// by Nate Rifkin
A little after 10:00AM, I sat in my car, notebook in hand, watching people.I was parked in the lot of a Denver marijuana dispensary, counting how many people braved the blizzard to shop inside.As they piled in, I noted their gender, and whether they looked in their 20s, 40s, or older.I …
Spying On Denver Marijuana Dispensaries – Origin Story Part 21Read More
// by Nate Rifkin
“I just lost $12,000!”It was April 15th, 2013.Most folks in the U.S. think of that day as nothing more than a scramble to get their taxes filed, if anything.But anyone passionate about investing in gold and silver, might remember that as one of the biggest drops for gold prices, in …
// by Nate Rifkin
“I don’t understand… so how is that even a business?” he asked.I was in Fort Collins, Colorado, standing in front of a whiteboard in a shared office-space, marker in hand.Sitting in front of me was a friend of almost a decade, Jason. I had just mapped out my entire direct mail marketing …
Getting a Business Loan From a Friend – Origin Story Part 19Read More
// by Nate Rifkin
I’ve hesitated to write this next part simply because a monumental number of things happened as part of my new job, all of which contained their own weird coincidences, lessons, and amazing energetic notes as part of a much longer symphony.It’d be too much to cover.So I’ll just cherry-pick …
Languishing In An Office Job – Origin Story Part 18Read More
// by Nate Rifkin
I-25. Northbound. Traffic was getting denser as I approach downtown Denver. The four-lane highway turned into stop-and-go as people merged on and off.Suddenly, I saw a car plow into another just in front. Metal and glass sprayed everywhere. As I rubber-necked to view the damage, I felt fortunate …
// by Nate Rifkin
“Well, I’m going to put my money where my mouth is. I said I’d be cool whatever happened so I’ll be cool.”I was standing inside one of our stores, talking to a co-worker before heading outside to wave around my sign all day.A couple weeks before, I had had a meeting with my supervisor that …
// by Nate Rifkin
“What the… ”Just before opening my car door to drive to work, I noticed writing scrawled on my window. It was gibberish, but the paper notice stuck under my windshield wiper cleared away my confusion:The police noted my expired tags, and gave me 48 hours to get them updated, or move my car …
Hiding My Car In Plain Sight – Origin Story Part 14Read More
// by Nate Rifkin
“You, uh, about to head in soon?” the man in his mid-50s asked me.It was past 5PM on a warm day, and I hadn't realized how the time had flown by while I waved my sign on the sidewalk.“Yeah, just about.”“We’ve, uh, talked a lot so could I ask you a personal question?”He was shifting …
Getting Assaulted On the Street Corner – Origin Story Part 13Read More
// by Nate Rifkin
“It’s called The Awesome Science of Luck. I highly recommend it.”Roughly a year before I got a job as a sign-spinner, I sat at a restaurant in the Colorado mountains with my friend Jim, stuffing my face with brownies and ice cream as he watched in delight.During our conversations, Jim …