I have owned a small business in one form or another, for most of my adult life. I have had many jobs, including a management position with a Fortune 500 company, but I knew early on in my career that I was too much of an entrepreneur to work for someone else.
It used to be, that there was nothing I found more rewarding than turning an idea into money. Then I got married, and started a family. Lucky for me, I found there was far more to life. My path has brought me to a time when just as my wife and I had our second child, I am starting a new chapter in my professional life. Obviously, sleep is not a priority for me. That is when I got the idea for Startup Daddy.
I know a lot about the tug-of-war that trying to run a business while starting a family can be. I was struggling with growing a business when my first daughter was born. I know about juggling schedules and, late nights. I know about sweating the mortgage and accounts payable. I also know victory. Closing the sale, getting the contract, getting the baby to stop crying, potty training. I recently sold that business, and now I am starting a new venture.
I have been helping friends and colleagues start their companies for years, and now I am going to make a business out of it. Helping people realize their dreams is not a bad way to make a living. I want to share my experiences as I get my new start up off the ground, while juggling the demands of family life. I reveal strategies here that my clients pay me good money to help them implement. I hope you find them useful.
Some jobs I have had throughout my life, in no particular order:
- textbook publisher
- franchise owner
- business owner
- cleaning cages at a pet shop
- customer service manager for a Fortune 500 Company
- paper boy
- swimming pool cleaner & repair man
- bagger at a grocery store
- stock boy at a clothing store
- sales rep
- sales manager
- fast-food burger flipper at the mall
- delivery boy
- mobile car detailer
- telemarketer
- day-laborer
- carpenter
- construction worker
- bartender (various places including Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras)
- bar manager
- assistant beverage manager at a posh resort in Miami, FL
- print shop assistant
As you can see, I have worked in the real world. I know the difference between hard work and difficult work, and I can tell you that difficult work is better! I have gotten to know just about every type of personality and every type of boss and employee. My experience has taught me many things about business, and if you implement the strategies I share here, it will shorten your learning curve considerably.