What defines you…your 9 to 5 or…your 5 to 9? What do you tell people you do at parties (assuming you go)?

I can more than relate to the Day Job trailer…I’ve lived it.

Day Job is a documentary “telling the process—the conflicts, sacrifices and hardships—of chasing a dream and building a startup. Features Jeremy Potvin, (CEO of Shifthub), Jayesh Parmar (CEO of Picatic), and Nima Garidideh (CTO of Venio).”

Oh I want to see this! Following an October 2013 Bell Lightbox premiere the doc has screened at incubators and business conferences…the next screening is Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at OneEleven (tickets from $16.13–$31.65).

The 9 to 5 is an evil necessity—like wearing pants: it’s a societal sacrifice you must make before your vision achieves traction. Often 9 to 5 feels like a prison and you work hard to escape it: The Shawshank Redemption is an inspiring and hopeful life coach.

While 9 to 5 is smooth…typically standard hours, consistent paychecks…5 to 9 is when you dream, build, think, brew tea and work harder than you ever thought possible.

Progress is thrilling defeat is crushing and there is always never enough time/money/people/hope to do all you want to do.

Your life…your work is a startup. And sadly time and business are not linear.

Over the past few years I’ve been involved in startups in a variety of roles: from founder to ceo to advisor to beta tester to investor to I dunno what this role is called. I’ve pitched, been pitched, seen friends succeed (one sold his startup for mad Scarface money! Lunch is permanently on him…oh yes!) and of course I’ve seen failure…lots of setbacks, frustrations, cursing, discouragement and that’s just my own life.

Like JFK said: “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win…” That’s the money right there!

Sammy’s Status: In! See you Tuesday!

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Ziggy Was Here January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016

Also published on Medium.