Pung LLC

I'm reaching out for some advice and potential guidance. (Aware of the slight irony, as this page is meant to help me do these exact things for other people.)

This is a registered business, and has been for well over a year. This means that during the entire period of 2023, I have had the business, had some business expenses, but collected nothing in terms of income. I want to use the business aspect of this to essentially afford to help out with extra projects and assist people who need it.

It's no secret that time is one of my most limited resources. I'm a full time employee, full time parent, full time college student, and I'm also in additional courses trying to get certified in trades, as well as taking on an eventide role in a student organization. If I had more time not spent trying to find extra work, I could do much more good in my community, work on fixing projects and just simply helping. As it stands, I have to limit most of my resources to paying work, and I don't have any expendable funds to buy supplies for repairing things, extra gas to get around, etc.

So I'm asking; how can I use the business to help fund this? Is it worth trying to file a tax return on the business? I've had bank fees, and mostly just costs associated with the legality of the business and some general supplies and stuff, but nothing significant. Let me know what I can do to make this a real thing moving forward, and not just a technical entity recognized by the state of Ohio.

I wanted to share with you some recent thoughts that concern the ideas and principles of leadership.

"Do as I say, not as I do." We are probably all familiar with this sentiment, but really, when it comes from a position of leadership or authority, it's frankly garbage. (Extenuating circumstances can apply, in the instances of coaches who are full of knowledge but physically unable to continue their craft, etc.)

The message can be broken down into something more simple. Any of us who want to inspire others to be better have to constantly work on bettering ourselves in the process. I believe that we should all strive for perfection in the areas of our life that we value. Should we ever feel we've reached perfection, we're most likely fooling ourselves and falling victim to our own pride, but the goal should remain the same. Even the most elite at what they do are always looking for that next step.

If I personally ever issue you a challenge, please welcome this as an opportunity to challenge me in return. I don't feel like a leader or somebody who necessarily inspires, but I'm trying to change that. And that's where I'm asking all of you to help me by telling me what you wish to see in your leaders, coaches, etc, so that I may work on becoming the best version of myself without limiting that to my own personal vantage point.

Appreciate the beauty that can only be found in imperfection, for only then do we find an opportunity for growth.

It is not to say that we should view ourselves as perfect beings or turn a blind eye to flaws that we perceive and wish to change - but we can accomplish far more by loving ourselves than we ever will by directing negativity or hatred inward. None of us are ever going to achieve perfection, but as imperfect beings, we can live a life full of growth and self improvement, and never stop reaching as close as we can.

"Only things that are imperfect, incomplete, and ephemeral can truly be beautiful, because only those things resemble the natural world." - Ikigai, Hêctor Garcia and Francesc Miralles

Today I want to talk about a phrase we've heard our entire lives but probably failed to take to heart or truly understand the potential of.

"The truth shall set you free."

Now what does that mean, truly? Maybe when we were children we took it to mean "if we tell the truth about what we did wrong, we won't get in as much trouble as if we lied." Or something to that effect - but it means so much more.

The truth shall set you free - at the deepest meaning - means that failure to acknowledge the truth is the cage that we are trapping ourselves in, within all areas of our lives.

If we are unhappy with our bodies, we need to be honest about what condition we are in, what we are doing to either change or maintain that, or we will never see results.

If we are unhappy with our business ventures, we need to acknowledge what efforts we put forth, what obstacles stand in the way, and look for the full picture.

Sometimes the truth can be that we are doing too much. We are inundated with messages that higher effort equals greater success - and maybe we're pushing our bodies to the point where it can't recover. Maybe we are so focused on getting work done that we are failing to address other areas of our life, and constantly feeling like we aren't good enough, because we don't have any time or energy to invest in the things or people that make us happy.

I want to share my truth, as the owner of this page, and share my vision.

The vision is that this is a business that serves the community by doing projects and fundraisers to help everybody in need, and that helps people better themselves along the way.
The truth is that my business plan is a notebook with sloppy writing on the pages, too many unanswered questions, and way too many blank pages.
The vision has led me to become certified as a Personal Trainer, a Licensed Nutritionist, and a Yoga Instructor.
The truth? I have achieved these things, but have no idea how to use them and find a plan to actively practice them with anybody other than myself and family.

The vision I have says that one person truly can make a difference. The truth is...sure, one person can, but not without help.

And that's why I'm sharing this all with you. That's why I'm trying to look for that help. Right now, the business is funded by my own account, we've received a $10 donation at one point that offset some of the cost of our monthly upkeep on the website. The insurance we have on our bank account also comes out of pocket every month. I don't make nearly enough to pay anybody for their time yet, so we don't really ask any volunteers. We did a cleanup event, and weather was nasty, there wasn't enough advertising - but I committed, stuck out, and cleaned up about 14 miles of trash. Imagine the impact with help! That's why I ask - please, please share this if any of this resonates with you!

This isn't a complaining post, either. This is me being raw, coming to you all with my own personal truth, and asking for help - help, if nothing else, to get this message out there so that the right person may see it. I want to transition to a non-profit status and look for grants. Get people who need work out there doing work that needs done. And for the training, nutrition, or even just as somebody to talk about philosophy or problems and lend an unlicensed but supportive hand there - feel free to reach out and I will always make my best attempt to help you, and that's not something that will ever cost you anything. I will always do my best as an individual to be here and help you. I only ask that you return the favor whenever possible by doing your best to help those around you.

After deliberation, we may attempt to make a transition into Non-Profit Organization status in order to hopefully find some funding and begin making an actual impact in our community. Does anybody have experience with this transition? With enough investment, it would be amazing to see what kind of positive change we could help provide.

Balance is about more than making sure we get the right amount of work vs rest, light vs dark, self care vs productivity. Balance is about ensuring that we can stay healthy in all things. Balance is about being sure to not take more than we give, but without emptying our own cup in the process. Balance is about keeping an open mind, while still allowing to keep boundaries.

Balance is also maybe a little bit about not falling and smashing your face.

When you walk down the street, and notice a couple of pieces of trash on the ground, but there's a trash can between you and the destination. The next move was never in question.

Chug. Chugga. Chuggachugga. *gasp* choooo *cough* choooooooooo.

There are no brakes on the pain train. When life gets tough, it's up to us to get tougher. Choo Chooose wisely.

“The people with the best self-control are typically ones who need to use it the least. It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often. So, yes, perseverance, grit, and will-power are essential to success, but way the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment.”
-James Clear, Atomic Habits

Sometimes we do a little bit better every day, and sometimes a few bad days can make us feel like we haven't gotten anywhere. Always remember where you've come from, when it's difficult to realize just how far you've come.

Small habits can make the biggest changes, but it's usually the milestones that make us aware of them. If you're trying to learn to play an instrument, and you're frustrated because you're stuck on a certain song, remember when you didn't even know how to play a certain note. Maybe you're frustrated because you can't have a conversation in a language that you're trying to learn - but there was a time you might not have even been able to tell which language the words even belonged to.

Persistence is key. Patience, even more so. Be patient with yourself, and don't let your goals become an opportunity for disappointment - your goals aren't the end result, the systems that you use to achieve them are. The goal isn't just to win a game, the goal is to keep on playing.

And yes, this may be a business that advertises personal training and wants to see more "before and after" pictures just like this - but that's only one goal, and the system that's ultimately in place here is simply to continue doing good, to help improve wherever possible - personally, in our neighborhoods, everywhere. There's no one aspect of life that we are restricted to place effort into or care about. If you would ever like help, just reach out - I will always be happy to help share the experiences and tips that have helped me.

If all of us were willing to try our best to help each other, none of us would ever have to.

Hello again to everybody, I just want to announce that I will be updating the public record soon, as we finally have some donations to report. Hopefully we will be able to find a way to put these to good use soon. Thank you all, and we hope to have more news for you soon!

Here is the story so far - a little over 5 miles, 3 extra large trash bags, and a few conversations. Helped shovel a driveway, shoveled a path through a park, and about to try to prep bridge street for some clear paths before the storm tonight. Definitely feeling it, but still going strong for now!