vision of what our life will be like when get older. We have goals, dreams and aspirations that very seldom develop and come to pass. Hell, I had a hard time seeing myself even alive at age 30 and now that 32 approaches this year I consider myself very blessed and thankful. My life, just as everyone else’s, is a direct reflection of my thoughts and perspective on things as well as my actions. When you look at your life you have to take responsibility for the way it is and either fold or function. Either curl up, punk out and continue living in frustration and stress, or push with everything inside of you to make things better.

The idea of fold or function isn’t mine, it was a name given to the concept of give-up or fight by a close friend of mine some years ago. The concept always stuck with me because it represents choice. As a matter of fact we make a fold or function choice every single day of our lives.

Do you continue trying to make your love relationship work, or do you give up on it? Do you choose to apply yourself to becoming better at your job or business or do you just continue to do enough to squeeze by? Do you fight to keep your children on a good and honest path or do you let someone else raise them and teach them? Do you trust that that the food you got from that fast food restaurant was prepared with your health in mind and not dropped on the floor or something worse? Do you fight to get the things that you want out of life or do you just settle for a close second or third?

Fold or function; the constant choice that is in our face to go left, go right, make a way up the middle or to not move at all. The ability to keep going despite all the bullshit that seems to be piling on top of you. The strength to live life on your terms and not fall into the trap of what’s called “normal”; what’s normal for the next person may not feel right to you. To accept that every thought we think, everything we say and everything action we take will at some point come back to us and we will have to deal with its results whether positive or negative. You can lie to anyone except to yourself and to the Higher Power. Bottom line. Simple.

So do a favor for your Hustleman; the next time you are faced with a decision to take action to improve your life, do it! Push the fear and doubt aside and move forward. Some say that the window of opportunity open and closes, if you miss it, you may never get another chance. This isn’t true! There’s always opportunity around us if you are focused on the greater good. While not all opportunities are right for us, there is always one that is. Take it from someone whose been there and back, went there again and is back this time to stay. There is no burden placed on you that you cannot handle and there is no greater feeling than facing all your opposition (internal and external) and still coming out a winner.

My Hustle partner New York once said this to one of his people, also a fellow Hustler. “You don’t have shit because you have the game wrong. You hustle for you; you only hustle for yourself. You don’t hustle for your family; you don’t hustle to make things better. All you care about is what you can get right now. You don’t even look out for people who look out for you.”

I bring this quote up because it’s another fold or function principle. The more you focus on your survival (and only your survival), the harder it is to survive. When you get selfish and stop caring about others, they will stop caring about you. This life is built so that sooner or later we will eventually need to involve ourselves with other people to help us, assist us and advance. This is yet another choice to make as you go throughout your day. More to all and less to none; I hope you’re hearing me.

Be good all. Peace and blessings Fam, until next time.

*** The Little Book That Changed My Life - Get it now for FREE

CLICK HERE

Late Night Hype Of The Island Persuasion

2007-02-11T18:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings to the Blog-Fam! Sorry for the late post but your Hustleman is tired. Had a late night last night. It was my first date in a long while with a very interesting young Lady which I’ll get to in a minute. Hope everyone out there is doing well and preparing for bigger and better things.

My second book which I nicknamed the “Little Book” is done (the pre-release version anyhow) and I will have it up for you all next week. Subscribers of my website, Hustle and Profit.com, and my valued customers have already begun to download their copies. This version of the book is free of charge and any commitment. I’m looking forward to the feedback.

The “work” week went well, I expected it to be a little on the slow side but was pleasantly surprised. You know my Hustle partner New York and I killed them out there! It’s been awhile in the making but we have successfully locked down the area we work in; the street term for this is called “The Spot”. The block being locked down means nobody comes in or out to sell anything that we are selling. Of course we show love to other Hustler’s who have different things to offer but the other part-timey Hustlers have been pushed out. Customers are checking for us and us alone; it’s a beautiful thing.

This brings me to the introduction of Mz Chanel. I met this young lady doing what I do, making money. She was a customer of mine but since there was definitely an attraction there we decided to have some phone conversation to see where each other was at mentally. Although she’s an ATL southern-bell, which I usually don’t find myself attracted to very often due to the difference in mentality; we hit it off just fine and have grown rather close. So… back to the dating scene.

I spent some time over her place a couple of times this week and I met her two children. Her daughter, 14 and her son, 9. When I look at a women with children I like to watch her children. I do this because the way the children behave says alot about the mother. They were respectful to her and to myself and seemed to take to me pretty well, which is cool because they’re good kids. They appreciate their mother and what she is doing for them. But I really picked up on the lack of structure in the household which is due to the fact that their mother Mz Chanel busts her ass at both her jobs to provide for them. How can you knock that?

Being a Hustler is more than just having a business mentality but also a perspective on life. We approach situations differently. We realize that not everything will fall in place and that things have cycles to them; ups and downs, sort of like a rhythm if you will. We experience this everyday in those streets and building a relationship with someone follows those same universal laws. To put it another way, we Hustlers are very opened minded toward possibilities and push toward the positive, on top of that we overstand (stand over, not under) what it’s like to be committed to something even if it’s just an idea.

Saturday was the official date night so the plan was something simple. You know the regular, dinner and a movie. I was so used to seeing Mz Chanel in work clothes or in chill around the house wears, so when I saw her completely put together I was shocked. She was stunning and definitely had her own flavor which I like. That’s a Queen B mentality right there.

First stop was to eat. Since every restaurant within the radius of the movie theatre was packed tight, we went on to IHOP a few miles away. I don’t like being in Clayton county but it’s good to get out of the hood every now and then. We conversed a little bit and enjoyed our meal then off to the movies. Since we both enjoy comedies you know Norbit with Eddie Murphy was what was up. Sad to say I was a little disappointed in the movie, it just wasn’t that funny to me; or to her for that matter. Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams did their thing though playing the role at two pimps. I would have to give the movie 6 dollars and 50 cents out of a possible 10.

By the time we got back to her place it was around midnight and although the date went rather well it lacked a little fun. Now Mz Chanel has that island blood in her and she runs with a Jamaican dance crew here is ATL. They are usually at the Royal Peacock, a Reggae club downtown. Big-ups to the Pop-Off Crew, respect!

I was up for anything at this point and although I’m nowhere near a club dude, I figured what the hell, why not go enjoy myself and watch her enjoy herself in an environment she’s comfortable in? This would also give me further insight into her personality.

She was excited to go, she doesn’t get out much and told me that hearing her music and being around that vibe really lets her unwind and let out alot of stress. She just loves to dance. I was already familiar with the reggae club environment because I used to work at a recording studio that was right next to one, so I knew what to expect. Now, if you’ve never been to a reggae club I need to point out a few things to you. It’s a similar environment to a regular club; music, dancing, a huge smoke filled room and people drunk falling out all over the place.

The difference lies in the fact that the reggae club scene is smaller and more tight-knit, so everyone knows each other, for the most part, so everyone is a lot more laid back and friendly to each other; although not so much so to outsiders. It’s very secular. Also smoking weed is just like smoking a cigarette. No one pays it any mind. Hell, even the DJ smokes as he spins the records. Oh, and a final note, if you ever go don’t forget to bring a lighter with a very tall flame. It’s a show of respect to the DJ and the music he’s playing when you hold it up in the air.

The club was dark. And I do mean dark, it took about 5 minutes for my eyes to adjust. The only light was near the bar and the restrooms. I grabbed a Red Strip beer, lit up a cigarette and chilled at the bar as Mz Chanel made her rounds to see her fellow crew members and the owner. They all look at her as their little sister so when she began to introduce me to her people I could sense that protective vibe coming off of them. Add that to the fact that she usually is solo and I’m “outsider” can lead to some pretty shitty attitudes. Didn’t bother me, I wasn’t there for them.

One thing about Mz Chanel that I do love is her smile, and she was smiling BIG time. That “Hey Koolaid!” type smile. I watched he dance and wind and she eventually pulled me onto the dance floor which threw me off a little because I don’t dance, feel me? And I made that clear to her. But it was like whatever, you have to actually LIVE life to enjoy it right? She pushed me up against a one of the posts on the dance floor and proceeded to dance like that. Although I don’t dance I do have a little something like rhythm so I followed her lead of movement and really didn’t have to do much. Eventually we made our way to the back of the club which more private and we chilled and danced over there. Her people gave her some funny looks as they past by from time to time and I just smirked. You might not like the Hustleman but you have to respect the way I do what I do.

I dropped her back off around 4:30am and by the time I got back home, showed and got in the bed it was around 7am. I had to turn right back around and wake up around 10:30am to call up my suppliers and see if they had an order ready for me which they did so I had to go pick that up. The Hustle never stops… work now, rest when you’re dead.

All around that was the best date I’ve had in a long time and I look forward to seeing where all this will go with her. In the meantime, there’s more work to be done so be good Fam and you know I’ll be back at ya! Peace and stay up.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

To Learn The Game – Click Here

The Unscrupulous Curse of the L7's

2007-02-04T14:56:00.000-05:00

And just like that your Hustleman is back in the building. Peace to the Fam out there, I’m a little amped; it is Super Bowl Sunday you know! Can’t say I’m leaning toward any particular side, we have two black coaches and since there was never ever never a black coach in the Super Bowl, to have two at one time is history in itself.

Well I finally decided to put the stomp on a bad habit of mine which is smoking. Call them what you will, squares, cigarettes, cancer sticks or L7’s (put the letter L and the number 7 together side by side and they make a square)… I figured it’s time to stop. Now this is NOT an easy thing. To anyone who’s ever quit cold-turkey you have my deepest respects, no doubt. Currently I’ve cut my intake in half. A was a-pack-a-dayer; about 20 cigarettes a day, so now I’m down to 10. And although that doesn’t seem like a lot, cutting 70 cigarettes out of my habit per week has had some ill effects on me.

When you do the research on quitting you find that there will be some symptoms that are just a natural physical and psychological reaction to your body weaning itself off of nicotine (and whatever the hell else they put in cigarettes). Some of the most common symptoms are as follows:
> Irritability
> Shortness of breath
> Shakiness of the hands
> Difficulty sleeping well
> Weight gain (mostly from an increase in appetite)
> Mild depression
> And an all around shitty attitude

Sounds like fun doesn’t it?

So throwing caution to the wind and being inspired by a couple of people around me who have successfully stopped smoking I decided it was time to go ahead and do that for myself. After all, I thought, quitting can’t be THAT bad. Well… I was wrong.

Let’s look at the side effects of the symptoms I just listed above:
1) Irritability – Oh yes! I had (and still have) this one. I mean the littlest and slightest things get on my last damn nerve. I’m serious! Now I’m normally a laid back type dude. I go with the flow until I realize it’s time to move, then I move. But trying to run a business with a bad attitude is just not the business, feel me? Customers who already work my nerves have worked it like times 4. My patience is thin as tissue paper and I swear I was about to slap this Chinese dude yesterday for laughing at me when I was trying to explain what I wanted in my food order. Real talk. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING gets on my last damn nerves. Even the phone ringing… “WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME and WHAT do you want!” But seriously, I light up a cigarette and things within me settle down; life is good again. Cigarettes are a drug, fuck what “they” say. Moving on…

2) Shortness of Breath and Shakiness of the Hands – Haven’t really experienced these yet, but then again I haven’t completely stopped smoking. I will say this though, it has been harder to concentrate lately.

3) Difficulty Sleeping – A definite yes on this one. I haven’t had a real good nights rest in about a week now. Some of that has to do with the load of things on my mind, but even when I’m exhausted it’s still hard to get comfortable and get in a deep sleep. Over the past week this has improved a little bit.

4)Weight Gain – Nothing I’ve noticed as of yet but I’m hungry almost all day, at least I think I am. Now this is a BIG for me because I normally have a snack here and there and have one meal a day. But to know you’re not hungry and have the desire to eat (possibly to have something to do with your hands; to replace not holding a cigarette) can definitely lead to weight gain. All good though, I wouldn’t mind putting on a few more pounds, but I would definitely want to tone those pounds up.

5) Mild Depression – I can’t say I’ve felt depression, but since everything irritates the fuck out of me I can see that also I’m a lot more emotionally reactive than I am normally. When I start crying over one of those emotionally riveting Oprah shows then I’ll let you know.

6) Shitty Attitude – Already have that to some degree so everything checks out in that department. No change there as of yet.

My good friend Mz Nici Nicole got me “The Patch” for Christmas (gee.. thanks Nici... NOT! Jus playin’ LOL) and I was so confident that I wouldn’t need them, but the more these side-effects start to weigh on me the more I realize that I just might. Oh, and gum just makes me WANT to smoke so that’s not really working for me.

To wrap this all up here’s my plan:
For this first month (about 2 weeks into it already) I will smoke half of what I normally smoked. So about 10 cigs a day.

After that for the next 30 days I will be cutting back to no more than 5 squares and finally I will do my best to either kick the habit completely or smoke 2 cigs a day. One in the morning and one at night, these are when my urges are the strongest. Why 30 days at a time you ask? Because it takes about 30-45 days for a human being to form a new habit. So I have to form the new habit of smoking less so that when I stop completely, it won’t be missed that much. For the time being, as long as I keep busy I really don’t think about smoking that much, which is good because I usually keep busy.

Sorry, I can’t do cold-turkey but I feel this plan will work for me. I’ll keep you all updated on my progress.

Peace Fam, thanks for stopping by and pray for a brother! The Hustleman is out…

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn The Hustle Game – Click Here

Sunday Reflection: My Worst Critic

2007-01-28T12:50:00.000-05:00

Well, well. What’s good Fam? Thought I would make this post a Sunday Reflection post since I haven’t made one of these in awhile. First let me catch you up on what’s been going on and then stand-by for a little ranting LOL.

First off, trying to get some black people to do things they said they were going to do is a pain in the ass. I’ve been pushing to get those black entrepreneur interviews going for you all but as yet, no one has actually sat down to talk with me. I mean WTF?! It’s free advertising and it also gives you a chance to inspire people and possible make a few connections. Granted, my blog isn’t that popular in itself, but they can always link back to the interview on their own website or print them out to add to their portfolio. It’s all good though, I’m still working around a few things so as the saying goes, “Effort always pays off.”

After a couple months of struggling to copy over an old book and lace it with some comments and perspective from yours truly, my second book which I nick-named “The Little Book” is finished and in the polish up phase. This book will be free and downloadable by invite. Of course the Blog-Fam will be able to get it; I will do my best to have this up for you within the next two weeks.

Business wise things are fabulous although this past week was a little slow. You know I often sit and people watch when I’m on those streets and it never ceases to amaze me how depressed a lot of us are. We walk with our heads down and a big frown on our face. Life can beat you down pretty good if you let it; and a lot of us just let it. I am often bombarded with stories from people who just feel comfortable talking to me about their problems; even though they don’t know me all that well. Hearing all of these depressing stories starts to weigh on you after awhile but I do my best to offer sound suggestions. I’m a man of the people, what can I say?

My Hustle partner New York has been in and out this week, I think he’s going through what I’m going through. BURN-OUT LOL! Yeah, it’s catching up to me pretty fast, it’s at times like this I slow down a little and try to just relax and it was during this relaxation that I came to a realization, something I definitely had to reflect on.

Like some people I am my own worst critic. No one can ever beat my down as much as I do myself. I think a lot about areas in my life that just aren’t up to standard and that need improvement; it’s constant, day in and day out. On the other side of that coin is the fact that in order for anyone to move forward, you have to be content (not necessarily happy-but definitely satisfied) with where you are first. Don’t misread me, I’m very grateful with where I’m at in my life now although I can’t help to feel that there are a few huge pieces missing.

A big chunk of that revolves around that fact that for the first time in years I really feel alone. The God, a man who I consider a brother to me is now happily married and no longer in the state of Georgia.

My other “brother” is married now too. We’re not as close was we used to be but if it came down to it, that’s a man I say I can trust and would have no problems doing so. My circle of friends is so small it’s just a dot. I have trust issues, but then again, don’t we all?

Although my Ex and I still live together and are good friends, she has her own life to live so I give her all the space she needs. Since I’ve eased up on the dating (actually going out) I pretty much have settled into a go Hustle and come home routine. I fuck around on the computer, watch movies and hold a few phone conversations with ladies who have sparked my interest. All in all it’s a pretty mundane life right now; which has really killed my inspiration to write.

It's like I'm in a sort of isolation that until recently, I didn't realize I was in. Funny thing is I functional very well in isolation. I've never been one of those people that constantly needs someone around, but (you saw the "but" coming didn't you?) I can't say that if I had to choose this is what I would want.

So no need to complain (won’t change anything anyway), just time to change it up a little bit. After all, what’s life if you don’t LIVE it, right? The more you give to life the more you get out of it. So your Hustleman is lacing up the bootstraps and moving on to doing things that I enjoy more often. I for one hate routines, which is one of the reasons I can’t work for someone else. So my current life routine is just not sitting well with my soul, feel me?

This post turned out to be a little longer than I planned and I know it was all over the place; if you were able to sit through it I give you my thanks. Be good Fam and as always, be blessed and keep your head up out there. You never know what’s around the next corner if you don’t go look.

Real Game, Real Talk #2: Words And Influence

2007-01-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago I was pushed, so to speak, to stop bullshittin’ and really break down Hustling. So this new series, “Real Game, Real Talk” was created to do just that. There’s a few of you out there who read my words but are still are hazy on the details. In this post I will break down for you the truth about one of a Hustlers greatest “tools’. This is straight Game right here! No fluff and no beating around the bush. If you get it then you get it, if not, then maybe one day it will “click” for you. Walk with me for a few minutes.

If you missed the first post of this series then please CLICK HERE.

So for those of you out there wondering just what it is I do to make money out here on these streets, I can usually sum it up to being good with ONE main thing (there’s a lot more to it but this is one of the most important parts); and that is using words to get results. The results I’m after are two-fold. 1) I’m trying to get you to spend your money on what I’m selling and 2) I also need to make you feel comfortable and confident enough with me to come back and become a regular customer, i.e. to spend more money. To any type of Hustler (entrepreneur) the mouth-piece (the way you talk and use words) is key. The only thing more important is how you think and your perspective on things, period. Simple.

Without effective communication you can pretty much sew up your chances of being a successful entrepreneur. There’s no nice way to put that. We Hustlers learn to communicate in such a way that we demand to be heard and we also learn to talk our way into and out of things using some pretty easy word choices. Let’s get into this a little deeper shall we?

To even begin to overstand (stand over not under) why we place such an important emphasis on communication you must know that at its very root, communication (both written and oral) is a form of manipulation. Swallow that if you can. Most of us spend over 70% of our time talking trying to communicate our perspective. We constantly talk about what we like, what we don’t like, what bothers and/or irritates us. All of this talking is to make an impression of ourselves to the person we’re speaking with. Are you following me? On some level we want the person we’re speaking with to be able to sympathize with what we’re saying, and possibly agree with our point of view. That’s a form of manipulation; like it or not.

Now for a Hustler we need to get our customers and clients to see the benefit of buying what it is we’re selling. It’s similar to professional selling (car salespeople for example) but it’s much faster paced. We’re not going to try to spend 10 minutes selling something to you when we can talk to 5 other people in that 10 minutes and make money. Hence the word Hustle – it means to shuffle things and move quickly. Our mouth-piece is like a fully automatic weapon. What we spit needs to be clear and straight to the point; it needs to make sense. The best way to sell is to sell by LOGIC but the biggest reason people buy is based on EMOTION (I’ll try to remember to cover that another time). So how the hell do you sell logically and move people emotionally? Let’s play a simple word game.

Grab a piece of paper and something to write with. I’m going to present a word to you and I want you to write down all the words that come to you after you read it. Just write them down, don’t think about them and don’t judge them. Just let it flow. Ready?

First word:
CARROT

Got those written down? Good! Now let’s continue.

Second word:
PLAIN

And one more…

Third word:
FIRE

Now if you noticed all these words are ordinary words; nothing spectacular or unusual about them at all. They’re very “logical” words. Now let’s look at what you wrote down for each. If you’re like most people, what you wrote down were words to DEFINE the words I wrote. For example… most people read the word carrot and write down orange and/or vegetable. These are words to define what a carrot is, feel me?

I just said the word, but your mind tried to define it by using more words. The English language is fucked up in this regard because when you read the word plain you can’t help think, if only for a split second, of the word plane (as airplane or a flat plane) also. You mind is searching for a DEFINITION. It’s unconscious and automatic.

*** SIDE NOTE: Since your mind works like this, I can completely throw you off when I use words and word combinations like “overstand” and in writing, “two incidents” – two is also the prefix “co”, so two incidents is really the word “co”incidence because if you have two similar incidents that’s a coincidence, right?

These were different word combinations with similar meanings in your mind but NOT by the dictionary definition. By the way, a DICTIONary doesn’t give DICTION, it defines, so shouldn’t it be called a definitionary? I got you again LOL.

You have to stop for a moment and break the words down to have it make sense to yourself. And all of this word play will FORCE you to listen (or read) what is said – if you want to overstand it that is. Forcing a person to REALLY listen to you is another trick of the trade but that’s another topic… back on point… ***

So to sell something logically I must speak or write logically but I must move you emotionally. All the greatest motivational speeches throughout history as well as meaningful songs have used this same formula, and it’s what us Hustler’s use to make money. Same principle only much faster. I’ll give you a short example and then I’ll let you go.

Which one moves you more? Line A or Line B?

A) I woke up and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day.

B) I woke up and looked out the window. The sun was bright and the sky was blue and clear.

In Line A, the word beautiful leaves your mind to interpret what’s a beautiful day TO YOU. In Line B, the beauty is defined FOR YOU and moves you more although both lines are saying the same thing. Why? Because it’s more descriptive.

To be even more specific… Line B moves you because it captures your imagination! It creates PICTURES in your mind. Since our minds think in pictures, the mind can clearly accept what is being read. This is a major key to having an effective mouth-piece; properly using words to capture a person’s imagination. This is a subtle manipulation because you are now “seeing” in your mind what I WANT you to see; I didn’t leave room for you to interpret it for yourself! I’ll let you think that over. Peace and blessings Fam!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn The Game

Tales From The Block: The Last Phone Call

2007-01-12T00:37:00.000-05:00

What’s good Fam? Your Hustleman is still here and doing what I do. I sincerely hope all is well with each and every one of you and if not, make some efforts to change it. Everything must change sooner or later, but it works much faster if you put forth some effort.

The block is good. I’m at peace for the most part; still grinding and trying to step up my Game. New York is still New York, playing lotto and talking mad shit. I’m glad he let those two clown niggas he was hanging with go. I guess he realized what I did; they Hustle but they’re not Hustlers, feel me? It amazes me that as hard as New York is, he has a big heart. He’ll help you in a heart beat. I respect that in him.

I haven’t been doing too much dating wise lately. Mainly because I’ve realized that I need to screen and interview these females first. So it’s all phone convo before I commit to spending time or money. So far, no one has really caught my interest so the search continues. Oh, and to Mz Nici Nicole – stop being like that; let me take you out already! Clear your schedule up a bit LOL (jus playin’). Anyway, enjoy your vacation and be safe. Back on point… I’ll give you all more updates in another post but I wanted to pass this story on to you all.

Recently at my spot I ran into one of my long time customers. An older Lady who I’ll call Mz. Dee. She’s a sweetheart really; the type of woman to always have a smile on her face and is quick to engage you in conversation. I haven’t seen her in awhile so it was a pleasure to see her. We exchanged the Happy New Year’s and I asked her what’s been going on with her. She looked down for a moment and then told me about her tragedy. I listened intently because I’ve never known her to have that look on her face that I was seeing.

Her son known as Red was killed on Washington Road in East Point a couple of months ago. I met Red a couple of times. He was a cool brother. Seems he was in an altercation with someone at a club over some money. Apparently that dude didn’t forget. Red was a Hustler, the drug selling type. Nothing big, just green (weed). He felt it coming too because as she put it, he took his daughters picture with him that morning because he wanted to have her close to him that day.

It was all a set up basically. However the killer got his cell phone number remains a mystery but more than likely someone spit that information out freely. I would guess one of his customers. Mz Dee shook her head because she couldn’t understand why he never changed his cell phone number. Side Note: To all my dope boys out there, change your number often – that’s part of the drug game; keep it moving. So the killer called him up and told him he need X amount of such and such and to meet at a corner store. Red slipped here because first of all he didn’t try to find out who was on the other end of the line, and two, you never meet strange people by yourself; it doesn’t matter is it’s in a public place.

So as Red shows up and steps out of the car the bullets begin to fly. He (or they) shot him 13 times just as he got out of the car. The shooter took no green or money; he did what he had to do and got the hell on. He must of planned this out carefully because he still hasn’t been caught although I’m sure someone close to Red might have an idea of who this dude is. I was stunned to hear about all this as I watched the emotion on Mz Dee’s face. She went into her purse and pulled out some pictures of the funeral, including one of her son. He was laying peacefully, the light of life clearly gone from him.

Mz Dee heard the news from a friend who was passing by the corner store. The friend saw Red laid out in the parking lot surrounded by police and made the phone call. Wow, how do tell a mother something like that? Mz. Dee thought it was a joke at first and then the reality set in. She said she was hysterical and rushed to the corner store as fast as she could. Sad, he was in his early twenties and he leaves his daughter behind, she’s three or four if I have my facts straight.

My heart goes out to the Family. Damn these streets are cold. Peace and blessings Fam.

Financial Game And Forecast For 2007

2007-01-04T04:34:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay Fam, but after a short New Year break it’s back to business. Last month I was drowning myself in work and taking my leisure time to do leisure things which is pretty much just watching movies and messing around on the computer. Although I’m really more of an outside type person, when it’s time to chill I just like to be in the house. I spend a lot of my time interacting with people and sometimes I just get to the point where I need some quiet time to myself. I think everyone is like that to a certain degree. I truly hope that your New Year went well and I have to say I’m grateful for another year. Time flies doesn’t it? Seems like only a year or 2 ago we just hit 2000… it is what it is I suppose. Anyway here’s a financial forecast for the next few months from someone looking at things from a street level with a Hustler’s perspective of course *smile*

On a business perspective it’s going to be busy for me again for the next couple of months. Tax returns mean more people spending more money on things they probably don’t need. Since I try to keep up with what’s going on in the business world, it seems that most retailers did about average this year, no surprise there since our economy is all over the place. The thing that gets me is that without a tax return, many people wouldn’t make it from year to year. That lump sum of money gives some serious breathing room to a lot of people, especially the lower class as they call it. But here’s a head’s up from your Hustleman; hold on to your dollars (if at all possible) and spend it in late March when retailers put their prices back to normal. Now your big ticket items such as houses and cars will carry good deals upfront, but you’ll pay for it in the back end, trust me on that! Don’t fall for the classic bait and hook dance they give you. The business world knows that people will have more money to spend so they want to make sure they get a piece of that, so why not jack up prices a little bit to make up for the Holidays? That’s just good business… at least for the business owner. Make sure you do your thorough investigation and research before you commit yourself to anything like that.

For my fellow Hustlers out there on the grind, a word of wisdom: Now until mid-March is probably the best time to get yourself into your customers minds. Be reasonable with the prices and you can be assured you’ll make a few new year-round customers. And we all know that’s what you want, repeat business. Repeat business equals steady income, but you know that right? Have those discounts or coupons ready to get those new customers or clients in the door and seal the deal from there. Don’t forget to line something up on the back-end, you’ll need those extra dollars for April and May which I predict will be slow (unless of course there’s a major turn-around in the employment rate).

If you don’t have a business yet or are in the beginning stages now is NOT a good time to jump that business off. The exception to that would be unless you have enough money in your budget to last you to the summer; or if you start extremely small like I counsel others to do. You probably won’t see much in profit until then. Sure you’ll catch some tax-return money but that is temporary, things will dry up for a few months until mid to late spring. Do what you do though, just stating my observation.

For my workers out there (those that are employed) I would advise you to do your best to save some of that tax-return money. Anywhere from 10 to 20%. You worked hard for that, pay yourself FIRST before giving that to someone else. And there’s a lot of security in knowing that you have a little extra put away in case of emergency, or even to invest. Also if you’re shopping around for sales try to catch the ones that happen at the beginning of the week (Monday through Wednesday), instead of the weekends. Why you ask? Because the slowest day of the retail week is Tuesday. This usually means (not always) that the prices are slightly lower and that the business is trying to get rid of what ever it didn’t sell over the weekend to make room for the new stuff. If you have it in you, you can probably negotiate even further discounts on certain items or overstocks. Try it, you might be surprised. Always talk with the Store Manager or Business Owner about these things, employees can’t do anything for you in this regard.

Alright enough of the financial talk, before I bore you all to death LOL – just wanted to pass that on to let you see what I see. Hustle, don’t be Hustled; follow me? Take care Fam and I’ll be back at you as soon as possible (I'll be posting regularly again in another week or two). Peace and blessings.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Learn the Game

An Insight Into Introspection

2006-12-28T19:29:00.000-05:00

Peace Fam! Things are finally settling down for me (for the most part) and just coming off the holiday all I can say it was a good one. The 25th just happens to be Mz Angel B’s birthday. She’s a homegirl of both Mz Mental and I. That pic above was my company for the evening as we did a little last minute celebration. From Left to Right: Juicy, Mz Angel B., and of course Mz Mental. We headed out to catch the Dreamgirls flick which was both good and bad. This movie really showcased the vocal talents of Jennifer Hudson (even more than Beyonce); and Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx did their thing. The disappointing aspect for me was all the damn singing! It felt too much like a musical (which it was originally meant to be, yeah I know) I just figured that when they turned it into a movie they would stick more to the dialogue to push the story instead of singing. Ah well… I’ll give it 6 dollars and fifty cents out of 10 (6.5/10). I’d watch it again if I didn’t have anything else to watch.

We caught the movie at Magic Johnson Theatres and I must say it’s a beautiful thing to walk into an establishment and see nothing but your people. From management on down to us customers. Despite how we treat each other sometimes, to be surrounded by nothing but your own people just feels good. I love the ATL, the good and the bad. Moving on…

If you already didn’t know Fam, I’m an introspective type dude. Trust me on that. When I look at life situations and people I usually see them from a different perspective than your average person. Now although this usually works to my advantage, sometimes I miss obvious details that someone else has to point out to me. Being introspective gives you a unique view on life mainly because you internalize things and analyze them instead of taking them on face value. Some people look at a glass half empty, other look at it half full. Now me, I don’t even see the glass I look at the water and think, “What if you poured that water in a smaller glass? Wouldn’t it be full then? Or if you poured it in a pitcher then it would look like hardly any water at all.” follow me on that? I see both sides of the coin and realize that things can go either way; it’s just how you look at it. Everything is exactly what it is when you go beyond outside appearance.

An example of my thought process: Let’s just say a man robbed a bank. Most people would immediately label him a criminal. Now me, I question his motives behind what he did; his purpose. Now robbing a bank isn’t the smartest thing to do but what if that was the only way he could think of to get money to feed his 3 starving children? Although what he did was still wrong, his reason behind it was for a good purpose. It is what it is.

Perspective is the difference between those that succeed and those that fail. I realized this early in my business career mainly because my perspective was shitty. When I used to Hustle with partners who were much more experienced than me, I used to be amazed at how fast they did what they did. They made it seem effortless and here I was struggling to do half of what they could do. This is the type of stuff that can turn you into a hater if you’re not careful. It just didn’t seem fair. But in reality it was fair. I wanted the good results without putting in the work to get it. Now that’s fucked up perspective; it hurt no one but me. What you THINK is what you get; not what you SEE. Don’t skip over that, it’s simple but can make a powerful impact on your future results in life.

Stay up Fam. Your Hustleman will return soon, until then I’ll be getting ready for the New Year as I know most of you will. And everyone out there enjoy your New Year and be safe. Peace and blessings.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Small and Home Based Business Made Easy

Seasons Greetings!

2006-12-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

I sincerely hope everyone who celebrates Christmas is enjoying themselves and doing it BIG. Tomorrow is yet another big shopping day before we bring in the New Year. Amazing, it’s almost 2007! Is it just me or does time seem to fly these days? Personally I’ve been pretty busy, it’s a busy time of year for me but I enjoy every minute of it, except for the shopping part; mainly getting around in the traffic LOL.

This week has been dynamic, the money flowed easily and it was good to see old customers and hear their holiday stories. Everyone was pretty much up and ready to go. My man New York unfortunately got wrapped up in some bullshit which got him locked up earlier last week, but he came out on bond and hit the block like a soldier. Nearly broke, he hustled up the money to make sure that 2 of his daughters would have a good Christmas; they were coming down from New York for a few days to spend time with their father. That incident of course left me solo for most of the week and although I was busy, it was still a little boring. Hustling solo isn’t always what I would call fun or exciting. Plus working and trying to watch your own back (you know you’re always being watched by someone) with groups of people around you is not easy. All good though, that’s what I chose to do so I stayed focused and did my best. So far another Holiday season free of any incidents or robbery.

As I prepare to bring in the New Year I have been taking my time to think about my life over the past year and find areas that could definitely use some improvement. I think we all do that more or less. The New Year marks a time of new beginnings although in reality, everyday is a new beginning. So although I don’t really do the whole “New Year Resolution” thing, I do like to make sure that my upcoming year will be better than the last. One of the greater battles I have to fight is to stop smoking these damn squares (cigarettes). I’ve tried before but it was MUCH harder than I thought. If anyone tries to tell you that cigarettes are not addictive, please slap them for me. Anyway moving on…

All in all everything is fabulous. No stress just blessed. Despite all the negativity going on in the world right now I’m at peace and those around me seem that way also. It turned out to be a good Christmas after all. Tomorrow is not promised so live for today; that’s the saying right? I’m out Fam and will be back at you soon. Peace and blessings. I wish you and yours a happy, safe Holiday and week ahead. Keep it moving and keep it simple ~ If they only knew.

Hustleman Scrooge?

2006-12-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

Although I’m as optimistic as the next brother, it’s hard to ignore the fact that A LOT of people are catching it rough this year. Many people are losing their jobs; everyone I know is on a strict Holiday budget, myself included. Oh… the joy of the Holidays!

Anyway… as the holiday approaches I hear more and more people just ready to get it over with ASAP. I remember this time of year as a little dude, everyone seemed more joyful, whether frontin’ or not you could definitely feel the so-called “Holiday Spirit” in the air. I lived in Denver, Colorado then and the presence of snow really made it feel like the special season we all have seen on the television. Now here it is, everyone is either depressed, frustrated or on their way to getting that way because they know they’ll be broke (or damn close) in a few days. Bah-humbug! No doubt. Other than my god-children, everyone is getting cards this year. I love you all, but not that much LOL. Just playin’.

I just noticed this about myself a few years ago, but the older I get the more I dread the Holidays. It’s just not the same and add on the fact that I really don’t have any children around me (the Holidays are really all about them). When did the Holidays become something you want to rush through instead of something you look forward to enjoying? All I see now is the greed involved in it. It’s not about family so much anymore; it’s about spending your money to really feel like you had a “good” Holiday. Eh… maybe it’s just me.

Say what you want, but when I have children they won’t know who the hell Santa is. Don’t get me wrong, I would never deprive my children of the joy of the Holidays, but I want to keep it as real with my children as possible. I want them to be able to see reality and overstand it, not fill their heads with fantasies that there is someone out there who’s watching you all year; keeping track of your every deed. Then he comes to bring all the good kids in the world gifts in the night and you never see him, hear him but you have to thank him. I’m not with that bullshit, so miss me with that. I want my children to know that the gifts they receive came from people that love and care for them. The gifts were given out of sacrifice and thoughtfulness, not from a mystery spook who they don’t know.

My last good memory was when I was back home in Denver and grown. It was around 11pm on Christmas Eve and I was wrapping up last minute presents for my little brother who was sleep in the bed. My father and his wife (my step mother) were in the kitchen along with my Grandmother. They were finishing up cookies for dinner the next day while my dad did some early preparation for the dishes he was making. By the way, my dad can cook his ass off! The mood was positive and it felt good to be around my family. And even better to see my little brother because I didn’t see him much… and I still don’t. He’s way on the other side of the States in Cali with our mother. That time right there meant more to me than any other Christmas before. It was no longer about the gifts and the running around trying to find things for people, wondering if I was spending too much money. It was simply the time I spent with them that made it special. Unfortunately I haven’t felt that feeling in years and it’s nothing that anyone can buy you. The best things in life truly are free.

Just curious; if you feel like sharing I’d love to hear about one of your good holiday memories. I could use a little upliftment. Peace and blessings Fam! Keep it moving and keep it simple – If they only knew.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle and Profit.Com

Alright, I'm Back

2006-12-17T12:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a minute Fam I know, but I'm back at you. There's alot to cover in this post so let's get to it. This week has been fabulous weather wise. I’m talking about spring temperatures outside, real talk. It’s nice to be able to leave the house and feel the sun. The only downside was that my dumb ass gambled away $300 on some bullshit and I don’t even gamble! Fortunately New York (the biggest gambler I know) talked some sense into me before it really got bad LOL. I was going to make a post about it, but it’s not that interesting, trust me on that. I’m still a little frustrated about the situation, but it was my choice so Ill just have to charge that one to the game. That’s one reason I love the hustle, I lost $300 and it didn’t stop anything, I got off my ass and made it back without missing a beat. Moving on…

Friday went lovely as always. My only complaint is these clown dudes New York has been hanging around lately and bringing to the spot. Don’t misread me, they’re cool but they’re disrupting the flow of work. They’re loud for all the wrong reasons and they have no focus. Knowing New York he’s probably training them to be workers to put on his team, although they already hustle. The problem is they’re broke hustlers. The type of leeches that hang around with dudes like New York because he will lend a hand if you ask him, even if you do him wrong (only up to certain point of course.). As much as I hate to say it, his kindness is his weakness. I predict trouble in the future if he continues to mess with these dudes, I tried to shine light on the situation but he’ll have to make his own decision.

I finally caught up with a young Lady I’ve been pursuing. She’s an entrepreneur which is what draws me to her, she overstands the Grind, feel me? She does make-up and eyebrows and owns a shop in East Point, the infamous Zone 3. On top of that she’s the Queen B of her clique. What’s a Queen B you ask? Well in just about every group of women there’s one who all the other women look up to. They value her opinion on things and come to her for advice and approval on their life decisions. Being the type of man I am, I usually like to be with the Queen B because she’s the strongest and the most free thinking. On the downside she’s busier than me so I had to make her ink me in on her schedule. We’ve talked from time to time between her appointments and photo shoots but catching her alone is like a part-time job. But you know me, I’m persistent.

The date was set for Friday but because of her schedule she wouldn’t be ready until about 10pm. On top of that she needed to be up early in the morning so it felt like speed dating. No worries though the new Will Smith movie came out so that was perfect. Side note: If you haven’t seen “The Pursuit of Happiness” yet, don’t wait! Excellent movie. The man that Will Smith portrays (based on a real life brother) went through a serious struggle. The movie is nothing less than inspirational to say the least.

So date time…You know your Hustleman had to get dipped or as the Bossmack would say, Krispy. She was looking good herself although in my opinion she had on a little too much make-up, but that’s what she does so it’s like free advertising if anyone asks her who did it. I personally feel black women don’t need much make-up to look beautiful. They already have color so make-up that just accentuates certain features is good enough for me. Another point, I never like being on a time schedule, especially for a first date but I told myself it’s time to get myself out of my comfort zone. You see Fam, for my last few relationships I’ve been dating the same types of women and this young Lady is nothing like them. Not opposite, but different. The conversation is on point which is one of the first things I look for in a woman. If I can’t hold a meaningful conversation with you, then what’s the point? She also has a great sense of humor which is cool because I can get crazy at times; a woman who takes things too serious wouldn’t be able to keep up with me.

The date was short, we went to watch the movie and that was a wrap. We talked a little on my way back home over the cells since we were in separate cars. I have to say I’m pretty impressed with her so far. She’s very grounded, but then again she’s seen a lot of struggle in her life; you can see it definitely humbled her. We’ll be hooking up again no doubt. Not bad for my first “official” date since the ending of my relationship. I wish they all would go that smooth, but for those of you out there dating, you know that’s NOT going to happen. Have I ever mentioned I think dating is a pain in the ass?

Saturday was strip club night. For most of the week the close friend of Mz Mental has been celebrating her birthday so the last thing on the list was to get all the friends together and go to the strip club; not the male strippers but the females (I’ll let you put that together on your own). We hooked her up with some drinks and table dances. The club was a little disappointing, I used to go this particular club every so often but the attitude and quality of the ladies there has really went downhill. All good though, it was about the birthday girl enjoying herself. Afterward they left to a Christmas party and I came on home. I was tired as hell, I couldn’t do another 2-3 hours at a party.

And I’d also want to give a big thanks to Mz Nici Nicole for coming through and seeing a brother from time to time, I always appreciate the good company. Plus feeling lonely is a bitch. I’m going to take you out soon; we’ll go to one of those healthy restaurants or something since you’re working out now and trying to get your Beyonce body on LOL. All good though, you know I love ya.

Be good Fam, the Holidays are right around the corner, for those that celebrate. I hope you’re ready because I’m not. Damn this year went by fast! Anyway your Hustleman is signing off, much love as always, be back at you soon. Peace!

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Take Control of Your Financial Future

Taking A Short Break

2006-12-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

Peace and Blessings Fam! First and foremost let me extend my apologies to you all, I’ve been absent from many of your blogs and my own. You have to overstand, this is the Holiday Season so I’ve been overtime on my grind. On top of that I’m trying to get this dating thing up and running so I’ve been meeting a few nice young ladies here and there trying to find one I can at least hold a decent conversation with… but that’s another story. Rest assured though I’m putting some things together for you all that will be ready for the New Year.

I’m almost done with a new book; a remake of a classic in my opinion. The book was originally published in 1910 but it still has relevance to this day and time. I call it the “Little Book” and it’s one that really helped me look at building wealth differently; less of a struggle and more like the natural order of things. This book will be FREE of charge and available by invitation only. Of course I will be inviting all my blog readers to download the “Little Book” and it will be ready soon.

Also on the horizon will be some interviews with fellow Hustlers (or should I say entrepreneurs) around the Atlanta Metro area. I hope these interviews will inspire and pass on some business Game while giving you all more of the inner workings of what it’s like to create a successful business out of nothing. I’m trying to get a broad variety of business types so I’ve set up interviews with everyone from Eyebrows/Makeup Artists to Private Real Estate Investors. Every one of them young black entrepreneurs doing their thing. I’ve never done interviews before so this should be interesting LOL. I’ll have to feel my way around but I’ll get it, your Hustleman is persistent if nothing else.

So over the next week I’ll be catching up on blogs and will continue to grind throughout the Holiday. Hell, I’m even trying to fit some dates in my schedule. I’ll be taking a short break from blogging and will return to you all next Sunday, December 17th. Until then be well Fam and stay safe out there.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Invest In Your Financial Future

Real Game, Real Talk: The Hustler VS The Worker

2006-12-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today is Sunday and although I do have a lot to reflect on for the past week I have been pushed, so to speak, to stop bullshittin’ and really break down Hustling. So this is the birth of a new series here on the blog, “Real Game, Real Talk”. There’s a few of you out there who read my words but are still are hazy on the details. So in this post I will explore a HUGE mental distinction that separates the entrepreneur from what we call the “worker”. This is straight Game right here! No fluff and no beating around the bush. If you get it then you get it, if not, then maybe one day it will “click” for you.

So here it is Fam, the viewpoint of “The Hustle” straight from a Hustler. By the way if you’re a new reader to the blog then just know that a Hustler is an entrepreneur. We just start with what we have at hand and build from there. It’s a both a lifestyle and a way of thinking. Stay with me for a minute or two if you would.

You know it’s funny, the “worker” and the Hustler are like night and day. It’s not so much the end outcome they’re after, I mean seriously in the end it’s about money. A Hustler though, looks at the whole process a little different. What’s that difference exactly? Hustler’s choose to get paid on their RESULTS and the “worker” chooses to get based on TIME. The end result is money but the methods of getting to it are completely different.

We all have the same amount of time per day but if you let someone dictate what you’re time is worth then that’s what you’re going to get. However if you choose to get paid based on results, the sky’s the limit. There’s no ceiling on your income as the so-called professionals would say.

Result based income is part of what makes the world go around. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you’re working at a job and you’re getting paid $15.00 an hour. No matter how hard you work, no matter how much you accomplish in that hour you’re only getting $15.00 for your efforts. But if you get paid based on results then the more you do in that hour, the more money you’ll make. Again, the harder you work, the more money you make. What’s the underlying difference here? It’s control. Control? Yes, control. When you are paid by the hour, you have absolutely no control over how much you can make. Someone else has already told you what you’re worth. However when you get paid based on your performance (and the results of that performance) then you’re in control and you make what you’re worth. It’s a sacrifice and a scary thing to people who are afraid to fail. On a side note I have seen some damn good business ideas never get off the ground because of this fear of failure. Hustler’s have no time for fear; it slows down or stops progress altogether.

I often tell people interested in starting a business venture that it can be (not always) the hardest work you’ll probably ever do in your life. But it also rewards those who know how to do what they do and do it well. Do you realize that if you put as much time, commitment and energy into doing something for yourself as you do a job, you can actually make it in business? Of course the right tools and knowledge comes into play, but we’re just talking about the amount of shear effort right now.

For you “workers” out there, think about your work day for a moment. You wake up at a certain time; you spend the next hour or so just getting ready for work. Then you have to actually get to work. Then when you’re at work, you do your job. After work you make your way back home. You actually only worked 8 hours but that whole process took maybe 10, more or less. That’s 10 hours of your day gone, and only 8 of that is bringing you money. Those other 2 or so hours are used to just have the privilege of working; effort with no monetary gain. To Hustler that’s wasted time.

You have to go from waiting to get paid to creating how much you get paid. “Workers” often times don’t really see that. And on the other side of the coin… Hustlers don’t see how “workers” don’t see what we see. Hell, I didn’t see it either until someone took the time to explain it to me. Sad truth is, we’re not taught to see it. We’re taught to get paid based on time.

Here’s the part that hurts. Since we are all on the same clock, getting paid based on time will only get you so far so fast. You have to put in more time to make more money. Then you have us Hustler’s who put in more effort to make more money. The “worker” is controlled by time, the Hustler uses time. The end results can be seen in the wallet.

You want a little extra money? Do you realize that if you became a Notary Public and set yourself up correctly and offered that service to businesses who really need it (especially if you can go to them) you could potentially make an extra $200 or so a month or more (realistically, if you’re in or near a major city think in the thousands)? Now here’s where the “worker” shakes their head and says, “$200 extra dollars a month? That’s no money!” But you know what a Hustler sees? He or she will take that $200 and use it to either expand the Notary business or invest it into something else. We do things in steps.

It’s not always about the amount of money, but how you use it. Most “workers” don’t place a serious value on their money so they spend it and stress while they do it. They worry whether or not they will have enough money left to pay the rent or mortgage if they go out for dinner at a nice restaurant. How is THAT living? A Hustler values their money because it wasn’t given to them (I use that term loosely), but they made it; they created it and they know its hidden potential.

Before this post gets too long let me tell you one more thing. Perspective is the key to unlock the door from “worker” mentality to entrepreneur mentality. The way you look at things doesn’t change those things, but it changes you. And when you change, you will see beyond the appearance of things and be able to get to the root of them. I hope you all hear me.

Stay up Fam! Much love to you all, and as always I’m here for your questions and inquires. Get at me: thehustleman@hustleandprofit.com.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle and Profit. Com

Updates On My Universe

2006-11-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

Let it be known Fam that your Hustleman is back in full health (minus my sinus problems) and back refocused. I caught up on some rest and I’m recharged. I thought I would update you all on some of the things going on in my mind and in my universe. Walk with me.

1) Seems like your Hustleman is back on the dating scene. It’s funny because I really have distaste for it. You meet someone, spend your time, energy, money only to find out that this person isn’t who they say they are, or worse, they’re Psycho Stalkers or something. But I’m optimistic.

On the other end of that is the fact that I’m getting older. Time seems to be running by so fast and still no children; I’ve never been married either. Engaged twice, but never married (hmm, an idea for another post). During my last relationship with Mz Mental I came to a realization about myself… I really did suck at relationships. I didn’t know what it was since I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly, but there was something in me that just had a hard time balancing everything.

Before you begin to analyze my situation let me say this. I’m a Hustler, period point blank. I’m not a thug, gangster, thief, mack, wanna-be rapper or any of that. How many people can tell you what they are and how they live? To truly Hustle one needs a level of dedication and commitment to the “art” that a lot of people lack. If more people had it, more people would be entrepreneurs. Simple. It’s not for everyone. The problem lies in the fact that I’m truly money over bullshit. And when I’m full speed ahead in grind mode that’s all I see sometimes. But I know how to dedicate myself to something; that's what being a risk taker is all about. I just learned how to channel that into more than one thing at a time.

If I didn’t learn anything else from my last relationship, I learned balance. So with this new revelation, I’m getting ready to do it all over again. It is what it is. Moving on…

2) It’s good to see Mental happy again. I love her and care about her a great deal. I’m glad she’s moved on with her new insights and I’m always here for her if she needs me. Keep doing your thing babygirl! As far as females go, she truly is my best friend and I’m sure that won’t change anytime soon. And despite popular DIS-belief, we still live together and function very well as roommates and she still cooks from time to time which I love, her cooking is always on point. If you missed the details of that break-up then CLICK HERE.

3) It’s been about two weeks since I’ve talked to Mz Ree. If you don’t remember the drama that went down in this situation then CLICK HERE. I told her if she continued to mess with her sorry ass nigga, DON’T fuck with me. And since I haven’t heard from her, I know what the deal is. I wish you the best girl, I hope your decision was the right one. I’ll see you around sometime I’m sure. Things always come full circle; sooner or later.

4) I’m almost a month into the M1 project (hustleandprofit.com) and since I’m learning as I’m going I can’t say I’m disappointed in the results so far. There’s a lot of work left ahead so I do like the old Oriental proverb suggests; when you eat an elephant, you eat it one bite at a time.

Stay up Fam! Much love to you always. And remember, just because it's not complicated, that doesn't mean it's easy.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

How to do Small Business

Sunday Reflection: Out Of Focus

2006-11-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings Fam! I knew it would happen sooner or later and indeed it did happen. My sinus troubles have kicked in due largely to the drastic weather changes going on here in the ATL. I swear it's like spring out side right now, real talk. Anyhow, since I've been feeling a little bit under the weather I haven't been inspired to write anything. Actually my only inspiration has been to get my sleep on; I'm so out of focus right now.... But moving on... I have decided to include a small teaser from my book "The Hustler's Manual" for this post. This comes from Chapter 4, Tool #1 - The Mind.

Get your copy of "The Hustler's Manual" by clicking on the link at the end of this post. Don't delay any longer because everyone has one, except you! Just playin' :-) Enjoy Fam!

Principle 7: The Secret Behind The Magnetic Personality

Have you ever met someone that has the type of personality that just lights up the room? They seem almost stress free and they command attention although they don’t go actively looking for it. They seem to get along with everyone and when they speak everyone seems to listen to what they have to say.

I remember back a few years ago when I was just getting the hang of business, one of my hustling partners and part-time mentor was strapped for money. We’ll call him B. Now B was the type of guy who could literally sale ice to an Eskimo. He realized he had gotten a little lazy in his business and was determined to get himself back on track.

We had gotten up early that particular day and met with our wholesalers. After getting what we needed we were off to our “spot” where we would set up shop for the day.

It was hot! I mean scorching outside. It was summer time and anyone that knows what Georgia heat feels like will back me up on this - You do not want to be in the heat too long, you feel like you’re going to melt. I guess it’s not the heat so much as the humidity that’s added to it. The heat just sticks to you.

Anyway, we set up shop and began to work. B outside of work was always very friendly and you rarely caught him in a bad mood, but when it was time to work he hit a zone where you just couldn’t stop him. People were just drawn to him. Here he was making sale after sale after sale and I was maybe making 1 out of every 9 or 10. Needless to say I was getting discouraged. But B was on fire!

We didn’t want to be outside too long because of the blazing heat but we both had our quota and we wanted to make it as quickly as possible. Well B made his quota in less than an hour. And tripled his quota in a little over 2 hours. For me it took 3 hours to make quota. By that time B was almost out of stock and was helping me sell off my inventory. Almost everyone he talked to came over just to see what he had, and almost everyone bought something.

After we were done for the day he could see the frustration in my eyes, I guess it was written all over my face. I mean we worked together so how could I hide the fact that it took me forever to “get going” so to speak? He looked at me and said, “It’s a vibe man, you just have to catch it.” And these words still stick with me to this day.

What did he mean by that? He meant that you can literally magnetize people to you. He was creating, not waiting. He built rapport just by putting out more energy (the right kind of energy) than everyone else around him, including me. He worked with the very “spirit” of what we were doing. Let me tell you a story.

Let’s say you’re at the beach. It’s hot and of course most people are dressed in swimwear. But here comes this guy, he’s dressed in a 3 piece suit and tie. The suit is an ugly green color and just by looking at him you would think he was a fool. Does he even know where he’s at? People are laughing and pointing at this idiot but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

He walks up and down the beach waving at people, giving high fives to kids and generally seems to be enjoying himself. He’s opening up conversations with person after person. When he’s through talking to a particular person or group they seem to be generally very happy he stopped to talk with them. And as he continues to walk he finally approaches you.

“Hello!” He says with a slight smile. He’s cheerful but not annoyingly so. He continues, “Great day here at the beach isn’t it? I would love to go for a swim but I forgot my swim trunks. What a damn shame.” He chuckles a little and then some kids run up to him laughing as they kick sand on him and he kicks some sand back at them. The young kids scream and yell wildly running off laughing louder and he laughs too.

“So, what brings you here today?” He asks you. You here a faint ringing sound. Yep, it’s definitely a cell phone. It’s his so he takes it out of his pocket and answers it. “Hey! Oh, really? Alright well give him whatever he wants. 8 million dollars? Whoa! That’s a little steep but go ahead and have his lawyer fax us the contracts. I don’t care how much it costs. Just get it done. Thanks Sharon. Bye.”

He turns back to you and says, “Oh, sorry, let me introduce myself. I’m George Anderson and I’m a real estate investor. I was thinking of buying up about a dozen square blocks of commercial property here and just wanted to know how often you come to this beach and what do you like most about it? I want to improve the area, but not take away the things that people find charming.”

Has your perception of this man changed? At first he was a fool in a 3 piece suit now he’s a multi-millionaire business man. Would your reaction and the way you talk to this man change? Of course it would. And why? Because he’s not an idiot or a fool, he’s a serious man with a serious goal in mind.

The point of this story is this, the way people perceive you can change when they realize you are in a position of perceived power. I say perceived because you may not actually be in a position of power at all, but if you are giving off that “vibe”, people will fall in line with it. You must align yourself with the very “spirit” of this perceived power.

When people perceive that you are in control of the situation and you look and sound like you know what you’re doing, they will relax around you. And also open up to you. It’s just the way human beings have been conditioned.

A person who is confident about what they say and what they do, even if people disagree with it, still will respect you. This “vibe” is like a magnet and it draws people to you.

The more you know about your business and your product or service and the more confident you are when you tell people about it, the more they will (in their mind) separate themselves from you, but separate themselves in a positive way. This works to your advantage. They will look at you as an expert, or at the very least someone who knows more about the subject than they do.

If you can project this confidence and knowledge in a laid-back and friendly way, pulling them in, not pushing it on them (a very important distinction), people will respond to it.

My dear readers, an expert in something isn’t the person who knows everything about a subject; an expert is just someone who knows more about the subject than the person he’s talking to.

This “vibe” is simply confidence in the way you speak and present your product or service and the way you make your customer or prospect an expert also by sharing what you know with them. You should share with them as much as they want to know. Again pull them in, don’t push it on them. People naturally respond and relax around people like this, and of course this is what you want.

This subject is very in depth and I don’t have room to go into a lot of detail here. But it’s very important to learn how to correctly communicate with people and to know everything you can about your business. The rest is all about being friendly and open to the person you’re talking to. In return, they’ll open up to you.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Small and Home Based Busines Made Easy

A Hustler's Perspective: Book Knowledge VS Street Knowledge

2006-11-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

FAM! For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving I hope your holiday is fabulous. I’m getting ready to check out my homegirl Mz Nici Nicole. Seems she’s had stressful day so I’m going to slide through and chill with her for a bit after I finish up on the block. Unfortunately my holiday will be a little on the dull side; it’s all good though, it gives me time to think about a few things that I need to get sorted out… but that’s another post. It's been awhile since I've done a perspective entry so if you're ready, here we go.

Hear me out on this if you would. I was onced asked, "You seem like a smart man, how did you end up hustling on the streets?" to which I replied, "Long story, but I had to use what I had in front of me. I was not going back to having a job!" I would have taken offense to this question because basically this woman was saying that I'm too smart to be on the streets. As if all street hustlers are slow or stupid. Since she was obviously a person who hasn't spent alot of time in the streets I let that one go.

Let me tell you Family, the lessons and the knowledge I learned on the streets are invaluable to me. I've learned to blend in anywhere like a chameleon. I can hit the streets and be around dope boys and thugs. I can switch it up and go around professionals and debate. I can talk to people of all religious denominations and feel completely comfortable. The streets have this affect on you. It makes you immune to certain things. Hell, if you can survive on the streets you can pretty much find a way to survive anywhere. Just look at Tyler Perry of Madea fame. He was homeless, and now a multi-millionaire. The streets gave him a certain strength of character that allowed him to relate to people of all races and and economic classes.

I know alot of women who say that a very important characteristic in a man is the balance of having street knowledge and book knowledge. The reason for this is that a man like this can handle many situations regardless of environment, you feel me? So the question remains which is more important? And I have to say they are both equally important.

I spend most of my time in the streets, but I also study (business books) and listen to anything that can help keep me focused and motivated. And I'm not talking about music. Unlike alot of hustler's I ran with in my street career (new term for you there), I was very fortunate to have some good teachers and mentors. They ranged from hustlers and thugs up to successful business men. I learned more from the hustler's about life perspective and how money works; and as for the professionals I learned about good business practices, negotiation and drive. I feel blessed to have learned both sides. And they truly cannot exist without one another.

Now follow me on this. Knowledge is good. The right kind of knowledge is the best. And knowing how to use that knowledge well, that is wisdom. And the action a person takes from their wisdom is their personal power. It's what gets them results.

A person who is both street smart and book smart and knows how to use what he or she knows can be very wise. I'm never surprised when I can talk to what many people consider to be a bum and they can spit something to me that will give me perspective. I love perspective, it let's you know alot about a person. The way a person views themselves and life will tell you almost everything you need to know about the individual. Although this bum may have some wisdom, they don't back it up with the right kind of action. Which means they have little or no power; they don't get results. If they did though, you would have alot more Tyler Perry's for real.

So all in all your Hustleman is dedicated to learning everything I can about many levels of game out there. Well, at least the ones that interest me. So the next time you find yourself beginning to look down on someone who you might feel in "beneath" you. Take a moment to check yourself because at that moment you are beneath them. They might be able to teach you something. Peace and blessings Fam. Be safe out there.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle And Profit.com

Friday Night Drama And Bullshit

2006-11-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

If you all don’t know then let me tell you, I absolutely love Friday’s! Most of the time there’s a certain energy in the air, everyone is a little bit more relaxed and of course on the business tip, money flows pretty damn good.

This Friday started like any other one. Woke up, my mental clock starts to tick making sure I’m not only on time, but that I am thoroughly prepared to do business and have what my customers need. I hit up my supplier and make way to my spot to set up for the day. Surprisingly New York wasn’t there but knowing him I figured he was caught up with something. I’m proud of the dude, he used his lotto winnings pretty wisely (for the most part) and is setting himself up to make bigger moves and do bigger things. I give him about 4-6 months and he’ll be what we call “Boss” status. He’ll have his crew of workers and that’ll be a wrap.

So here I am running solo and I could already tell this day was going to start slow. I stayed down and patiently waited for the clouds to break so to speak. Hustling requires patience and focus. Sometimes slow money becomes fast money in a matter of minutes. You have to be prepared to step up your game when it does, follow me? You can’t afford to be unfocused when you’re surrounded by a group of people asking 20 questions and having their money out. Our job: Make sure everyone is satisfied. Bottom line. Simple.

I get a text message from one of my homegirls that she’s coming to the spot to check out your Hustleman. By this time business is in full swing and like clockwork, New York shows up so we lock the block down. My homegirl shows up about 2 hours later and lets just call her Mz Ree shall we? Now Ree is a fairly sexy female, bangin’ body and good personality. Oddly enough we share the same birthday so we get along very well.

I finish up and she tells me dinner is on her for the night. Good deal. She was stressed at the fact that her man, now ex-man, will just not leave her alone. And also he won’t return her shit that she has at his apartment. Her request; just drop the stuff off at her house and let things be. His point of view; not going to happen. My thoughts; this is a powder keg about to blow up. I didn’t know how right I would be.

Now unfortunately I have to give you all the watered down version. Mainly because this incident could turn into some major bullshit and have some legal ramifications. Stay with me though.

So we have dinner then head to Okiah’s off of Highway 29 for some drinks. Now I’m not a drinker but I don’t mind a beer every now and then, so I’m with it. The place is a small bar but it’s the people that make it what it is. It’s just one of those places where you can just have a good time and chill out without worrying about too much drama.

We laugh, joke and just settle into the mellow atmosphere. All the while her ex is blowing up her cell phone and she’s beginning to sound like a broken record. “I’m not arguing with you, just take my shit to my house!” and then click, she hangs up the phone. 5 seconds later, the call comes through again. This goes on for about 30 minutes. Now, there must have been something I missed because she got more and more irate and since dude wanted to know where she was at she finally told him. Dude was on his way. She asked me to leave because she didn’t want me involved, but hell, it’s not my situation and I can’t just leave my homegirl alone to deal with this asshole. I relax back in the booth. He shows up outside and she goes out to talk to him.

Fast forward… So here it is about 2:30am. I’m sitting in a hotel room with Ree who is coming to terms with a sad reality. This man hit her, square in the jaw and went straight bitch and pulled out some of her hair. I’m doing my best to remain neutral but shit like this pisses me off. I wasn’t there when it happened but I saw the results. By the time I found out what went down, dude was gone. The owner and security asked him to leave. But he did his damage away from prying eyes like the bitch he is. What kind of thug is he and what part of the Game is this? Dude needs a reality check. And to my disappointment she didn’t call the police on dude for reasons I understand; but he still crossed a line.

I help her ice her lip and jaw up and give her some real talk. She’s better than this dude and the shit he pulls is unacceptable. He does this because he feels he can and she lets him get away with it. I’m not saying she doesn’t fight back, but the situation should have never gotten that far. She needs to make a decision and it’s one I can’t make for her, feel me? Needless to say if and when her family and brothers find out it’s street justice more than likely. I’ll just leave it at that.

The mood in the room eases up and we lay in the bed. I hold her to console her and we drift off to sleep. She didn’t want to be at home so what could I do?

The morning comes and we leave before check out. I dropped her off at her house and refocused my mind on work. My mental clock started to tick again and behind all of that I wondered if Ree learned a lesson from this. Time will tell; but I won’t have her back if she chooses to continue to mess with this sorry nigga. It is what it is. My Saturday went lovely and I just wonder what drama is on my horizon next. Much love Fam.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle And Profit.com

A Hustleman Introspection: The Chains That Bind Us

2006-11-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

Well well… It seems like a dreary, rainy, windy, cold night here in ATL, it’s all good though I kind of like the rain. It brings back memories of some pretty good times, feel me? Greetings to the Fam it’s your Hustleman once again! I’m not trying to bring anyone down but I’m feeling introspective today so bare with me for a few.

***Quick Announcement – If you have some entrepreneur in you, then please feel free to check out the 2 new articles on my site (Hustleandprofit.com) as I cover some basic game about getting started from scratch and how to avoid being a follower in the marketplace. To check them out CLICK HERE.

As most of us get prepared for the holiday season I find myself reflecting on those who are less fortunate than you and I. Maybe it’s the rain bringing this out of me, but when I hit the blocks lately and look around I realize just how bad things are getting out here. People losing jobs, crime on the rise, people are stressed and depressed and a lot of people are looking for any little bit of joy and happiness they can find.

I know a lot of us feel as though the world is moving fast and we’re being left behind. In an odd way that’s very true. Have you ever heard of the “Double Chains Of Limitation”? Well if not it goes something like this.

“Chains can be made of gold or iron, but they’re still chains.”

And when I say chains I’m not talking about what’s around your neck. What this means is that just because your chains look good, they are still limiting you and holding you back. This metaphor calls attention to avoiding extremes in your life. Be good, but not overly good. Be giving, but don’t give everything you have. Give time to the people you love, but not all your time. This metaphor is about balance. If you go to either extreme you literally trap yourself and limit yourself.

Gold chains are the extreme of positive and iron chains are the extreme of negative. It’s good to be good and do positive things but it’s not good to be a sucka, follow me? It’s bad to be selfish and not give a damn about anyone else but it’s good to give accordingly.

We all want to do better and be better (at least I hope so) but if you limit yourself you’ll only get so far. To go to either extreme creates a chain that ties you down to one spot. And from this spot you can only move so far in any direction.

Now I hear some of you saying, “But wait! What goes around comes around. If I do good things, good things will come back to me.” True indeed but there’s a price to be paid in always being the perfect little angel. That price is the cutting off of your willpower. You see, the Heavenly Father (by whatever name you call him) gave all of us the power of choice; the ability to know good from evil. It was given to us for a reason.

No one living today is perfect and totally righteous. And if someone tells you there is then please slap them for me. We should strive to be positive but we can’t forget that this world is full of negativity. We should deal with people by looking at their actions. Fuck what they’re saying. Just because you’re good person doesn’t mean the next person is. You have to deal with them accordingly. It’s all about the willpower; the ability to choose.

Just wanted to pass that along. Be good Fam and keep it pushin’ out there. I think I’m going to get my relaxation on. Peace and blessings.

*** Unparalleled Business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle And Profit.com

Sunday Reflection: My Confession, My Disease

2006-11-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings Fam, another week has drawn to a close and another one has begun. My weekend was uneventful for the most part. I put in some work on both businesses to keep my momentum going and through it all I’m staying focused on my next move. I feel myself changing in a good way; like growing into a stronger me. I’m more focused, more open to new ideas, more patient and more grateful for what I have in my life. It’s plain to see I have gotten my swagger back! I chop all this up to just doing what it is I love. Sure things will change over time but for now I’m feeling great!

So I’m sitting here at my keyboard and I realize that I have a disease. Yes Fam, your Hustleman is in a state of dis-ease. I have thoroughly diagnosed myself and I have come to the conclusion that I have what some call Notrikmeitis. It used to be a very common disease but it seems more and more people have never come down with it. Fortunately I’m not one of them.

Notrikmeitis is a natural allergic reaction to bullshit. Yes I know… please don’t feel sorry for me I’ve had it for many years now and I know some of you out there do too. We just seem to be able to feel an allergic reaction coming a mile away. Let me illustrate my point.

So I’m at my hustling spot Friday. New York showed up ready to grind and feeling a bit of pressure because his woman’s father just passed and she had to run off out of state to make funeral arrangements and maneuver some things around. She’ll be gone till December so he took it upon himself to take care of both their households. Stand up dude no doubt, that’s just how he is. Anyhow… part-timey, turned broke hustler, Big Boy E shows up. Hmm… haven’t seen this guy in almost 2 weeks, ever since I loaned him 5 dollars. If it was that easy to get rid of him I would have done it sooner. I’m not trippin’ over 5 dollars, I’m trippin’ over his constant lines of excuses and all out bullshit.

This dude, Big Boy E, is supposed to have a job, a landscaping business and he hustles on the side. Yet he rides the bus (I’m not knockin’ that, I could end up back on there myself some day) and is always broke. How the hell you run a landscaping business off the bus line is a feat I need to see to accept, feel me? Moving on… so New York and I greet him and I ask him if he has my 5 dollars. I already knew the answer but I had to ask just to fuck with him and see what he had to say. I was like hey, just give me a dollar a day! He said he couldn’t do it and yes, my allergies kicked in big time. Mainly from his story which he was so eager to share.

He’s been dating an older woman for about 7 months now. They argue, fight, don’t trust one another but yet he moved in with her and got engaged. Of course this is all his side of the story so I roll with it. Now his excuse for not being seen for almost 2 weeks is that he moved out and is currently staying in a hotel. This means he’s paying a weekly rate so I know money is tight because I’ve done that before. He goes into this long story, which I cut short because of my allergies (I was starting to feel kind of sick). Ok so no problems. I wished him the best and got back on my grind.

Saturday comes and there he is again. I greet him and he tells me he’s selling food stamps, $150 for $75. Good deal! But where did he get the stamps from? From his lady, oh sorry, ex-fiancé who he stopped messing with because she has relationship issues supposedly. So what dude? Did you steal the EBT card? What’s the deal? I thought your lady was a well paid nurse with her own house, 2 cars and a plush bank account because she always offers you money (which he turns down because he doesn’t want to seem like he’s ‘using’ her). Oh and by the way she wouldn’t even qualify for food stamps; maybe I missed that memo? Maybe perhaps I have idiot imprinted on my forehead?

I shook my head and wish him the best and put some distance in between us… you know I got that disease, I was starting to feel a little under the weather for a moment.

Well Fam I just don’t know what to do with people like this. It’s hilarious actually. Why feel the need to lie and concoct stories? It doesn’t make you look better, it makes you look like a fool. If you suffer from Notrikmeitis you know what I’m talking about. Sad part is these people actually feel I can accept what they’re saying. Just because I’m not about to argue with you about your bullshit doesn’t mean I fell for it.

Eh… it is what it is I guess. Sad part is I get this alot from people in all walks of life. I might end up in a coma one day from bullshit overload! My disease has been known to do that and there doesn’t seem to be a cure other than staying away from agitators, sort of like asthma.

Much Love Fam! Enjoy the rest of your day and the days that follow, live every moment. If there’s any other blog Fam out there with Notrikmeitis, holla at me and share your story.

*** Unparalleled business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

Hustle And Profit.com

Tales From The Block: Bloody Asphalt

2006-11-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

Greetings Family! The title for this post is a little morbid, but hey… so is the story. This post will be long so get comfortable, take a restroom break and grab a snack. All this happened yesterday and represents yet another day in the life of your Hustleman. Alright, all settled in? Then let’s get to it.

I was at home chillin’. I am still trying to ease up of my double grind a little bit and get some relaxation on so I thought it would be good to take the day off and just kick it. It just so happens I get a phone call from my homegirl Nica. I haven’t seen Nica in a couple of months and she had changed her cell number and gotten a new cell phone but never told me. I know what you’re thinking, some homegirl huh? LOL well I thought the same thing but it seems she was involved with a special someone and I know how she is when she’s serious about someone. Out of sight and out of mind. I didn’t fault her for this, in fact I respect her commitment and loyalty.

About four days earlier Nica came through my spot and greeted me with a big hug and smile. We exchanged numbers since she had gotten a new cell phone and she was off to run some errands for her boss. Fast forward to yesterday.

I agreed to come over to her new place and chill with her for a few. Catch up on things and since she was cooking I thought a free home cooked meal wouldn’t hurt. I jumped in the shower put on some warm clothes and made my way to the hood. For those of you that know ATL, you know anything around Metropolitan Parkway. (formally Steward Ave.) is the hood. I hadn’t been over that way in about a year but I still know my way around so it was no problem finding her residence. Problem was, there was a major accident on the nearby freeway so traffic was backed up a little but I took some back streets and got through no problem.

I made my way to the door and was greeted with her trademark huge smile and a warm hug. She showed me around and we eventually made our way to the living room. We talked for awhile and then she went to go cook. Nothing fancy, just some spaghetti and garlic bread which was delicious by the way. She always said she could cook but I never had a chance to taste anything. I guess she wasn’t lying which was good because I didn’t want to have to hurt her feelings.

She went through her DVD collection and when I heard the word “Breakin’” I told her THAT’S THE ONE! C’mon! Breakin’ is a classic, I hadn’t seen it in years! Had to watch it. I finished my plate pretty quick and was into the movie deep. I almost got up to do some of my old break dancing moves but the festivities were interrupted by Nica’s cell phone call. All I could hear was a woman’s voice practically yelling on the phone and a wide eyed look of worry on Nica’s face. She ran over to the TV and turned down the volume while she kept repeatin, “Where are you at? Where?” I sat there silently knowing that drama was on the other end of the line. I thought to myself, “Interesting. Do I know how to run into drama or what?”

“Oh my god, Oh my god!” was all that came out of Nica’s mouth. I asked her what was up. She replied it was her friend Taniesha (Tan). I asked her did her and her man get into another fight? She told me Tan was crying and was in some car accident but the phone cut off and she didn’t know where she was at. The cell rung again. Nica got the details and hung up the phone. “Where we off to?” I asked and she said we need to go up Metropolitan. We hopped in the whip and made our way up there.

I saw flashing police lights and yellow tape. A large part of the road had been blocked off. “There!” Nica said. I turned down a side street and she practically jumped out of the car and ran to the scene. I maneuvered around and parked the car and went after her.

As I came up to the police tape I saw a couple of news crews arriving and Nica was on her cell phone calling Jay. Jay is the boss of both Nica and Tan. They’re all pretty close knit so Jay asked where they were at so she could come up there. Nica passed on the location and hung up the phone.

“I talked to one of the officers. They say she hit a man in her car.” Nica told me as I looked in front of us and saw Tan’s car on the side of the road with a huge dent in the windshield. The glass was badly shattered and buckled in but it was still intact. On the ground a few yards from us was a body covered by a white bloodied sheet which the police were examining.

It didn’t take long for my mind to process what Nica told me before she said it. “Oh my god, I think the guy she hit is dead! Oh my god! What about her kids?!” Nica tried to call Tan’s cell phone furiously only to be met with no answer. It seems Tan was in the car alone and her 5 kids were at the house. To make matters worse, Tan didn’t have her driver’s license. The officer asked Nica if she would be able to bring it to them. Feeling powerless all I could do was console Nica and put my arm around her. I also thought to myself, why the hell didn’t I bring my camera?

10 minutes went by and Nica still couldn’t get Tan on the phone and couldn’t get the attention of any of the officers to ask them what happened. Jay showed up and asked Nica to hold down the restaurant they both worked at while she tried to figure out what happened at the scene and what would happen to Tan. Nica reluctantly left and we made our way to her work place. Nica is a manager there so she would fill in while Jay was out.

Nica’s co-workers looked on as she walked in with a disturbed look on her face. They all wanted to know what was up but I could see it on her face that she just wasn’t all there mentally.

Rest of the story short, Jay called the restaurant to tell Nica everything that was going down. Tan was going to be taken in for driving without a license and her kids would be picked up by their grandfather. The man Tan hit was proven to be jay-walking so no manslaughter charges were going to be filed. Jay was going to go get Tan as soon as she was released and put up bond for her if necessary.

Nica and I returned to her domicile when Jay came back to finish up her shift at the restaurant. And after she relaxed a bit, we finished watching the movie. Nica and Jay passed information back and forth through text messages and when Tan went to pre-trial Jay made her way to pick Nica up so they could go scoop up Tan together. Her bond ended up being about $200.00 dollars and her family is coming into ATL today and hopefully Tan will be alright… mentally that is. I made my way home thinking to myself how quickly things can change at any given moment. I wish the best for Tan although I don’t know her all that well. She seems like a down to earth female with her head together for the most part.

One last thing. Surprisingly this man was NOT dead on impact we found out early this morning. And also even more shocking the paramedics didn’t show up in time (over 2 hours late) so he eventually did pass away. Ain’t that some shit? 911 is STILL a joke? WTF! Even if they wanted to get Tan for vehicular manslaughter they couldn’t due to their negligence. I’ll probably see Tan soon and if anything else develops I’ll be sure to update you all.

Since I’ve held you all long enough I’ll let you go here. Peace and blessings Fam and I’ll be getting up with you all, no doubt. What a way to spend an election day…

*** Unparalleled business Game ~ Home Based and Small Business strategies, techniques and tricks of the trade straight from your Hustleman:

http://www.hustleandprofit.com

Special Announcement Open For Business

2006-11-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings Fam! As always I hope you're doing well and things are moving in a positive direction for you. This weekend was crazy to say the least. The spot was profitable and New York made his way in and out. Also, I'm pleased to announce the official launch of the M1 Project. The original launch date was set for November 15th but I managed to finish up sooner. Yes, your Hustleman is open for business!

Hustle and profit.com is a home-based and small business resource. Simply, it's unparalleled business game, strategy, techniques and tricks of the trade. All from a Hustler's perspective of course. The reason why I'm so excited about this is because due to the way I learned business (by actually going out there and bumping my head a few times); I know I can offer a simpler, easier method of doing business with little money and involving less risk.

It's almost like a view into the workings of how a Hustler moves and takes care of his or her business. How we start, grow and expand using all the resources we have available. I'm talking straight grass roots here. No loans, investors etc. Just simple desire and the right tools and knowledge that anyone can use if they are serious about making money.

I've learned alot from my mentors throughout the years and I have taken it upon myself to simplify it, and compile it. Giving the Game to the world and offering an alternative to those other bullshit business books, courses and money making kits you find out there. This stuff works because I use it. Day in and day out, feel me?

So if you're into business, or if you have thought about starting your own thing and have been frustrated with the methods that "they" teach you, then I may be able to help you.
When you go to the website, feel free to check out the "2 FREE chapters" offer which will give you a little "teaser" as to what you'll be getting inside the "Hustler's Manual". Also, there is a FREE audio download which I call "The Great Lie". In this audio I explain how many of these so-called business opportunities are big lie's. What I mean by that is you have people pushing things on you, teaching you how to make money, but that's not how THEY make their money. It's a sad reality but it's the truth. I had to tell it, would you expect anything less from your Hustleman?

Alright enough of handling the business, if you're so inclined please check it out. Click on the link below.

http://www.hustleandprofit.com

Also I have set up a separate email account just for the blog Fam if you have questions, comments or whatever: thehustleman@hustleandprofit.com

Again I sincerely thank you for all your support and I'll be back with more updates as to what's going on with me and both my businesses. It will be interesting, no doubt. Now that things are up and running, I'll be moving into the marketing campaign and will have much more free time on my hands (well a little more anyway) so I can make my way to you all and play "catch up" with your blogs LOL.

Peace Fam, I'll be up with you soon. Much Love

Unparalleled business Game: http://www.hustleandprofit.com/

More Quick Updates & Some Due Respects

2006-11-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

"Fear Moves The Weak Minded Person" - James W. Dennis

Family! It's your Hustleman coming back to you with some quick updates as the launch date for the M1 project approaches. Everything is fabulous and moving along pretty smooth. Although the streets are slowing down; mainly due to the season change and a couple of holidays around the corner, I'm still pushing and moving towards big things. Did you expect anything less? That quote above is a reminder to a certain person... you know who you are, holla at me.

Moving on... I just finished up a couple of recording sessions, hopefully the CD will be ready to go by early next year. It's just some basic audio about the "Game", some tricks of the trade and what not. I haven't been in front of a mic since my studio days. Surprisingly I used to be an audio engineer, needless to say that just wasn't my thing. The hours and headaches of dealing with people who think they know everything is just not my idea of a good time. The lifestyle wasn't too bad though. I don't know what it is about working in a studio but it draws females like a moth to a flame. Good times, good times.

Also a few shout outs are in order. Big thanks to the god for his continued support and wisdom through this whole process. Thanks for keeping me grounded. Also big thanks to the goddess for her support, encouragement and positive energy. Thanks to Mz Nici Nicole for finishing up a 3 week project in about 10 days. That's grinding right there! Sorry to be so pushy, but you know... deadlines :) Thanks for stepping up and handling that shit. Big ups to Mz Mo for her support on the Networking tip. Much love to ya and I'll get up with you soon. Special thanks to Mental for tolerating my demeanor throughout this whole process. You know how I get when I'm in grind mode, I appreciate your patience and overstanding. Love ya!

Also a very big thanks to the blog Fam out there! Your positive words and encouragement have meant alot to me. I know you don't know me but by you just taking the time to read my words and staying positive with me is a true testament to the strength of our soul as black people. What's fuckin' with that?

That's about all for right now Fam. I'll be back at you for Sunday Reflection unless something interesting happens over the next few days. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the rest of your week. I'll be making my way around to catch up with you all very soon. Everything is almost up and ready to go so I'll have ALOT more time on my hands. Peace Fam and be easy!

Keep it moving and keep it simple - if they only knew

Sunday Reflection: The One Man Army And The Enemy Within

2006-10-29T01:33:00.000-05:00

Much love Fam! The weathers getting a little cool outside but it's nothing to a brother who's already cool inside feel, me? LOL, anyhow hope this reaches who it needs to reach and I hope all of you are blessed and feeling fabulous! This has been an oddly slow week for some reason, I'm not trippin' but being on the block already tired from lack of sleep and then standing around bored as hell is not a good combination. Anyway onto the reflection for this Sunday...

I'm an entrepreneur by heart, I mean ever since I was 15 I've always wanted to run my own thing. This was mainly due to the FREEDOM factor. Freedom of time, movement and choice. Since I stated working at this age (my first job was only 3 hours a day) I immediatley knew that working for someone else wasn't going to be my thing. I also used to watch my father's determination on trying to get something started for himself. He never did it, but he was always brain-storming and coming up with plans. Somehow this rubbed off on me, and on top of that it's just in my blood. My father's side of the family is head strong and extremely goal-oriented. This of course comes from my grandparents. My grandfather was in the military and my grandmother is true old school. Can you say discipline people!

When I first started hustling I remember having that inner fear that perhaps I was wasting my time and would end up failing. I started... well tried to start, about 3 business prior to what I'm doing now and they all failed. There's like this little voice in your head that's determined to undermine your focus and offer you the "easy" way out. And that easy out is non-action. Just going back to doing what you're comfortable with and being content with the bullshit. I finally pushed past that and well, whaddaya know? After some ups and downs I can stand up with pride I say, "Yeah I did it! And I'm never going back!".

I often sit and think about my journey and my struggle and realize that I'm about to do it all again. Starting a business is not easy. Just on the work I'm putting in right now to get this new thing up and running is crazy! I'm missing sleep, I'm networking, I'm writing, I'm web designing, I'm making marketing plans, writing ads you name it, I'm doing it. I'm a one man army blasting through obstacles and advancing. And here comes that little voice, "Is all this effort worth it? What if I fail? Will I be taken seriously?" It's funny because after all I've been through that annoying voice is still with me. I think that's with everyone and often times that voice wins.

So here it is from your Hustleman: If you are on a path and you are doing something you accept is the best for you, tell that voice to shut the hell up and get the fuck on! Keep moving, keep pushing and make your way to your goal! Don't listen to that voice, or anyone else's voice for that matter if it's not positive. If you succeed then so be it. If you fail, then you have just learned how NOT to do something. Failure is only accepting defeat. Success is finding a way to make things work and continuing to do it, and do it to death.

I appreciate all the love and positive encouragement from the blog Fam (and you lurkers out there who don't comment -- I love you all too, keep coming through) and the people closest to me. Rest assured when I get to where I'm going I'll give you all the blueprint so you can build your own success (if that's what you're after). Black people need to learn how to appreciate and assist one another, we are the only race that doesn't do that. Its that famous "crab in a barrel" theory always rearing its ugly head. It's deep (yes Nici I said "deep" lol). Time for a change, don't you agree? And if any of you out there can share some business game with a brother, I'm all ears. I'm always learning so I can grow. And if you have some questions about the game yourself, hit your Hustleman up. Be well Fam and as the god would say, "Don't throw in the towel until there's nothing left to throw in BUT the towel." That's what's up.

Shots out to Mz Mo - Do your thang girl I got your back!

Keep it moving and keep it simple - if they only knew

Quick Update: Reflection On The Rebirth

2006-10-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

What's good Fam? Your Hustleman is doing great! Life is good and things are moving. Sadly this must be the death of Shai, my "street handle" if you will. As I launch fully into the M1 project I have to make a rebirth to what all this Hustlin' and business knowledge has given me to this date. The new name is James W. Dennis, author and consultant. It's time to pass the Game to the world... well at least to those that want it.

As I still bob and weave through the concrete jungle until my new business takes off, I have to constantly remind myself that everything grows and changes and that includes people. When you begin something new you have to be prepared to let the old things go. Mixing old and new is like planting weeds in your garden, it will eventually kill the beauty.

Fear not, I'm still the hustleman you know, just new and improved! Overall the Game's been good to me and I have had the chance to talk and walk with some of the slickest most intelligent people you could ever meet. The things they showed me, told me and taught me help shape the person I am today. It's time to take all of that knowledge and do something with it. Honestly, knowledge without using it is just well... useless information, feel me? As always, much love Fam and I'll return to you soon.

Keep it moving and keep it simple - if they only knew

The M1 Project And Updates

2006-10-22T17:26:00.000-04:00

Fam! What's good with you? Your Hustleman has returned and the grind is on me big time. I've literally have slept about 18 hours in the last 4 days but I'm actually feeling pretty good. Also I apologize to the Blog Fam for not checking in with your posts I've just been crazy busy. I'll be making my way around today for sure. The pic above is of the overcast days we've been having lately as fall rolls in. Saturday was beautiful though and today is just as nice. If I had more time on my hands I would have done something big. There's no Sunday Reflection today but I figured I could at least up date you about what's going on with me and around me.

1) The M1 Project:
As you all know this whole blog is dedicated to my journey towards accomplishing my goal of making my first million. So all my lack of sleep lately has been straight work on editing and setting up my website and finishing up my first project. Much respect to all the web designers out there, I never realized how difficult that shit really is. And my website isn't even what you would call super "professional". Design is just not my thing but it's something I need to practice so I took it upon myself to do it myself.

The M1 Project is my first step (1) towards my million (M). When everything is up and running as it should be I'll definitely put you all on to the site and give more details as to what you Hustleman has gotten into. My "live" launch date is set for the 15th of November so if no major problem arise, it should be ready to go by then. I'm excited to say the least, I've been wanting to do this for about 4 years now. Laziness and fear had caught the best of me but I'm on top of it now.

2) Things at home:
From my last post all of you know that me and my lady of 2 years have parted ways. Everything is good and we are still getting along as usual. No uncomfortableness or odd moments so it's all good. The love of course is still there and it's nice to know we still have each others backs, feel me?

3) The return of New York:
New York has returned to "The A"! He had hit his lotto number and went home for awhile to visit family. I saw him Thursday as he pulled up in his brand new 06 PT Cruiser sittin' on chrome wheels. He was sportin' a fresh hair cut (he said he wasn't going to cut it until he hit his number) and actually had a smile on his face. It was good to see the brother I admit. The spot is kind of dull without him.

We didn't have much time to talk but he did let me know that everything with him is good. He's investing more into his business and will hopefully have things up and runing soon. The car was paid for in cash and that's just inspirational to me. I love seeing my people do well, it get's me back on my grind even harder.

4) New up and comer to the blog 'verse:
Big love to Mz Nici Nicole who will soon be starting her blog here on blogger. This is a good friend of mine and I'm sure you all will love her perspectives and insights. When she's ready, I'll make the announcement and pass on the link to you all.

5) Bad judgement:
I was at my spot working recently and I saw one of my homegirls. Her eyes were red and her spirit just looked broken. She told me that she finally had confirmation that what she suspected was true. Her man was cheating on her. Her man's other woman got her cell number and sent her a very detailed set of text messages which broke my homegirl's heart.

Here's my issue. My homegirl is from a pretty well to do family, she's attractive, intelligent and educated. Yet, she's running around with this bum ass drug dealin' dude who has nothing to offer her. They argue constantly, he checks on her like he doesn't trust her. He doesn't keep his word or commitments, you get my point. Maybe the dick is good, I don't know, but I can't put 2 and 2 together. The best thing I could tell her was to just stop settling on bullshit. Life's too short for it. And on top of that, this dude is sub-standard, at least that's my perspective. I've seen him a few times and he always gives me that "hater" look. I guess because his girl and I have conversations. The heart wants what it wants I guess, but I think it's just bad judgement. Maybe my female readers can hit me to something I'm missing. Why all the settling for bad relationships? I've been hearing this regularly lately. Anyway...

All in all life is good, no stress just blessed. Keeping it moving and keeping it simple in the process. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this that means alot to me. I'm still in grind mode so be patient with me, I'll try to keep the posts as regular as possible. Be good Fam and stay on your grind out there. Life is full of opportunites if your eyes are open, with that being said, remember not all opportunities are right for you.

All Good Things Must...

2006-10-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

Greeting Fam! It's your Hustleman once again on the grind. It was kind of dreary and overcast today, but it was hot as hell. Most definitely the humidity. The sun even made a couple of quick appearances. I had a picture for today's post, but since Blogger is fucking with me as usual, it won't let me upload any images right now, I'll have to do this without one. Things are looking up on the hustle tip, but there has been a great loss to the team. The 16th of this month (technically the 11th) was the 2 year anniversary of my girl and I. Now before you start cheering and carrying on let me explain something to you.

This 2 year mark also was a time of reflection, you know, a review of the relationship up to this point. Since my lady has been in a state of self-awareness and growth it was only natural that she would finally decide what makes her happy and what she really wants out of life; and that doesn't include a relationship with me, fair enough.

The overall decision wasn't completely one-sided, I felt things had reached their height between us too. If the relationship isn't going anywhere, and there's nothing to hold on to, then why hold on?

Last night was the night we agreed to celebrate and we were out to do just that. A nice stop at Red Lobster (I love that seafood), and then a movie. A simple night out, nothing extravagant, alot of my money is going to get my new business up and running so I was ballin' on a budget, feel me?

After dinner it was time for the movie, since we couldn't find the movie we wanted to see because the theatre we went to seems to not be able to keep up with the movie game, we made our way back to the hood to hit up Magic Johnson Theatres. And it was on that ride that we both realized that this just wasn't working.

We talked in depth about where we should go now. Which is one reason I have love for my lady *cough* ex-lady, she doesn't live in the past too much, she likes to deal with now and the future.

Now there is no hard feelings, or even hurt feelings over this matter which is all good. We both just had to come to terms with the reality of the situation. We still agreed to have each others back and since we have always gotten along so well together we're trying to keep the friendship alive. To be real, the friendship was probably the strongest aspect of our relationship, which is how it should be.

I'll admit, it feels a little odd being a single man again after 2 years (again, oddly this was my longest relationship), but it is what it is. You know your Hustleman will keep it moving and keep it simple in the process.

Break ups can be rough but if you're both on some grown-up shit, things usually have a way of working out in the post relationship. So back to the grind and more focus on doing what I do. Back to the basics.

So what's up with the dating scene in the future? Hmm, you might have to miss me on that one for a minute. The dating scene is a trip and requires alot of time and patience. Patience I have if I don't feel like my time is being wasted, but it's alot of time I don't have to spare. That being said, I feel that everyday of this past 2 year was worth it. The good times far exceed the bad. If I had to do it again, then no problem. In the end her and I are just on seperate pages. But that's life isn't it? We all learn and grow and make decisions, it just so happens not everyone is headed in the same direction at the same time as youself.

And that's what's up Family. As always, much love to you all and thanks for stopping by. I'll do my best to return to you before Sunday Reflection but the grind is on me something serious right now. So until next time, peace! Keep it moving and keep it simple. Tomorrow is always a new day.

Sunday Reflection: Back To Simplicity

2006-10-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

Family what's good with ya? It's your Hustleman back for another Sunday Reflection. For my new readers this is my official off day of the week. I try not to do anything major. Just catch up on a few things, especially rest and relaxation. Facing burn out syndrome over the past week or so I've decided to ease up a bit on things but I'm still here with you. The weekend was uneventful, which was good. I'm just trying to conserve energy right now and stay focused. Overall this week went by so fast, I looked up and it was Saturday! Anyhow, how did your week go? As usual, I hope all is well with you.

After a conversations with Mz Nici Nicole on my burn out feelings, she actually helped me to remember how many hats I wear per day. I mean seriously we all do. In one day we can be employees, managers, bosses, parents, friends, wife or husband, girlfriend or boyfriend, students, teachers, counselors, daughters or sons, and so on and so on... you get my point.

The reason this is so interesting to me, as it has always been, is because alot of people switch roles (or hats) in their life and don't give it a second thought. When I began hustling I made it a point to create a new role for myself. One dedicated to making a profit. Often times though I do forget to take this hat off so to speak.

I mean seriously, I encompass so many roles throughout my day that I'm beginning to realize that I have broken one of my own rules. It's amazing how someone can help you realize something you've overlooked isn't it? That broken rule is to keep things simple. I'm doing a little too much and that within itself isn't the problem. I have plenty of time to do everything I need to do, but I haven't kept all the things I do simple. I'm pretty sure some of you out there have this same problem. Life is in fast forward and we are always playing catch up.

So what am I going to do about it? Well first I'm going to look at what needs adjusting (which will probably be everything), and then set about to streamline what I do, when I do it and how I do it. Sounds easy, but often times easy things aren't, feel me? Our time is a tool and a great equalizer. Everyone has the same amount given per day. And how we use it determines where we'll end up and what we'll become.

Anyone who knows me, knows I hate wasting time. So thanks to this wisdom that's been found again I can get myself back on track and possibly prevent fututre burn out effects. I'm telling you Fam, just to sit back with a pen and paper and track how you spend your time will shock the hell out of you. And if you're a person that's constantly in motion like myself, you'll realize that you spend more time doing the least important things. I'm not sure how this happens but it's life gone wild, it's out of order so I'm making the necessary adjustments.

In the meantime, the roles we all play in life should also be paid attention too. Are you stuck in a role that isn't adding to the value of your life? Or perhaps you spend a little too much time in a role when other things in your life need a little attention too? I honestly accept that many relationships and marriages deteriorate or end because of this reason. Little attention into the relationship role and more into everything else. Just an observation, leave a comment and let me know what you think about the subject. I'm curious.

So Fam, life is truly a great teacher, if you're a good student. Your Hustleman is still learning and growing as we all are. And all in all, it's a beautiful thing. Much love Fam keep it moving and keep it simple. That's my new motto. Be back with you all soon.

A Hustleman Introspection: Enemy Of The Soul

2006-10-12T19:16:00.000-04:00

Greetings to the Family out there! As always, I hope all is well with you. Blogger has been fuckin' with me lately so I'm trying to sort that out. Anyway a few quick updates before we get on with today's post.

1) I've been tired as hell lately and haven't been too inspired to write much. I've turned down my hustle a notch because I feel burnout coming. So, instead of going 199% like usual I'm just doing a 100%, feel me? If I get burned out then I won't be doing shit so I'm making efforts to avoid that.

2) Good news from the block! New York has finally hit his lotto number! He said this was his month and sure enough it was. He hit it Tuesday night and is currently out of town in... New York (you saw that coming right?) Needles to say he hit it big time so I'm very happy for him. He even came through to show your Hustleman some love last night before he left out this morning. It wasn't even necessary but that's how New York is. Much love to him and I hope his trip goes well.

3) The current status of my hateration fan club seems to have calmed down a little bit. It's all good, I know they're lurking in the shadows somewhere. I see you sucka ass bitches. You can't hide too long, you have hating to do, so get to work! Anyway moving on...

I wrote the draft of this post in the early morning. You know... one of those nights when your mind is full of thoughts and suddenly a moment of clarity hits you. Well if you all would allow me, here I go again on another introspection which I would like to share.

Here it is: The fear of loss is quite possibly the greatest motivator known to us human beings. When things look their worst, we often times wait to the last minute to make our move. Usually because only then do we realize that we are about to lose something valuable to us. I've lost many things in my life from relationships, to money, to material possessions and more and each and every time I learned something in the process. As I get older I'm beginning to realize that fear is almost always the wrong motivation to move on. When we move in fear we move in error most of the time. We were not made to live out of fear but out of courage.

If you can go back and look at all your accomplishments throughout your life, the ones that probably stand out the most are the ones that took effort, work and the general idea of just "fuck it"! You knew you may not have gotten the results you wanted, but you went ahead. You pushed fear aside and moved forward anyway. Moving despite fear and doubt is power in its truest sense. We all fear many things, but if you let that stop you or determine what you do and how you do it, you are doing nothing but dimming your soul, you're hurting your own growth.

It's been said that human beings move (make decisions) because of 2 main factors. 1) The fear of loss and 2) the desire for gain. But on some levels, even the desire to gain something is fear based. Most of what we desire is to keep us from feeling the pain of losing something. It can be as simple as the desire to be secure. If you desire to feel secure, you actually fear losing what you have, feel me?

It's a sad reality but we have been programmed to respond to fear. We have let it control our lives. And then we wonder why many of us live mundane and stressful lives. We stopped living "our" life along time ago. Now we only live a shadow of a healthy existence. We are living someone elses life. Even the very act of paying a bill is to keep us from losing something which we need. The subtle programming is deep Fam.

Now, realistically, we can never fully live without doing things to keep us from loss. But we can make efforts to do things that will get us closer to what WE want (not what THEY tell us we should want). Fear of loss and the desire for gain are like two boxers, evenly matched and equally strong. The one that wins depends entirely on you and your choices. And isn't that what life boils down to? Making decisions and being prepared to deal with the outcome whatever it may be. Everyone seeks their own results.

One of my mentors (yes I've had alot of them :P) once said this. A criminal who lives fearlessly has a better chance of success and becoming "great" (I use that term loosely) than the "good" person who lives cautiously. It has nothing to do with what's right and wrong, it all has to do with the way they look at life and how far they're willing to go to get what they want. I'm not advocating criminal activity, but I'm trying to make this clear. We do things out of fear almost automatically, but when it comes to doing things that will get us closer to our goals and happiness, we hesitate, procrastinate or just drop it all together. Fear not though Fam, we have all been programmed with this shit and it can all be deprogrammed if we're willing to take the necessary steps.

As always, thanks for reading. These are just some of the thoughts that run through the head of your Hustleman from time to time as I continue to commit myself to stay focused and get what I feel I deserve. Peace and blessings. Take care out there Family!

Sunday Reflection: The Collection Of Hateration

2006-10-08T17:23:00.000-04:00

How goes it Family! As life rushes past us, I hope you're enjoying every moment that you possibly can. Now me, myself, I'm doing good. It's another Sunday, so I'm doing my best to relax and recharge although there is always work to be done, feel me? It was one of my "sorta" god daughters Birthdays yesterday and I kind of feel bad that I had to miss her party. It's small things like this which make me realize that the grind is real, almost addictive in a way. I enjoy what I do and I have responsibilities to take care of so I had to take care of that. It's amazing how, at times, your business can run you instead of the other way around.

A quick update from Friday's post. Mel is out and about! I saw him yesterday at my spot and he was talking much trash. I didn't expect to see him until next week, but the charge he got was such bullshit they let him go the next morning. According to his side of the story, he never walked into the grocery store but was forced to go in when an undercover came from behind him and pointed him out to the new store manager, a black woman, who agreed that he was definently criminal trespassing. His view was that he and the new manager woman never even had a conversation. She's never said anything to him about anything so why the hell fuck with him for no apparent reason just out of the blue? True or not true I don't know, but it does seem as though there is an unseen force of haters trying to maneuver things. Which brings me to the topic of this post.

Now your Hustleman has always had to deal with haters. I collect them like Jordan collected championship rings. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors but they all share a common thread. They just don't like me for whatever reason and I know they silently wish for my down fall. Now, I don't floss diamonds, I rarely put on my crisp new gear unless I'm going out for a night on the town, the vehicle I ride in is definently not an escalade or anything in that price range, so I came to the conclusion that they can't hate on me for the way I look or my material possessions (cause I only floss on my off days). They hate me, what I do and what I represent.

Hustlers like myself live in a world just under yours. The underworld as they call it. We have our own rules, laws and regulations that your average person won't take the time to understand. We don't live into the ideals of what's normal and accepted. We don't work like they work, we don't play like they play, we don't stress about what they stress about. We're really free spirits, mainly because we have a control over our life that the normal (square) people don't have or are afraid to get. To make it simple, Huslters are proactive, the squares are reactive. We make things happen so we can make moves. They wait for things to happen and then decide what move to make. They honestly feel that because of this mentality that they are right and we are wrong. And we feel the same way, we're right and they're wrong. I guess it's that Ying Yang thing, two opposite forces and one force always has to be stronger sooner or later.

I like to look at it like the movie "The Matrix". The haters are the agents who work for the system. You never know quite who they are, but they can come at you at anytime so you have to make your moves and keep in mind that they're out there somewhere.

Now it seems that the same plain clothes undercover cop that got Mel in a twist has a hard-on for your Hustleman and New York. I say hard-on because he wants to fuck us, feel me? I've never seen or spoke to this dude, ever. But it seems he just doesn't like what we do. Mel told me about this dudes intentions because he overheard a conversation undercover was having with the Fulton County officer when they came for him Friday. I just shook my head and mentally formulated a plan of action. Haters like this can be a thorn in your side, so I need to confront him, before he confronts me. Normally I let haters just do what they do, but when it comes to haters in law enforcement, sometimes you need to talk to them straight up and see just what the hell their problem is. Funny thing about all this is that if he could have done anything, he would have done it already and since that grocery store is part over my overall territory, I know damn near everyone in there and around there. With a couple questions and a phone call I know what this dude looks like, his work schedule and I have one of the employees inside the store watching him for me. It pays to show love to the people.

I hate drama, especially drama in my spot and drama that will effect my wallet, but I don't run from it either. All of this is a constant reminder to me that it's about time for your Hustleman to elevate off this street level game. Hell, I even have crackheads hating on me, what the fuck is up with that? But it's all good, I keep it moving. People only hate on you when they see you doing something or looking like something special. To have a few haters in your life is a sign that you're actually doing pretty well (or at least look like it). No one has ever accomplished anything great without gathering haters along the way. It is what it is. Anyhow thanks for stopping by Fam as always and remember, the haters are watching so let them do their job. Dodge them and get yours. Peace!

A Fools Error

2006-10-06T22:07:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam what's up with ya? The pic above is one of your Hustleman's favorite Jamaican eating places. It's in College Park on Old National Highway. New York knows damn near everybody so we stepped through tonight to check out a few of his people. The day itself was fabulous. It started out a little rough because I left from the house late whch means I almost missed my connect to get my merchandise for the day. Luckily I caught him just as I was leaving the area, if not, then I would have wasted about an hour just to catch back up with this dude later today. In anything dealing with business, time is money and I don't like to waste it.

The vibe was laid back today, I can't quite put it into words but it was one of those days where you just felt good. Alot of my regular clientele came through to show love and I had to leave to pick New York up and bring him to the spot. His boy ran his Chevy Caprice into the ground so New York is without his transportation. It's all good though, he's a stand up type dude so I have no problem looking out for him. We talked about his lotto gambling habit (now up to about $100 a day if I hadn't mentioned it already), and how he's hustling backwards. He knew I spoke the truth but he's not ready to hear it just yet. He's claims this is his month to "hit" so he's focused on that big time, no surprise there.

The day ran smooth, money flowed and we did the regular bullshitting about life, females, money and business. Coming through was also one of the local crackheads. Let's just call him Mel. He's a crackhead but he's not the normal type, feel me? This dude hustles. He washes cars, clean floors in stores around the neighborhood and is generally a good person. I don't kick it around him much because one, he's a crackhead and two, he's a thief. He steals from stores in the area and sells to the public for a low price. As far as I know he's never stole from anybody personally so I'm cool with him, but not that cool. He used to help Mike the Hustler out (remember him?) ... speaking of which, I haven't seen Mike all week... anyway he came at your Hustleman today in need of a little cash. Now, he doesn't beg for his money he likes to work for it, so as hesitant as I was I thought I would help him out. I threw him some merchandise and told him what I needed back money wise and he could keep the rest of the profit.

New York and I were in grind mode big time and that's when I got the word, someone was arrested inside the nearby grocery store. New York was quick with the analysis. "Yo, you seen your man?", I thought for a second and asked for clarification, "Who?" I asked. New York was asking about Mel. I thought for a second and flashed back to the last time I saw him, he was at the grocery store parking lot. Why would he go into the grocery store? He's literally banned from stepping a foot in the door. His reputation in that store is that of a thief, what sense would that make?

Now let's pause here. Knowing who and what this dude is you would think I would have thought a little harder about the situation before I set him up with merchandise to sell. But I couldn't come up with a reason to justify me not helping him. I mean seriously, everyone knows him and has respect for him. He's never stressed me about anything so why not help him out? It was a win - win deal looking at it business wise. And from another perspective you would probably say I'm supporting his habit by lettting him make money to feed it, and yes, I considered that too.

I shook my head and figured it was time for a little investigation. I walked into the grocery store and talked to one of the managers. And she confirmed what I already knew to be true. Damn! Why the hell would he come into the store? That was just... well, stupid. And there was nothing I could do. I don't give a damn about the merchandise I lost, but I felt bad because I don't like seeing any of my people locked up.

Sure enough after about an hour Fulton County PD came for him and New York and I just looked at each other. Wow, you have to charge that one to the game. And the game doesn't stop so we just kept grinding until there was hardly anymore foot traffic. After the grind I drove New York to Jamaica Jamaica so he could talk to his people, then on to his weed man and dropped him at home. A few phone calls came through for your Hustleman... still more work to do.

All in all it was another great Friday and hopefully Mel will be out and about by Tuesday if he didn't steal anything, so that's all good. Amazing... what the hell happened to common sense? One error in judgement and your whole day, week or life can change. I took mental notes and learned a lesson even if Mel didn't.

Much love Fam. Stay up, enjoy your weekend safely and I'll be back at your for Sunday Reflection. Peace!

Inflow / Outflow: A Rant From Your Hustleman

2006-10-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

What's good Family! Your Hustleman is doing well, it's coming into fall but it was hot as hell today. I recently had a chance to go through Adamsville and Bankhead and that's the pic up there. I haven't been through there in a while and not much has changed (does the hood ever really change?). It was slow motion on my grind today but I still came out fabulous. So if you all don't mind I need to get some things off my chest and writing it is always a good release for me, so if you're with it here we go.

~(WARNING!!! Rant Coming Up)~ I can't call it Fam. It seems as though over the last 2 months the "associate" energy around me has been crazy. Some people left, others have come in. It's no big deal though because I only really have 4 friends, so the associates are no big deal. It does bother me though that some of them don't have the common courtesy to at least say, "Hey Shai, fuck you!" I know I can be an asshole, but really, I'm focused and play time is over. Now these associates have been both male and female but I only feel like writing about the females, it's more interesting, trust me.

Example one, take for instance Mz Hershey. Ex-porno star from Cali going through some hard times. As my associate slash homegirl, I figured at least I could speak with her every so often and try to keep her spirits up. But no, sorry, not going to help you with the money, I have my own home and business to take care of. Besides she has like 4 dudes she messes with just for that purpose. I was just there for moral support and to try to drop some jewels (knowledge) on her so she won't get discouraged and start going backwards. She was always a woman of her word. If she said something she did it. But wouldn't you know it... rest of the story short, I haven't heard from her in about 3 weeks. I made attempts to call and was met with, "I'll call you back later. I promise." That call back never happened. I charged it to the game, maybe she was possibly tying to do some slick shit and set your Hustleman up for something and it didn't work out. Or perhaps I wasn't there for her in the capacity she felt I should have been (whatever that was). All good though, you know I keep it moving.

Next up is my "maybe baby mama". This is a good one... I'll give you the short version. Supposedly she had my child (a baby boy) a little over 3 years ago. Now as hard as I've tried to see this kid, it never happened. All I wanted was to see him, if there was a resemblance then we could do the blood test thing, feel me? I know she was out there with other dudes, she was never really my woman so hey, I'm not mad at that.

Now at first we used to verbally fight over the phone about this issue; she was back and forth between Georgia and Florida at the time. And still to this day I've never seen this kid. I've never heard him over the phone. Occasionally "maybe baby mama" and I cross paths and since I made an effort to pretty much ignore her (mainly because I think she's a psycho bitch), instead of the look of hate she used to give, she smiles, waves and says "Hi!". Then she gets in the SUV with her girlfriend (and I do mean girlfriend). Funny thing is, I probably see her about 2 to 3 times a month and I never see her with a kid. Hmmm... Now, I never wanted to be a bum ass dude when it came to my little big heads but come on Fam! Does she even really have a kid? I stopped feeding into that shit a year ago and of course now she wants to make nice and make herself seen. Have to blame myself here, should have chosen a more stable and intelligent woman to lay down with. Lesson learned.

Next female in question... My current girl and I are on rocky terms. Together almost 2 years (2 years on the 11th of this month)and we have come to the conclusion that although we have love for one another, we're really not "in" love with one another. I overstand (over, not under) that and I respect that. The thing in this situation though is the fact that she's really just getting to know herself. So as that happens I know she will change, and the things she's looking for in life will change. I'm trying to help her along since I've been there and done that, but I really feel as though some of her friends are really stunting her growth. All her female friends have issues and drama. Relationship drama, familiy drama, self-esteem issues, you get my point. And she's the one they turn too. She has answers for everyone but herself. We live together and I have love for her so I'm here for her, at least until she makes up her mind on what she wants.

I usually don't like things like this up in the air cause I'm a planner, I like to think a few moves ahead, but with matters of the heart and with emotions involved, it makes it a little more difficult to move around. So here I am in relationship limbo... how the hell did this happen?

So as the time for the beginning of my new business venture draws near, things around your Hustleman are in a whirlwind. It's cool though, I'm centered and standing like a mighty oak (although I am a little annoyed). It's all good though. When one thing leaves, another thing takes it's place. It's amazing the distractions that come when you're down to stay focused on something. It's kinda funny actually. Ah well.. enough rant from me. Be well Family and stay up. I'll be back at you soon.

P.S. Shots out to Mz Nici Nicole - I see you babygirl, things will get better, be patient. Better to have found out now rather than later. You know I'm here for ya. And to Mz Yolanda - Glad to see that smile back on your face now that your man is back from his bid. You held him down during his weakest moment, that's some real grown woman shit right there. I respect that greatly, much love to ya both.

Sunday Reflection: Now, Not Then

2006-10-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

Peace and blessings Family! Sorry about the late Sunday Reflection. I've been so busy grindng, writing and researching for my next business move that I honestly had to really take a break and let my mind relax a bit. This past week has been very good. I must say that I'm not stressed just blessed. I was able to spend some time with my "sorta" god daughter little Kayla today. She always brings a smile to my face. And I also stopped through to check out the god and the goddess. It's nice to know that things with them are getting back on track. Back on topic...

I'm a people watcher so when I see these people walking around like they're dead (the living dead) it makes me think back to my days of frustration and semi-depression. You know those days when it seemed as though things would never get better so you had better just settle in and get comfortable. It's been said that pressure busts pipes. I've felt pressure, but I've never busted. Certain people are built for certain things (or can build themselves for certain things), my thing is making complicated things as simple as possible. I hate complication more than I hate drama.

People spend the majority of their day "in their heads". And this is a scary place to be for some of us. We all think about our fears and insecurities, what we don't have and what we can't do. Then there are optimistic people who try to focus on the positive. What they are trying to go, what type of person they want to be, achieving their goals and just enjoying life. But with all this "thinking" comes a price, you miss the oh so important moment of "now". Don't misread me, everyone should have goals and alot can be said for the power of positive thinking, but if you constantly think about the past, or focus so much on your future, then what the hell are you doing now?

Steve Harvey put it like this. The past belongs to history, the future belongs to the Heavenly Father, but the gift you have now, is called the present. So will you open your gift?

All of us fall in the time trap. We live in a world where everything is fast fast fast. People want results and people want them now. But when it comes to your life, and just enjoying it, we don't pay attention to our now because we are off to something else. When was the last time you actually watched a sunset or sunrise? When was the last time you we're with your special someone and just sat in silence to ejoying each other company? When was the last time you just stopped and gave yourself a moment to think? And I'm not talking about thinking about your bills and problems (or other peoples problems), I'm talking about thinking about the moment? How blessed you are to be able to breathe and having a place to lay your head at night. Even if it's not the best.

Don't be a victim of a get it "now" society. Wanting everything (material things) "now" but losing your personal now. Make your personal now all that you can make it. Give gratitude where it's due and let the people you love know that you love them. They may not be here tomorrow, so do it now.

I've been in some fucked up situations in my life and I'm very thankful for where I'm at now. As I work to make my future better I try to stop at least once a day and enjoy the now, and check myself to make sure I'm making the most of every moment. If you can constantly make the most of every moment you will reap the rewards of a fulfilling and beautiful life.

Just wanted to share that with you Fam. Many of the females I've been with in my past called me complicated because I think like this but also thrive in the depressed backdrop that is the city streets. I just used to say, I'm not complicated at all. I'm a simple dude. It's not what's going on around you that makes you who you are. It's what's going on inside and how you deal with what's going on around you that makes you who you are. Feel me? Anyhow be well Fam and take care until next time.

What Is The Game? (in part)

2006-09-29T22:04:00.000-04:00

Family peace and blessings to you all. As always I thank everyone who comes by and checks out your Hustleman, much love. Fall is coming to the ATL, I feel it creeping up slowly but the weather is still pretty nice overall so no complaints. If you don't know, I love Fridays. This one started out slow but finished with a bang. It was a fabulous day. Seems New York is in a state of semi-depression. He hasn't hit his numbers yet, and he's been backward hustling so he's pressed to get up his rent money. What can I say? His lotto habit will be his downfall if he doesn't keep it under control.

As a make way into my next business venture I've had alot of time to really think about this thing called "The Game". I've been mentioning it alot here on The Chronicles so I figured it was time to once and for all make this plain and crystal for all of you who may have wondered. Now to fully explain The Game would take up more room then we have here, or at least be broken up into a 3 parter so I decided to condense it and hopefully still get the meaning across. If you're ready, here it goes.

Coming to you as promised! The break down of the very nature of this thing we call "The Game". So, The Game, what is it really? Everyone mentions it, and throws it into their vocabulary to try to sound deep and most don't even understand what the hell they're talking about. Let me first say this. The game is like an unseen entity, it is always around but only a few know it's there, you got me? In order for me to explain The Game you have to first know what it's not. It's a process called negation, stay with me here.

0) The game is not checkers, it's chess. You have to play always thinking 2 or 3 moves ahead.
1) The Game is not just a term. It's as real as death and taxes.
2) The Game cannot be completely controlled but can be regulated or used against someone who doesn't know the rules.
3) The Game does not exist because you say so, it existed before you and I and will continue to exist after we are long and gone
4) The Game does not cheat anyone. It's very essence is completely fair but people can cheat those in The Game especially if those people have no knowledge of it
5) The Game shows no judgement although not playing quite by the rules will catch up to you in a bad way
6) The Game never stops. It operates whether you know about it or not; whether you play it or not; Whether you ignore it or not
7) The Game is not a singular it's a plural. Everything has a game attached to it. And every game has it's own set of rules, regulations and laws. Beneath those rules are the rules created by men and women inside The Game
8) The Game is not to be given for free. It has price-tag attached. Whether you pay for it with actual money, through experience or through time and energy you will end up paying for it one way or another
9) The Game cannot be played if you just watch. If you just watch, The game will play you.

Now since that's out the way let me break this down for you....
Before I begin hustling in the "street" game I was your average employee. I went to work, I did my job and I went home. And I complained about the whole process. Even on my off days I complained about having to go back to work. At one of my last jobs I was a security officer. I used to work graveyard shift in a high rise building here in downtown Atlanta. The only really good thing about this job was the fact that there was a room off in the back of lobby where you could go sleep. And I did, every night.

Now, my immediate boss AKA the account manager was on some double agent shit. He worked for the same company I worked for, but spent his spare time trying to get my company to lose it's contract so he could bring in, and run, another security company. Obviously his motivation was more power and more money. He didn't give a damn that a few of the security staff, myself included, would be out of a job. Fucked up you say? Not really. He played The Game tight. He used my employer's time and the money they paid him to set up his new company to get the security contract. Lose the Honda and get a Lexus in it's place, feel me?

It was all in The Game and that's where I charged it. I charged it to The Game. The owners of that high rise wanted the best security they could afford, and the double agent account manager was able to deliver. What's fuckin' with that? The only people that truly lost were the employees that were out of a job. But we were just that, employee's. You can't call shots in the "Employer and Employee" Game unless you have the power to do it. Low level employees don't have that power and that's my point. Simple.

The Game rewards those that play and know the rules. Not those on the side-lines or those that don't know about The Game. If you want to advance and prosper in anything, you have to overstand it (over, not under), inside and out, up and down, back and forth you follow me? You have to know it's rules and you have to put yourself in the position where you can play. And I do mean play, not just watch. This is real game I'm giving you here. You want to move up in your career? Stop watching, learn the rules and play. Want to be an entrepreneur? Learn the rules of your particular game and start playing. When you do this, you immediately become more powerful. Why? Because you know what the hell is going on now.

So, how does a person learn the rules of The Game they're in? Well, you have to pay LOL. Money, energy, time or even trial and error. But the best way is to find a mentor. Someone that's already seasoned in The Game who can teach you the rules. Of course you still have to put in the time and work, but you get my point. "The Game is to be sold, not told." This is the nature of The Game and it cannot be avoided.

Well Fam I could write on this topic for awhile but I'll stop here. As always thanks for taking your precious time with me here and I hope I made it worth your while. Much love Fam and as always... keep it moving.

The Usual Suspects

2006-09-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

Greetings Fam! I sincerely hope this week is going well for ya. If not, then make an effort to change it. As for me, it was another slow motion day for your Hustleman. I don't know what it is about the last week of the month, but things don't get good until Fridays (my favorite day of the week - I thought you knew!). Clientele still came by to show some monetary love to your Hustleman so I'm not complaining, well in a way I am because there need to be more of them LOL. Just playin'. Overall this week has been pretty good so far, my wiriting is going well and I've actually had time to rest.

Big Boy E the part-timey Hustler was at the spot and we got on the conversation of women as usual. We shared our stories of getting oral jobs and driving on the freeway and how dangerous of a situation that is. If I'm going over 35 mph I can't take it. Me and that girl will probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere, no bullshit. I love it, just not that much, feel me?

My man Moose also stopped by. He's an older brother from Cali, the country part as he puts it, and is loving "The A" right now. He's going on about 4 or 5 months here, and I'll say this, it takes a good year to adjust. I don't care where you're from.

Seems him and his wife are going through it right now so he always tells me about it. I guess it all goes back to the power struggle present in most relationships. Everybody wants to wear the pants and no one wants to wear the panties. I've met his wife and have talked to her on a few occasions, she seems pleasant enough, but then again I don't live with her. I can't stand relationship drama which is one reason I'm hesitant to get married. Most men I know say a woman changes when they get those vows. Anyway moving on...

Not to far from my huslte spot is a grocery store. So I'm walking by and two Fulton County squad cars pull up. One of the officers gets out and goes inside. I'm chillin' outside and running my mouth to the locals but also trying to check out what's going on. You have to know what's going on in and around your spot at all times.

About a half hour passes and that's when I realize what's going on. Someone was trying to steal something and the usual suspects were in the store that day at the same time. Of course they were rounded up for questioning. Who are the usual suspects you ask? Our local crackheads. We have about 4 males and 2 females. A couple have been banned from going into the store at all and a couple more have been arrested and they still come back to the same damn store. Go figure. When they do steal it's usually either meat or simple things like toothpaste, deodorant, soap etc. Now the twist is they don't steal this stuff to use it, they steal it to sell it. This should go without saying but never buy meat off a crackhead. If they cant get it out of the store, they usually grab the out-dated meat from the garbage bins in the back. Mmmm tasty.

Seems someone was at it again, but this time they knew that they were being watched so they made their way to the bathroom and left it in there. It was the men's bathroom and 3 of the males were there. One of them, we'll call him Ant, was prime suspect. When he first moved to Georgia him and I wre pretty cool. He was another failed drug-dealer who got busted, did Fed time and when he got out refused to go back into The Life. Now he's a crackhead, check the irony. Needless to say we're not cool anymore because 1) I don't hang with crakheads and 2) I don't like thieves like that.

He was interrogated for about 15 minutes and since they couldn't prove anything he left, but the cop wouldn't let up on him. And sure enough when he saw me he had to make his case. "You know me Shai, if I was going to get somethin' then I would have got somethin'. I would have just walked out." I nodded and he continued, "Why would I do that? Why would I get somethin and just leave it. I can run you know. I wouldn't leave it I woulda left and run. I could out run those bitches." I replied, "I hear you." He continued, "What sense does that make, just to leave it? I would have already been gone."

I looked at him then looked at his hands. No grocery bag, which makes me wonder why he was in the store in the first place. I just nodded and kept my thoughts to myself. Why does this dude need to justify himself to me? When did your Hustleman become the block judge and jury? And why does he think I would believe him, and why would I care? My motto: Do you, just don't do you around me, if it's some bullshit.

He rambled on for another minute and walked off. Maybe he just had to get that off his chest, I hope he felt better. I listened to him just for the information, I needed to know what was going down so I could be alert if any drama on my block was going to jump off. But anyway on to my point. Once you're labled as something negative, it's hard to get rid of that. You can live most of your life as a holy moly saint, but do one bad thing and people will remember you for that more than the good things you've done. People are people, and people are a trip. Whether he did it or not I don't know, but he will continue to be watched and harassed. What a wonderful life. Anyhow Fam keep it moving and stay up, your Hustleman will return in a couple days. Until then, Peace!

Sunday Reflection: The Minimal Minded Syndrome

2006-09-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome back Family! I hope your week was good for you and good to you. And for the record, yes I put a picture of a garbage can on this post. Why? Because lately your Hustleman has been throwing away alot of garbage in my life. This garbage mainly comes from other people in my life that never truly had my best interest in mine. So I toss it out and keep it moving, feel me?

Now business wise I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. The weather was for the most part mild, not too hot but hot enough. Business has been fabulous and New York and I are really just running the block right now. It's been me and him alone almost all week. He hasn't hit his lotto number yet but he's positive that it will come this month or next month. We'll see. On to this weeks thoughts and lesson...

You know Fam, I have recently figured out something that's true about 95% of the average people you meet.Well it's not that I just figured it out, it's more like the truth of it finally hit me like a ton of bricks. Most people take the easy way out of things. They will do as little as they possibly can to get something. I call this the "Minimal Minded Syndrome".

I'm guilty of this myself and so are most of you. Why is it human beings take the easy road when trying to do things? Why do we take the easy road when trying to accomplish things? Hell, I think we often times forget that we get out of something what we put into it. Garbage in, garbage out.

We often times do this in many areas of our life. In our work, in our friendships, love relationships, the attempted achievement of our goals, etc. Have you ever had a "If I would have only did that.", or a "I really should have done this instead." moment? We all have and we normally only think this way when what we were trying to do doesn't work out the way we wanted.

Funny part of the whole thing is the fact that we just don't do all we can do at all times. We're fucking lazy, bottom line. Simple. Sadly this becomes a normal way of thinking for many of us. We begin to accept little rewards, instead of putting our all into something to get the big rewards. What are we afraid of? Even if we fail we at least gave it our all. And you know when you put your all into something, you give your soul a chance to grow and the experience alone will teach you an important life lesson.

I've been around alot of people with money. I'm talking about people who pull in 6 figures and some even 7. I watch these people and look at their lives and a good percentage of them all have a similar theme that runs through them. They are unfullfilled. They have the money, but life is a boring, tedious chore for them. They're not happy. They are so caught up into putting on a fake persona and playing the "does the money match" game with other wealthy people that they sometimes become just a shell of what they used to be.

I've also been around people of the broke persuasion and although they don't have the big money, they've learned to take pleasure in simple things like family and friends. But they are not happy either. It's hard to be broke and truly happy. This "Minimal Minded Syndrome" is universal. The wealthy put alot into making money and a little into everything else. The poor put alot into enjoying themselves and a little into making money. There's usually very little balance. It's not easy, but if you put as much as you can daily into every area of your life, I think the end rewards would be worth it. After all who doesn't want to wake up in the morning with a smile on their face? Who doesn't want to go through life happy?

A mentor of mine once said, "The things you gain in life have a price. And that price is the things you will lose in the proces of gaining them." You can never achieve anything great without losing something along the way and that's just a reality. But A person is only truly happy when things are happyning, oh sorry I meant happening, their way. I know, you can't always have everything your way. But hell, why not try? Why not put your all into every area of your life and make it into what you want it to be? I have an answer, laziness. Doing minimal shit to just get by doesn't cut it in the long run. I can bare witness to that. So focus on the most important things and lose the things that will get you nowhere in the future. Use your time wisely and remember the most impotant things in life are usually given to us for "free" (family, health, your mind, etc.) don't neglect them.

Take care Fam. Just wanted to give you something to think about. I will return to you soon so as always... keep it moving. The Hustleman is out.

Little Misses

2006-09-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hello Fam! Sorry I haven't been with you too much this week, I've been at maximum grind level and I have been helping out my family. Also I've been writing and trying to stay up on my rest. It's been a busy week. But Friday was lovely on the business tip (God I love Friday's)!

That pic above is little Kayla, isn't she precious? That's a current pic of her at 3 months old. She is my "sorta" god-daughter and brings my total of "sorta" god-kids to three. Two girls and one boy. Sad when you have no kids of your own right? You have to borrow other peoples.

I try to spend time with them when I can although I don't do it alone I like to have my girl around with me or at least one of the parents. I don't want anybody saying that Shai did anything to their kids, feel me?

Anyhow, I'll be back at you all for Sunday Reflection, until then take care.

Tales From The Block: The Misadventure Of A Snitch Bitch

2006-09-19T20:13:00.000-04:00

Well Fam it's yet another tale from the block for ya. Hope all of you are well. Your Hustleman is feeling good and is writing like crazy. I'm currently working on a project for a new business venture I am starting. I'll keep you posted with the details. All I have to say now is... writing is fun, but it can wear you out. It's mentally draining, I'm for real. But I still have to make time for you Fam!

Let's get on with this entry. There are eight million stories in the city, this is just one of them. This story will be short. I'm telling this tale to make a point. Lately I have been writing alot about the game itself (the 'What is The Game?' post coming very soon, I promise *smirk*), and here is a story of an individual who got the street game fucked up. He violated a most sacred rule. He snitched, meaning he told on those that did the bad deed with him to the authorities, to save his own ass. That's a big no-no in the streets. People have been killed for less.

Once you are labled as a snitch you can kiss your street pass good bye. No one wants to be around you and no one trusts you. Even your family is marked with suspicion. You're better off just moving to another side of town. Or perhaps another state altogether. I'm serious.

I have received about 3 different versions of this story so I will do my best to just stick to the basic most common elements. Near the spot where I grind (hustle) at there is a cell phone store. Now this place has been robbed no less then 3 or 4 times. Possibly more. You would think the owner would either tighten his security or just close up shop right? No such deal. He's still there. This incident I'm going to tell you about happened recently.

Picture this if you will, it's early morning say around 6 or 7am. It's still summer time so there is just enough daylight out. Traffic is light, the stores and shops in this particular plaza are closed so there is no foot traffic. The cell phone store itself sits away from the street near the back of the plaza near the corner so it's easy. Maybe too easy. No bars on the windows, no complicated locks on the door. No visible cameras inside either. So snitch bitch and his crew of 2, some say 3, decide to rob the place.

First mistake, it's daylight! Real stupid. Second mistake, snitch bitch and his crew weren't smart enough to actually plan this great heist. From the reports I received they took the idiot route and used a rock or some other heavy object to smash through the glass. Third mistake, you're already making too much noise.

Snitch bitch proceeded to make his way into the shop and tried to find anything he could grab. Wasn't too much of anything. The crew already uptight and nervous never entered the store at all and left with nothing in hand (can you blame them?). Perhaps they had a moment of clarity? Snitch bitch stayed though, he was determined to make this worth his while. Again... not well planned. I can see it all now, I know snitch bitch heard that little voice in his head saying' "Just leave." He didn't listen though and I'm not surprised about that.

Seems the owner of the store had a silent alarm and snitch bitch took so long that he was busted by the police. Just him alone, his crew was long gone. Now what did snitch bitch do? Did he stand up and say he was in this crime alone? No he didn't. He went on to give the police the names and locations of all his "boys" that were with him. They all went down.

Now before you think I'm advocating unlawful entry practices, I will have you know that I'm glad these dudes got busted. I'm a Hustler, not a thief. I don't even like people with thieving tendancies around me. The point is though that this dude had the opportunity to let his crew just be free. Perhaps they could have gotten bail money up for him, help him hire a good lawyer, look out for his family while he was away, etc. Yes they were guilty of a crime, but they didn't steal anything. Still though, they are guilty legally. And "street-wise" they are guilty by association (associating with a snitch that is). Sad part is, since snitch bitch told on them, they got the hard rap while he got off fairly easy. But the truth is, according to reports, he masterminded the whole thing.

To quote the immortal words of the Great One Ice Cube, "Nigga, nigga, nigga, can't you see? Somehow your words incarcerate me!"

That's a wrap on this one. More to you coming in the week ahead. Be good Fam and stay out of trouble LOL, I know I am.

Sunday Reflection: Remember When...

2006-09-17T14:42:00.000-04:00

Welcome back Fam. As always, thanks to everyone who stops by and reads The Chronicles. For my new readers I would like you to know that Sunday is my off-day. A day when I stay in the house and don't do shit. This down-time gives me a chance to reflect on things I've learned throughout the week and basically re-charge myself for the week ahead. The pic above by the way is your Hustleman at a much younger age. Handsome little dude I was LOL.

This past Friday and Saturday went fantastic. It was just New York and your Hustleman locking down the block. And as usual, we killed it. I did miss the Nelly video shoot in East Point though. I wanted to get some pics for you all, sorry about that but your hustleman is money over bullshit all the time. New York is still trying to hit his lotto number and I must admit, I'm actually starting to root for him. You want to talk about being passionate about something! $300+ a week is pretty damn dedicated don't you agree?

Also I've been catching up on my rest as much as possible, I really need it. Not only for the health benefits, but for my sanity right now. I'm feeling much better though, thanks for asking. Moving on... I'd like to switch gears this Sunday mainly because I've been in an old school mood this week. You know, bumping old school music and what not. It started to make me think about my younger days and how much society has changed. Morales and values just seem to get worse every generation. And what about the poor quality of education?

*cough* check out Bleugod Edutainment *cough* (just read Friday's post for the details). Anyhow without further delay these are the things that came to me when I relaxed my mind and took a mental trip back in time.

REMEMBER WHEN...
- You actually liked listening to the radio station
- Parents used to actually spank their kids
- Dating a thug was a bad thing
- You had to be in the house before the street light came on
- Having a child in your teenage years was not the norm
- You used to spend all your change on candy just because you could
- You couldn't talk back to your mother without consequences and reprecussions
- You had your first crush and it was hard to even be around them without feeling butterflies
- People fist fought first and pulled out the guns later
- Big Mamma kept the family together
- It was a house rule that you had to stay away from a certain family member who was either on drugs or a drunk
- The first time you had sex and thought afterwards... "Is that it?"
- You were so excited to get your first job and then after a few months you ended up not wanting to go anymore
- Ophrah weighed more and rocked all those fucked up hairstyles
- You didn't have to pay bills
- Parents were actively invovled with their children's school
- A can soda was around 25 cents
- A pay phone only cost around 25 cents
- If you wanted to talk to your friends or even see them you had to do your homework first
- You hated the fact that your mother or father was always right about everything
- You couldn't wait to get your own place. Only to then realize all the sacrifices your parents made for you
- Dancing with the opposite sex involved very little, if any, bumping and grinding. You actually stood up and made eye contact
- Having a weave in your head was looked down upon
- If you had a pager (wow, remember those?) and were black, people thought you were a drug dealer
- If you wanted to reach your friends by phone, they actually had to be at home
- Kids were alot more physically active before nintendo and sega came out
- You always had a friend around you that would make jokes about everyone but couldn't take a joke about themselves (if you didn't then this was you!)
- You had to be a certain age before you could go out on a date by yourself
- You thought you had it all figured out until reality came and slapped you
- That nerdy square boy/girl in your grade school class got fine ass hell when they got older
- It was like everyone had the hot new shoes exepct you
- You had your first kiss and didn't know what the hell to do so you just did what you saw in the movies or on tv
- Everyone knew who the "fast" girl in the neighborhood was. Boys tried to get at her and other girls hated her
- We thought regular fitting jeans on men were cool and now the pants are so big young dudes seem to not be able to keep them up on their waist
- You could actually tell how old a teenage girl was just by looking at her (now they look like women)
- Common sense was much more "common"
- To actually make an R&B album, you had to be able to sing
- You couldn't wait for your parents to take you to McDonald's (Happy Meals! And they had better toys then too!)
- Men actually raised their children
- Cartoons on saturday morning were actually good

Well I can go on and on but I'm curious to know what you remember. So feel free to leave a comment and add on to the list. Much love Family as always. More hustling game and stories coming at you in a day or two.

* LISTEN UP! A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! *

2006-09-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

Greetings Family! I'm excited to announce the opening of the Bleugod.com website! The home of Bleugod Edutainment. Edutainment means to educate while entertaining. Having the youth learn something is a big deal now-a-days and I'm pleased that someone is actually doing something about it. Bleugod.com offers educational software for ages 6-9. The first product on the long list is about the African Slave Trade. I know, I know sounds boring right? Well kids think so too. But let me tell you about something, this software will not only teach them something worthwhile, they won't leave the computer screen. I'm serious.

I know that the god himself has put his heart and soul into the company and the product itself. I was fortunate enough to get a preview copy and the kids love it! Currently they are taking e-mail adresses for pre-orders. If you so choose, you can get $10.00 off the regular price of the software just for showing interest. If educating the youth is impotant to you, or even if you have little ones around this age bracket, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the site. It'll be worth your time. I promise *smirk*.

So that address again is www.bleugod.com. Go there now, don't be shy LOL. Blessings Fam. Your Hustleman will return to you soon.

What's Eating Away At The Hustleman?

2006-09-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

Peace to all the Family out there. Your Hustleman is still here with you and still grinding in this thing we call "The Game". Something's been eating away at your Hustleman lately. I really can't put a finger on what it is but the results have been short patience and a need to just sleep and have some peace and quiet away from people. All of this became very evident when on Wednesday night I pretty much just blew up. I'm not really an emotional reactive type dude feel me? But all I wanted to do was get some damn sleep.

Wednesday I woke up, did my regular inventory check, decided I had enough stuff to work with for the day so I did just that, took my ass to work (yes, Hustler's call what we do work. We just don't punch a clock) It was slow at first and Big Boy was out and about. After only about an hour, he left and it was just me running solo. I was blessed with abundance.

As the time rolled by to go pick up my girl and get her off to work I realized that a headache was coming on. Probably from lack of rest from the night before. I was trying to get my business studies on that night and finish that up to a certain point. You know, make myself feel like I actually accomplished something. That didn't work. My girl was feeling a little down so we talked for a couple of hours. She eventually went to sleep and I tried to get back to my studies but I ended up just falling asleep.

Anyhow when I got home on Wednesday evening I was just like fuck it. I was tired, I had some good bar-b-que and I didn't feel like going back out to grind. My girl left and I thought to myself finally! I can get in a little study and get some rest in a quiet household. that didn't happen.

Can anyone please tell me if you call someone, and they don't answer after say... 2 or 3 back to back phone calls what you do you assume? 1) They are away from their phone, 2) They are busy or 3) They just dont feel like talking to you. Regardless of the reason, is it a sin to leave a message now-a-days? Cell phone ringing off the hook. House phone ringing off the hook. And who the hell is at my door? WTF! I purposely left all the lights in the house off. It was most likely my neighbor. I'm not coming to the door right now, sorry. I couldn't leave my house phone off (or throw it out the window), it could be an emergency call. But I personally don't get calls at the house anyway. Everyone that calls 9.9 times out of 10 is calling for my girl. If you know her so well, then you know she's at work now, can you call her on her cell phone? Hell, call her on her work phone. She's a manger she won't get in trouble, honest *smirk*. But if you must call the house becuase it's soooooo important can you please just leave a damn message!

I finally start to drift off into the glorious sleep I've wanted so badly for the last 3 hours and then the doorbell rings. Irritation. The doorbel rings again and then again. Then they start knocking. Anger. Then the phone rings! I'm irrate at this point. I answer the phone with an attitude. "Hello! Who is this?". "Hey brah, it's me." was the answer. The voice on the other end was my girls brother. I continued, "I'm trying to get some sleep man, what is it? What do you want? What's up?". A brief moment of silence. "My bad brah, if I knew you were trying to sleep I wouldn't have come by." And my response, "Hold on a second man." I get up, put on some pants and make my way downstairs in the darkness. I finally get to the door and open it. This dude is already back in his car and pulling off. Well, damn!

I make my way back upstairs and layed back down. I had to check myself. Was all that attitude really called for? Plus I know his sister, my girl, let him keep some belongings of his here at the house that he probably needed. But... she also gave him a key (without asking me by the way - that's another story). So couldn't he just have came in and announced who he was? What's the point of having a key if you don't use it? He was probably trying to be respectful and I'm all for it.

After a few minutes of calming myself down out of battle mode, I called the dude back on his cell. No answer. I called him again and left an apologetic message. I even told him that is he needed something out of the house he can come back to get it. He's a hustler too, so I know what it's like when you really need something right at that moment. If you can't get it then you feel like you're wasting time. If he's pissed at me, I understand. We shall see what happens.

Well, is it stress? Lack of proper rest and relaxation? Ahhh, who knows? I just know that when I get in these moods, it makes it hard to work. And worse it's hard to concentrate and focus. So in the meantime, I'm going to catch up on my rest and see if that helps. Much love goes out to "Mr. Wade". Sorry dude, you just have bad timing, it wasn't personal. Later Fam. And please do remember... if they don't answer the phone, it's ok to leave a message. I'll be back at ya.

The Lesson, The Old Man And The Game

2006-09-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings Family. Another fabulous week thus far. It was overcast and rainy today but you'll hear no complaints from me. I personally need a break from the heat.

I saw Mike yesterday (told you he'd be back). He was doing his thing, I was so unfocused yesterday that after awhile I just leaned back against my favorite place on the wall and silently went through everything that was running through my head. Random thoughts had to be either let go or put in the 'think about that bullshit' later file. Your mind is like a garden and sometimes you need to pick the weeds to keep the garden healthy, feel me? I've been told I think too much, I just say I think enough to stay sane.

One of the things that has been on my mind lately is not so much a situation but a person. Ever experienced that? Someone just keeps popping up in your head all of a sudden? This person is an old man that calls himself Zar. An unlikely mentor of your Hustleman.

This brother used to be a big time huslter back in his day. From doing thing in New York to down south to California. I figure at the time when I used to hang out with him he was in his early to mid 60's. He never told, I never asked. You must understand that this was a smart dude, but very eccentric and worn down by bad habits. He used to wear high water pants, bummy ass t-shirts with maker writings on them with things like 357. His socks would be pulled up to damn near calf, and when he didn't wear socks you could see an old braided string he wore around his ankle. This dude was loud, a fairly heavy drinker (which made him even louder) and he also had a bad drug habit of the crack persuasion. His woman was all crackhead, I used to hate being around her period. She'd annoy the hell out of me, but she was always respectful.

Zar was also one of the only people in my life that looked me straight in the eyes and told me, "You're going to make it Shai. You want a million, you'll get it. You know how to talk to people and you have alot of game. Just make sure you can handle all that money, it brings problems."

Now follow me on this. Looking at this dude in the present and listening to his old war stories, you would think he was full of shit. But if you could catch him sober the game he would spit would blow your mind. Zar only invited people over to his house that he liked and I was fortunate enough to be one of those people. I seen pictures of him back in his 'glory days' and he wasn't lying. He really had the money, the cars, the houses and the women. He hustled moonshine and ran numbers when he was younger. In Georgia he had dealings with what he called the Dixie Mafia. He also cleared the way for two of the biggest dope selling families in Bankhead here in Atlanta to make their rise. I'll leave those family names out on purpose. He was the classic old school hustler.

It always amazes me when I look at old school hustlers who had it and lost it. I ponder the question, how can you have all that and end up with little to nothing? It just goes to show no matter how much you know, it doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't apply it. The game itself is very cold in this regard. Either you stay within the rules or you get chewed up and spit out. A few bad decisions, bad habits and everything you worked for can be lost. Only the mentally strongest of men or women can get it all back. So here Zar was at the age of 60 plus still hustling. His goal was trying to secure a position in the real estate game and get a landscaping business off the ground. He was going good until his alcohol habit landed him in jail over a DUI. And out of jail he was in a car accident that put him in the hospital. And then again after he got his settlement money from the accident he blew that on bullshit. The result, as you can guess, is he lost everything.

The next few times I seen this man he was homeless, washing up at parks in the public restrooms. I threw him a few dollars here and there when I did see him and gave him rides. He was neither upset or down about his situation he just kept it moving. To date, I haven't seen or heard from Zar in almost a year now. I sincerely hope everything is better with him.

Another intellegent brother who just never made the transition from the street game to something bigger and 'legitimate'. He never did stop trying though. With all the game and lessons I learned from him the biggest lesson was this: Use the street game to get you to a point where you need to be to get out. Once you get out and into a better game never look back.

The god told me something that is relevant here. We as human beings grow and change and if you don't let your surrounding life reflect those changes you will suffer. If life is not running smooth and you're not happy ask yourself are you living in your old habits and conditions although you're a different person now? Failed hustlers do just that and their end results are very similar. Rest assured that your Hustleman has learned his lesson. I'm slowly evolving past the street game and I'm just looking for the door marked 'Exit'. Keep it moving family and much love to you all.

Sunday Reflection: Supreme Clientele

2006-09-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

Greetings Family, as always I hope your overall week was abundant with some of the better things in life. Your Hustleman just came off a good week financially and I even got to ball-out a little (and I do mean a little LOL). That pic above is a strip club called Stroker's. Apologies for the dark pic. The parking lot attendants and security wouldn't let me get any closer. If you've never been to an Atlanta black strip club you're really missing out. Fully nude table dances unlike most States. You can see everything, enough said. Saturday ran somewhat smooth. Did my morning work-out rountine and then on to the morning re-up rountine; getting products from my supplier.

It was another hot day out here and I was greeted at the spot by Jay. Jay is a part-timey Hustler who occasionally comes to the spot on the weekends. He works a regular job during the week. He was tired, I could see it in his face, but I admire his determination.

New York also came out, Hustling for lotto money as per usual. The day was a little slower than a typical Saturday, but abundant none the less. This brings me to the topic of this post. After a back and forth with Mental_Slave on the comments for my Wednesday post, I was reminded of something. A mark of an effective Huslter is his or her clientele base. If you are a true Hustler this means you are extremely customer service based. It's all about the satisfaction of your customers. It's far easier to keep a happy customer than to get a new one. And the best customers are the ones who will come spend with you every week. I have some customers that have been with me for over 3 or 4 years. And a couple for over 5.

Some of the larger "legitimate" companies claim to be about their customers but they're really not. How many of you have experienced bad customer service? It's not they don't care, it's about they don't have time to give their customers one on one attention at all times. One advantage of hustling is the personal one and one interaction with your customers. If something is wrong with a product they know exactly who they bought it from and know exactly who to talk to. It simplifies the sales process. It's like a large circle revolving around a center like the solar system revolves around the sun. The Hustler is the sun, and the customers revolve around him or her. If the Hustler is good, he can shine light on each and everyone and not leave any out. The ones he or she leaves out will recieve no light or heat and will eventually die off. A dead planet if you will. Not the customers fault, it's the Hustlers.

One main goal of a Hustler (and any business period) is the acquisition, satisfaction and retainment of customers. The more regular clients the Hustler has, the more money he or she has and therefore the more new customers he or she will acquire. Word of mouth is the best advertising, even in big business, but a Huslter relies completely on this. Bad word of mouth will destroy a Hustler's reputation long before he can grow a large clientele base. Simple. Back to Saturday...

So as New York, Jay and myself got down to the grind I pushed past them quickly. My clientele base is just larger. People would pass them up to come fuck with me. Jay, having grown up in the area, had a slight advantage because he knows alot of people. New York wasn't seeing hardly any money. I sent him customers the best I could. All the money making was disrupted by a visit from the Fulton County Police Department. Jay was with a customer at his trunk and wasn't paying attention. New York called him twice, I called him too but he didn't hear shit. For me, that was a flashback to the Mike incident. New York and I slowly brached off away from Jay. If he was going down, he'd be doing it alone. Eventually he realized he was being watched, so he closed the trunk and came to where me and New York were. WTF! No worries though. The squad car circled a couple of time and left.

Jay realizing his mistake decided it was best to leave. New York left also for a little while, I stayed in place being very low brow and cautious. I hate working like that but sometimes you have to just keep it moving. It turned out alright, even when New York returned things were lovely.

Now the plan for later that night was to go to a strip club. New York said he was down if his paper was right. I don't go to strip clubs often, but I must admit I can really relax and think in an atmosphere like that. Loud music and all. I can't explain why, I just vibe in the environment.
Also on deck was the lovely Mz. Hershey. She said she was down to go when I mentioned it in a conversation we were having. She used to be a stripper it seems so she is used to the environment also. Even part-timey Jay said he might go when we talked earlier that day.

Rest of the story short... Jay flaked on me, New York flaked on me. Some of my old hustling partners from my early days were good to go. So it was just them, me and Mz. Hershey. We had a damn good time. Some of those stripper ladies were real hustler's. You can always tell the difference. The lazy ones walk around complaining and have a low energy attached to them. They make very little money as a result. The upbeat ones, the ones with the best personalities make the most. Even if they're faking it and are not the most attracive they make more. They understand it's about a fantasy fulfillment. 'The Game' is fair is this regard, it gives everyone an equal oppotunity if you're willing to put in the work. Well that's a wrap on this post. Talk to you again soon Fam. Stay up and make each day the best. Time stops for no one. Peace.

A Day In The Life: Random Thoughts And Ramblings

2006-09-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

Family! Hope all is as you want it, or at least on the way to what you want it to be. It's your Hustleman, back again. Let me just say for the record that I love Friday's! It's actually my favorite day of the week. This post should bring you up to speed about what's going on with me so tune in with me for a few.

I recently met one of the dude's who had a hand in the 'Crackheads Gone Wild' video. This video is burning up the streets. Some hate it, others love it. Hell, I even know a few people who make their kids watch it as an educational video. Anyway click here, check it out and if you feel so inclined, show them some love. I'm going to try to see if I can get an interview with those brothers and post it here on the blog. Can you believe that they may have a movie deal in the works? Amazing. Much love to you all and keep doing your thing. I love to hear success stories like that, it keeps me inspired. Back on point...

My day started it off with a call from the god. We have some business together and when he gets everything up and running I'll give you a link to the website. He is working furiously on some educational software. I have checked it out and I must say I'm impressed. Something like this is really needed especially for the inner city youth. Education these days is not what it used to be. So, don't complain do something to change it is the current motto.

After I got dressed I went to go see my suppliers. I rolled on to I-285 listening to Suga Free. That's my new driving soundtrack for this month (big-ups to BossMack for suggesting it). It's nice that my suppliers finally found a spot. It saves a hell of alot time instead of the call them meet them routine. Unfortunately this spot is garbage. They'll be transient again soon. Damn! Oh well, it is what it is. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

I hit their spot up, got what I needed and then headed to my location to grind out some work. Another Hotlanta day for sure. And after 30 mins there I knew what it was going to be. Slow to start, strong to finish. I just had that feeling.

New York was already there when I arrived. We exchanged pleasantries (did I spell that right?) and got on with the work. Slow motion. New York then got a call from one of his boys telling him that he just might have his old spot back. Looked like the heat over there may have died down. He was skeptical but decided to check it out anyway. He left and I ran solo.

When it's slow and I'm solo to keep myself focused I usually people watch and run my mouth to those that know me. I do this to keep from getting bored. If I get bored then I start thinking about kickin' it back at home. Home... where it's quiet and I have air conditioning. Not to mention food. Once those thoughts take over I'm usually on my way back to the house. Needless to say, I try to never get bored. I can't make money sitting at home... yet.

I answered my usual phone calls and set up appointments as necessary. Side note, one thing you will never see a shortage of in Atlanta are beautiful women. Needless to say they were out in force today. I wasn't checking much paper but at least I had some eye candy. If I was more of a flirt then I might have come up with some phone numbers just for the hell of it. But I'm money over bullshit at all times. Besides, I'd never call anyway. I'm married to my grind until my papers right. Plus sneaking around when you have a woman at home just takes you off your grind. It's drama waiting to happen and wasting time is a deadly sin. I'm a holy hustlin' motherfucker, feel me? It's all about focus.

As the crowds begin to come so did the money. I was slowly locking the block down. By the time the evening rolled back in, New York came back. He was focused on getting his daily lotto money as usual. I just laughed, this dude is really committed. I just hope he hits just so he can stop complaining about how broke he's getting. Another good Hustler hustling backwards. It's a damn shame. Side note, he has gone from spending 40 dollars a day on the lotto to 60. I just can't see it. By the time he hits, he'll just be breaking even. That's just my opinion, I may be proved wrong. A new barbeque spot had just opened up and everone was buzzing about how they were putting it down. I took a break and got me some beef ribs (I really need to cut down on my beef intake). This damn rib looked like something out of The Flintstones cartoon. No joke. This thing was huge! Well worth the money and it didn't even slow me down. As my phone continued to ring off the hook the money continued to pour in.

As the day wore on I ran into Mz. Hershey who looked damn sexy. She was rockin' her new hair style and a black dickie outfit. This is one of the only dark-skinned women I know who can rock all black and still look good. Even her lipstick was dark. We chopped up the conversation and eventually she let out that she was just plain frustrated. She just got her new place and a new job but she didn't plan well so she was going broke. She has a mixed dude she messes with that gives her money so she was setting things up with him. Must be nice to be a female in a world full of trick ass men. I told her to be careful and I hope she everything works out for her. Knowing her, she'll be alright in about 2 weeks.

Before this post gets too long let me wrap it up like this. My day was fabulous. It's a beautiful feeling to come home and know you had a successful day. I'm still buzzing off my Hustler's high. The day ran smoothly with no stress. What more can you ask for? The night is warm with a gentle breeze. I'd really love to get out and do something with the nightlife but I still have more grinding to do while here at home so I'm going to get on it.

Thanks fam for sitting through a rambling post, I just wanted to get you up to speed. Anyhow, much love and keep it moving as always. I'll be back at you soon.

A Hustler's Perspective: The Almighty Dollar

2006-09-06T22:45:00.000-04:00

Blessings and peace Fam! Sorry for such a late post but your hustleman had a very dynamic day. It all started with a call from the god. He layed some jewels (valuable knowledge) on me which gave me an interesting outlook on my day. Hell, on life in general.

I was supposed to go out of town for Labor Day but that fell through. I was disappointed but hey, shit happens no doubt. I figured today to be a slow day but it actually turned out damn good. Big Boy was at the spot and New York came through later in the evening. Things ran smoothly. Mike has since returned to the spot. I didn't see him today but I guess I missed him yesterday. Like I said, Hustler's are hard-headed. Anyway... back on point.

Hustler's are focused on making money period point blank. That's first priority. Big surprise here I know. But let me further clarify about the 3 different kinds of Hustler's. This is free game here so listen up. The first type is the lazy or part-timey Huslter. They make just enough money to get by. They are usually broke and stay broke. They should really have a gig (job) but they're too lazy to keep one. Those part-timey Hustler's that do keep a job and Hustle on the side are not Hustler's. To really be a Hustler you have to experience the game with no security. That means you get no paycheck. You only make money off of the work you put into the game. If you don't work hard and grind, you don't make money and you don't eat. Simple. Don't misread me, if you have a job and use that money to get your Hustle up and running that's well and good. But if you can't let that false sense of security go, you probably never will.

The second type of Hustler is the backwards Hustler. He or she is similar to the lazy Hustler but the difference is they actually make money. They are just foolish with it and end up spending it all. We call them backwards because instead of keeping money and growing... they spend it and stay in the same place in their financial life, or go backwards into a worse situation. Easy come, easy go I guess.

The last is the True. A real Hustler. They have made a mental transition when it comes to money. They know the hidden value of it. I have been all 3 types so trust me when I say I'm qualified to speak on this subject.

A True looks at money differently then the average person. Take a dollar bill out and look at it. What does that represent you? Buying power? Gas money? Bill money? Well you know what a True sees when he or she looks at that dollar? They see not one dollar, but a hand full of dollars. Let my break this down for you.

The hidden power behind the dollar is this. A dollar, properly used, can bring in friends. That is, more dollars. A True saves, plans and invests their money instead of carelessly spending it on bullshit. Saving money does not make you wealthy. Investing does. Now some of my more educated business readers already now this, but this is not common knowledge on the streets for sure. I once read a book (yes I do read) called 'Multiple Streams of Income' by Robert G. Allen. On a side note this is a pretty damn good book. The author used an example of a dollar as a seed. When you invest this dollar you plant it in the ground so to speak and let it grow into a tree that produces more of itself. Same concept I was taught on the streets. I was just slow to really understand it.

Here's what a True does with their money. I'm no financial planner but the shit works, bottom line. Let's say you have a gig and bring in a stack (one thousand dollars) a week. Before you do anything else with that money you put up 10 to 20 percent of it, that you don't touch, and then learn to live off the rest. Ever wonder why some Hustler's look broke? Well if they are truly not a broke or backward Hustler, they are living off less money then they make on purpose. They give themselves no choice. The Game is too be taken to the next level, not to stay stagnant. What do they do with that 10 to 20 percent? They keep growing it until they can make an investment into something else. When that new venture grows they begin to take out 10 to 20 percent of the profits of that. Now they have money from 2 sources being saved. Then they take all that money and invest in something else. And so on and so on.

The key is, make one dollar into 3. Save one dollar, re-invest the second dollar back into your business, and use the last dollar to live off of. This is very genral, but I hope it makes the idea crystal for you.

So do your Hustleman a favor. Next time you take a dollar out of your pocket (or your atm card). Think of the power of that dollar before you spend it. Later Fam, I'll be back at you soon. Until then... keep it moving.

The Hustleman: Tagged!

2006-09-04T18:13:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam! For those of you in the United States, I hope you're enjoying your Labor Day. It seems that your Hustleman has been tagged by thegoddess. This is a Me-Me as they call them. Basically a question and answer sessions for all to see. So without further delay, here goes.

1) Full Name: STREETHANDLE = SHAHEED
2) Name Backwards: DEEDHAHS
3) Were you named after anyone?: NOPE, ALTHOUGH THE NAME IS THE 50th ATTRIBUTE OF ALLAH IN ISLAM - DOES THAT COUNT?
4) Does your name mean anything?: WITNESS
5) Nick Name(s): RED, DENVER, SHAI, LEOMACK
6) Screen Name(s): HUSTLEMAN_SHAI, SHAI_DA9
7) Date Of Birth: JULY, 1975 - I'M A LEO, FILL IN THE REST
8) Place of Birth: SEASIDE, OREGON
9) Nationality: NUBIAN
10) Current Location: GEORGIA
11) Sign: LEO, RECOGNIZE!
13) Height: 6'0 BUT I THINK I LOST AN INCH
14) Skin Color: REDDISH YELLOW
15) Shoe Size: DEPENDS ON THE SHOE, 10 1/2 AVERAGE
16) Hair colour: BLACK
17) Eye colour: BROWN
18) What do you look like?: I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE NAMED SHAI. PERHAPS YOU SEEN HIM? HE'S A HANDSOME DUDE
19) Innie or Outie?: OUTIE
20) Right, Lefty, or Ambidextrous?: I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I'M AMBIDEXTROUS BECAUSE I CAN DRIVE THE CAR WITH MY LEFT HAND AND SMOKE A CIGARETTE WITH MY RIGHT
21) Gay, Straight, Bi, or Other?: STRAIGHT AS INDIAN HAIR
22) Best friend(s): SEXY SHAY, THEGOD, A-GOD, MOOSE AND MYSELF ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES I AM MY WORST ENEMY
23) Best friend you trust the most: MYSELF WHEN I'M NOT PLAYING THE ENEMY
24) Best friends {your sex}: MYSELF
25) Best friends of the opposite sex: SEXY SHAY
26) Best Bud(s): MZ. HERSHEY
27) Boyfriend / Girlfriend: SEXY SHAY
28) Crush: THAT WOULD BE STACEY DASH, HAVE YOU NOT SEEN HER IN PLAYBOY!?
29) Parent(s): YES I HAVE TWO OF THOSE
30) Worst Enemy: MYSELF, YES BAD ME!
31) Favourite on-line Guy(s): THEGOD, BOSSMACK TOPSOIL
32) Favourite on-line Girl(s): THE GODDESS, MENTAL_SLAVE
33) Funniest friend: MOOSE - HE HAS SOME STORIES FOR YOUR ASS
34) Craziest friend: AS IN PSYCHO? I AVOID THEM
35) Advice Friend: THEGOD
36) Loudest Friend: SEXY SHAY - CAN YOU SAY GHETTO?
37) Person you cry with: I HAVEN'T CRIED IN YEARS
*Do You Have...*
38) Any sisters: NOPE
39) Any brothers: 1
40) Any pets: NOT NOW. BUT I DO MISS MY DOG MASON. I TAKE THAT BACK, HE DESTROYED ABOUT 20 OF MY DVD'S
41) A Disease: NIGGARITIS - OCCASION BOUTS OF LAZINESS
42) A Pager: WTF? HOW OLD IS THIS ME-ME?
43) A Personal phone line: MOST DEFINENTLY
44) A Cell phone: YEA, ABOUT 3 OF THEM
45) A Lava lamp: NO, NOT EVER
46) A Pool or hot tub: IF I HAD ONE, I'D BE IN THERE RIGHT NOW
47) A Car: MOST DEFINENTLY
*Describe Your...*
48) Personality: COOL, LAID-BACK, INTROSPECTIVE, AND AN ASS-HOLE
49) Driving: I LEAN WITH IT AND ROCK WITH IT UNLESS I'M IN A RUSH
50) Car or one you want: THAT NEW 2007 ESCALADE
51) Room: MY PERSONAL ROOM IS SIMPLE SO I HAVE NO DISTRACTIONS AND CAN CONCENTRATE
52) What’s missing? ABOUT ONE MILLION DOLLARS
53) School: MONTGHETTO - SORRY I MEANT MONTBELLO AND THE UNIVERSITY OF H.T.M. (IF YOU KNOW THEN YOU KNOW, IF NOT THEN SORRY TO HEAR THAT)
54) Bed: QUEEN SIZE, I NEED AN UPGRADE
55) Relationship with your parent(s): NOT MUCH, LARGELY DUE TO ME
*Do you...*
56) Believe in yourself?: I DON'T BELIEVE I'M THE MOTHERFUCKIN MAN - I KNOW I'M THE MOTHERFUCKIN MAN
57) Believe in love at first sight?: NO, JUST LUST AT FIRST SIGHT
58) Consider yourself a good listener?: I LISTEN WAY MORE THEN I TALK
59) Sleep in PJs?: BOXERS AND T-SHIRT HERE UNLESS I JUST HAD A GOOD NIGHT WITH A FEMALE, THEN BIRTHDAY SUIT ALL THE WAY
60) Get Along with your parents?: FOR THE MOST PART
61) Save your e-mail conversations?: WHO HAS CONVO'S BY EMAIL?
62) Pray?: EVERY NIGHT
63) Believe in reincarnation?: IF I COME BACK HERE I'll LET YOU KNOW
64) Like to make fun of people?: HELL YEA, SOME PEOPLE JUST ASK FOR IT
65) Like to talk on the phone?: NAH. I'M MORE OF A FACE TO FACE PERSON
66) Like to eat?: HMM, YOU CAN TAKE THAT QUESTION A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS. YES TO ALL ABOVE
67) Like to drive?: IF I COULD HIRE A CHAUFFEUR I WOULD
68) Get motion sickness?: NOT ANYMORE
69) Eat the stems of broccoli?: ONLY IF IT'S STEAMED
70) Eat Chicken fingers with a fork?: WOW! CHICKEN'S HAVE FINGERS? THAT WAS ALMOST AS SHOCKING AS WHEN I HEARD BUFFALO'S HAD WINGS
71) Dream in colour?: YES
72) Type with your fingers on home row?: PEOPLE STILL DO THAT?
73) Sleep with a stuffed animal?: NO THANK YOU I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND
*What Is…*
74) Right next to you: COMPUTER, CELL PHONE, ASHTRAY, CIGARETTES, LIGHTER, PENS AND PAD
75) On the walls of your room: NO PICTURES IN MY PERSONAL ROOM. TOO DISTRACTING.
76) On your mouse pad: DON'T USE ONE
77) Your dream car: THE NEW 2007 ESCALADE
78) Your dream date: NEED I SAY STACEY DASH AGAIN?
79) Your dream honeymoon spot: THAT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE BAHAMAS AND MAYBE HAWAII?
80) Your dream husband/wife: AN HONEST, STRONG, INTELLIGENT, SUPPORTIVE WOMAN WHO RESPECTS ME AS THE MAN IN THE REALTIONSHIP
81) Your bedtime: LOL! BETWEEN 1AM AND 6AM
82) Under your bed: CARPET
83) The single most important question: WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING TO?
84) Your bad time of the day: WHEN I WAKE UP
85) Your worst fear(s): GOING BROKE AGAIN AND HAVING TO GET A JOB
86) The weather you like: 70 TO 80 WITH CLEAR SKIES AND SUNSHINE
87) The time?: 1:34AM BUT THIS WILL BE POSTED IN THE PM
88) The date? September 4, 2006
89) The best trick you ever played on someone: MY GIRLFRIEND WAS GONE AND HER HOMEGIRL CALLED THE HOUSE FOR HER. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO MY GIRLFRIEND'S HOMEGIRL GIRL SHE CAME BACK HOME AND ASKED WHO I WAS TALKING TO, I TOLD HER IT WAS MY OTHER WOMAN BONEQUISHA. MY GIRLFRIEND ANSWERED THE PHONE TO BY SURPRISED BY A FEMALE VOICE ON THE OTHER END. SHE WAS PISSED. THE LOOK ON HER FACE WAS PRICELESS. GOOD LOOKING ANGEL ON THE JOKEY JOKE.
90) The weirdest food or drink that you like: FROG LEGS - THEY HONESTLY DO TASTE LIKE CHICKEN.
91) Your Theme Song: CAN'T KNOCK THE HUSTLE - JAY-Z
92) The hardest thing about growing up: ANSWERING TO YOUR PARENTS RULES
93) Your funniest experience: TAKING A PICTURE, NOT PAYING ATTENTION - WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE MY FINGER UP MY NOSE
94) Your scariest moment: GETTING CAUGHT BY MY DAD HAVING SEX IN THE HOUSE WHEN I WAS 15. I SWORE HE WAS STILL GONE
95) The silliest thing you've done: I HAVE THIS DANCE I DO WHEN I'M NAKED AND WITH MY GIRL, BUT THAT'S PRIVATE LOL
96) The funniest or most desperate thing you've done to get the attention of the opposite sex?: I THINK I WAS 12 or 13, I SENT A VALENTINE'S DAY CARD AND ROSE TO A GIRL I HAD A CRUSH ON. SHE DIDN'T KNOW ME AND NEVER RESPONDED. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO HER FIRST LOL
97) The scariest thing that's ever happened while with your friend(s): GUNSHOTS BY WHO KNOWS WHO FROM WHO KNEW WHERE
98) The best feeling in the world: MAKING MONEY AND KNOWING HOME IS TAKEN CARE OF
99) The worst feeling in the world: BEING BROKE AND KNOWING YOU HAVE NO MORE MONEY COMING IN
100) 3 people you tag: MENTAL_SLAVE, JUICY, AND THEE ONE AND ONLY

Well that about covers that, damn that took awhile LOL. Anyhow Fam take care until next time.
Definently more to come so stay tuned. Peace.

Sunday Reflection: The Reinvention

2006-09-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

Greetings again Fam. That pic above shows some young ladies getting their hustle on for one of their school sports clubs. I respect them being in the heat washing those cars. I remember when I saw this scene it made me reflect on my current state in life, in love and in business.

I can honestly say that I'm just not satisfied. Now don't get me wrong, compared with about 3 years ago I'm doing a hell of a lot better, but there's so much more I need to get done. When I pass from this rock I want to be remembered for something significant. I'm not talking about being thought of in the light of some of our great black leaders. But I do want to go knowing that I did touch some peoples lives in a positive manner.

~(WARNING! Rant coming up)~ I was talking to Mo, one of my clients, yesterday and she asked me why I don't have any kids. I told her it's not because of any lack of trying on my part *smirk*, but it just hasn't happened for me yet. So here I am, 31 years of age, no wife and no children. Although there is a female out there who claims she has my seed (child). Since the babyboy in question is now about 3 years old and she won't let me see him, let alone take a blood test, I don't claim him (but that's another post *smirk*).

Anyone who is around me for any peoriod of time, knows that I hate to waste time. But I recently had to check myself on that. I don't like to waste time, but the time I do use is put in the wrong areas. So in effect, I'm still wasting time. And ain't that a bitch.

As the year draws to a close I realize it's past due time to reinvent myself. Don't misread your Hustleman, I'm far from lazy. I have no overly bad habits other than smoking cigarettes. I'm not a slob and I'm definently no bum type dude, feel me? But to assist in the undertaking I am on is going to require some serious discipline in a few areas. One area is my health. I mean who wants to be wealthy and not healthy enough to enjoy it? So I have started an exercise plan. Another area is putting time into the most important areas first. I guess you can call this prioritizing. Normally, if it doesn't have to deal with money, my priorities are pretty screwed. Like I mentioned before, time into the wrong things. And yet another area that I'm working on is balance. I have very little balance in my life right now. And somehow this makes me feel incomplete. I put passion into everything I do, but passion is always best when you put it into things that mean something and are worthwhile.

So the underlying truth in all this shit is simply more discipline. I hate that word, it makes it seem like alot of work. But it's unavoidable like Atlanta rush hour traffic. I'm just fed up Fam. Things are moving, but they are moving slow. I get one thing together and something else falls apart. Have you ever been through that? Isn't that shit frustrating? Well to change what's around you, you first have to change what's inside of you. So better thinking, better habits, and more commitment from me is the new order of the day.

Anyhow, those are my reflections for the week. I appreciate all those who sat through that. I don't go off on a rant often but I had to get that off my chest, fell me? Ahhhhh! Much better!

Later Fam thanks for checking your huslteman out. And most definently enjoy your labor day, well those of you who don't have to work that is. But hell, enjoy it anyway. Big ups to Bleugod, the goddess, Sexy Shay, Hershey, New York and the A-God.

Exhaustion And The Grind

2006-09-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

Greetings again Fam. It's your Hustleman broadcasting from the ATL. I'm going to try to keep this post short (key word = try). I enjoying sharing the stories and the thought process behind hustling but I think it's time to share some of the hidden rules and regulations of "The Game" also. I'll post some of the rules in a future post, I promise. What I would like to speak on now concerns part of the mentality a hustler needs to have to be successful.

I once read a magazine interview that featured Jay-Z. If you don't know who Jay-Z is then please stop reading my blog immediatley! I'm just playing *smirk*. Jay-Z was a hustler, the drug dealer type, who made himself into a successful rapper and then on to just an all around entreprenuer. This article was fascinating, but the thing that stuck out the most was a small tidbit about what someone taught him about "The Grind". The quote went something like this, "Work now, rest when you're dead." And that about sums up the grind of hustling.

So what exactly is "The Grind" you ask? Well allow me to elaborate a little. A Hustler is tied to 3 main things:
1) The Goal - This can be anything that the Hustler is trying to accomplish. It of course usually requires large sums of money.
2) The Game - There are many "games out there", from the music game, to the drug game, to the mack game, to the sports game, etc. "The Game" is an established invisible entity that has it's own rules and regulations. Anyone trying to be successful in a particular arena must follow it's rules and regulations or they will eventually be wiped out by the game itself. Quick example, if you were a singer, you would enter the music industry. This industry is a game. Play by the rules until you can make your own rules. Think R. Kelly or Madonna here. Those that do well by the game, usually are the ones who add to the game and elevate it to another level. Think Oprah in the talk show game here. I can write a whole post about this but I hope you see my point.
3) The Grind - "The Grind" is the actual work that goes into The Game to get out of it what you're trying to get. And what you're trying to get out of The Game is your goal. Simple.

So when you hear a hustler talk about they are on their grind, you know that they are working to achieve their goal. "Work now, rest when you're dead." One reason why the word grind is used instead of the word work is really a mental thing. Work brings the image up into most peoples minds as a 9 to 5 gig (job). You do your 8 hours then go home. And if you're not a manager or an owner that's all you want to do. Not for a Hustler. A Huslter doesn't work, we grind. We make it a point to put in as much time, sweat and enegry as necessary everyday we go out. If that means 4 hours, cool. If that means 10 hours cool. If it means you have to Hustle in the dead of night at 3am, cool. They are no hourly restrictions when it come to the almighty grind. The Game itself doesn't stop, the best you can do is to just play as hard as you can.

What always reminds me of the grind and how harsh it is on you physically and mentally is exhaustion. Take yesterday for example. I had no damn clue as to how tired I really was. I went out to the block with a migrain beating in the front of my head. That didn't stop me. I was draggin'. I was walking slow, I was talking slow. That didn't stop me. I knew I was tired but I have goals to reach damnit! It finally came to point where I had to make myself go home early because my migrain was too much to ignore, feel me? I grabbed something to eat then got online to do my standard checks on things. I just couldn't take it anymore. I made myself lay down. And that's all I remember. My cell phone kept going off and I was just too exhausted to get to it. I don't even remember moving, my eyes just opened. After about 5-6 hours I finally woke up, still tired, but I had things to do around the house that I was supposed to do earlier. I think I need to hire a maid and an assistant for real LOL.

Anyway Fam thanks for reading these words as always. Be well and stay focused. I'll be back at you soon. I'm out. Peace!

Amateur Hour! The Block Gets Hot

2006-08-30T21:16:00.000-04:00

Family! What's good? Your Hustleman had an up and down day today, but I'm feeling great. I sincerely hope you'll (ya'll?) are doing well. I had scheduled a different post for you today, but in light of recent events, I had to let you all know what happened today.

I arrived at the block on time. It was hot outside too. More humid then anything else. I expected a slow day today. It's wednesday for one and smart people are putting money up for rents and mortgages. I was focused but relaxed as always. I thought it would have been an average day of me running my mouth piece to the locals and my hustling partners, but it didn't turn out that smooth.

Not too long after I pulled in to set up shop, New York shows up with a couple of his people. We conversate on the usual... money, females and people that piss you off, i.e. dumb niggas. About 15 minutes after that, Mike shows up. He's a fellow hustler. He shows up from time to time. He always shows mad love so New York and I didn't trip on him showing up. And about 15 minutes after that New York had some other business to attend to, so he left with his boys. Mike and I chopped it up for a sec and we got on to focusing on work.

Now I respect Mike, he's an effective hustler, although I don't agree with his methods. At least not at my spot. My spot is a little tricky, you really can't be all out with your shit, feel me? You need to kind of play the low brow game. But this dude doesn't. I've checked him on this before but he never made attempts to correct it. So I left it alone. He's already been locked up for doing things the way he does, so you think a dude would learn something. No, not really. Damn us hustlers are some hard-headed peoples. Most of the time that's good thing, but it does have it's drawbacks. Now peep this.

Mike had products out all over the place, plus he's yelling through the parking lot. I'm playing the low brow game in the shade on the wall. A couple people walk up to Mike's vehicle to see what he has to sell and out of the corner of my eye to the left I see a Georgia State Patrol car. Damn! I yell out a couple of Yo's to get his attention. He doesn't hear shit. Probably because his customer just happens to be a fine looking sister. I can't just walk up on this dude because then I'll be tagged by the state trooper you follow? The State Patrol does a circle and pulls their car right in front of his and parks. Damn! I sit back and watch the whole scene play out. Now in my mind I know the State Patrol can't directly do anything to Mike, but they can get someone to do something to Mike. By this time Mike is aware of what's going on so he plays it cool and continues to speak to the female at his car, he hit's mack pose and plays it off. The female follows suite. Smart female, she knows the time, she didn't get nervous, flinch, run-off or anything funny acting, she just keeps talking like nothin is nothin.

I wait and soon the trooper pulls away. I walk towards Mike to tell him to cool out for a second and that's when out of nowhere the trooper pulls back around, this time behind Mike's car. Damn! the trooper went on to ask what is it exactly Mike is selling. He tells her (yes a she, a black woman) but her reply was that she thinks he's selling something else... aka narcotics. He shakes his head no and she said something to the effect of he better not be and drives off. I make sure she leaves this time and I approach Mike.

"So what do you think about that?" he asks me. I told him I'm not quite sure, but I wasn't feeling her tone or her attitude. He wasn't either. He shakes his head and says I should get away from him because he's hot right now. This was a joke so we both laughed it off. "She really thinks you're a dope boy." I said. He just replied, "Come on, did that girl at my car look like she uses dope?" We laughed again. I then told him to be careful and to watch out because that trooper had him on camera. If you didn't know, state troopers have cameras attached to either the dashboard or near the rear view mirror of their vehicles. She parked in front of him and all that was caught on camera. And I made one last point, "She'll be back" I said as I walked back to the wall and Mike went back to doing his business.

About 10 to 15 minutes pass and Mike is at his car again with another customer, this time an older lady with two young ones. As I'm walking back from my car having just made a sale, I approach my favorite wall again, turn around and look who comes creeping up. That damn State Patrol again. WTF! I knew she'd be back, but not so soon. I yell out Yo one time. Yo two times. Yo three times. He doesn't hear me. Motherfucker! I lean back again and watch the scene play out. There was nothing more I could do without incriminating myself or looking guilty. This time she was on the far end of the parking lot, just watching. In my mind I thought, ok, she sees him at the car with an older woman and two kids, surely he can't be selling dope. Maybe it's cool. He then turns my way, he yells across the parking lot to ask if I have something he doesn't have on deck for the customer. WTF! I nod in the direction of the Patrol car and make a subtle pointing motion. He's oblivious, I just shake my head no. I'm feeling it's amateur hour now, Mike was just not on point. I make a mental plan on how to get the hell away from the spot. The State Patrol stays motionless for about a minute then pulls off again.

I walk back to Mike's car. "Yo! You didn't see the State Patrol!?" he gives me a confused look and says no, where is she at? "Dude! I was trying to yell out to you and when you looked my way I tried to point her out!". "Where is she?" he asked again, I simply replied she's gone now. His demeanor was definently shaken now. I motioned him to come to my car, we talked for a second as I prepared myself to get the fuck out of dodge. And sure enough a black Fulton County car comes rushing into the parking lot. He makes a quick loop and parks alongside Mikes car. We both watch closely while acting like we're just making conversation. The cop gets out of the squad car, walks past Mike's car then past mine (Mike and I were parked in the same row with about two parking spaces between us). Mike says enthusiastically, "Hey whad'up Sarge!" to the cop as he continues to walk past my car. Inside of myself I'm like, dude! Shut the fuck up! But I maintain composer. The cop stops, yells something into the radio on his shoulder, turns around and addresses Mike. "What are you selling out of the back of your trunk?" Mike gives me a nod and I tell him to hold it down. He proceeds to walk with the cop to his car. I walk back to the wall calmly and at a normal pace. I could not feel any pressure now. I had to be cool. If Mike snitched on me, which I expected him not to do, I still had to look cool and damn near disinterested. Getting in my car and leaving now would have made me look guilty too. I stood against the wall and watched as another squad car pulls in, and then another, and then another. Can you feel my stress at this point?

Rest of the story short, they ran his ID and let him go. Mike left the parking lot in a hurry. A homegirl of mine who works in one of the stores in the plaza said better him than me right? I said yea, but he's still cool with me, I didn't want to see him get pinched. Luckily he didn't. I patiently waited for all the squad cars to leave and then I made my exit. I returned later on to the spot to inform New York about what happened. It's always best to keep fellow hustlers informed about shit like this so they can be on gaurd, and it's also equally important to do it in person if at all possible. It's just a stand up thing to do.

The block will probably be getting some unnecessary attetion for the next week or so, which means I have to play my game largely on the phone in a meet and greet fashion. It's sad that a sister cop dimed Mike out, but then again, I'm not surprised. At least the brother cops were cool and let him go. He could have got hemmed up real good. I made a mental note to stop working with amateurs on the block, or at least with niggas who aren't on point when they do work. Anyway, that was my day. How was yours? LOL. Much love Fam and until next time, as always... keep it moving.

Tales From The Block: Grand Theft Auto

2006-08-29T18:53:00.000-04:00

Family, how goes it out there? I thought it was a good time to hit you with another story from the block. Let me tell you straight, being out here on the streets, I hear and see all kinds of shit. This is yet another one of those stories.

The picture above was taken in the West End, not too far away from the famous black colleges many of you hear about or attend. Alot goes on at an intersection like this in the city. You'll find plenty of hustlers crowded around this area selling everything from sunglasses, to body oils and even freshly made fruit cups. I'm serious. Anyway let's go ahead with today's program.

One day I was chillin' in a barber shop. I had just gotten the fresh cut from my man Will. Will's a cool dude and about the only person I let touch my hair. You know what I'm talking about, especially you ladies. When you find a good barber/hair stylist you stick with them till the end. Moving on... As I'm chopping up conversation in the shop from the distance outside you hear tires schreeching and engines reving. I didn't think too much about it until someone walked into the shop from outside.

"Damn!" he said. "Buddy just got his car stolen!" The shop responded with the usual "What?" and "What happened?" and "Who's car got stolen?" question and answer session. The shop begin to buzz a little. Now whenever something happens in one of my spots, I always make it a point to get as much detail as possible. Why? To keep drama out of my spot. Drama like this brings heat, which eventually means the folks (police) will watch the spot more closely which in turn makes it hard for a brother to eat, feel me? I'm protective over my spot like a father watching his daughter go on her first date.

I shook my head and swaggered outside. I needed info. Posted infront of the barbershop are one of the resident master chop technicians and a regular to the shop. I directed my inquiry to the barber. "What happened? Someone's car got jacked?". He replied with a smirk, "Yea, buddy over there." He nodded in the direction of the cell phone store a few yards away. I looked and saw victim dude looking damn sad. He looks in our direction and we're looking back. Our expressions said it all, we know what happened to you dude, you got caught slippin'. How the hell did that happen? Don't you know where you are? The expression he returned was more like disbelief.

Quick backround information. Anyone who lives in or around College Park knows that this is a notorious chop shop area. If you know the right people, you could literally jack cars for a living, Which appeared to be the case here. The barber O continued, "Yea, he parked on the curb. Left his car runing with the keys in it. Then he went into the cell phone shop. Probably thought he was going to be quick. Someone must've been watching cause his car just sped out of the lot and a white van followed behind it. You didn't hear those tires peeling out?" I replied I did. I laughed on the inside, come the fuck on! How dumb can you be? Whoever it was had definently been casing the area. O, the barber, said the white van had been in the parking lot for about 3 or 4 hours. This was yet another car jack in this area bringing the total to 4 in a little over 2 months. I made a mental note to keep a look out for a white van in the future. And informed anyone who would listen to never leave their keys in the car if they parked on the curb.

Now Fam, the car jack isn't even the sad part of the story. What's really sad was dude had to wait like an hour just for the folks to show up and make a report. Good old reliable Fulton County police. A whole hour! That car was easily chopped up by that time. I hope victim dude had a damn good insurance plan. He won't be seeing his car again.

Thanks to everyone who takes their time to read these words and I'll be back at you tomorrow with more hotness of the written word. Be easy and keep it moving like your Hustleman.

P.S. If you're ever in College Park, please don't leave your damn keys in your car when it's unattended. If someone wants to steal your car, at least make them work a little for it LOL.

Sunday Reflection: The Living Dead

2006-08-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam! I hope you all are doing well, I know I am. I actually had a chance to sleep in today LOL. For those that don't know, Sunday is my designated off day. I relax, chill and reflect on my past week. Yesterday went smooth. I saw my man Moose, and my homegirl Hershey who never fails to make me laugh. She claims she had some scenes in a few porno's back in the day, eh... I'll accept that when I see them. New York was in and out of the spot yesterday so it was pretty much just me running solo until Big Boy showed up out of nowhere. It was all to the good. I checked paper and chopped up conversation on the block. It was hot out there but I don't complain, winter's coming in a few months, I can't stand to be outside freezing my ass off.

I as check through business opportunities and make connections I sometimes think and wonder about those that came before me and how they came up from nothing. That takes a seriously strong mind. I have to further discipline myself, I see it coming already. I'm up to the challenge though. But anyway back on point...

I'm going to switch gears for you all today because I'm in an introspective mood. Since I've been hustling I've noticed something. Since Georgia in itself is sort of like a black mecca, I meet people from all over the United States. What's shocking is that only about 35 percent of the people I meet are actually from here LOL. When I hug the block I just people watch sometimes. Fam, have you ever done that? I mean damn! Some people walk around looking like a picture of complete depression. They go about their daily rountines with no joy, no appreciation, and no life in them. I deal with these kind of people daily, the hood is full of depressed people. Everyone seems to be looking for something, but no one's looking in the right place. And that place is inside of themselves.

A question was put to me once, they asked am I only about making money. I replied hell no, theres more to life most definently, but money lubricates so you can slide through a little easier. What alot of people lack in life is simply passion. Where's their passion? Without passion you're just on auto-pilot, doing what you do on a daily and seeing no joy in it. What the fuck is that? That's not living. That's survival. Quick clarification... I hate using the word passion because most people match the word with sex but stay with me here. When we pass away from this rock, that's it, our chapter is done. The sad truth is that alot of us are walking around dead already. No passion in life, little joy if any, and we never take a chance on things that may be good for us. Most of us are stressed everyday, life moves fast and it seems like you have to play catch up constantly.

A good hustler does all things with a passion (especially make money). It's one of the missing ingredients to getting more fulfillment out of life. Do everything with passion - Talk, walk, work, write, make music, eat, sleep, make love, teach your children, blah, blah, blah. You get my point.

Before I stated hustling I was the picture of depression. I was one of the living dead. I felt life owed my something and therefore I was joyless. It was around this time I had a job at the airport here in the ATL and there was this hustler who used to come through there every night. He would walk from concourse to concourse with bags on each shoulder selling product to the employees of all the newstands and various shops. I used to watch this dude with fascination. I never, not once, ever saw him in a bad mood. He was always full energy, friendly, and funny as hell. People loved this dude. They just loved being around him. He wasn't a soft happy-go-lucky sucka either, let me make that clear. But you could just feel his demeanor rub off on you if you were around him. I had the opportunity to speak with this brother on several occasions. I just had to ask him this question, it was killing me inside. I asked him basically, why the hell is he always in a good mood and how does he do what he does? His reply was basically what I'm relaying for you here. He put passion in everything he did. Simple.

What he said completely missed me until I began hustling. And over the years I made it a point to put passion in my actions, thoughts and words. Yes I fall off from time to time, I'm not always in a good mood, that's just not human to have no emotion. But before I spiral down into feeling down and out, I check myself and get back into life with even more passion and work shit out. It's amazing the results you get out of life when you put more into it like this. As the saying goes, "What goes around comes around." More passion in, more rewards out. Simple. The word for today is 'Passion' Fam. Add some in your life today, I'm so serious.

As always, thanks for coming by and checking out your Hustleman. It's all love. Until next time Fam... keep it moving.

The Dynamic Duo - Tag Teaming The Block

2006-08-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

Greetings Fam! It's your Hustleman back at you. Just came in from a long days work. But I'm feeling fabulous. The day started out overcast and I swore we were going to get rain, but sure enough, the clouds dispersed and the heat was on.

It's been funny this last week or so, my spot just seems to be attracting all the old hustlers that used to step through there. It's was Big Boy, New York, Mike and myself. Not to mention the dude in the green truck who rolls though to catch the strays we miss. Shit, a situation like this draws too much attention and attention draws heat. To be quite honest Fam, I'm starting to feel like the wayward center for Huslters. Everyone wants to work in my spot instead of get their own. I don't take this offensively. I carefully groomed my main spot to be trouble free. It's very inviting to a lazy hustler.

I woke up late today which set the tone for the beginning of my day. A hustler has a mental clock with a voice attached to it, which ticks like this. "It's 11am nigga, you should be getting your products ready. It's 12pm why aren't you headed to your spot yet? By the way, did you get everything. Did you? You forgot something didn't you? You know JJ is coming today. Do you have what he needs? Damn you're slow, it's 1 pm, are we there yet? You're going to start missing money nigga!"

I'm in a situation right now since my suppliers are transient. Just to keep heat off of them they move every year. This adds about 2 hours to the re-up phase of my day, which normally only takes about 20 minutes. I have to call my connect. Read him a list of what I need. The connect will go through and get what he has access to, then call me back 3 or 4 times to make sure it's right. Then I have to meet him somewhere. Then from there I go to my spot to set up and check paper. It's a pain in the ass, but you gotta do what you gotta, feel me? This week I've been all over the 'A' meeting this connect daily, no bullshit.

Today started out slow, about an hour after I arrived my man New York shows up. Surprisingly no other hustlers show up. Looks like it's just him and me on the block. It's was all good it was slow anyway. I woke up late so I missed my connect during the morning so I had to meet him in the afternoon. I left my spot, met with him and headed back. Damn, still slow. By this time my mind starts to drift to other things as New York and I chop up some interesting conversation. Mainly about females and the hustle game. I had to check myself to stay focused. That's when a Fulton County squad car pulls up near the spot and just parks. Damn! It's already slow and then the folks are nearby, which means you have to tip-toe around and make careful moves. In essence, it holds up your money. New York told me he'd be back in a little while and left. I played it cool and got out product very tactfully. By the time Fulton County left I had about an hour to go before I had to leave the spot yet again to pick up my girl from work. And it's still slow! Damn! It's Friday, I expected so much more.

New York rolled back through and went on about how he needs to get his lottery money for the day. Pause here. I respect New York, but this dude spends 40 dollars a day playing the lotto. That's right, 40 dollars a day. I can't see it. Having a bad habit that sucks up your money is just bad business for a hustler. But he's a grown ass man, older than me in fact. What am I supposed to say to him that he doesn't already know? I left that topic alone.

The spot began to pick up and we did what any hustler is supposed to do. Lock down the block. What I didn't have on deck with me, I checked to see if he had it and vice versa. No customer was getting out of spending if we could help it. I looked at the clock on my cell. Damn! Time to pick up my girl from work. I left and did that and returned to my concrete kingdom. By this time the block was booming. We tag teamed the rest of the evening. Money flowed to both of us. We had a short converstaion about just keeping the block to ourselves and pushing the other hustlers out. We'll see if that happens.

You know Fam, there's a certain type of high that comes with making money the way I do. I can't put it in words. Your heart pumps, your mind clears and it's almost as if you become a magnet for money. It just comes to you. An old hustler buddy of mine called Bone used to say hustling is a vibe. You just have to catch it. And he was right. When you catch that vibe you feel almost unstoppable.

As the evening rolled on and the sun began to set, I figured it was time to go. Mainly because I was hungry as hell. I don't get many opportunities to eat during the day time. My girl agreed to get jamacian food and I'm all down with it. I love that curry chicken. On the way back to the house I smiled and gave thanks. Another successful day, no stress, just blessed. I must say, it was a good day.

A Hustler's Perspective: The Proper Focus Theory

2006-08-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

Greetings Family! Once again it's your Hustleman Shai (pronounced Shy) broadcasting to you from the streets of Hotlanta Georgia. Hope all is well with you. It was a hot day today but mainly because it rained in the afternoon, and anyone who lives in the southeren region can vouch, when that happens, the humidity makes you feel like you're trapped in a sauna.

Last post I started a series of upcoming entries called 'Tales From the Block'. In this post I'd like to start another one. This series will be called, 'A Hustler's Perspective'. I made this so that maybe you can see where a dude like me is coming from as far as business practices and basically how I do what I do. My principles, rules, thought process and so forth.

I was at my spot today with my man New York. It was a slow day but none the less I made quota. We chopped it up about life history while we observed the strange influx of beautiful women that graced our surroundings. New York pulled some phone numbers, I remained focused on making paper.

Often times I'm asked, "Is this really what you do for a living?". I smirk and respond positively. Some people even go on to say, "I just don't know how you do it." I respond, "It's just me. I can't answer to anyone else." This brings me to a point I'd like to make, and also reflects the topic of this post. When one is an entreprenuer, one cannot completely focus on making money. Ahh, I hear you thinking loud, like what the hell! Just wait a second, have some faith in your Hustleman. Yes and true, we set up business to make money, but you can't just focus on money because you'll go broke chasing dollars. Sounds silly doesn't it? It's paradoxical. I learned this the hard way, when you are desperate for money and you really need it, say because you don't have rent or mortgage money, you're more likely to stress yourself and come short of your goal. What you focus on expands, real shit right there. With that in mind, if you're focused on not being able to pay your bills, you're hustling out of desperation, and chances are you'll fail.

When I started I made the stupid mistake of going all out with the last of what I had. I couldn't help it, I hated working a 9 to 5 with a passion. I figured it's now or never! So you me, I jumped both feet in. This thinking put me in a squeeze though. I had to work harder and the harder, and the more I worked the less money I made and the more frustrated I'd be when I got home, you feel me? I can't even speak on what this feels like inside. You feel like a failure. And guess what? You have to stuff those emotions inside of you and head out the next day to do it all over again. You're hustling out of fear. The fear of losing what you have.

When you start your enterprise, always start with something in reserve for yourself. A cushion so to speak. Common sense you say? No, not really. Common sense isn't always a common thing. The point I'm making here is when you go to make your money, have a goal in mind, then just concentrate on doing the work for the works sake. That's some real ancient Egyptian, Zen shit right there. And it's a fact. When you're focused and relaxed your energy flows and you will always end up in the right spot at the right time. It's like magic. But when you're energy is low and you are desperate, well... let's just say you'll recieve the results of that thinking. It's called "broke hustling". You're already broke, and you're trying to make money to keep yourself from going broker. It's a lose, lose situation. What it should be is you have money, your needs are taken care of, and you hustle to improve your situation further. Let that sink in for a second. Focus on doing the work, not on the money. If you do the work properly, the money will come. It's like fishing. You go at the right time, to the right area with the right bait, you're bound to come up with something. Feel me on that.

Shots go out to bleugod and the goddess, the A-god, Brown Sugar, Moose, New York, big Keith and Thee One and Only. Take care of little Kayla ya heard! Stay up Fam. And until next time, keep it moving.

Tales From The Block: A Huslter's Respect

2006-08-21T21:27:00.000-04:00

Peace Fam! Hope all is well with you, it is with me. Today has been a very smooth day I must say. There's a saying that goes, "There's eight million stories in the city." Real shit. I have tons stories, so I sat down with myself and decided it best to create a series called 'Tales from the block'. There's no better way to see the lifestyle of these streets and help you understand the grind.

Last week I was posted up at my spot, doing what I do, checking paper. I was into a deep conversation with a regular up there, my man Moose. Now Moose is a deep brother, we always get into convo's concerning the world and the state of Black people in America. I love these conversations, they keep a brother on point. Moose is from Cali, the country part as he calls it. He's been around the county crips out there and has plenty of war stories. They're hilarious. I'll tell you more about Moose another time. Back on point... it's super hot, I'm sweatin' to death just throwing down Powerade's to stay hydrated. Me and Moose are in story telling mode along with Big Boy, a fellow hustler that comes to hustle in my spot often. He's part-timey though. How can you hustle part-time? I don't get it. Now peep this, other hustlers making money in my spot doesn't bother me. It's all love. I have no competition when I'm out there. Simple.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a familiar face. I'm like, "Oh shit!". Walking up to me is my man New York. He's a Rican cat from New York (sure you already figured that out). Now New York is a true hustler. I have mad respect for him cause he keeps his shit real. If him and I were to even team up to do bigger things we would murder (take over) these streets, understand me?

I show him love with a pound and he returns with his own. I'm like, "Yo, what's up man? What brings you this way?". He went on to tell me that his spot was heated with the folks (police). I'm like what the hell? He went on to tell me that a young cat at his spot was going around robbing old ladies and what not. Worst part was, he knew who was doing it but couldn't stop him in time. Now, needless to say, things like this bring much heat. Let's pause here. Understand this. A hustler is very territorial. Sort of like a lion in the African fields. We not only work at our spots, but we protect them and do our best to keep bullshit to a minimum. The reason for this is two-fold. One, if we lose our spot we cut off a huge source of income. And two, the poeple who's businesses we work around have to respect the fact we're out there. Hell, we're their eyes and ears on the street. We deter (wrong spelling?) more crime in a spot than the police LOL. He went on to explain that do to the heat he needs another spot for a couple of weeks to still make paper until the heat wears off. I told that dude, no problem. It's all love and I got you. Do what you do.

Now rewind to about a year ago. New York used to not have one main spot, but he used to come through mine from time to time. Then after a period of time, his partner got run off by the folks and New York went ghost. He disappeared. That meant he was either locked up, or he found a new main spot for himself. The latter was the case. I was always curious how he came up on this main spot, because I had heard of the dude that used to hustle in this spot, so I asked.

"It's like this Son." he said. You know those up north accents. "I went to the nigga at that spot and came up showing mad love. I greeted the nigga and and asked him if I could hold down the other half of the parking lot. And you know what that nigga said to me? That nigga said NO, fuck you. Ain't nobody coming up in this spot!" Now I know New York, so I already figured what his reaction was going to be in the face of such blatant disrespect. His eyes got bigger, and I could sense the tension in his voice as he flashed back to the day in question. He was super animated now as he continued. "I was like what the fuck you say, Son? And he said fuck you again. This time I was ready though... as soon as those words left his mouth I socked that nigga. BLAW! Hit that bitch in his fuckin' face. What was that nigga? I hit him again! BLAW! That nigga buckled and fell down. I told him, BITCH! Don't you EVER talk to me like that. I was stompin' on that niggas chest, like this." He went on to demonstrate the stomp beat down then he continued, " Who the fuck do you think you are, this is my spot. I was here before you nigga! I let up on that nigga and told him, don't ever come back to this motherfucka! I don't ever want to see you here again!"

I smirked. That's exactly the reaction I expected. We all laughed and I shook my head. Territorial niggas trying to be gangster when they ain't gangster. He deserved his beat down. It is what it is. Truth be told, I can't confirm the authenticity of this story because I wasn't there. But I will say this. I have been by the spot in question many times over the past year, and have never seen that dude posted up there, ever LOL.

Much love Fam. Until next time take care. Also remember to tell the ones you love, that you love them. Just a friendly reminder from your favorite Huslteman.

Sunday Reflection: A Long Road Ahead

2006-08-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

Greetings Fam! It was a beautiful day here in the ATL. Around 92 degrees but add in the humidity factor, it felt more like 102. Like I said beautiful, until the clouds came in and the bottom fell out. Damn Georgia weather, it's so unpredictable but it's all good.

Sunday is usually the day I designate as my off-day and it gives me time to think and review my week, plus plan for the week ahead. The pic above is the Discount Mall off of Old National Highway in CP (College Park). Now normally I don't do a damn thing on Sunday, I lay around the house and watch movies. Plus season 2 of The Girls Next Door is out so I gotta catch that. I don't watch TV so when I do watch something it had better be hot. It never ceases to amaze me what people let you get away with when you have that scrilla. Hugh Hefner is the fucking Pimp of the century. Simple. Who knows, after your hustleman gets this money, maybe I'll have a mansion with 3 dime girls. Or maybe 5.

Last night I was exhausted. Spend 7 hours in the Georgia sun and tell me how you function after, you feel me? I posted my blog and watched the bootleg of the new Sam Jackson movie 'Snakes on a Plane'. Maybe I'll give a review in a future post. After that, I knocked out. Lights and computer were still on. When I woke up it was daylight. Damn good sleep too.

I woke up feeling pretty energetic and was looking forward to my day of doing nothing but my girl kept pressing me to leave the house and spend some time with her. On top of that my cell was ringing off the hook from my clientele who couldn't wait until Monday to get what they needed. So fuck it I got dressed and left. Money over bullshit, all the time.

My girl was pressed to get some more black art for the house, plus your hustleman needed some bling so we hit the discount mall. Amazing! Why the hell don't I see my people with the big booths selling the high end products, like jewelry, cell phones, clothes etc.? This is Georgia! All I saw were Koreans doing the big time operating. Don't misread your dude, I'm not racist, but I know what race black folks are in.

These people don't even live in our hood, but we patronize their establishments and they take that money and spend it with their own. It's brilliant. My people need to get on that level. Anyway, I have much repect for their hustle. Moving on.

After the clientele was served and I had a spare moment to think, I have to say this week was damn interesting. When you hang out with hustlers you're perspective on life changes. You realize that in this society you can only really depend on yourself for security and longevity. Sad to report things are not looking better but worse. I'm an optimistic dude with my outlooks, but reality is what it is.

When it's all said and done, to quote a great teacher of mine, "The helping hand you're looking for is at the end of your own arm." End quote.

Self reliance is the missing ingredient that seperates the working class from the hustler. The realization that what you do today effects what happens tomorrow, and the days after. It's just you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you share your life with others. True. But in the end it's really just you. So what decisions are you making, or not making? Not happy? Make different decisions. Don't have the things in life you desire. Make a decision to bring them into your life. Simple.

I have made a decision to elevate my game. Not just for the glory of saying, "Look what I did motherfuckas!". But to elevate my peoples game also. There's a long road ahead of me but I look at it with a grin. Whatever comes, I'll climb under, jump over, run around or bust through. That's my decision, so that's what it's going to be.

Later Fam. As always... keep it moving.

A Hustler's Definition Of A Hustler

2006-08-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the ATL Fam! Wecome to this, my first blog post. I might end up liking this! Big up and humble thanks to my fraternity brother for suggesting I start this up. Check him out here.

All bullshit aside, its absolutley necessary to start my very first post with some overstanding about what it is I am. Do you even have a clue?

~(WARNING!!! Run on paragraph coming up)~ First things first, forget all that crap you've seen on the movies and TV. It's garbage. Probably written by some geeky ass writer who would never touch the hood. So what's the magic question for the day? What is a hustler? Truth be told only a hustler can define a hustler. If you don't live it, you can't define it. It's like a pastry chef explaining to you how to change your car alternator. Doesn't add up. Simple. What do I do? I provide quality goods at low prices in convenient locations. What's fuckin' with that? You think you know a hustler? I'll give you an image of a hustler you can all relate to. How about a car salesperson (that's me being gender conscious right there). The biggest hustlers are in fact those bigwigs in the corporate offices making decisions about what the public wants. Then we have to pick out of what they give us. Now that's hustlin'...

Moving along. To us (hustlers) we know at the core we are just entreprenuers. We take the mentality that no we're not punching your clock, cleaning your floors or letting you tell me when I can have an off day. We make something out of nothing. On the street level, we are viewed to be at the bottom of the food chain by the eye of big business. If only they knew LOL!

To my working stiffs out there who think a steady paycheck is security, I'm sorry for you. You just may never get this.

To my aspiring hustlers, or to those who already have their things in motion much love to ya! See you at the top.

All those who are seeking to join the path of us entreprenuers and don't know where to start, perhaps some of my adventures and introspections will enlighten you. I motivate you, you motivate me. Simple.

I'm far from a baller (wealthy), but I must say I do live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. I answer to no one but myself, and that's the way I like it. Don't get me wrong, this isn't easy, but who ever achieved anything great taking the easy route?

Well I'll wrap this lecture up. Now that you know where I'm coming from, we can move onto bigger and better things. I have alot to share with you Fam and I know alot more bullshit is on the way. But... Isn't it always like that when you decide to do something new?

Until next time... keep it moving.