Virtually Yours Personal Assistants

In order to create a successful business, you need to have funding, office space, and a staff, right? Wrong!

Here’s an inspirational story about a stay-at-home mom who, along with her three kids, launched a business in their basement that grew from a small craft operation into a multimillion dollar success.

Jibbitz

Know other basement or garage success stories? Send them to me and I’ll post them on my blog.

When I was younger I said I’d tell my kids to pick a career that best met the following criteria:

1. Something you’re good at
2. Something you enjoy
3. Makes great money

I did that. I’m good at math. I enjoy working alone and solving problems. I liked engineering, that made good money. I did it. I chose engineering and guess what I liked it! For about 7 years……then I got that itch.

Yup, the seven year itch. I realized that though I still liked engineering, there were other things I liked more and there are other things I’m good at and (gulp) the money just doesn’t make it worth it anymore. That’s when I decided to rethink my own advice.

I no longer like working alone. I like interacting with people. I’m great at finding resources. I’m still fantastic at solving problems. So……. I and my staff interact with people to help them find resources to solve their small business problems. AND I LOVE IT!

Now my advice to my kids will be:

1. Figure out you love to do!
2. Become great at it.
3. Do it!
4. If you love it, the money won’t matter anymore. And if your great at it. The money will come.
5. Once you don’t like it anymore…..do something else.

I think the same advice applies to anyone choosing a second career. Here’s another blog post gives a similar viewpoint.

What will your advice be?

While no one can deny the value of education, one should never use a lack of education as an excuse to defer a dream. Here’s an inspirational list of folks who didn’t receive their parchment but are still making paper!

Dave Thomas - High School Dropout, 15 - Thomas’s first job in the restaurant industry was at the age of 12 as a counterman. After a volunteer stint in the US Army he went to work with Col. Sanders and turned four failing KFC stores into million dollar successes. With the money he made there, he went on to open his first Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgers. Wendy’s became the third most successful burger chain in the US.

Richard Branson - High School dropout, 15 - Branson made his first successful stint in entrepreneurship when he published Student magazine at the ripe old age of 15. His next venture was a record mail-order business in 1970 which evolved into a chain of record stores known as Virgin Megastores. The Virgin brand is now made up of over 350 companies including Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Virgin Galactic.

Simon Cowell - College Dropout - Best know as one of the American Idol judges, Cowell’s career in music began in the mailroom at EMI Music Publishing. Several promotions, several companies, and a few failed ventures later, Cowell was able to combine his knowledge to successfully launch Syco Music Publishing, promote a number of recording artists, and several television franchises.

Peter Jennings - High School dropout, 10th grade - Jennings, the son of a radio broadcaster, started his career at the age of 9 hosting a Saturday morning kids radio show. After a short career as a bank teller, Jennings ventured back into broadcasting as a newscaster at a local radio station. By the age of 26, Jennings became to this day the youngest ever network news anchor. His career with ABC News would span 40 years.

John Mackey - Three time College Dropout - After dropping out, Mackey started a vegetarian health food store, with an initial investment of $45,000 borrowed from friends and family. After a slow start, he merged with a natural food store. This investment led to the country’s first supermarket style natural food store. The store which started in Austin, TX now has over 270 locations in the US, Canada, and the UK

Bill Gates - College Dropout - The chairman of the Microsoft Corporation and ranked the richest person in the world for the  last 12 years, Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the computer revolution.

The lesson to be learned from these famous dropouts is that dedication and hard work, whether in school or in the school of hard knocks, is vital in pursuing your passion and achieving your dreams.

I have lots of friends in their thirties who are trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. These aren’t people who have been backpacking around the world since high school either. They went to college, interned, got their degree, their first job, and were ready to conquer the world.  A few went back to school for a masters. Some switched companies. But after ten years in their chosen profession have discovered “this ain’t it”. They are asking “What’s out there for me?”

Is it so surprising though? Who, at 18, can figure out who they are, let alone what they want to do the rest of their lives? 

Regardless of age, so many of us are in that same place. We’ve discovered new talents, interests, and limitations that we didn’t have at 18.  Why waste another minute doing something you already know that you don’t enjoy? Whether your in your 30s, 40s, or 50s NOW is the time to regroup. It’s not too late. And there are so many options. Start your journey to your new you today.

Here are a few resources.

This article  on BusinessKnowHow.com talks about important steps to take as you consider what your next career should be. It’s written by the owner of  Vocation Vacations , a company that offers vacation packages that let you take a one to three day total immersion mentorship vacation performing one of over 140 careers - from actor to wine sommelier. I love the idea of test driving a new career.

Here’s a site that talks about the art of “self direction”. There’s even a quiz to help you decide if you’re in the right career.

This blog by Tim Berry, founder of bplans.com, suggests you look at who you are at the core to determine your new business venture. Definately worth checking out.

Happy venturing!

Warren Brown is the owner of CakeLove, a bakery with locations in the DC metro area that specializes in creating scratch cakes and pastries. A few years ago, a friend and fellow dessert lover sent me a link to his website and I was instantly smitten. Not so much by the cakes (though within weeks I found myself at the bakery buying far more than I planned to) but by his story.

Warren Brown was a lawyer who found his passion in baking cakes. What I love about his story is that he did what so many people are afraid to do - leave behind a “good job” to pursue his passion. It didn’t matter to him that others would think he was crazy, that he had spent years studying for his degree, or that his future was uncertain. By stepping out on faith he was able to open a successful bakery with 4+ locations, launch a TV show on the Food Network, and gain a loyal following of CakeLovers (I am one of many!!). Here are a few words from Warren Brown on pursuing your passion:

Perhaps you have to be somewhat, well, narcissistic to really indulge your passions. Being passionate is about recognizing what makes you happy, focusing on and learning about it, and, ultimately, doing it in the name of your own satisfaction and pleasure. It’s not self-centered to lead your life in a direction that satisfies you. It’s necessary to feel at peace.

Prioritizing your passion means that you carve out room in your life to explore and understand it. Once you understand yourself and what you care about, you’ll be in closer touch with your life and the others around you. For a while others may see you as aloof, but once you arrive at being in touch with your heart and soul, others will find inspiration in you to do the same.

How did it work for me? I explored my interests, developed them, listened to feedback and kept going. Now my career is my former side interest and I love my job. Sure there is pressure, and the hours are very long, but it’s manageable. I’m expected to create new recipes, share new tastes and flavors, and interact with people - I love that! Once I gave priority to what makes me happy, my life very naturally evolved into CakeLove.

Read more…

Gotta Love It!

A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending the Oprah Live Your Best Life Tour in DC. Her message was about living your life on purpose. I still reference my notes when I need inspiration. Here are a few nuggets on passion from “O”:

Passion is your spirit seeking expression - it is what gives you juice. Your purpose in life is to find out what your calling is. Start looking at the things in your life that really fill you up and that will give your life purpose. Find out what you love and find a way to get paid for it. Realize that you are not your circumstances, you are your possibilities.

O my!

I’m sure we all have resolutions for 2008. Maybe yours is related to your health or your family or to that dream deferred.

I hit the nail on the head didn’t I? You once had big dreams but the spouse, the kids, and life in general just got in the way. Besides, you’ve got a decent job that pays the bills and consumes what’s left of your life.  But deep down you can’t help but feel that you aren’t investing in your skills, talents, or dreams.

My resolution for 2008 is to inspire and to be inspired. The focus of this blog for 2008 will be to inspire others to follow their dreams.