September 2023 Blog Topic: What inspired you to start your own business? If you do not own a business, what inspires you when you see a business functioning and functioning well or meet an owner?
By Cheryl Clark with Clark Strategies
Business versus Hobby. To me, there is a difference.
I had a few hobbies back in the day that provided me with extra money, afforded me some purchases for my enjoyment, and gave me some freedoms (like traveling) that I would not have had if it were not for the ‘hobby.’
Those hobbies and what they provided helped me go into business.
I went all in. No safety net, no parachute, no plan B. I knew little to nothing about owning, running, or being in business. I knew only the enjoyment of coming and going, money in my pocket, and guiding my own daily actions.
The past 22 years have brought on many lessons.
What inspired me the most was not being ‘tied’ down. I don’t know how else to put it. I won’t say it was time freedom because most of us work more hours as business owners than we did when we were employed. Even if we are not sitting at a laptop or talking to people about our business – the mind doesn’t rest easily when you are in business. There is a constant dialogue running of what I need to do, what I can do, and reevaluating what I did – at least for me.
I don’t think I am a ‘free spirit,’ or of the ‘gypsy’ mindset, and yet, maybe I am. I don’t goooo… I don’t use my ‘freedom’ to go here and there and yet my mind likes knowing I can. Simply put – I can.
Now often this “I can” moment is hindered by a lack of funds in a bank account however overall, without the financial barrier should I decide to wake up in Mexico, or sleep in a tent by a lake “I can.” I am not confined by another’s schedule.
Yes, my showing up is how I get paid, but I decide when, where, and how I show up. I will say setting some of these boundaries and expectations has been the biggest learning curve for me in business and continues to be, this is another blog in and of itself.
Learning the branding, learning what I enjoy doing, learning what needs I can meet in others, and learning the ever-changing tools and technologies out there for us business owners has been time-consuming but truly not that difficult. I had to learn evolution. I had to embrace change. My business ownership is constantly evolving and changing, and I had to be okay with that.
What inspired me to start my own business? The thought process of NO barriers! I can come and go! I have no financial cap! I am not confined.
