MMBE, week 5

Welcome back to Monday Mingle, Business Edition, hosted by Lynsey Jones, The Party Plan Coach.  Each week, business owners discuss a common topic by vlog or blog post and link up to share in the conversation.  We welcome you to join up with us as either a reader or a particpant at any time.  We’d love to hear from you.

The original Monday Mingle was originated by Jennifer at her blog.  It is also a great weekly conversation to take part in.

This week, Lynsey asked us to reveal what we remember wanting to be when we were children and how those skills may be part of our small business ownership now.

I don’t remember much of wanting to be or do anything specific as a small child, except maybe to be a Mommy, like my Mommy, who stayed home with me.  In high school, however, I decided that I was going to be a scientist, a geneticist, in particular.  I loved biology and the idea of the new, growing field of genetics counselling.  I was NOT going to marry, have children, or let anything keep me from the dogged pursuit of my goal.  Period.

Looking back on this, 25+ years later, I think that a lot of my desire stemmed from a genuine inquisitiveness, combined with a genuine fear of failure.  If I was going to be successful, I would have to pick one thing to work on to the exclusion of all others.  Nothing like “all or nothing” thinking to derail a plan, huh?

So, what did I actually do?  I fell head over heels in love at 18, married at 19, continued in school, to end up with an English major with a Biology minor.  Science fiction, anyone?

Eventually, I became a certified Science teacher for grades 6-12.  Then, I moved to a private school where I taught English and Latin.  It was a far cry from counting fruit fly mutations in a lab somewhere.  And, I loved it.  Teaching is the most exhausting, frustrating, demanding, thankless, amazing job ever.  It kept me on my toes.  I was never bored.

But, eventually, I brought my kids home to school them myself as I couldn’t find a school that was equipped to handle both my mildly autistic son and my gifted son.

So, in my case, necessity became the mother of invention.  I started my Premier Designs business to help to replace some of the income that I lost when I left teaching.  I recently added Jamberry Nails to the mix because I felt it was a good complement to my jewelry business and because as a work at home Mom, it is helpful to accomplish at least some of my sales through the internet.

I do think that my natural inquisitiveness has helped me to determine the best ways to assist my customers in meeting their needs.  It has given me a drive to learn more and more about the businesses that I have chosen to participate in.  The people skills that were cultivated through my career in education has allowed me to be more at ease meeting people and talking to them.

It’s almost as if my life has been on a path to result in me being situated exactly where I am, right now.  Can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds.

If you missed last week’s installment of MMBE, click here.

Till next time,