Ode To The Small Business Owner-

You wake up early,
to open your store.
You run your own business,
but do so much more.

You shovel the sidewalk,
and lay down some salt.
Or pay someone else to do it.
That's what commerce is about.

You buy Girl Scout Cookies,
raffle tickets and ads.
You coach little league & hockey.
Or help pay for the pads.

You don't do it for fortune.
You don't do it for fame.
You're just doing your job.
And hope we do the same.

Thank you small business owner,
for keeping Main Street alive.
We wish you the best.
And may your business thrive.

It Ain't All Duckies and Bunnies

So you say you want to start your own business? You've heard people talk about how great it is, how liberating it can be, how you really start to live the life you always wanted. Having taken the leap of faith myself, I can assure you that all those things are true. However, as with all decisions, there are tradeoffs. I point this out not to discourage or to whine, but rather... to prepare.

In his book The War Of Art, Steven Pressfield quotes 5th century mercenary Telamon of Arcadia to preface his chapter on TURNING PRO... "It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior's life." To put in another way, knowing the path & walking the path are two different things. Pressfield goes on to say; "The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt and humiliation."

Yup... two months into my TURNING PRO & I can attest to all of the above. In addition, when I had a day job, my company (Whiskey Creek Media, LLC) could just save & save & save. That's one of the ways I got to where I am. Save, save, save... But now, without a paycheck coming in from the insurance gig, I find myself having to spend & spend & spend. Kinda scary. Here's the thing though, here's what makes all the despair worth it, I no longer spend energy worrying about what I should do. Now I just focus on DOING IT.

So if you suit up to fight the good fight & chase your dream, don't forget to pack a lunch, cuz it's gonna be a long haul. But it's gonna be worth it!