That’s right, it’s my jam, man. If it's in the general realm of being business-related, COUNT ME IN, Y'ALL! I'm a regular at various business talk events (still working on my networking game, but that's another story). I devour stories about how people got started with their business, how it grew, where they're going and how they stick with it. I read business mags for fun... FOR FUN!! But, I'm also good at minding my own business too, buh dum tss! Maybe too good, actually. My absolute fave thing to do, in the entire world, is come up with ideas for building and developing businesses. It's a hobby, that's turned into my job and I love it. The little niche of this "hobby" that I like to curl up in is putting together models. Models are my jam. Business models, financial models, marketing models, website models.. arranging all of the pieces together and having them fit perfectly into a system, feeds my perfectionist soul like carbs do when I'm feeling, well... anything. It's the only thing for me where it seems socially acceptable to completely over-analyze and over-think things and not have it turn into an issue with um, any ex-boyfriend ever. But "Business" is different... I can be an over-thinking machine and it's ok (so far). It's almost like Business is my beau and we are K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes the idea, then comes the compulsive brainstorming and far too often than not, then comes the business baby in the baby carriage. *(I also love me some metaphors... Read on for more).
Currently, I'm working on two wildly different startups; also running a luxury travel company that I partially own; additionally, making and attempting to sell etched wine glasses (peep them here); simultaneously, helping people push their websites out of the nest and into the world wide web through workshops and one-on-ones; and one other business baby that is on the backest, backest burner, all at the same time. I'm your typical slashee/gig-collector/side-hustler/whatever-label-you-want-to-apply Echo Boomer... #iftheshoefits. I'm not saying I'm not crazy, probably the opposite in fact, but I truly (perhaps conveniently) believe that I operate better when I have lots of pots boiling at once and it's during this perma-stress that my creative juices start flowing and I get my best ideas. I'm a pickup artist when it comes to business ideas, guilty of the flavor-of-the-week syndrome and all of my projects would probably call me a player (if only they knew).... But you know what they say, don't hate the player, hate the game. The truth is I love the game. It's in my blood. Each member of my family would classify themselves as a serial-entrepreneur, which makes for lots of yelling, and hand gesturing and fits of uncontrollable excitement all at once during any given family get together... It takes a certain breed, I'm certain, to enjoy the masochistic torture of entrepreneurship, but we all do. We be 'treppin' so hard!
I like to think it all started for me when I was a mere sprout in my mama's belly. I was chillin' (or let's be honest, I was probably shifting all over the place because anxiety and I are BFF's) while my parents were busy cooking up plans to involve me in something entrepreneurial... Somehow, someway.... there had to be a way! And then it came to them. My dad at the time had a business that made hot tubs (yes, really) and naturally in his tinkering away on these hot tubs, his brain was infused with an idea for a hovercraft boat (this was in the 80's, people, less than a year after Back to The Future came out). Once the prototype was in production, my parents happened upon the PERFECT name.... THE KEELEY KRAFT! Who doesn't love a good alliteration?! Their eagerness got the better of them though because sadly, the Keeley Kraft was ultimately found to be unsafe when the boat flipped over during test runs and the 'craft turned out to be a flop (no pun intended, obvi).
But guess what people, KEELEY KRAFT IS BACK! And this time, it's taking flight come hell or the highest waters... it will rise above!
LET'S DO THIS!
