How the hell am I gonna afford the new iPhone?

I remember vividly.

It was the 7th of September 2016.

It was 11:21 pm and I was supposed to sleep cause I had my exams starting the next day.

I sneak under the blanket, my wired earphones attached to my Microsoft Lumia 550,

Start watching the iPhone 7 launch.

The level of excitement I had after I had the first look, I couldn’t put them in words.

• Night Mode

• Dual Speakers

• Portrait Mode

• IP67 Water Resistance

Then came the moment of truth, the price…

649 FREAKING DOLLARS!

The first question that came to my mind was…

How the hell am I gonna afford the new iPhone?

I want it, but there’s no way I can go to Dad and say:

“I’ll study hard for my exam if you buy me the new iPhone 7 which costs more than my annual school fees”

Apple was a ‘luxury’ brand for me.

Rich kids in my school flexed their iPhones while I used my mom’s Lenovo K5 Plus to watch Apple Events every year.

Wondering if I’ll ever be able to afford one for myself.

Getting a $1000/month job in my social circle was a life achievement. (messed up. I know)

And the worst part?

…I bought into it. I believed getting a $1000/month job was a big deal.

The “Blueprint to Success” that was imposed on me by the society:

“Get good grades in school, compete in the toughest competitive exam on the planet, get a decent job and “live”— oops…”SURVIVE life”

Neither was I a good student, nor did I like engineering.

I got 70% in my secondary high school, and I passed the Physics and Chemistry exams with the help of chits in my pocket.

There I was…

At a ‘rock bottom’ moment in my life.

I didn’t know if I would ever be able to make a “livin” — uh “surviving” or not.

Everyone doubted me, including MYSELF.

I felt like a loser who was good for nothing.

I felt I had nothing to offer to the world and I’m useless.

Those moments… I’ll never forget.

Shivers travel in my body like electricity even thinking about it…

My mind and my body started giving up on me.

I was sliding down the spiral of negativity at lightspeed.

Trying to get a hold of myself and just grab something to get me out of this spiral which I’ve seen doesn’t lead to good places…

And I got it.

Video Editing.

It was something I loved

An art I was passionate about and determined to succeed using.

And I presume if YOU can read it till here…

YOU ARE TOO.

But there was a problem…

I didn’t know how to make money out of video editing.

Learning the skill was easy.

There were courses and tutorials all over the internet, available for free.

But courses or tutorials on how to get clients specifically for video editing?

*crickets*

None.

*crickets*

The “Guuruus” told me to post gigs on Fiverr and Upwork and compete with a million others like me.

I hated the education system for the exact reason.

• The commoditization of labor

• Infinite competition from people just like you

• And the fact that you’re just a number in the eyes of other people

I refused to be a commodity and started finding my own ways to get clients for my freelance video editing service.

And only after.

• Getting deep into the trenches

• Multiple trials and errors

• Spending thousands of dollars

• Months and months of meeting people

• Building a network most people wouldn’t believe

• Learning the “insider” few (including the pros and the “guu-ruus”) know about

I discovered patterns and created a system that helped me make thousands and thousands of dollars in a matter of months not years.

And you know the best part?

When you come from a place where all your dreams were vague and you (and everyone around you) doubted your potential for so long you couldn’t imagine…

Proving to the world that you can make it is your life’s mission.

And that’s exactly what I did.

I started my video production agency in December 2022, by using what I call today The Cuts to Conversions System.

I can confidently say I shed blood, sweat, and tears to figure out, what allowed me to cover the loan that my dad took to buy my Mac as an investment and I was able to buy my first iPhone in the next month.

Today, making that purchase means nothing.

I can buy another 5 without a second thought.

With the help of the system I’ve created, I’ve been able to build one of the most beautiful desk setups on Twitter today.

All because of taking that leap, taking the risk, and turning it into an opportunity that flipped my life completely.

Going down the spiral at lightspeed to going up the spiral at lightspeed.

This email could’ve been a note to my past self, but this is more importantly for you.

You might be at the lowest point of your life right now, or going towards it at lightspeed…

• Where you doubt yourself.

• No one believes in you.

• Voices like “You’re a failure!” & “You can’t do it”

Seem to get louder and louder as days pass by.

Now Look…

The fact that you read this newsletter to this point ultimately shows how dedicated you are toward your goal.

If you got this far then I 100% believe in you that YOU WILL create a better future for yourself and your loved ones and prove every mf who said “you’ll do nothing” WRONG.

I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart, I’ll always be there to support you!

Inspire Like A Dream,

-Sayujya Gupta