Starting a New Business. How Tough Can It Be??

So many people are out there and you hear all these great stories of success. People starting pizza shops out of a closet, a man finds a $20 bill on the street and starts his company off it. The American dream is to work for yourself and be your own boss. I know that’s where my ultimate goal is … to sit on the beach with my laptop on my lap, mojito in my hand and bluetooth in my ear. But how the heck do I get there??

Well I can tell you what I have had to do to just get to the point where I’m at … Chief Marketing Officer of an internet startup in Columbus, Ohio thats been around for almost two years. About four years ago, I was the Director of Marketing at the corporate office of a jewelry store chain. I was working directly under the president of the company who was a total jerk and didn’t understand that the people that he hired to do the jobs they were hired to do were actually capable of doing their jobs if he let them. My life was expected to revolve around diamonds, my family was expected to be put on the back burner and most importantly I was expected to work with zero appreciation, recognition or respect. Finally, enough was enough. I thought … “why, wake up everyday and work for this moron. The pay is definitely not worth the misery I am being put through and my time with my son is far more valuable than this job.” So I quit and started my own marketing company.

At this time, I had zero support from my family or anyone around me. I came from a lower-middle class family who believes in working for the man, clocking into a nine to fiver and having a specific role in an established company with some sort of title. The fact that I was willing to up and leave a stable income job for something that had an undetermined destiny was ludicrous. But I did it anyways and stuck to my guns. Over the past four years, I have sacrificed financial stability and the peace of mind of a stable income for the freedom to be present at all of my son’s sporting events and the ability to pursue my dream of making a difference in my career and profession.

Four years later, I am still working towards that goal. My dad and mom still don’t understand what I’m doing and think that I’m insane. However, there has been some major headway made and most importantly I have taught the one person I am responsible for, my son Taylor, the power of believing in yourself and not giving up. There have been many frustrating points where I have felt like my efforts were worthless and I have even considered giving up but I can say where I’m standing today that they have all been well worth it.

KidsLinked is now the largest most recognized parent site in Columbus, Ohio. We now have over 20 employees, are in three cities and have an plan to expand nationwide in July. We won the 2008 Innovation of the Year Award last year and have landed the support and recognition of major players across the state. Above all that my son, Taylor, sees where things are going. He has been part of the sacrifice and understands that the things that are worth having are not easily obtained and that believing in yourself and working hard pays off in the end. A lesson that is rarely taught to kids these days.