Plans for the future...
So I've been entertaining some ideas about what I'd like to do with my life after I leave the military, and while I have a few ideas, nothing has really lept out at me until now. First off, I'm giving definite consideration to picking up an MBA. This is only one letter different than my original plan, which was to go straight to the NBA, so it feels like familiar territory. One thing about that, however, is that in order to stay in St. Louis and get the degree I want, I would pretty much have to get into WU's business school, which I worry might be difficult based on how stupid the Army has made me over the past three years. Also, MBAs are reasonably expensive. I will probably end up looking for a management job of some sort when I get back, work there for a year or two, and look at the MBA options available. After a few years down and possibly a degree, my master plan kicks in:
I want to own a LAN center and custom PC business.
There, I said it publicly. I'm a huge smelly nerd, I know. I look at the businesses like Falcon NW, Voodoo, Black Widow, Alienware, and the rest. Those guys build customm gaming PCs and sell them for thousands upon thousands of dollars. Falcon in particular is out of control. It easily possible to spend $8,000-$14,000 on a top-of-the-line Falcon. I don't care HOW awesome your components are. I can build that same PC from Newegg parts for $2,500-$4,000, and they buy their parts at a deep discount because of their ties to the manufacturers. There is serious profit to be made there, and the important thing is doing what you love.
The Army has taught me that more than anything. Making money is good, naturally. But every day I wake up and have to go in to work at our battalion, I would give anything to just stay at home. I HATE it. It's utter and unceasing misery, and I mean in garrison too, not just deployment. Thank god I have Lizz at home waiting for me, 'cause seeing her makes things worthwhile. I would go out of my mind having to deal with Army if I didn't have Lizz. All I want in the future is a job I really enjoy. I love computers, I love poking around inside computers, I love setting up networks and watching people play games on them, I love gamers and gamer culture. I want to have a job that involves all of the stuff I love so that when I get up in the morning I look forward to going to work instead of dreading and loathing every second of it.
So that's my plan. I'm going to open a LAN center, build the machines for it myself, get some licensed games, set up an xBox and PS3 area for the console dorks, and sell gaming PCs along the way. I can pretty much guarantee: if you are looking for a gaming computer on Voodoo or Falcon, I will build you a faster version for $1500 less. Sixteen PCs, two xBoxes, two PS(whatever)s, two Wiis or whatever Nintendo has out in five years, an espresso machine, and muffins to lure Greg in.
Also, my secret weapon: I learned from my brush with World of Warcraft that if you start playing, it's very VERY hard to stop. It takes over your life, and I don't mean that figuratively, I mean you will not get up to eat, sleep, or use the latrine if you are in the middle of something, and the game is amazingly good at keeping you in the middle of something. So I'm planning on giving away free WoW trial disks, and then watching customers roll in to feed their addiction. This will be like dealing heroin, only legal and slightly less ethical.
It might all be a pipe dream...I'm not planning on starting it up until about five years after I get back to St. Louis, so I have plenty of time to give up on my dreams and get some other job that doesn't involve the term "pwned." It's something to look forward to for now, though, and that helps a lot in Afghanistan.
I want to own a LAN center and custom PC business.
There, I said it publicly. I'm a huge smelly nerd, I know. I look at the businesses like Falcon NW, Voodoo, Black Widow, Alienware, and the rest. Those guys build customm gaming PCs and sell them for thousands upon thousands of dollars. Falcon in particular is out of control. It easily possible to spend $8,000-$14,000 on a top-of-the-line Falcon. I don't care HOW awesome your components are. I can build that same PC from Newegg parts for $2,500-$4,000, and they buy their parts at a deep discount because of their ties to the manufacturers. There is serious profit to be made there, and the important thing is doing what you love.
The Army has taught me that more than anything. Making money is good, naturally. But every day I wake up and have to go in to work at our battalion, I would give anything to just stay at home. I HATE it. It's utter and unceasing misery, and I mean in garrison too, not just deployment. Thank god I have Lizz at home waiting for me, 'cause seeing her makes things worthwhile. I would go out of my mind having to deal with Army if I didn't have Lizz. All I want in the future is a job I really enjoy. I love computers, I love poking around inside computers, I love setting up networks and watching people play games on them, I love gamers and gamer culture. I want to have a job that involves all of the stuff I love so that when I get up in the morning I look forward to going to work instead of dreading and loathing every second of it.
So that's my plan. I'm going to open a LAN center, build the machines for it myself, get some licensed games, set up an xBox and PS3 area for the console dorks, and sell gaming PCs along the way. I can pretty much guarantee: if you are looking for a gaming computer on Voodoo or Falcon, I will build you a faster version for $1500 less. Sixteen PCs, two xBoxes, two PS(whatever)s, two Wiis or whatever Nintendo has out in five years, an espresso machine, and muffins to lure Greg in.
Also, my secret weapon: I learned from my brush with World of Warcraft that if you start playing, it's very VERY hard to stop. It takes over your life, and I don't mean that figuratively, I mean you will not get up to eat, sleep, or use the latrine if you are in the middle of something, and the game is amazingly good at keeping you in the middle of something. So I'm planning on giving away free WoW trial disks, and then watching customers roll in to feed their addiction. This will be like dealing heroin, only legal and slightly less ethical.
It might all be a pipe dream...I'm not planning on starting it up until about five years after I get back to St. Louis, so I have plenty of time to give up on my dreams and get some other job that doesn't involve the term "pwned." It's something to look forward to for now, though, and that helps a lot in Afghanistan.