Welcome to Money Making Story,

Today, we’re thrilled to share the story of Pat Walls, who took a leap of faith and built Starter Story into a platform with over 4,000 case studies.

In this discussion, we’ll discuss his:

• Top Advice

• The Beginning: A Desire for More

• From 9-to-5 to a $1M Business

• The Starbucks Ritual: How It All Started

• 13 Brutal Truths Your Manager Needs to Hear

• Overcoming Inertia: The Starbucks Habit

• Making Money: The $122,000 Moment

• The Turning Point: Quitting His Job

• Fast Forward: A $1M Business

• How You Can Do the Same

• Lessons from Pat Walls’ Journey

• A Story Worth Reading

Top Advice:

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The Beginning: A Desire for More

In the summer of 2017, Pat Walls was 26 years old, living in New York City with a six-figure job in tech. By all external measures, he was successful. But deep down, he felt unfulfilled. The routine of clocking in, attending Zoom meetings, writing code, and clocking out left him feeling empty. He knew he wanted something more—he dreamed of quitting his job and starting his own business. But like many aspiring entrepreneurs, he faced a major obstacle: he didn’t know where to start.

He consumed books on business and fantasized about working on his own terms, yet he remained stuck, unable to take the first step. His biggest struggle was finding a good business idea and the confidence to pursue it. That’s when he had a realization: if he was struggling with these questions, surely others were too. And thus, the seed for Starter Story was planted—a platform where he would research successful businesses, document their journeys, and share them with others looking to do the same.

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From 9-to-5 to a $1M Business

Six years ago, Pat Walls had a great job, making six figures in New York City. But deep down, he felt empty—he wanted more.

Like many, he dreamed of quitting his job and starting his own business. But he kept running into the same problem:

One day, he had a lightbulb moment—he would document how successful businesses got started.

And so, Starter Story was born.

The Starbucks Ritual: How It All Started

For months, Pat procrastinated.
Every day, he walked past a Starbucks on his way home from work, thinking, "I should go in and start working on my idea."
But every day, he walked past it, went home, and watched Netflix instead.

That all changed when he read Deep Work by Cal Newport.

The book introduced the idea of focused, distraction-free work, and Pat decided to make a contract with himself:

✅ Walk into Starbucks.
✅ Order a coffee.
✅ Set a 2-hour timer.
✅ Just focus.

He did it again the next day. And the next.
Soon, he was waking up at 6 AM to get in deep work before his 9-to-5 job even started.

This daily commitment changed everything.

13 Brutal Truths Your Manager Needs to Hear

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Overcoming Inertia: The Starbucks Habit

Despite his newfound idea, Walls still found himself paralyzed by self-doubt and procrastination. Every day, he walked past a Starbucks on his way home from work, telling himself that he would go inside and start working on his business. But every day, he chose Netflix over action. This pattern continued for months until he discovered a book that changed everything: Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Inspired by the book’s concept of intense, focused work, Walls made a contract with himself. The next day, he committed to walking into that Starbucks, ordering a coffee, sitting down for two hours, and working—without distractions. And he did. That first day, he experienced the power of deep focus. Time flew by, and he entered a state of flow. Encouraged by this, he repeated the process the next day, and the next. Soon, it became a daily ritual. He even began waking up at 6 AM to work on his project before heading to his full-time job.

Making Money: The $122,000 Moment

Pat started researching how businesses like his made money.

The answer? Sponsorships.

Then, out of nowhere, he got an email:
📩 Subject: "Hey Pat, I love Starter Story."

It was from the CEO of Klaviyo (now a multi-billion-dollar company).

And then came the number:
💰 $122,000.

At the time, Pat was living paycheck to paycheck—this was more money than he had ever seen in his life.

But excitement quickly turned to fear.

💭 "Was this an accident? Was I just lucky? Should I quit my job, or keep playing it safe?"

The Turning Point: Quitting His Job

Pat never stopped building.

✔️ Starter Story became a million-dollar business.
✔️ He never worked a regular job again.
✔️ 5+ years later, he's still running it.

Of course, it wasn’t always easy—there were failures, doubts, and mistakes.

But one decision made all the difference:

Fast Forward: A $1M Business

For months, he hesitated.
Then, he remembered why he started—to build something for himself, not someone else.

So he walked into his office and quit.

No safety net. No backup plan.

From that moment on, there was no turning back.

How You Can Do the Same

Pat’s story isn’t about luck. It’s about taking daily action, even when it's scary.

If you want to build something:

✅ Find a simple idea – You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
✅ Create a daily habit – Even just 2 hours a day can change your life.
✅ Stop overthinking & just start – Action beats perfection.
✅ Use deep work – Focused time is your biggest asset.
✅ When opportunity knocks, go all in.

Pat walked into Starbucks a regular guy with an idea.
He walked out with a life-changing business.

What’s stopping you?

Lessons from Pat Walls’ Journey

Walls’ story isn’t just about success—it’s about taking action, overcoming fear, and committing to daily progress. Here are the key takeaways from his journey:

1. Start Small but Start Now – The hardest part is beginning. Take the first step, no matter how small.

2. Create a Focused Work Routine – Deep work and eliminating distractions can accelerate progress significantly.

3. Consistency Pays Off – Showing up every day, even for a couple of hours, leads to long-term success.

4. Leverage Small Wins – Early momentum, like gaining 100 subscribers or going viral once, can validate your idea and push you forward.

5. Be Open to Opportunities – The $112,000 sponsorship didn’t happen overnight; it resulted from months of consistent work and visibility.

6. Bet on Yourself – At some point, taking a calculated risk and believing in your own potential is necessary for true growth.

Learn More About Pat Walls

Pat Walls’ journey from hesitating outside a Starbucks to building a million-dollar business is an inspiring example of how taking action, even in small increments, can lead to life-changing outcomes. His success with Starter Story wasn’t an overnight phenomenon—it was the result of months of discipline, consistency, and learning.

For anyone feeling stuck, wondering whether they should pursue their dreams, Walls’ story serves as a reminder: just walk into the Starbucks and start. You never know where it might lead.

A Story Worth Reading

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