Ooooh...so many choices!This post is part of Indie Beauty Blog Tag Party. Lisa at Cactus & Ivy tagged me to write a post on the topic "Ten Things I Love About Being Indie." Once I've written mine, I tag five other indies.
I'm in my 12th year of being an Indie. Here is my list of why I love being an an entrepreneur:
1. My 14 year-old daughter.
She is the number one reason I love working for myself. I'm home when she gets on the bus, and when she gets off the bus. As she gets older, she chooses to spend more time with her friends. But that's okay. I'm here to keep an eye on her and available for when she needs me. I wouldn't want it any other way.
2. I tried the "Corporate Gig."
Grateful for the opportunities and people I met along the way. But it didn't work so well for me. Gave it a good shot for seven years. My head hurt from hitting that glass ceiling. I don't like red tape very much, either. I understand why large companies need to have policies in place, sometimes it gets in the way of good ideas that need to be implemented immediately. That's the beauty of being indie - grab ahold of the wheel and steer!
3. Flexibility.
As a single parent, I find working for myself affords me a tremendous amount of flexibility with my time. I can work nights, turn my schedule upside down if I need to for family or health-related reasons.
4. It's in my blood.
I have my dad, a general contractor, to thank for it. Growing up in Illinois and Wyoming, I watched my dad work from his home office and on-site at various construction sites. I remember as a little kid, playing on his adding machine (remember those?) and thinking that there was no one cooler than my dad. To this day I admire his dedication, work, and work ethics. My grandfather (his dad) was an Illinois farmer, and hard work and perserverence came from him as well. (Besides, we're half-Irish and stubborn as hell!)
5. It's good for my brain.
Are you right brained? Left brained? I'm a little of both. Running my own business let's me be creative AND analytical. It's all about being balanced.
6. Empowering others.
I've been teaching entrepreneurial and soap making classes for the past 11 years. It is wonderful to see the sparkle in another person's eye when they realize that they can really be their own boss.
7. Meeting other great entrepreneurs
I enjoy networking with entrepreneurs, both in person and online. Are you following me on Twitter? How about LinkedIn? Facebook? Please say hello and introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you!
8. Building value in my brand and company.
Simply said, at the end of the day it is mine.
9. Sharing my talents and gifts.
This is my calling. It feels right. Some days I feel like I'm a Jack (or Jill) of all Trades and Master of None. But the truth is that that when you have the ability to combine several talents and are good at multi-tasking, you have a great foundation for what it takes to be a great entrepreneur.
10. Because there are so many different hats to wear.
This is figuratively speaking, of course, because I don't look good in hats. Most days I love juggling the different aspects of the biz. It's nice to be the CEO, Marketing Manager, CFO and VP of Sales...all wrapped up into one.
Thanks for tagging me, Lisa! It was nice to stop and smell the roses for a bit.
A little drum roll action, please...here's who I'm tagging:
Jennifer Hardaway at http://www.kleanbathandbody.com/
Jill Jones at http://www.bidwellbotanicals.com
Michele Keiper at http://www.flower-peddler.com/
Kelly Bloom at http://www.southernsoapers.com/
Funlayo Alabi at http://www.shearadiancesupplies.com/
4 comments:
Very cool! It is always nice to take some time to reflect on why we do what we do :) And in your case why you love what you do!
It's been interesting to read different soapers' reasons for loving being an indie. :)
Great Post Marla.
We agree on alot of the same stuff..I just took longer to say it. LOL
Funny, I have been reading alot of the Indie Tag Party posts and they boil down to the "same" kind of headings but different reasons. Does that make sense. Anyway, I think it is a good way for us to learn about each other :)
This was an awesome post Marla and it has inspired me in a special way. It is good to see that there are other single parents that are Indie. I was trying to convince myself that I would not be able to be totally Indie because I am a single parent. Still wanting it bad enough, I continued to try and I am glad that I am not alone and that there are other single parent Indies out there. Go single parent Indies!!!!
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