New Beginnings

It's hard to believe how much my life has changed in the last year alone.  Sometimes, the thought of it makes my head spin.  This time last year, I made the sad decision to turn in my notice at a job that I had had for 13 years.   While I loved the job, I was burned out and no longer loved the bureaucracy that came with it.  There were many stressors involved and I just didn't want to deal with it anymore.

I turned in my notice and said goodbye to many wonderful friends and volunteers and to a way of life that I had lived for 13  years.  My husband was one among many who thought I had totally lost my mind.  I quit a good job in this economy.  Who does that?  But I knew in my heart that I was doing the right thing.  Five weeks after I worked out my notice, I was back at work in a completely different environment.  I loved that job.  I was working in gardens and among a lot of beauty.  It was truly a joy for me.  I was able to tap into my creativity again and develop new projects and ideas.  That was so much fun for me and really helped rebuild my self confidence in my own skills and talents.

Unfortunately, it only lasted six months.  Budget shortfalls caused my position to be eliminated.  At the same time, my mentor passed away.  I don't remember much of November and December.  It went by in a haze of grief.  I finally pulled out of it, thanks to the love and support of family and a very good friend.  Job hunting was not going successfully and I wasn't sure where to turn.

A chance remark by husband led me down a new path.  We were sitting, playing with our furkids, who were fighting for attention and he said I should just open a doggie daycare.  That remark would not leave my head.  I dreamed about it, thought about it night and day and very quietly started doing some research.  I found out that there was not one in Blount County, although there were several in neighboring counties.  The more I thought about the idea, the more I became convinced that I was doing this.

So, fast forward 2 months and I have convinced my husband that this is the right career move for me, I have so many friends who are excited and ready to pitch in and help, I have partners who are bringing their expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm to the table and I have a bank who was crazy enough to loan me money for this venture.  I also have the help of a counselor from the TN Small Business Development Center, who is guiding me all the way through this process.  I found him when I went to a seminar hosted at the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.  He'll be there for me every step of the way and ensure that I don't get in over my head.

So, now I have my own Employer ID number, my business name and soon I will be a corporation.  I'm alternating between being excited and scared and I'm doing a lot of hyperventilating.  The next two weeks will be spent frantically finding a location.  The, business licenses, bank accounts, construction, and who knows what else.  But I do know that I'm looking forward to the future again and I'm smiling.  Being a small business owner is no picnic, but I'll be doing it for me and I'll be doing something I love.

As the saying goes, the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades.