What's The Craziest Small Biz Story You've Experienced?

I spent my entire career as a competitive work-a-preneur in printing and became ‘the boss’ in a male-dominated field. In 2007 the economy crashed and the printing industry was hard hit. I was laid off of my cushy print broker position outside of Chicago while the day prior I was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, I went in for a routine checkup because in my early 20’s I had a muscular disease. Two years and twenty thousand resumes later = no job offers. I didn’t lose faith, I kept speaking and believing that #1 I was healed and #2 something great was going to come out of my mess. I was a single mom, my unemployment check was only half of my mortgage, all things aside, by sight it looked grim, but I choose faith that a better life was out there just waiting for me to step into.

I had 60 days left of unemployment, I called an acquaintance who suggested we could help local businesses by delivering gift baskets to new homeowners. I didn’t dream of becoming an entrepreneur, I had a few large corporate printing accounts that I had been servicing for years on my own, but never gave working for myself a thought. Well, that 60-day limit gave me a kick in the butt, so in 2009 I wrote and branded the program and we immediately started to implement our local gift basket advertising agency and we were instantly successful.

While delivering baskets, I was continually asked the same question: "Are you a franchise?” In 2011, I was approached by the sister of a new homeowner, who was impressed with the community gift basket that I delivered to her brother, she begged me to write a program she can implement. Thus, Celebrate Home, Inc. was born. To keep it cost effective I refused to turn this opportunity into a franchise, I sell dealerships with an exclusive territory. I believe in keeping it simple and cost-effective so the new business owners make profits immediately. I currently have dealers in 34 States, all over Canada and Australia and have been rated among the top 25 home businesses by Home Business Magazine.

I am forever grateful and humbled that adversity turned me into an entrepreneur. All the adversity I've had in my life have strengthened me, you may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. If you’re struggling in business or in life, hang on to what Napoleon Hill penned: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit” & have faith things will turn around and that seed will sprout and grow. As a business owner, I don't define myself by my successes, I define myself by adversity and how I've persevered. Choose today not to let adversity stop you, plant these seeds: “I can do this,” “I will overcome”….you will.

                        Yo Adrian!!!

#EntrepreneurLife

I do a lot of presentations in my business and I am fortunate to be a volunteer class instructor at SCORE Silicon Valley, so I get in front of small business owners every month and talk with them about social media and email marketing. Because I have this great relationship with the organization, I was contacted to fill in as a speaker at an event when another marketing instructor couldn't make it at the last minute. And boy am I glad that happened! I got to speak at the 6th Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Downtown San Jose in 2017 and was included in a session all about social media and branding. Also presenting in my session was the U.S. Digital Marketing Manager at Kiva.org and the Social Marketing Manager for eBay for Business, eBay’s seller- and small business-facing social media channels. To say I was a little intimidated is an understatement. Through meetings with the event team, we put together presentations that complimented each other to work for the session. Despite me feeling a little out of my league with my co-presenters, it was a really fun and exciting experience, and they couldn't have been nicer or more down to earth. As is usual for me, I got selfies with my co-presenters (as well as Councilwoman Dev Davis) and with the crowd and then tagged them appropriately on social media, of course. 

Fast forward a few weeks and I was contacted by Audrey from eBay, asking if I was interested in doing some work with eBay. Um, yep, sign me up! That conversation led to me going to Las Vegas for eBay Open, their annual seller's conference in 2017. There, I ran their social media lab with another social media expert from Las Vegas, as well as giving a few presentations in their expo hall.

I was then invited back last year where I gave FIVE breakout presentations about social media at eBay Open 2018. Each session had about 250 people in attendance. 

My co-presenter for those presentations was the Community Content Manager for eBay and he and I really clicked. Since then, I have been a guest on the Selling on eBay podcast twice and there is a possibility that I'll be going back for Open this year, too (keep your fingers crossed!). 

So because of one guy needing to cancel a speaking gig, I have:
✔ Gotten to share the stage with presenters from eBay and Kiva, which elevated MY brand
✔ Gotten paid to speak at eBay Open twice (and maybe a third!)
✔ Been featured on the Selling on eBay podcast twice
✔ Gotten many new clients
✔ Made a fabulous new friend
✔ Made a connection with another social media professional who I refer to all the time
✔ Created a strong relationship with a HUGE corporation 

So the moral of the story is to say yes to opportunities that fall in your lap, as they just might take your business to the next level!

About four years back, a young man came into the gallery and asked my wife if she could help him. He said that he bought a painting on vacation, but it did not come with a wire to hang it. He had been to two other galleries but both refused to install a wire, because the painting wasn't purchased from them. My wife said she could help. After taking measurements she installed hooks and a wire handing the painting back to the young fellow. When he inquired how much it cost she said it was on the house and that she was only too happy to help another art lover. Last year, on a weekday afternoon the gentleman returned to the gallery with some framing work to be performed. My wife talked about a number of subjects, including discussions about one of our grandsons named Joe. When chatting my wife inquired how he was able to get a mid-week summer afternoon off from work. He told her he was in a line of work where the people he was responsible for helping at work were out of town often and he had much free time.  When she inquired what kind of work he does, he told her that he was one of the club house managers for the NY Yankees. Weeks later upon returning to pick up his art work, he handed my wife an acrylic cube which contained a baseball with the inscription "To Joe,  All the best!  Aaron Judge." He told her that he never forgot the kindness she extend him years ago and that one good turn deserves another. The gentleman comes into the gallery frequently now just to chat about family, cooking and friends. This year he has invitedus to a Yankee game as his guest and will take our grandson into the clubhouse to meet all the current players. It's a reminder that small businesses are built on service, personal relations. And as a wise man once told me in my youth: "Make something happen and five more things will happen." 

The craziest story I have is kind of mixed between funny and serious. I was diagnosed with an adult onset of epilepsy in 2016. I was running around, busy as can be and all of a sudden I am the Director of Business Development with no car and no driver's license. After 95 seizures, they thought I was a hazard on the road. (lol) Well I not only couldn't drive, I broke my foot during a grand mal seizure. I was using Uber and walking to appointments with a boot on my left foot. I kept a rhythm going -- Uber to work with daughters and friends helping me anytime they could. I then had to be admitted to USC for 10 days. This didn't stop me or my production. My amazing boss John Mallett helped me with all my deals and just gave me all the support I needed to get better. It was a crazy year and very challenging but I made it through. I even had an assistant that called herself my Uber to get me around Westlake Village to all my appointments. I love MainStreet Mortgage for many reasons, especially for helping me during my crazy year!!

My story is a testimony of faith.
   I was the proverbial nerd; a straight-A student that was too smart for school (and too smart for my own good), so I dropped out in the 10th grade. I was the product of a single-parent household with a very hard-working, no-nonsense mother. For my siblings and I, there was no child support payments, no welfare checks and no allowances. My mother worked in a General Motors factory and we were all raised with a very strong work ethic. My mother and maternal grandmother expected me to grow up to be somebody.
   I joined the Marine Corps at 17 and military life suited me, but I was depressed and troubled. By age 20, I found myself in prison for acts of violence. Life looked bleak and I was suicidal. Prison was prison and it was every bit of what legend has it to be. I wasn't supposed to survive.
   The first ten years of incarceration were harsh. Most of my family had either died off or disowned me as the proverbial Black Sheep and each day was a lifetime of torment that reminded me of how much I hated my life and wanted to die. My only saving grace was that my grandparents and mother would come visit me occasionally and write letters. They never forgot my birthday or Christmas and it was enough to keep me going.
   In 1990, my grandfather died, then in 1993, my beloved grandmother came to visit me and we had a long, heartfelt conversation about my future. She told me that she had dreamed I would one day be released and that I would do something great with my life, but that she would not be here to see it. Naturally, I didn't want to hear talk like that and I tried to change the subject, but she persisted.
   She told me that my future was mine to do with as I wish and that only I held the power to change the course of my life. No excuses. When I tried to explain to her that prison is a "controlled environment" and that I had no authority to do as I wished, she brushed it off as nonsense and insisted that I had a powerful mind and spirit and that if I put my faith in GOD, I would indeed be released and have a great life. One week later, she suffered a fatal heart attack and I never saw her again. I was crushed. Devastated. I cursed GOD and fell on the floor of my prison cell in tears and disbelief. 
   I cried out to GOD. I said "GOD, if you are real, then change my life or take me from this world because I no longer want to be here." I fell asleep on the cold, hard concrete floor of that cell and woke up the next morning feeling as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't explain what had happened, except that I felt a shift in my spirit. My energy was different.
   Over the next few weeks, I found myself being asked all kinds of questions by other prisoners who formerly would have nothing to do with me. They came to me for advice and guidance, which confused me because I was not known as a counselor. I became a virtual "Dr. Phil" and somehow that led me back to studying the Bible for answers to many of the questions I was being asked.
   Shortly thereafter, I was ordained as a minister and continued my journey. In 2010, the parole board came to see me. They had denied me over ten times and this time was no different. I was interviewed and once again DENIED parole. But something strange happened. The interviewer returned a week later (which was unprecedented) and called me out to interview me again. He looked me in the eye and told me that there was something very unusual about me and that he felt compelled to see me again. 
   He asked me the very same questions and this time, instead of giving him the answers he expected, I simply told him what was on my heart. He looked at me, paused, then said "Mr. Canada, I believe you. I'm going to grant you parole and return you to your family." I was numb. Later that day, I sat on my bunk and wept. The tears just wouldn't stop flowing. It had been 27 very long and turbulent years.
   I came home to my mother's house and went to work immediately. I mowed lawns, fixed toilets, painted houses.... whatever I could find to do, I did it and most importantly, I went to church. Amazing things began to happen in my life. I started meeting people I know I never would have met in my old life. I became a spokesperson for a community non-profit organization that worked diligently to stop gang violence and illegal drug sales; I became Assistant Pastor of a church I once attended as a teen; I started a snow and lawn service, secured a tax I.D. and DBA; and shortly thereafter, started my publishing company.
   While in prison, I chose to pursue the opportunities of education there and received several certifications and college degrees. I also wrote 63 books, over 500 songs and poems and much more. The publishing company was a dream come true and it is now a $20 Million company set for an IPO later this year. Best of all, my childhood sweetheart (and the only girl I have ever loved) found me and we are now married and walking into the future together just as we planned 43 years ago. 
  I guess Grandma was right. I learned that when we hold onto our faith and we find our purpose in life, GOD will take us to where we are supposed to be. Our paths will be lighted and we will find our destinies. Thank you, Grandma, for believing in me when I had no belief in myself, and for teaching me when I was too ignorant to learn. Rest In Heavenly Peace.

In 2008 I learned that my accountant had neglected to file our 2005 corporate taxes. I found this out when I received a “friendly” letter from the IRS informing me that they were about to levy our property if we did not pay the taxes owed— plus another $22,000.00 in penalties!

 A year of communication by my accountant to the IRS resulted in rejection after rejection.  Finally, I was informed by the IRS; no more extensions,  Monday, June 22, 2009 payment was due. On the Friday before I called the IRS to plead my case. The agent, indifferent to my pleas, announced emotionlessly: “No more extensions; the deadline is Monday.  How would you like to make payment?"

Momentarily silent and inhaling deeply,  I said hesitantly: “I’d like to call back Monday.”  The agent was silent. Sounding confused, she replied, “I’m curious. Why Monday? What do you expect to happen between now and Monday?” Again, I inhaled deeply.  In a whisper I replied, with more of a question: “A miracle?”  After what seemed like an eternity, the agent asked me (in a softened tone) “You believe in miracles?”   “Yes. Yes, I do,” I said excitedly!To that, the agent miraculously responded, “Honey, you’re talking my language.”  I was stunned. In that very moment I knew everything had changed and I was about to indeed experience a miracle.

With enthusiasm, the agent asked me to tell her the whole story. She then gave me instructions on contacting the IRS directly. She also gave me what she said she could not give me before—another 60-day extension.  Her ending statement was this; “If you believe in miracles honey, I can believe in them for you, too.”

 I wrote my letter to the IRS and you know the rest.  A miracle… and an abatement!   

I've been in some sort of sales for many years.
Awhile back I worked within a national company with industrial cleaning supplies. We all had our own cubby space. Whooo hoo! The people I worked around, especially one woman complained about "Everything!" I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-N-G! In my head all I can say was OMG! So I made a decision one day that I was going to walk in the door every day and say out loud "I LOVE MY JOB!" When I sat down, I started to condition myself to say out loud "I'M SO GRATEFUL!" and occasionally I would sing out loud "I'M SO THANKFUL!" or "I'M SO GRATEFUL!" Well I did that for weeks, and more weeks. Every time I would hear this woman complain about something, I would say out loud, just like she use to complain OUT LOUD about something or E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! OUT LOUD! Here I go "I'M SO GRATEFUL, I'M SO THANKFUL!" Well, one day the manager pulled me aside and said, you can cut the crap with saying you love your job, and you are so thankful!
Well, I said to her, "Would you rather that I walk around and complain about how I hate my job?" ... She said, "well I'm just so tired of hearing how much you love your job and how thankful you are." I told her I will stop saying how much I love my job and how thankful I am when others stop complaining about how much they hate their job.
So one morning, I created an experiment with this one women and the others -- I was silent for one day.
The women that complained day in and day out came up to me one day and said "Isabella do you know my daughter was visiting me, we went to the grocery store and out of the blue I started singing 'I'M SO GRATEFUL, I'M SO THANKFUL!' All of a sudden, she said she doesn't feel like complaining anymore. That she really was grateful and really was very thankful!
The moral of the story is in spite of everything we as individuals face, and in spite of a complaining heart, there is always something we can be grateful and very thankful for.
Little did she know that I was about to have a full kidney removal from an enlarged tumor I had growing inside of me as big as a football. Little did she know that I was a single parent struggling to keep my electricity on and my rent up, and how I was going to court regularly because the landlord was trying to evict me and my kids... 
You never know what others are going through. But I chose to show my gratitude and I chose to turn her complaining into a heartfelt thankful attitude. I conditioned in my heart to make the difference. It started with me! Before I left, I can tell that she had a thankful heart. Born to make the difference!!

You never know the impact you can make on the world when you don't even realize it. Behind the scenes stories are numerous, but unfortunately, sometimes we never know what those stories are. I've been fortunate enough to experience a few. I own and produce The Charleston Bridal Show. Many clients stay for years and years and some are a one-show client. That can be very disheartening as a small business owner as you always wonder why they didn't make it at the show. I mean, we bring in hundreds of brides! But sometimes why a person comes into your life is not for the reasons you thought. Sometimes, it isn't about you or your business at all. Three times I have been told on various occasions, "Thank you" for allowing me to be a part of your show or for telling me what you thought of my business. Sometimes it's not about changing our own lives, but the lives of others. 1 - A photographer saw me at an event and literally ran up to me to say he now has the job of his dreams because he participated in The Charleston Bridal Show. Apparently, his booth was next to a person that led him to a job interview that he never dreamed he would get. Thank you, thank you, thank you was all he could keep saying! 2 - Again at an event not related to weddings at all, a young lady who had participated in The Charleston Bridal Show via the caterer she was working for, met someone also working at the show that ultimately became her best friend and had just been her maid of honor in her wedding. She told me that without being at our show, she would have never met her best friend. 3 - A woman that I met at a Farmer's Market selling jewelry approached me at a Networking Event to say she now had a VERY successful online jewelry business that catered to wedding jewelry, because I had encouraged her to get into the wedding business. It changed her life. Wow! Miracles are everywhere around us. Finding out about some of them is what life is all about.

If I can do it, so can you! I hope my story inspires you to accomplish great things!

Our First Banker Turned Me Down

At 26 years of age, I decided to take the plunge into business ownership. After leaving the Upstate and managing a car rental company in Orlando, one afternoon I met after work with my future business partner, a sales rep for the same company. We complained about all the company policies we didn’t like and decided that we could do it better. At the time my wife and I had no children; we really didn’t have much to lose. If I was going to have the headaches anyway, I might as well be in my own business.

We put together a business plan and presented it to a bank. The banker was so impressed with my credentials and business plan that he promptly turned me down. He said, “Judging by your expensive suit, you will likely drain the business and will be soon driving a Maserati.” Little did he know- that was the first nice suit I ever owned… I had bought it on the discount rack for 50% off. Thank God that my partner’s dad felt sorry for us and put up his house for collateral on the $25k business loan.

After selling a car, my wife and I threw in our life’s savings of $5k; we quit our jobs, and founded East Coast Auto Rental. I made sure the loan was repaid in 18 months, and as hard as he tried, the banker never got my business in the future.

Two Different Visions

My partner’s vision of our business was of him, me and a car cleaner. My vision was a little bigger; I saw an international conglomerate! Like marriage, opposites attract; my partner’s sales skills combined with my management skills proved to be a good combination. Additionally, my partner's dad and my wife were also partners in the venture; they both helped us get started.

Humble Beginnings With Car Rental

Initially we had five vehicles in our fleet, and soon they were all rented. Soon we realized that there was nothing to do except wait for their return. We brought in a television for “education.” After having watched all the Bonanza and Big Valley reruns we got bored. Altough we had learned much from Little Joe and Hoss Cartright, the cowboy hats didn’t fit the image we wanted to project.

We came up with another business brainstorm; we would start a ground transportation service. This would allow us to service the airport and would keep us busy when all the cars were rented.

Ground Transportation is Born

We added a station wagon to the fleet. As customers would request one service or the other, we started to get creative with juggling vehicles that could be rented or used for transportation. If it had wheels and we had keys, it was gone! My wife had a Ford Escort and my partner’s grandmother had a 1964 Pontiac Tempest; they quickly became business assets. Soon our repeat customers were requesting Grandma’s car, but Grandma was not too happy about this.

We had other juggling challenges too. More than once we showed up at the airport to pick up someone in a compact car, only to discover that they had a party of five and luggage for eight!

This Stuff Wasn't Easy!

We worked without pay for a few months; my wife worked another full time job to help us survive. Then we decided to take a whopping salary of $100 every other week. After a couple of years we were making around $12,000 per year. We also worked around the clock; we took the business calls home at night. Fortunately I had a business partner and a wife to share in this “fun.” We would work 12 days straight and then get a weekend off. We were doing it all in the early days; accounting, sales, cleaning cars, chauffeuring clients, renting cars, delivering cars, and taking calls overnight for eight years. Hiring employees helped but we were involved in all aspects of the day to day operations.

A Turning Point in the Business: A Business Coach

Seven years into the business we were still struggling; we were in the red and had a number of growing pains. From time to time my partner and I would “butt heads” over certain issues; he saw black and I saw white. We would end up at a standstill over the issue, and then our operation would suffer as a result of no decision. At that time our annual revenues were around one million dollars. It became apparent to me that the business was growing beyond my ability to effectively manage it. I needed to personally grow.

I hired a business coach named Charles. He helped me to develop a plan. Charles ran “interference” for me and helped me develop a business plan for growth and organization. I credit Charles with helping us get the business headed in the right direction, and for being my friend and mentor over the years.

Other Business Mentors

Soon thereafter I joined a group of other business owners that meet monthly to improve their businesses. I described the head-butting problem to my group. They recommended that we appoint department heads to diffuse the conflict. I took their advice and hired sales, accounting, and operations managers.

Now we had a team to help make decisions, and the head-butting stopped. Another benefit of the management team was that we all shared in the overnight calls; with two others helping we only had overnight duty once per week!

Help From The Small Business Administration

The SBA’s Small Business Development Center (The local SBDC is run through Clemson University) was very helpful to us; we attended their workshops, and had MBA students help us on some projects. They encouraged us to apply for the Small Business Person of the Year and we were selected. We traveled to Washington DC and were recognized by President Clinton. We also became a recipient of the Inc 500 as one of the fastest growing privately- held companies.

The SBDC also they helped us secure a SBA Loan for a facility we built. A consultant also helped us to identify some profit opportunities and this translated into more pay for us. Eight years after we had started the company our salaries were equal to the jobs we had left and our pay continued to rise thereafter.

A Hard Decision

However, we faced another challenge; car rental had become unprofitable as a result of our competition lowering rental rates. At the same time, my partner brought us an opportunity to provide ground transportation service for a new Ritz Carlton Resort. We closed down our car rental company and the Ritz Carlton became a $2 million account.

An Exit without a Strategy

As the business matured we got involved with the Florida Sterling Governor’s Award process. The Ritz Carlton was involved with this organization, and we saw the benefit of quality improvement for our customers and employees. It took us three years to become a recipient but in the process, we were transformed from a “Ma and Pop” to a mid size company. Although we were not consciously developing an Exit Strategy, standardizing processes and developing infrastructure prepared the business for sale, and prepared me for business coaching.

The Fun Ride Was Over

Before it was all over, we had started five companies and acquired five more. Our car rental, car detailing and car leasing companies had all failed. But the ground transportation service grew to 130 employees. With the help of a business broker, we sold the business to a publicly held company.

After helping other business owners in my industry, I had a desire to move back home to Upstate SC and on to my next phase in life; business coaching and brokering.

Our Biggest Lessons

Looking back at our companies that failed and the one that succeeded, it all boiled down to one thing; our perseverance. We simply gave up on the ones that failed. I have come to believe that if we are doing what we love to do, using our God-given gifts and talents, we will persevere and success will likely follow. On the other hand, if we are doing work that we don’t enjoy, eventually we will burn out and quit. An important success key is to find other people who have the gifts to do the work that we don’t enjoy.

My story is about a straw.  It was the straw that broke the camel's back and helped me to see how Corporate America was not for me. It wasn't just that straw but it was the latest to land on the stack of them.  Enough straw to build a house for a little pig.  And I was not a little pig!

I was, however, a middle-aged Mom who was working 50 hour weeks selling cellular products and being over-looked for management.  Even though I was top saleswoman(man) and was doing most of the management, I just kept being bumped by "The Good-Ol-Boy" club.

Every time a new fraternity brother or cousin would come to Montana to manage the area, I would train them.  And clean up their messes, when they ticked off the customers.

One day the secretary came to me and said: "Boy, you and your husband certainly go out to dinner a lot with the manager."  I was flabbergasted!

I said, "Not only no, but hell no, we have not gone to dinner or anywhere else with him."  She then showed me his expense account report he had left in the copier.

I grabbed the report and told her that I would say I had found it in the copier so she would not get in trouble.  I went into the Manager's office and put it on his desk.  His face turned green.

He said, "Wait, wait, I can explain.  This was just a way for me to get a little more money."

So I told him that since it seemed to be the way to get ahead in this company was to lie, cheat and steal no wonder I could not get promoted.  I told him that I was too good to work there anymore.  I gathered up my plants and personal belongings and walked out the door.

When I applied for unemployment, he did not dare to refuse it.  That gave me a few weeks to build up my reserves and time to write a business plan and open www.ArtichokePress.com  my own publishing company.

I have my own little home office with a dog at my feet, my kind of music playing in the background and a sign on the door that says CEO.

Judy Helm Wright--Author/PetParent/IntuitiveWiseWoman