We got turned down for a payday loan at one point, because our financial situation was so bad.  Selling stuff at garage sales and online arbitrage helped us make the money we needed for seed capital for our businesses.  I worked at Pizza Hut for 18 months on top of our business and my corporate career to be able to buy some more vending machines.  We learned not to take ourselves so seriously and to do whatever it took to achieve our dream.  We got really creative.