I started my entrepreneurial journey at a pretty young age. My first business was polishing rocks that classmates would find on the playground. Something about how a stone transformed in the process of tumbling for days on end in different grits of sand and silicone beads I found intriguing. Sharing my curiosity lead others to bring me stones they were curious about. Depending on the size and time it took to polish I would charge anywhere from a 10¢ to $1.00 per rock. I don’t remember what I bought with my first earrings. I was a chubby kid so I would venture to say it was a 3 musketeers bar. But, I never forgot that feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment, and the possibilities that came from those tractions. 

Needless to say, I didn’t stop at rocks. I sold pogs, crazy bones, magic cards,  pokemon cards, beanie babies… The list goes on. The financial freedom that came with making your own buck was as addictive as the candy I bought with it. Naturally, in my early twenties, I decided to take things up a notch. I wrote a business plan, pitched my idea to anyone willing to listen, secured $1.3 Million in investment capital, and worked my butt off to bring the idea to life. It was exhilarating! 

I didn’t know what I didn’t know at the time. Looking back I was severely undercapitalized, overconfident, and fairly immature. I took every criticism personally.  I fought for five years to keep the business operational, keep my staff employed, and pay back investors. After 5 yrs of breaking even, working 80-90 hours a week, and getting no sleep. I felt lost, alone trapped, and defeated.  I started working with a coach thinking that would help motivate me to make the business profitable. What I discover in the process changed my entire outlook and direction.