What drove you to launch your own business? I'm genuinely curious about the stories behind each entrepreneur's journey. Share your motivation with the group.
I was making less (more than 50%) than my counterparts and working 80-hour weeks with a stressful Director of Marketing Position. I was the Marketing Director over 32 offices in 3 states without sufficient help. My health was taking a toll and my home life suffered greatly. Needless to say, I decided to work for myself and have ever since. One of the scariest decisions I have made but here I am 6 years later. :)
I have seen so much shady workmanship when building homes, I saw the potential for problems over and over again. I always gave advice to people who had homes, when they found issues. I have a knack for helping and being able to fix almost anything. In 2018 I decided to become a home inspector with the intent of helping home buyers know what is really in their homes to give them the option to back out or move forward in spending the money.
In 1990, I was selling ads in a high-end magazine. I had just sold a full page, 4-color (remember that?) ad to a restaurant owner. I should have been happy, right?
On the way to my car, I stopped and turned around. I ripped up the contract in front of the owner. His jaw hit the desk.
I said, "You need someone like me to keep you from someone like me."
I explained to him that his money was better spent on new menus and nicer napkins.
My third started from a need of my two prior businesses more than 20 years ago. Never had the intention of turning it into a business. But due to health reasons, it turns out it was my ace in the whole. I am a frim believer that everything happens for a reason.
Frustrated that Corporations needed me to bend over backwards to be dependable and work late for them, but yet another Co. was taken over & we all were let go. I craved to spend time with family I was missing.
The scariest & best thing I have ever done was to follow my passion with a flexible schedule. I am able to be there for our son daily. My clients are always happy to see me & they make me smile every day!
I literally turned my pain to purpose. After suffering with allergic asthma for years and told I had to take medications for the rest of my life. I discovered a natural and super easy way to eliminate the cause and the rest is history. When I found out over 100 million people suffer from asthma/allergies, majority of them children, and had been given the same diagnosis, I felt that it was my duty and calling to help so they can live happy normal lives.
I always wanted to resonate with my audience and tell my compelling story. I wanted to help founders and organizations to be seen and heard so I decided to launch a PR agency where my PR agent can help tell your brand's story authentically. Helping with recognition, visibility, and credibility. Become an established industry expert by gaining exposure on different media platforms, on TV and in top-tier publications.
I wrote my first business book, "Catch! A Fishmonger's Guide to Greatness" from 2002 - 2004, and its success created more speaking and consulting opportunities that I could take on....resigned from teaching at Cal Poly, SLO after 10 years and started, Guide to Greatness, LLC in 2005. It's been a bumpy road at times, but all the bumps created great knowledge, case studies and stories to help my clients see desired results within a year. I wouldn't have been able to create psychology of change models and garner a deep understanding of how organizations work without the bumpy parts of the journey that really forced me to think deeply about the work I'm doing (if I have to call it work). :) It's wildly energizing and impactful, which is the best reward.
To put myself through college, I had a step-father who was a piano tuner/tech. I recalled when he went to tune he was usually back in an hour & a half, 2 hours at most. With all the confidence of an 18 year old, I talked to one of his friends (he had moved back to AZ) to find the name of a place to learn piano Tuning. I took an extension course thru the University of Minnesota, 3 hours a night, 2 nights a week for 12 weeks. I had a lot more to learn when it was over, in fact I'm still learning. Never got to college, except to tune pianos for other people who got there. By the time I could make a living at piano work, I was married with a son, no time to go to college. Actually I love my work, I get to meet people from many different backgrounds. Improve their piano by tuning & often by making some adjustments, some small, some major that makes the instrument play and sound much better.
Comments (1-10)
I was making less (more than 50%) than my counterparts and working 80-hour weeks with a stressful Director of Marketing Position. I was the Marketing Director over 32 offices in 3 states without sufficient help. My health was taking a toll and my home life suffered greatly. Needless to say, I decided to work for myself and have ever since. One of the scariest decisions I have made but here I am 6 years later. :)
Hubby and I were tired of working for someone else. His background was IT, mine was marketing. We now build websites for small businesses.
I have seen so much shady workmanship when building homes, I saw the potential for problems over and over again. I always gave advice to people who had homes, when they found issues. I have a knack for helping and being able to fix almost anything. In 2018 I decided to become a home inspector with the intent of helping home buyers know what is really in their homes to give them the option to back out or move forward in spending the money.
In 1990, I was selling ads in a high-end magazine. I had just sold a full page, 4-color (remember that?) ad to a restaurant owner. I should have been happy, right?
On the way to my car, I stopped and turned around. I ripped up the contract in front of the owner. His jaw hit the desk.
I said, "You need someone like me to keep you from someone like me."
I explained to him that his money was better spent on new menus and nicer napkins.
He became my first marketing agency client.
My third started from a need of my two prior businesses more than 20 years ago. Never had the intention of turning it into a business. But due to health reasons, it turns out it was my ace in the whole. I am a frim believer that everything happens for a reason.
Frustrated that Corporations needed me to bend over backwards to be dependable and work late for them, but yet another Co. was taken over & we all were let go. I craved to spend time with family I was missing.
The scariest & best thing I have ever done was to follow my passion with a flexible schedule. I am able to be there for our son daily. My clients are always happy to see me & they make me smile every day!
I literally turned my pain to purpose. After suffering with allergic asthma for years and told I had to take medications for the rest of my life. I discovered a natural and super easy way to eliminate the cause and the rest is history. When I found out over 100 million people suffer from asthma/allergies, majority of them children, and had been given the same diagnosis, I felt that it was my duty and calling to help so they can live happy normal lives.
I always wanted to resonate with my audience and tell my compelling story. I wanted to help founders and organizations to be seen and heard so I decided to launch a PR agency where my PR agent can help tell your brand's story authentically. Helping with recognition, visibility, and credibility. Become an established industry expert by gaining exposure on different media platforms, on TV and in top-tier publications.
I wrote my first business book, "Catch! A Fishmonger's Guide to Greatness" from 2002 - 2004, and its success created more speaking and consulting opportunities that I could take on....resigned from teaching at Cal Poly, SLO after 10 years and started, Guide to Greatness, LLC in 2005. It's been a bumpy road at times, but all the bumps created great knowledge, case studies and stories to help my clients see desired results within a year. I wouldn't have been able to create psychology of change models and garner a deep understanding of how organizations work without the bumpy parts of the journey that really forced me to think deeply about the work I'm doing (if I have to call it work). :) It's wildly energizing and impactful, which is the best reward.
To put myself through college, I had a step-father who was a piano tuner/tech. I recalled when he went to tune he was usually back in an hour & a half, 2 hours at most. With all the confidence of an 18 year old, I talked to one of his friends (he had moved back to AZ) to find the name of a place to learn piano Tuning. I took an extension course thru the University of Minnesota, 3 hours a night, 2 nights a week for 12 weeks. I had a lot more to learn when it was over, in fact I'm still learning. Never got to college, except to tune pianos for other people who got there. By the time I could make a living at piano work, I was married with a son, no time to go to college. Actually I love my work, I get to meet people from many different backgrounds. Improve their piano by tuning & often by making some adjustments, some small, some major that makes the instrument play and sound much better.