The Accidental Entrepreneur. How was it accidental? Never in my childhood dreams or college years did I ever have “entrepreneur” or “small business owner” or anything along those lines on the radar of what path my life would take. It was astronaut. Then teacher. Then photographer. Then photojournalist focusing on religions of the world. Then, finally, just journalist. Weeks before I graduated, I l
anded my rookie reporter position at a small-town newspaper. I worked the cops & courts beat, plus some local city government issues/happenings and freelanced during political seasons. During my rookie year of being a newspaper reporter, I won several local and regional awards including the prestigious Don Baker Investigative Reporting Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. After starting a family, I needed a different path that would allow me time to be with family. While working part-time, I started an online business. Through many trial and error moments, I learned a lot about building a business from scratch, I learned a lot about what it takes to own a business, but I learned a LOT more of what not to do as well. There were many painful lessons learned, but after a year of hard work, I was able to sell the business for an astounding $700. In 2009, I began working in the advertising world and haven’t looked back. My start began working while for a small company who only had one product that they produced on an annual basis. I developed systems and processes to help organize the company’s day-to-day operations and helped them grow over time. Still not completely satisfied, I decided to venture into my second business attempt in 2011. This new adventure was all retail products for items that I had been a consumer of for years. I worked countless hours building this business. I learned many new lessons of inventory control, team building, graphic design, profit/loss and put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears. This business was way more lucrative than my first and it provided me with the BEST return on investment; confidence that I could be a successful business owner. In early Fall 2013, after a few horrible incidents at the small advertising company I worked for, I decided it was time to spread my wings and fly to my next adventure. The environment had become toxic and I needed to get out quickly. It wasn’t long after that decision had been made that I found the company I was meant to have all along. Early January 2014, I knew the time was right to walk away from the company I was working for. The decision was grueling. My husband was unemployed which left me the sole financial provider for the family. It was going to require a leap of faith I never experienced before. The previous two businesses were side gigs, not full-time income providers. My former employer told me directly as I submitted my resignation that I would never be able to own a business or “do what they do.”
Was I really capable of making this significant leap into true entrepreneurship? I jumped. Both feet. No looking back. Full steam ahead. From the moment I walked out of the office the day I quit, I started building my new business. I took zero contacts with me. I wanted a clean break. Starting from scratch, yet again. Knees hit the floor. Tears flowed from my cheeks. Here we go again. I took every ounce of knowledge that I gained from the two previous businesses, rolled up my sleeves and went to work. From 2014 to 2022, my company has grown from a simple 11 x 17, folded flyer mailing to 5,000 homes to now being the largest monthly direct-mail publication, with four publications covering four markets all over Central & Southern Utah and Mesquite, Nevada -- hitting 94,000+ homes. In addition to the mailers, the company has expanded the direct mail marketing, digital advertising and social media management services. And the story is just barely beginning.
