I started my business in 2016 after mutually firing-leaving my previous job as an executive assistant / event coordinator / marketing advisor / brand manager. Yep, I wore a lot of hats and I am, so much so, much happier now in comparison to then. I remember once going home and literally crying myself to sleep from the combination of stress, the expectation of perfection, how the bosses would order one thing, then proclaim they never did (for a while they seriously have me worrying about my sanity because of the contradictions of what they'd order. Even some fellow co-workers agreed with me that they would turn on their own orders and put the blame on us). I remember my boyfriend (now fiance!) encouraging me to find a new job somewhere -- anywhere that had a healthier work environment. Well, I did! A few weeks after leaving my job, I was walking around South Pasadena and saw an "Available for Lease" sign on Mission Street at a location that used to be a bookstore. It fit every category I wanted for my future "one day" dream of a store -- but I thought it was only silly dreaming to think that I could open a store so soon. A few days later, I was telling this to my mother and she asked a simple question that changed my life: "Why not? Why not just do it?" That question lit a fire in me. I worked fast, set the earliest appointments I could get, got any correction that needed to be handled resolved the same day, and handled all needed legal, insurance, government, etc requirements as soon as I could. I even got with the local Chamber of Commerce to organize a grand opening celebration with the Mayor in attendance. It was literally five weeks after leaving my past job that I was opening my store to the public--just in time for week of Christmas! I had barely half the store filled with inventory (probably only 1/3 was barely filled), but i was determined to be open on time for the Christmas gift buying rush. And boy, am I glad I did so! It just goes to show you -- if you are passionate about something, DO IT! Yes, DO IT. Don't dance around it, don't make fearful excuses. Make it happen. Don't have enough money? Save up so you do. Budget yourself. Get a loan if you can reasonably pay it off. Don't have the ability to hire employees? Well, I have been the only employee for a year, and make sure I get all needed work done. If I have to stay till 9pm, fine. If I have to get to the store at 6am, fine. As the owner, you got to do that you have to! Now, of course, you have to still make sure to give yourself the time to spend with family. That's something I refuse to budge from, and I made sure to make it work. I want to be a success in my business, but I also want a balance between work and family -- and that won't happen unless I set that expectation from the start. Of course, if I have to work late, they understand, but that cannot allow that to be so ongoing that I become a stranger to my own home. Work hard, but remember your family.
In the end, you gotta ask, what's stopping you? Why don't you just DO IT?
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