How Will You Make It On Your Own?

I was catching up with my friend, Schmitty yesterday.  He’s a new Dad and I’m a new entrepreneur and it had been months since we’ve had time to chat.  At one point he said, “How were your holidays?”  I can honestly say, the 2009 holiday season seemed to pass me by— while this doesn’t seem like a big deal, let me break it down.

• I LOVE to decorate for holidays — I have huge Rubbermaid® bins in the basement labeled for every calendar event; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  (Valentine’s, St. Patty’s Day and 4^th of July share a bin! )
• I LOVE to entertain — I’m probably the only single gal who has 12 sets of dishes!
• I LOVE to buy gifts — I find great joy in finding the “perfect” gift for everybody on my list.

Since I’ve ventured out on my own, the resources (Time, Energy, Space, and Money) for these three passions have been extremely limited. (That’s being generous — non existent would be a better description.)  Here’s a little breakdown on the challenges facing me for each of these activities.

• Decorating – To save money so we could work on product development of the card organizer, I decided to do kit assembly in my home.  My living room and dining room are filled with boxes… pieces to be assembled and completed kits to be shipped.  I’m surrounded by cardboard and chaos.  Let’s just say there is no room for holiday décor and I’ve given up the ambiance of a roaring fire or a flickering candlewick as I have an overwhelming fear of my inventory going up in flames!
• Entertaining – See above!  The dining room chairs are in the living room at make shift workstations and the table is now a double-sided assembly line.
• Gifts — Since I gave up the corporate paycheck, gift giving has been put on hold.  This year my family received “Garage Sale Gifts.”  (My girlfriend, Emily had a sale to raise money for charity — thank goodness she had good stuff she was clearing out!)  AND I also wrapped up some regreet™ promotional items!  (Thank goodness our frog is cute!)

How on earth did I survive?  Well, it goes back to family and friends — they were extremely understanding and supportive.  They even “faked” extreme glee when they unwrapped their logo-ed coffee mugs!  Events that normally are held at my place shifted to other homes.  And it was funny, instead of asking me to bring something that required any amount of time to prepare; I’d end up with easy items like bread or salad.

Looking back, my stress was different this year… I wasn’t caught up in the holiday hype.  I learned a very valuable lesson; if I ever lose my décor, dishes, or dollars to buy gifts, I know I’ll survive.  To be honest, this season brought me back to the basics and it was refreshing and empowering.  Instead of counting party invitations, presents and poinsettias, I counted my blessings and I have many!  Being an entrepreneur is a journey of great uncertainty but this is one thing I can say with absolute conviction — I am blessed!

To have family, friends and faith that give me support and unconditional love is the greatest gift in the world.  While I’ve always known how important it is to have a loving, supportive network, it took the Non-Holidays of 2009 to truly teach me this lesson.  While my bank account may be running low, my blessings are abundant! And that’s what counts!

I’ll never forget October 2^nd, 2009 – the day we launched regreet™. While I’ve never been a parent, I’ve mentioned before that developing this product was my version of pregnancy.  I sat with my dear friend and communications consultant, Lindsey, in my 2^nd bedroom/makeshift office and we were giddy as we hit the “send” button to announce the launch of my company.  It was like the moment from the Lion King when Mufasa stood on the top of the rock and held up Simba for the tribe to see.  I crossed my fingers and prayed that people would like the product AND that our website wouldn’t crash. And, thankfully, the website worked and I started to see e-mail confirmations of orders being placed.

Our launch e-mail distribution list was made up primarily of friends and family, so when I received an order, I wasn’t so sure they actually liked the product or if they just were being nice and supportive.  (For those of you who did just that, I say THANKS — you have no idea how much I needed the ego biscuits!)

And then it happened… an order came in from somebody I didn’t know in Iowa.  We asked our friends on Facebook to share our Fan Page with their friends to get the word out about regreet™. While every order that day was thrilling, an order from a complete stranger put me on cloud nine!  Oh, my – somebody who didn’t even know me thought it was worth buying!  Hallelujah!

regreet™ is a new concept. I’ve often said, “It’s not like bringing a purse to market – people know what to do with a purse.”  With regreet™, we have to show people how it works.

Throughout the months of November and December, we sold regreet™ at some small gift shows. After people saw how it worked, the light bulb went off in their head and they “got” our product.  I love to hear the positive reaction from people as we explain the ability to track your cards as they travel around on their regreet™ journey.

These positive interactions keep me going.  There is no greater feeling than to have somebody turn to their friend and say, “This is so cool – why didn’t we think of it?”

Don’t get me wrong; I know this product isn’t for everyone.  And not everybody thinks it is “so cool.”  But right now I’m trying to find my market.  We are trying to get in front of people to introduce them to regreet™.  Last week I introduced it to Midwest retailers and am thrilled to report you will be seeing regreet™ on the shelves of some cute stores in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  I’m currently in LA for a Go Green Expo.  On Friday we’ll be meeting with retailers and Saturday and Sunday it’s open to the public.  I can’t wait to report back on our West Coast debut!

And yes, once again, I’m feeling a little like Mufasa, as he held up Simba for the world to see.  I hope they like my little green frog as much as they liked that lion!

I woke up this morning and realized it was the beginning of the second week of the New Year and I have done absolutely nothing to work on my resolution to be a better blogger.  So, here goes!  (I’m not so sure anybody reads this, but it’s a public way to hold me accountable for journaling this entrepreneurial journey.)  So in an attempt to make up for lost time, I may write something that is currently happening, or it could be a little blurb about something that happened since we launched regreet™ in October.  (Yes, it’s been that long since I’ve taken finger to keyboard!)

This entry is going to be brief because I’m frantically trying to get my paperwork together for an SBA loan — the adage is true; you need to spend money to make money.  (More on my loan at a later date.)

Many people ask me how things are going…. And I hate to be cliché, but I have not found a better way of putting this… I’m on a roller coaster —- it’s the kind that goes way up high and then the next second you plummet with fits of fear.  It’s the kind of coaster that has sharp, unexpected turns.  It’s the kind that rolls you over so you are hanging upside down and you don’t know what end is up.  It’s the kind of rollercoaster where you never know what to expect… you don’t know where you are going or what lies ahead.

Think about all the emotions you can feel on a roller coaster, the following come to mind; joy, terror, laughter, fear, anticipation, bliss, giddiness, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, glee and a satisfaction that leaves you wanting to ride again, and again.   Sometimes I experience all these feelings in a single day!

When I think about a major difference in my journey and the amusement park ride, I’m missing the industrial, super thick, safety harness that protects you along the way.  But then I think a little harder and realize I DO have a safety harness — my friends, family and faith.  These three things are keeping me safe and sane as I navigate my way through small business ownership.  AND, my family, friends, and faith are a lot less clunky looking and a heck of a lot more comfortable.  Thank you all for being my seat belt!

I apologize for utilizing this cliché, but honestly, I can’t begin to think of a better way to describe the journey.  I’m always open to ideas, so send them my way!  And if you have any words you use to describe a roller coaster ride, I’d love to hear them.

So there you have it, my first step to working on that resolution… it was a heck of a lot easier and more enjoyable than trying to ‘release’ those extra 15 lbs I’ve been hauling around.

The idea for my product came to me almost nine months ago. Nine months — a period of time that has great significance for women who are in a “family way.” I’ve never been “preggers,” but I’ve been around loads of women with “buns in their ovens.” Allow me to share some of my experiences that loosely mimic those of an “expectant” mother.

When I started working out of my home, I needed to get my office ready. While I didn’t struggle setting up a crib, some four-letter words may have been muttered during desk assembly!

While I’m sure I don’t have a “glow” about me, I’ve been glowing inside. I’m so thrilled about this product and as I update my friends, they share my excitement.

There was no need to shop the maternity section, but my wardrobe did change. My business attire is rarely used and I can almost always be found in flip-flops and capris. (Soon it will be Uggs and jeans!)

My product launch is just weeks away. Like a pregnant woman, my feelings of excitement have been replaced with apprehension. I’ve started to worry about people liking my product and question whether or not I’ll be capable of growing the business. But I need to push those feelings aside and get through these next few weeks. When the special day finally comes, I will proudly send out an announcement with a photo of my little bundle of joy! And then I will follow the lead of so many wise women and I will simply do the best I can.

According to trackandfield.com, “hurdles is an event where participants race to the finish line while leaping over obstacles along the way.”   My first two months of self-employment have seemed like an intense hurdling event  — a short race with varying heights of hurdles to clear.  Even though my athletic prowess does not include the gift of speed or any resemblance of vertical abilities, I’d like to use this analogy as I update you on things.

State Fair Hurdle
Since I started this company, I had given myself the deadline of launching at the Great Minnesota Get Together — The State Fair.  This year the fair starts a bit later on August 27th.  My 42” HIGH hurdle included obtaining exhibit space — The State Fair is sold out.  I needed to fill out an application and wait to see if we could make the short list of filling a canceled space.  Additional hurdles for this application process included the following requirements:

Photos of your product (We are still in prototype phase!)
Photos of your booth at previous exhibitions along with references from exhibit organizers.  (If everything went as planned, our product would be delivered about two days before the fair!)

I didn’t let these hurdles stop me — I completed the application, submitted photos of the prototype and used exhibit renderings to demonstrate our presence at the fair.  I even had a back-up plan: We’d find an existing exhibitor and sell our product from their booth.

I kept running —- really fast and then I was faced by the…

Packaging & Assembly Hurdle
My designer created a packaging option that was exactly what I imagined… it was perfect, except for the cost and the product assembly.  My assembly estimate came in four times higher than my initial estimate.  This wouldn’t work.

So, I kept running — really fast!

I started researching other options.  Through online resources, I found some wonderful potential non-profit partners who work with disabled adults on the assembly of products.  I met with four potential partners in just two days; they put the prototype through assembly tests and had estimates to me in 48 hours.  The assembly price was reduced by more than 50%.

I had cleared that hurdle and kept running really fast, but up ahead I faced the….

Design Hurdle
Last Wednesday night we were reviewing the first round of web designs.  They looked great — there was only one problem.  We had added elements to the web that were not integrated into our product prototype.  I threw caution to the wind and thought, “That’s OK, we can add these elements to our next inventory order.”

I kept running…. and right in front of me  was the…

Deadline Hurdle
When I started working on this product full time, I had less than three months to meet our State Fair deadline and an ENORMOUS number of hurdles to clear.  In order to have product ready for the Minnesota State Fair, we needed to order our product one week ago today. (Friday, July 31st.)  We needed to have extra product ready —- EVEN if we didn’t have space at the Fair.  We needed to have a Booth ready —- EVEN if we didn’t have space at the Fair.  We needed booth workers ready — EVEN if we didn’t have space at the Fair.  This list goes on and on to include booth signage, website testing, PR campaigns, customer service policies, etc.

I was running really fast…. and the hurdles kept coming…. and it seemed as if they were spaced closer and closer together!

On Thursday, the 30th of July, I woke up at 4 a.m.  I started to think about all those remaining hurdles…. And I thought about the product.  We needed to slow down and go back to the drawing board.  While we had been moving so quickly through the product development stage, our brand and identity had evolved, but this evolution was not reflected in the product.  And truth be told, we needed to do a complete redesign of the packaging to reduce our costs.

I needed to slow down….

I needed to breath…

I needed to change my mindset —it’s not a sprint…. it’s a marathon.

I don’t think there is a Track and Field event called, “Marathon w/High Hurdles,” but this is how I’m going to start thinking about my new company.  While I’m not a marathoner, through my work with the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, friendships and my current relationship, I’ve been exposed to many dedicated people who love to run for 26.2 miles.  The one thing I’ve learned from them is you have to train and pace yourself.

I guess I’ve been in summer training camp.  I’m EXTREMELY proud of the progress we’ve made in just a couple months.  Without our aggressive deadline, of launching at the State Fair, we would not be where we are to date. Deciding to delay the launch is just a visit to the water aid station.

I’m confident that there will be many more hurdles to clear… I’m also confident that we’ll figure out a way around, over, under or through any of them in our path.  We’ll continue to run, and the product launch will just be our next mile marker.

Along marathon routes, people line the course to support runners.  I’m still overwhelmed by the encouragement and support you all continue to send me.  Thank you so much for lining my course and following me on this journey.  Your faith in me gives me the courage to keep running.

I remember telling somebody I was starting this blog and she replied, “Just make sure you keep it up to date.”  My apologies —- I had every intention of making it happen, but it always seems to get moved to the bottom of my endless “To Do” list.  The title of this entry says it all — I’ve been buried in this stuff.  I can honestly say these three items are NOT my sweet spot.  For those of you who know me, I love the creation — the dreaming and ideas.  These three items seem to paralyze my productivity. 

Contracts — I’m hiring contractors to do my creative, writing, and web work.  Creating contracts for these individuals are just the first of many contracts that will need to be signed.  When I start to read legal language, my mind goes a bit mushy!  

Patents — My lawyer has advised me not to talk about my product, as I need to protect the idea.  Telling me not to talk is like telling me to give up dark chocolate and red wine!  My Trademark has been filed and we are in the process of filing the patent.  I’m hoping I can tell you all about my company in the next few weeks.

Budgets — To set myself up for success, I thought it would be advantageous to take some QuickBooks classes.  I signed up for 3, three-hour classes.  It was an adult learning computer class where key boarding skills were varied, understanding of basic business concepts was varied, and the grasp of the English language was varied.  My version of a root canal!   I survived, learned loads, and have some material if I ever decide to write for Saturday Night Live!

During a meeting with my creative team in mid-June, the harsh reality of being a small start up company hit me hard!  We were working on some pricing and the following words came out of my mouth, “Ladies, we need to find 12 cents.”  Seriously, when is the last time any of you stopped to think about 12 cents?  I can honestly say I’ve passed a dime on the street if it doesn’t happen to be “heads up.”  (Thank you, Dad, for my superstitious tendencies!) Oh, how I miss my Medtronic budgets!  I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I long for those resources – stay tuned! 

OH MY! This has been a very challenging month for me.  I remember a meeting with my WomenVenture consultant at a time when I was extremely overwhelmed and frustrated.  During the conversation, she said, “Just wait until your prototype is complete.  Things will start to fall into place.”  She was right!  My prototype was handed to me on Wednesday and things are starting to come together.  While I still have a long and winding road ahead of me, my destination is now visible.  Just another step closer to making this dream a reality.  Thanks for joining me on this journey!

Last week I met my mentor, Sue, for breakfast.  She was anxious to hear what was happening with me and I shared everything – including the book of memories my co-workers created for me.  It is an amazing book full of photos highlighting my projects  — All of them different and new; From United Way events that involved setting up a basketball court in our atrium to volunteer events with more than 200 people building nearly 1000 pieces of furniture.

When we got to the last page, she asked how my first week of self-employment was going. The morning of our meeting, I woke up with a rather bothersome dream.  Before sharing that dream with her, I told her about some of my reoccurring dreams. (I’m including the theories from the website, dreammoods.com)

TEETH

Six months before I turned 30, I would often awake thinking all of my teeth had crumbled and fallen out.  I’d literally wake up and raise a hand to my mouth to see if my teeth were still there.

Theory: Dreams about your teeth reflect anxiety over getting old!

My twenties disappeared, and so did this dream. 

LATE

Throughout my thirties, I often dreamed that I was late to sign up for my college classes, couldn’t find the building, and when I arrived I was two weeks behind in my homework.

Theory:  To dream that you are late denotes your fear of change and your ambivalence about seizing an opportunity.  You feel time is running out and that you do not have time to accomplish all the things you want. 

AUTOMOBILE

In the last couple years, there were many days I woke up after dreaming I was behind the wheel and I wasn’t actually driving – I had no control over the car. It was terrifying being behind the wheel and I couldn’t steer the vehicle. 

Theory: To dream there is no one driving an automobile, suggests that you need to reassess your level of control over your life. 

DARKNESS 

This is the dream I awakened with the morning I met Sue. I was driving, but this time it was pitch black — I couldn’t see a thing.  The car was moving full speed ahead and I had absolutely no idea where I was going! 

Theory:  Darkness is synonymous with ignorance and the fear of the unknown.  

After sharing my newest dream with Sue, she smiled and tapped the cover of the Medtronic memories book and asked me if I ever knew what I was doing when I started those projects.  I laughed, nodded, and realized all those accomplishments started with an idea and no formula for making it a reality.  She pointed out that somehow, someway, we figured it out and made it happen.   

If you ask me how I’m doing, I’ll probably tell you I don’t know what I’m doing and I have loads to learn.  I’m making it up as I go and am blessed to have loads of people advising me and reminding me that I’ve done it before.  Thank you all for believing in me — with your love, support, and encouragement, this dream of starting my own business will also become a reality!

I’m Christy and I’m a Crier. Unfortunately, there isn’t a 12-step program for Criers. Throughout my life, I’ve cried when I’ve been happy, sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, surprised, humored, terrified — you name the emotion; I’ve cried over it! I’m sure it comes as no surprise, but “Crying” is not recognized as a core behavior or strength in corporate America!

During my last week at Medtronic, I shed many tears. Quite appropriately, at my farewell gathering, my team managed to work Kleenex™ boxes into the centerpiece of each table — no matter where I was in the room, I had a tissue. (AND — believe me they came in handy as I made a fashion error in selecting an outfit without pockets and my Grandma’s tip of tucking it under your sleeve did not work as I wore one of those loose ¾ length sleeve jackets.)

Throughout my tenure at Medtronic, I shed many tears — I was reminded of it quite frequently as my colleagues were asked to share their favorite “Christy Stories” for a priceless book they created. Many people commented on my unique ability to continue on with a presentation while crying –a RARE Talent! I think I could write an entire book with all my tales of tears — I’d call it “Cry with Conviction!” But since I’m behind in updating this blog, I will just share a quote I often use as I’m breaking down in front of an audience. You can imagine people are not so comfortable with public displays of tears… as my voice begins to crack, I can see people – especially men – shift uncomfortably in their chairs. At that time, I usually say, “Don’t think you’re special, I cry for everybody!” This always gets some laughs and buys me a little time to gain my composure.

At my farewell party my boss, David Etzwiler, overwhelmed me with his kind remarks and I was a heap of tears. And when he finished, I was expected to say something — It never dawned on me and I wasn’t prepared. I cried my way through some words of gratitude. When I look back on what I said, I realize I didn’t use my “Don’t think you’re special” quote. How appropriate— these are my friends and they are VERY special to me — not to mention they’ve grown accustomed to my tears!

As I drove away from Medtronic last Friday, my colleagues walked me out the front entry — it is a grandiose entrance. What a sight it must have been as they helped me load my very used and abused 4-Runner with 12 years of memories. With streams of tears rolling down my face, I hugged each one of them and told them I loved them. I hopped into my vehicle, rolled down my window, wiped away the tears, and waved good-bye. A perfect FAREWELL filled with FANFARE — and then about ½ way down the drive, through the tears in my eyes, I noticed the “door ajar” light. What a way to ruin this perfect farewell as I stopped my vehicle, hopped out of the car and re-shut my hatch back. I turned and they were all still standing there now with smiles and some laughter — that was the perfect farewell, the one that left all of us laughing. And the one that comforted me in knowing that my experiences and the people who’ve helped me along the way will always be there to support me!

Remember the feeling you had your senior year with about a month left to go in the school year? You still needed to turn in your homework and take your tests, but you had one foot out the door. You were excited, apprehensive, and nostalgic. They call this syndrome, “Senior-itis.”

I’ve got a really bad case of “Senior-itis!” I’m trying to stay focused at the office while I’m setting up my home office. I’m working on staff performance reviews while I prepare loan applications to be reviewed. I’m cleaning out files as my trademark gets filed. It’s been a HUGE challenge for me. So, I’ll use “Senior-itis” as my excuse for neglecting this blog. ☺

When you approach your graduation, the questions turn to the future and everybody asks, “What’s next? How will you be spending your summer? What do you hope to do?” This is very similar to the line of questioning I’ve received since I announced I’d be taking the voluntary separation package. Many of you have asked about my new venture and unfortunately, for legal purposes, I can’t share the details. What I can tell you is that I plan to bring an environmental product to market by August. With that said, my summer is going to be very busy building my business.

These last few weeks have been a challenge, but I’m dreading these last few days in the office. I can almost hear ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ and I’m already a little teary eyed. While I reminisce with coworkers, I encourage them to ‘stay in touch’… I’m an extreme extrovert planning to office out of my home — that just may be the most frightening thing of all! ☺ With graduations, you’ve got reunions to connect you every ten years. When you leave a corporation, there are no guarantees your paths will ever cross. I’m hoping facebook, LinkedIn, and this blog, will allow us to “Keep in Touch!”