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When to follow the rules…

When J.D. and I started Apex Money, we never really talked about whether or not we’d feature articles from either of one of our blogs. Would we exclude them? Feature them sparingly?

Well, we settled on “let’s do what feels natural.”

Today, I want to feature one of J.D.’s articles that I thought was really good… and quite fitting given how we have NO rules in Apex. 🙂

When to follow the rules — and when to break them [Get Rich Slowly] – “You see, I am fundamentally a Rule Follower. When I’m cooking, I follow the recipe exactly. When I’m building an IKEA desk for my new office, I follow the instructions exactly. On the road, I generally stick to the speed limit (which sometimes drives Kim nuts). I used to take pride that never once did I cheat on my homework or tests in high school and college — and I never helped anyone else cheat either. […] Breaking the rules can lead to innovation. Breaking the rules can let you build a life that is truly your own. Breaking the rules can produce better clam chowder. But in order to break the rules, you have to understand them. More than that, you have to know why the rules exist.”

I’m fundamentally a Rule Bender. Is that a type? 🙂

Surviving My First Year of Business (Tough Times & Lessons Learned) [PT Money] – I’ve known PT for many years and I’ve waited a bit before sharing this post that he wrote back in 2012. It’s about his first year of business and really puts a lot of things into perspective. Today, PT is known as a successful entrepreneur who has created a fantastic blog (PT Money) as well as a really amazing community and conference called FinCon. “I quit my day job to give full-time blogging a try.

The past year and a half have been pretty shaky.

It’s been tough on Mrs. PT and I as we’ve dealt with the ups and downs of the self-employment journey.

I know many of you are going through similar scenarios and can relate. So today I thought I would take a moment to fill you in on how things have been going for me.”

It’s great, especially if you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur or you are one and feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water.

Now, onto something a little lighter…

I have many a friend who has flipped tickets profitably, mostly because they didn’t or couldn’t use them, but this story has me feeling for fans who can’t seem to get a seat:

The New Ticket Scalpers Are Young, Unashamed, and Very Online [The Atlantic] – “The moment that Harry Styles announced he would play a one-night-only album-release show at Los Angeles’ historic venue The Forum this December, the question was obvious: Would anyone survive the emotional turmoil of attempting to purchase a ticket to this concert?

Preparing to pull off an improbable feat, Styles’s fans were crushingly supportive of one another, praying in public for their “mutuals” to get good spots on the floor of the arena, offering motivational speeches on Twitter, and blessing the timeline with rings of emoji candles, summoning good energy and a little of Harry’s magic. But when the sale ended, many were left empty-handed, horrified by “the real evil” of scalpers buying tickets out from under the people whose attachment is purer than a business pursuit. They weren’t surprised—this happens every time.”

Know someone who would really enjoy an article in today’s Apex? Please send it to them!