Mike Black, once the owner of a successful seven-figure company, decided to forgo his comfortable lifestyle to see if he could replicate his success and reestablish his life within a year.
This ambitious goal was made even more daunting as Mike undertook the challenge amid the 2020 pandemic.
In a video released earlier this year, reflecting on his journey, Mike shared that witnessing friends and family lose their businesses and jobs during COVID was eye-opening.
Recognizing that many others globally were enduring similar hardships, Mike decided to start over himself to demonstrate that beginning anew can lead to success.
“I wanted to actually start over and give someone a framework to go step-by-step to change their life,” Mike stated.
“People are building new businesses who have never done it before, and I want to do it with them.”
On July 10, 2020, Mike abandoned his established life to start from scratch, aiming to achieve ‘$0 to $1 million in 12 months’.
He undertook this challenge with no money in his bank account, assuming the name Scott and adopting the persona of an ‘aspiring videographer’.
Mike severed ties with his home, family, friends, and professional contacts. He started with only a phone, a change of clothes, some COVID PPE, and camera equipment.
The guidelines on his website specified: “The $1 million in 12 months can ONLY come from revenue generated from businesses I start during the project or money I make working, and any revenue generated as a result of the YouTube series will not count towards the $1 million goal.”
Throughout the year-long experiment, Mike acknowledged making numerous mistakes but emphasized that mistakes are part of the process, even for someone with experience.
In a video from May 2021, he recounted how he transitioned from being ‘homeless’ to earning his first $350,000 in profit, living in an RV, signing a contract, and eventually securing a house. However, by the ninth month, the project had veered off course.
By the 43rd week, with two months remaining, Mike cited a decline in his ‘personal health’ as the reason for ending the project prematurely.
In a final financial report covering July 10, 2020, to May 10, 2021, Mike disclosed that his total revenue amounted to $64,158.95, falling short of the $1 million goal.
“I still think if the cards fell a little bit different maybe I could have,” he reflected. “But it’s still pretty cool to go from absolutely nothing to $10,000 in monthly revenue.”