My Dream Report Finale

My dear friends and MML readers, I’m sad to report that today is my last Dream Report. Jess and I decided to end with 2011 some time ago, though now that it’s here, I think it went by much too quickly! I’ve so cherished writing for you each week and reading your comments. It’s helped so much in the transition into my new life as a full-time entrepreneur and I can’t thank Jess enough for the opportunity. *tear*

And so we finish 2011 with a theme of “endings” but also looking forward to the great things to come in 2012. Let’s look back…

2011 was the most amazing year for me. Ryan moved up the ranks at his job, I left my day job (!), I redesigned my website (worth the blood, sweat, and tears I should say, because I still get compliments!), I had our apartment professionally photographed which led to features on Desire to Inspire, three separate features on Apartment Therapy, and from there interviews on blogs like Curbed Seattle. I started writing here. We moved to our new apartment (and I love it!), I spent time in Chicago visiting my sister and got to meet Jess in person, and met Maddie, an MML reader.

It was a scary year too. I took a huge leap of faith, and luckily we’ve been able to keep it going the last six months. But it hasn’t been without sacrifice and late nights worrying about how it’s going to all come together. Especially when we faced the real possibility that Ryan would be laid off. And don’t forget that I spent the first three months of the year wondering if I was EVER going to take my business full time. I couldn’t take one more second of that commute or of sitting in a cubicle wondering when my life was going to start.

I took chances. That’s one things I’m immensely proud of this year, because I’m not what you’d call “gutsy”. I’m careful, thoughtful, probably even timid. I’m a worrier. I’d known for several years that my job was not my future, but it took me a long time to feel confident enough to make a move. So the fact that I not only up and quit my job but that I also reached out to people to promote my work… that’s a huge thing for me. It gets easier each day, but I’m still proud of myself about that.

As for challenges and hurdles, well… I’ve had a share of that too. Most of them have been inner-struggles. Working on time management, staying focused, staying positive, continuing to put myself out there, getting clients. And getting used to not knowing where the money is coming from this month. Great lessons in faith and patience for this control freak.

And I know that 2012 is going to kick major ass.

I have lots of plans for 2012 and several goals, although I haven’t wrapped up my official written year plan (yes, there are charts). Here’s what you can expect from me…

More content - I have an e-book coming out in early January (practical decor tips!) and another one in the early stages. I’m working on a few different recurring blog series that showcase designers I love, artists, and products. I want to do more in terms of producing photo shoots and video to demonstrate design ideas and techniques.

More projects - Both continuing with my online, long distance clients and beginning to grow more locally. I’ve gotten my toe in with my local clients, but I can’t wait for a killer project to come my way (know anyone in the Seattle area who needs design help? Send ‘em to me!). This also means I want to open more trade accounts to diversify what I can bring to my clients. I want to cultivate great relationships with vendors, particularly craftsmen/women in my area for things like drapery, upholstery, custom cabinetry and millwork, and of course product vendors. I’m also looking at how my service offerings could be improved, particularly for local customers.

A shift in focus - I love blogging, but I think it’s important to define what my focus is, which is interior design. While I’m bringing new features to the blog, I also may step back from blogging time-wise to focus on building the tangible side of my business. I hope that this shift brings more quality articles to my blog that showcase my skills and talents and aesthetic without necessarily posting everyday. Quality over quantity. However, I’ll never lose the blog altogether because I love the community it brings and it’s a great marketing tool. But, I’d rather be a decorator that blogs… not a blogger that decorates. So my working hours need to reflect that.

Marketing - If you’re in the home-decor blogging world, then you’re going to see me everywhere. In 2012 I’m all about networking, connecting, meeting new people, collaborating and sharing. I want to be contributing as a guest poster, be interviewed, partner with companies, and have my design projects featured in all the best places. Being super social scares the pants off me (Miss Introvert) but it’s a boost that my business needs.

Trying new things - Video for the blog, traveling to High Point Market (dying to make this work in the spring), maybe being on TV? Ok, getting a little ahead of myself perhaps, but why not? Dream bigger. I do have a new marketing element that is going into place in January – teaching a group of women (potential customers) how to style their bookcases during a live event in a client’s home. I’m excited to share my knowledge and try something outside of the marketing norm of advertisements and social media.

Self-care - Starting January 1st I’ll once again have health and dental insurance (so you can stop holding your breath, Mom), thanks to the affordable rates at Ryan’s new job. I’ve also been looking back at some of the workbook-type exercises I did before quitting my job (where you write about your vision of your life and career) and see some major elements missing from what I’ve got going on now… mostly in health and appearance. I want to eat healthier, I want to be in shape and active. I want to do yoga. And I want to dress better… something that I feel my draining office job sucked right out of me. I used to have the cutest wardrobe and I’m in a serious jeans and tee rut. So with some Christmas gift cards, some thrifting skills and bargain hunting, I hope to fix that. First though is not over-doing the sugar over the next two weeks ; )  Self-care is something that was missing when I had an employer and I want to have that as a focus in my new life as an entrepreneur.

So, dear readers, I leave you with this ridiculously long post and farewell message. So many of you have shared your common struggles and/or your dreams to take the entrepreneurial leap yourselves. You can do it. You can find a way and you can make a plan. Be working toward your dreams and not let them pass you by. Be prepared to struggle, but face your challenges with even more determination. If you work hard and do work that you love, eventually the pieces will start to fall into place as long as you keep learning and growing. Each and every one of you has the ability to make it happen. I can’t wait to see where you end up!

If you’d like to keep in touch with me (and I hope you do!), here’s where you can find me around the interwebs…
My site and blog
Subscribe to my blog
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
and/or email me at maggie@maggieroseonline.com

Farewell, happy holidays, and happy New Year!

xoxo Maggie

Thank you Maggie

From the bottom of my heart, Maggie, I cannot thank you enough for your amazing contribution you have made to MML! I have sincerely enjoyed reading along on your journey and cheering you through the tough and awesome phases that have come.

Though you always hear how much I love your writing style, content, and perspective, I also want you to know how much I appreciated your integrity, reliability, and excellent partnership skills you possess. It was a joy to have you as a Dream Reporter and I cannot wait to see what things are in store for you!

Love,
Jess!

Special Q&A Edition!

Thank you all so much for the positive response to last week’s post! Glad that resonated (and that I’m not alone!). I loved reading all your comments.

This week I’m going a little off-script and answering some questions you left in the comments last week and via email. And if you missed that opportunity, feel free to leave additional questions in the comments section and I’ll be sure to answer them there!

Let’s see what we have here….

Susan asks: My husband and I are on a tight budget, we live in an apartment and I would really like to put a personal touch on our rather bland landscape. If you have a $100 to decorate where would you start? Would you buy a great piece of art? would you invest in a chair or accent item, like a lamp or vase? Should we spend it all on one thing or a few little things. Any thoughts? Just trying to make our ‘house’ a ‘home’!!

Hi Susan – what a great question! If it’s a possibility, I’d take half of that $100 and put it toward paint. Painting can have a HUGE influence on the personality of the room. With the other $50 I’d get either a great painting or a vintage chair. If you have some artistic skills (or can just hold a paintbrush) you could even do an abstract painting on a large canvas. The idea is to create a focal point. With $50 you could also find a killer vintage chair on Craigslist or at an estate sale. Get something that is full of personality and speaks to you and your husband. I wouldn’t fritter it away on lots of small stuff though – that will just get lost and not further the overall design. Make one or two big statements. And just take the rest of the room bit by bit and save up for big purchases. Good luck!

Valerie asks: Besides blogs and giveaways, are there any marketing techniques that you have used and/or that you feel are effective?

The best marketing has been and always will be word-of-mouth. My best clients come from other awesome clients who know we’d click. But when you’re just getting started, that can be slow to produce results. The next best thing is to create buzz and interest through the media. Being featured in a local newspaper or magazine or on blogs with large audiences (depending on if you want to reach local clients or online clients) can be a great way to introduce people to your services. Bonus : since you’re being featured by an entity with clout and credibility, you’ll automatically be seen as credible as well. Get working on a great press release featuring your new opening, public event, product launch, or other juicy news-worthy tidbit about your business!

Haley asks: BRAND NEW to blogging…what did you do to connect with people in your niche? Leave comments, write personal emails?

Yes, I did leave comments and write personal emails (and I still do!). Since I started blogging, twitter has become an amazing place to connect with peers as well, so I recommend that to anyone wanting to connect. I also joined online communities (20 Something Bloggers was one) and I took an online blogging class back in 2009 that was forum-based and promoted a lot of discussion. You might join other groups or conferences/events related to your niche – if you’re meeting in person, be sure to bring business cards!

Laura asks: You’ve just had your six-month anniversary of your business. What are some of your goals for Maggie Rose Interiors for the next year?

Woohoo! I have lots of goals for 2012, including more in-person events for potential interior design clients, working on getting some projects published in an online magazine like Rue or Lonny, and to bring some sort of product component into play (obviously that isn’t too fleshed out yet!). I’d also love to take on an intern (maybe even employee??) by the end of 2012.

Thanks for asking, and remember I’ll ask additional questions in the comments below if you want : )

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

*To submit a question for me to answer in next week’s Q&A post, leave it in a comment!*

Popular

As much as I love blogging and what it’s done for my business (starting it, for one thing!), the internet can start to feel like high school sometimes.

I remembered this the other day, while seeing that another blogger had gotten a pretty prominent feature on a big site. And while I like that blogger a lot, I couldn’t help but feel jealous and frustrated. “It’s not fair!” I whined to myself (and the cat), “I should be on there!”

You know, like a bratty teenager.

The internet has its popular girls. And you and me and everyone else (yes I’m generalizing) looks at “the cool table” and wonders when they’re gonna make it there.  And seeing one of your buddies get that coveted invitation… well, you feel good for her and kinda hate her at the same time. Not that I’m particularly proud of this… I just have a feeling that some of you may have experienced something similar. Wishing and hoping for approval and to be deemed worthy.

And you can’t forget the “new girl”. The blog that comes out of nowhere and seems to be an overnight success. “How was that so EASY for her?” you wonder. There may or may not be desperate attempts to “get in” with her before she figures out you’re not one of the cool girls. Ahem.

But since it’s been a while since I actually was in high school (almost 9 years if you’re counting), I do have a little bit of insight to how to combat the popularity ladder… at least in your mind and attitude. See, in high school, we didn’t really realize that the popular girls were insecure too. They may be aware that they’re popular, but they’re human just like the rest of us and are probably pinching themselves and hoping it doesn’t all just disappear. This completely goes for bloggers too (think she’s always wearing those stilettos and Chanel, or is she in her pj’s just like you?). Also, your “level” of popularity is totally dependent on perspective. I may sometimes feel like a grade A first class loser sitting at the freshman table, but to that girl over there, I’m doing really well. She wishes her blog were as successful as my blog, even while I wish mine was as successful as the homecoming queen’s.

As my analogy falls apart, my message is that everyone feels like they are, at times, at the complete bottom of the totem pole. Like there is so far to climb and that you’re getting passed over by the new-girls of the world. That everyone else is more successful, has more opportunities, and has the hottest boyfriend (ok, slipping back into that analogy!). But everyone experiences those feelings.

I wish that I’d spent less time in high school wanting to be popular and had just taken some chances and not been so scared. I would have tried out for cheerleading. I would have joined the school newspaper. I would have taken more art classes. I would have talked to the boys that I considered “out of my league”. And you know what? Now that I have a business and a blog, I get a second chance to (ahem) flip the bird to popularity and take those chances. Nope, not picking up the pom pom’s anytime soon, but go after the dreams that are important to me now and not wondering if I’ll “fit in”. Popularity and success will find me, instead of me chasing them.

Anyone else sometimes feel like blogging is like high school? Now that you’re not 17 anymore, how do you combat those familiar feelings?

P.S. Next week I want to do a special Q&A and answer any questions you have for me – about my business, blogging, interior design, anything you want. Leave your questions in the comment section below or email me at maggie AT maggieroseonline.com. Looking forward to it!

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Six Month Update

December 1st marked my six month anniversary as a full-time entrepreneur. Did you hear that popping noise? That was my bottle of champagne ; )

I feel like this is quite a milestone, and yet, it’s only the beginning. It has been the beginning of what I hope will be a long and prosperous career, a beginning of asserting who I am, and a beginning of healing and hope.

When I left my job at the end of May, I was totally sure that this was the right choice and confident in what would happen next. I believed that everything would fall into place. I had amazing opportunities right out of the gate – features on large blogs, interviews and new clients started coming in. It was a whirlwind of excitement and adrenaline. And then the buzz of my new business began to wear off and I understood all those entrepreneurs who say “I never thought it would be this hard.”

It’s been damn hard. I bounce between exhilarating days and scary ones. One week everything is amazing and the next week I’m wondering what the hell I got myself into. I never know when the next client opportunity will come along or if my blog readers will come back. I wonder if this is sustainable and when it will get easier. It’s terrifying.

But it’s been so. worth. it.

No more getting up in the dark to commute for two hours in the rain. No more sitting in a cubicle wondering when my life was going to start. Or crying in the bathroom stall at work. Asking myself if this is all there was.

Instead, I’m in control of my own work, my business, and my future. Every day I get to decide what the company priorities are, how I work, and what happens next. Of course, with this power comes responsibility, as they say. The hard work has just begun, but so have the rewards.

I’ve learned more about my dreams, what I really want. I’ve screwed up. I’ve dropped the ball but then learned from my mistakes. And it’s time now to keep moving forward. I have more big dreams and they aren’t going to happen all by themselves. Six months ago I went after them and I’m going to keep going after them. I didn’t like my life. I didn’t like my career. So I did something about it and followed my heart. And to be honest, I still can’t believe I had the guts! But I did, and I do, and the future looks bright. Not all smooth sailing, of course, but worth it.

To the next six months!

Thankful

I briefly thought about writing a post on Black Friday, which gets its name from the stores finally making enough sales to consider themselves “in the black” for the year. But selling a service is a little different from retail, which doesn’t make me the best expert on that subject. Instead I’ll focus on yesterday, the American Thanksgiving, and what I’m giving thanks for this year, especially since leaving my job almost six months ago.

1. Support, particularly from my sweet partner Ryan. We’re the best team and he really believes that I can make it work and be successful. We’ve been together almost six years and I know I wouldn’t have had the guts to take this leap without his unflagging support. He may not know much about pillows or furniture or mixing patterns, but he’s the best thing to happen to Maggie Rose Interiors.

2. My health. I had been to the doctor several times with scary symptoms that ended up being chalked up to stress. Since leaving my job, my health has improved dramatically, even though I still get tension headaches every now and then. But since my worry is about the work that I love, it’s worth it. And until I can afford some real health insurance, let’s hope I continue to be healthy! Yay vitamins!

3. Word of mouth. I’m so touched by all the people who I know in real life or only on the internet who have recommended me to a friend. Whether it’s forwarding my blog on to someone they know or bringing me up to a friend who needs decorating help, it all helps my business. Referrals are the best source of new clients and I love to hear that someone I know or have worked with has recommended me. I’m endless grateful to those of you who may have done so.

4. Time to focus on what I love. This is huge. I know all you Midnight Hustlers know what I’m talking about. I’m still learning how to harness this extra time to work most efficiently, but I can’t be more thankful to have that problem!

5. My readers and clients. Including YOU! I still pinch myself that everyday, people come to my blog (or to this column) and read what I have to say. And bonus – some people PAY me to play with fabric and pick colors and shop for furniture and make their homes pretty! When it comes down to it, this is the most awesome job ever and I hope I am always aware of how lucky I am to be doing work that I love.

6. The people I’ve met. Something I didn’t expect when I started blogging was how many of these awesome people I would eventually meet in person. And since launching the business full-time, more people have heard about me and want to meet, and I actually have the flexibility to do so! Having coffee or a martini with another entrepreneur or design-lover is endless inspiring to me and one of my favorite parts of my new life.

Thank you all for continuing to read my Dream Reports each week. I’m grateful for each one of you and for what the future has in store for you (hint: AMAZING things!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Strengths

I spent a week in Chicago and just got back on Tuesday, and yes I got to meet Jess and she is just as charming and friendly in person as you’d expect her to be! We had a lovely time visiting. At coffee, Jess asked about some of my past work experience, namely a job that I had really enjoyed and what about that job was I good at. The job was in fundraising, and at the time I thought I was good at fundraising and that it was the career path for me… with some time and distance I’m able to see that it was the people and work environment that I loved. My best years in that job were spent doing lots of project management, organizing, and training new workers the ropes and how to be successful fundraisers. I didn’t particularly enjoy asking for money, but I loved giving others the confidence to do so.

Jess suggested tapping into my strengths from that job and seeing if those skills are something that can be applied to the business. Teaching others is actually something that I’d been interested in for a while, and we brainstormed some pretty awesome related marketing concepts that combine my passion for design with that strength gained from my old job.

Since I’ve been home I’ve been thinking about how to practically apply our ideas and how to recreate that process with other strengths I have. I had a few friends that are also entrepreneurs that have had a few great opportunities come by recently, a few of which I had a small role in helping happen. My strength in those situations was connecting people. I’m no social butterfly, but I do cherish building strong connections with like-minded people and I LOVE to share my friends stories and talk them up to people. Why is it that I’m eager to do that for others but am shy about doing the same thing for my own work?

I’m also a strong writer, and yet I haven’t fully utilized that skill for my blog or in pitching story ideas to local newspapers and magazines. This is a strength that I spent quite a bit of money on developing (hello, student loans!) so I really should be putting them to work! It’s too easy to think “oh it’s just a blog post, no one is REALLY going to read it” and churn out a sloppy post. When actually, I could be posting better articles less frequently and I’m sure it would help my readership, not hinder it as I’ve feared.

Other strengths I can think of I’ve already been tapping into as a decorator. Beyond having a natural eye for design and color, I’m a great listener. Listening to and hearing a client is crucial to the success of a design. I also have a strong sense for attention to detail, and I believe that helps me bring special touches to a client’s home.

It was also helpful for me to reflect on my favorite work environments. I work best with medium to small groups or one-on-one projects. I don’t do well in groups larger than 15 people because I tend to let someone more outgoing take the lead. I do like taking a leadership position on group projects because I want things to be organized my way. I love to have someone to bounce ideas off of and brainstorm with. I’m easily distracted in large groups and get most of my best work done when I have alone time after a great discussion.

As much as I don’t like to think of “those days” when I worked in an office, analyzing my work history and where I excelled and where I faltered has really given me a better sense of how I can grow as an entrepreneur. Skills that I’m already using have helped get me to where I am, and I’m excited to think of new ways to utilize my other strengths and turn them into new and exciting opportunities for my business. And they aren’t skills that you’d think of automatically as helpful to an entrepreneur – but some of my more abstract strengths hold the most possibility.

What are some skills that you have in your current or past jobs that you could use as an entrepreneur? Think outside the box (beyond “I’m good with numbers”) and more abstract. Maybe you loved planning the office parties or out of organizing a file system. Maybe you got a thrill out of surprising the receptionist with flowers to say “thanks” or maybe you really liked keeping time during a meeting to keep with the agenda. How can you apply that in a fresh and creative way to your business?

An update on the part-time job front

Several weeks ago I posted about my conflicted emotions over looking for a part-time job to help ease the financial burden of only having one steady household income. I didn’t discuss it at the time, but shortly after writing that post we were told that my boyfriend Ryan’s employer had been purchased by another company and there was a strong possibility that he would be let go in a months’ time. If he was not laid off, they were also offering temporary contracts to some of the employees. We didn’t dare plan on him being offered a new full-time position, but we certainly were hoping that would be the case.

Still, I was reluctant to throw myself back into any sort of office job. I was worried that the demands would prove to be more than part-time and that the gray cubicle and fluorescent lighting would be more than my spirit could take. This felt to me both as setting my boundaries and extremely selfish.

Several readers suggested retail, something that would expose me to beautiful products and learn more for the future of my own business. I looked into employment at a few of my favorite home stores but they weren’t hiring. I considered places like J.Crew and other clothing retailers I like, but kept dragging my heels. Nothing seemed to be the right fit.

Until an old friend from high school posted on Facebook about looking for a nanny for her one year old daughter. She was having trouble finding a day care that would take her part-time for the two days a week that she and her husband’s work schedules overlapped. I immediately felt compelled to contact her. The hours were right (about 10 per week over two days) and the pay was about the amount that Ryan and I had discussed I should be contributing Plus, singing the ABC’s and changing diapers sounded like a good break from sitting at my desk at home. I emailed her and we began discussing details.

The month of Ryan’s unknown future passed quickly — we squeezed in a doctor’s appointment and new glasses in case he lost his insurance during the merger. I had several client inquires to keep me busy. And on Halloween afternoon, Ryan emailed to say he’d been offered a full-time position with full benefits AND a title and pay promotion. Literally the best possible scenario.

But Ryan’s good job news didn’t mean I wouldn’t still take on a job. Earlier this week I had my “trial day” with my new little charge and we got along swimmingly. For a few hours I got to completely forget about the business, how clean my apartment was, and what was on my to-do list. I came back to my work unburdened by worry and with a fresh appreciation for my time. All in all, it feels like a win-win situation.

I feel like we have been extremely blessed in the last few months. Obviously some of Ryan’s coworkers did not make out so well and some entrepreneurs are forced into part-time jobs that they hate. So I’m very grateful for the way things have gone and it makes me believe that I’m still on the right path.

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Business Bucket List

The “Bucket List” is that list you have (formally or informally) of all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” It might mean climbing Mt. Everest, learning the violin, or something more attainable, like skinny-dipping. For my business, I think of the bucket list as all things I dream of for my business (the bucket is handy for alliteration!)

In my personal life, I’m of the informal bucket list variety… meaning I don’t have anything written down. But when I’m having a rough day, sometimes it helps to reflect on the future of Maggie Rose Interiors. I don’t think of how or when or “impossible!” when dreaming up these ideas. Just “what if…”

I’ve talked about purposeful daydreaming before… this is related, but not exactly the same. My bucket list is short items, my daydreaming is filling out one of those idea items into a full vision and then identifying related action. Both help me grow and focus. And I don’t call my bucket list items “goals” or even “intentions” because at this point, I’m not moving forward on these ideas directly. They are just someday.

Some of the items on my business bucket list…

1. Write a book
2. Have a project published in a big-deal magazine
3. Win an award
4. Design a line of furniture and/or fabrics
5. Have a project photographed by a famous photographer
6. Design a boutique hotel

What are some of your big out-there dreams that are there for someday in the future? Does thinking about them help you stay creative and inspired (like me), or does it stress you out?

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Action!

I read this awesome article on Monday and it’s really stuck with me all week. It’s all about the “Entrepreneurial Insecurity” that you may recognize in yourself or from some of my previous posts. My take-away message was this line: “Action is the antidote to fear.”

How fitting then, that Jess posted her message on Tuesday to “Start where you are and just keep going.” Act. Don’t stop to dwell on the fear and insecurity. Everyone has fear and no one knows exactly what they’re doing when they start out. The difference is that those who are now successful forged ahead anyway. They didn’t say “I don’t know, so I won’t act.” They figured it out and moved. the. hell. on.

Every time this week that I’ve thought, “that scares me” or laid my head down on my desk under a wave of insecurity and anxiety, this phrase has come back to me. Action is the antidote to fear. And I looked at my to-do list, pick something that sounds fun, and go. No holds barred, just tackling each item head on.

I haven’t been Superwoman or anything, but I’ve been very productive and kept the anxiety at bay for the most part. I’ve been in contact with several potential clients. Followed up on some collaborative projects. Made progress on some of those “maybe someday” ideas, including writing a good third of my next e-book. In the process of being more productive and more creative, I’ve had more great ideas that I can’t wait to get into production. Hopefully I’ll be busy enough with these client projects that that will have to happen in 2012, wink wink.

And I’ve felt great. The more I get done, the better I feel about the future of the business and about my abilities. And it’s not like I’m doing anything more amazing than was already on my list. I’m just choosing to act on them instead of worry over them.

One tip for anyone wondering “that’s great for YOU, but how do I do that?”. List out ALL the great things you want to do. No judging them, just get ‘em on paper. Some will be your “someday” list. For your “action” list (what I’m working from), chunk out each idea into actionable tasks. This is a trick I learned from Getting Things Done. I don’t have something like “network on social media” on my action list. I have “comment on 5-7 blogs today, post two educational articles to twitter, create a poll on facebook”. I’m very specific, and the tasks are usually quick nuggets that are easy to check off.

Another thing I’ve been doing this week that is helping me feel positive and chipper – reaching out to peers and friends who I know are also in the throes of entrepreneurship (some of whom have emailed me to talk, vent, or for advice). Just a friendly hello to ask how things are going and remind them that I’m around to chat. I know that I love sharing my experiences and timid questions of “am I a weirdo because of this…” (think learning about puberty in 4th grade, only in a business sense, haha). So by reaching out I’m helping facilitate that conversation and it gives me the warm-fuzzies.

Did Jess’s post kick anyone else in the rear too? Do you find that by taking action you can keep the fear at bay? What about at 2:30 a.m. when you’re wide awake thinking about how to write press releases? Yeah, I did that. Hey, I didn’t say I was perfect. Just that I’m workin’ on it.

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Re-frame

Hitting Week 20 is quite the milestone! And to be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about this week. In general, the last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling grumpy and crappy, like I simultaneously need a nap AND an exciting getaway. But I didn’t want to write another whiny “what am I doing wrong?” post today. It’s time to snap out of that funk.

I’ve had a couple of projects recently hit the skids. Not client projects thank goodness, just things I’ve been trying to get off the ground that are, for whatever reason, not budging. This week I’m between clients so it was a chance to examine those projects again. After a few days (yes, days) of pouting and feeling junky about them (and one in particular), I finally decided enough was enough. I didn’t want to give up on the project, but it was time to admit that the way I’d been approaching it over and over the same way wasn’t working.

It needed to be “re-framed” – or changed enough so that while the soul of the project stays the same, the presentation or pieces of it are different. It changes the project just enough to get it moving again. And the key is, once something has been “re-framed” you don’t go back. No regrets, just lessons learned and on to Plan B.

I had been thinking this way about a specific project, but then it occurred to me that I could be applying my “re-framing” to several parts of my business and life to get me fully out of my funk. My marketing plan has settled into doing the same things and getting the same results. So if I want different (aka BETTER) results, then I should be trying different things. I’ve been a lot better about keeping my business hours during the day and taking time to relax and recharge in the evening, but even that could use some polishing. And yes, my attitude about looking for a part-time job could use re-framing as well.

In the end, it comes down to realizing that just because something isn’t working doesn’t make it a failure. That’s just not how it’s supposed to work. Re-frame.

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Self-Educating

There’s a reason he’s one of the greats! Room by decorator Billy Baldwin from the 1970′s (though it looks current!)

Like much of the Western World, I was saddened and touched by the recent passing of Steve Jobs. It surprised me, in a way, just how much it affected me – I didn’t know him, and didn’t particularly think about him much when he was alive. But as someone with a purpose and drive he made an impression on me.

In the days after his death I saw his Stanford address for the first time, read inspiring quotes from his speeches and interviews, and started to piece together what impressed me so. His ability to think outside the box. His striving for the perfect product. Always trying something new. He changed the face of technology and then continued to improve and shape it.

Now, I’m not a software engineer (I’ll leave that to my boyfriend) but it made me think a lot about interior design and what “making an impact” means in my industry. I realized that for me, it’s not enough to spend an entire career just “making things pretty” but rather to change what design IS. To do something new and different. Try new ideas and create new trends, not just follow them. I don’t want to be satisfied with putting the latest “hot” fabric on a pillow, painting the walls the “in” color, and making a “nice” or “cute” room. I want people to walk into a room that I designed and say “WOW!”

So, um, how exactly do I plan to start doing that?

There are lots of nasty arguments on the internet about the difference between the term “decorator” and the term “designer” (for the record, I am a decorator) that primarily has to do with education. For the sake of staying on topic, we’re tossing that out the window right now. What I’m talking about is SELF-educating.

The difference between a good decorator and a GREAT decorator comes from, I think, the ability to start trends and predict trends and not just follow them. In order to do so, I think it’s key to have a fundamental understanding of what came before you, what’s going on around you, and how to tap into your creative voice that says, “To hell with it all, paint it red!”

Since going back to school isn’t something that I’m interested in right now, my plan is to voraciously learn all about design on my own. Sure, I am a good decorator and I can think outside the box once in a while. But I want to understand where the design trends of today are coming from, what they’re building off of, and where they might go next. By looking back into the history of design and significant designers, I think I’ll gain insight and add a layer of depth to my work that is only hinted at right now.

My curriculum:

• The work of past designers, notably Billy Baldwin, Dorothy Draper, David Hicks, and Albert Hadley.
• The work of current designers that I admire, notably Miles Redd, Steven Gambrel, Molly Luetkemeyer, Kelly Wearstler (so crazy, but she’s just light-years ahead of us), Mary McDonald, Thomas O’Brien.
• Architecture
• Art history
• Textiles – design, manufacturing, history, etc.
• (more to be added!)

My materials:

• The library (basically everything I can read)
• The internet
• Job shadow or tours
• Hands on – Dying to learn to paint, for instance

Ideally we’d be adding some “travel” in there too, but from my last post you’re right to assume that it’s just not in the budget now (although we are planning a visit to New York in the spring and I will be making the most of it!).

My hope is that studying the work of the designers whose footsteps in which I wish to follow will open my eyes and brain in a way that will make me a better decorator. And that I’ll always strive to be better and to learn more and not be satisfied with just doing well, but instead always be trying to improve and grow.

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Are you a success or a failure?

How do you measure success? Is it being free to do your own thing, enjoying the work that you do, or spending quality time with your loved ones? Or does it maybe have (just a little) something to do with money?

Here’s the tricky thing with working for yourself: I’ve been busy. I’ve gotten guest post spots. I’ve had more readers to my blog. I’ve had more clients, and been featured on blogs that seem to (really!) like what I do. But I’m making about the same amount from my business now than I was from business activities when I was working a cubicle job 4 days a week. Sure, I’ve made a couple extra hundred dollars a month, but I haven’t met my financial goals – as in, my just bread-and-butter goals.

Do I feel like a success? Not right now. But yet, re-read the first part of that paragraph: I’ve been busy. I’ve gotten guest post spots. I’ve had more readers to my blog. I’ve had more clients, and been featured on blogs that seem to (really!) like what I do.

Sounds pretty successful.

When I’ve sheepishly admitted to other entrepreneurs (new and old alike) that I’m barely making any money, they nod in understanding. So at the very least, I don’t feel totally alone. But come bill time, I’m starting to sweat and I wonder how other people do it. How do they get by? Wealthy husbands? Fifty grand in the bank? Massive piles of debt? Sure, one of the reasons I’m able to take this leap and not totally drown is because Ryan is working full-time. But he’s not making a ton and it would be nice to be putting money INTO savings and not just taking it OUT. Luckily something always comes through at the last moment, but not before a few sleepless nights.

We’ve talked a lot recently about me taking on a part-time job close to home while the business is still getting off the ground. But the very act of looking for jobs makes me feel like a big fat failure. Writing it on here makes me feel like a loser. I don’t want to make coffee or file other people’s papers or wear business attire I want to be working on my OWN business! The few jobs I’ve been interested in I’m probably not qualified for.

If success is a measurement, then to determine whether or not I’m succeeding or failing, I need to know what I’m measuring. At the beginning of 2011 I wrote a business plan – mostly for my own interests as I wasn’t approaching financial backers. I set statistical goals of every sense. And by August, I’d blown every one of them out of the water. My goals for number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers – passed and doubled. My goals for monthly visits, passed. My goal for record number of hits on one day, hit in June. My etsy sales (before dwindling and the shop closure last month) had already surpassed 2010′s revenue. But design clients (where the majority of my income should be coming from) show only a slight up-tick, despite my optimistic projections in January of 2011. And here I am, four months into Living the Dream and I’m wondering if I should be perfecting my espresso skills.

So I guess what I’m looking for from you, readers, is: What makes a person successful? If you’re an entrepreneur, how scary is the money part? Were you making ANY money the first year? And if you’re hoping to be an entrepreneur, are you socking away every penny you can while you’re still working a day job? Every dollar comes in handy, you can take it from me!

Maggie Morgan is an interior decorator in Seattle. Visit her website to see her work and read her blog, Maggie Rose.

Letting Go

A couple of weeks ago I decided to close my Etsy shop. A few of my facebook followers asked if everything was ok, and actually, I’m better than ever! First, a little history…

I started the shop back in April of 2010 on kind of a whim. I’d been finding vintage items in my searches for my own home and saw things that were GREAT but I had no space or purpose for. But I hemmed and hawed and delayed until finally one day I just decided to go for it. I actually started on Big Cartel, then switched to Etsy later (here’s a post about that). When putting together my business plan for 2011, the Etsy shop was a significant portion of it – I’ve mentioned before that some kind of retail aspect is something I’ve thought about for the future of Maggie Rose and I saw the shop as a way to dabble in that without plunging into owning and operating a store-front retail store. I’d made some great sales since the move to Etsy and even wanted to start making and selling products for the home, which I did a bit earlier in 2011.

This all sounds great, right? You’re probably wondering where the “quitting” part comes in.

So here’s the deal: as my own boss, I like to measure my business activities based on what is fun to me and what excites me. If it doesn’t HAVE to happen (financials, invoicing, filing, contracts) and I can’t somehow change it to be fun (or the act of changing it to be fun also sounds like no fun), then I don’t want it as part of my business. And the Etsy shop got to be a big drag.

First there was the problem of not being able to consistently find vintage items that I thought reflected my “brand” that I could also mark up enough to make any money from (which, let’s face it, is a big part of business too). Some of the items that I’d invested money in weren’t selling and it was hard for me to justify spending MORE to have more inventory taking up space. I got lots of tips on how to boost profits (re-listing items daily for 20 cents a pop, having more inventory, etc) but stuff just wasn’t moving and I was reaching my limit of how much I wanted to spend without seeing any returns. And when I was only finding things to sell that would make me maybe $5… I wondered if it was worth it to me.

Secondly, I learned very, very quickly that I hated shipping. Jess, I don’t know how you do it! Maybe it’s because the post office wasn’t part of my regular routine, but getting a sale both thrilled and annoyed me because I didn’t want to deal with shipping it. It seemed like I never had the right size box, somehow even when I calculated the shipping with packaging and everything I was still under-charging and lost money on sales that way. Some items I didn’t even break even because the profit margin was too small to pad any shipping charge errors. And I knew that other sellers were undercharging on both the items AND shipping, making my prices seem inflated.

Lastly, it sucked that no one wanted to buy some of the stuff. I had been really excited to offer pillows in my shop. I’d picked out the fabric and trims and had more options ready to be stitched up when the first batch sold. But not a single. pillow. sold.  Even with lowering the prices, advertising a “sale” and relisting them several times. And that was a big bummer and blow to my ego (and it kind of is to admit that here, too, but I’m trying to keep it real).

Basically, it started to suck and it wasn’t profitable. And the less I wanted to deal with it, the less successful it was, and so on.

So I closed it, on as much of a whim as I’d started it. AND IT FELT AMAZING. I felt an immediate sense of relief and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

The only thing nagging me was that I’d started this whole shop endeavor because a retail aspect was something I was considering for the future of Maggie Rose Interiors.

Once again, Ryan came to my rescue as sounding board and meaningful-question-asker. I thought (out loud… a lot…) about a retail space, what the time commitment and energy spent on it would be. Did I want to spend all of my time managing a store (most likely with an online component)? Not really. I wouldn’t have time left over to take on the design clients I hoped a store-front might attract. So I reconsidered why having a store-front was so appealing to me in the first place. Two elements stuck out to me.

1. I like the idea of choosing products, of picking out amazing items and introducing my readers & clients to them. I also like the idea of possibly designing products someday.

2. I really like the idea of having a physical space that reflects my business and that can be used to throw parties, host small design classes, book signings, and bring clients to.

Neither of those things require that I open a store.  I do have some ideas for how to incorporate products into my business, though. And until my budget can work it out, I won’t be opening any kind of office space, though now I know that’s more suited to what I want. I feel so much better now, and instead of dreading thinking about products, inventory, and advertising my shop, I’m excited about my new ideas and about doing something unique that is both fun for me, and beneficial for my business. Because that’s what I want my business to be about!

Have you made any business decisions based on how fun you thought they were? Have you backed out of something because it just wasn’t working anymore? Or do you see it through to the (bitter) end?

P.S. A reader suggested last week that I include my website address in my post. So if you can’t find a link elsewhere, I’ll be including it here at the bottom. For more info about Maggie Rose Interiors, check out my website.

Establishing a Routine (following up!)

Last week I reported on my struggles with establishing a routine – thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments! I’m glad to hear that I’m not alone. It seems to be a common problem, but not one that can’t be overcome.

Sadly (yet, somehow, realistically) I can’t report that my week was magically perfect after airing my frustration. I still didn’t fit in exercise. But I did wrap up a client project, answered questions about another, lined up another client consultation, worked on an upholstery project, and managed to fill up my evenings next week with events and outings. I felt productive.

However, I did take note of how I was thinking about my time. I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks that I have on my plate – even though they are things I WANT to do. But on Sunday night I found myself mentally committing to way more tasks for the next day than would be physically possible. Finishing the chairs, finishing a client’s floor plan, emailing like 20 people, working out, doing laundry, hanging pictures, running errands, cooking a new recipe for dinner (which ended up taking four hours in itself), blogging (I like to write several posts at once and pre-schedule them). I’d think of “just one more thing” and think “I could do that tomorrow” but was setting myself up for failure by just wanting to do too many things in one day.

Since noticing that, the last few days I’ve been committing myself to accomplishing just one large task each day. Sure, I can do more (and need to if I want to keep this business ticking) but waking up in the morning knowing that “finishing these chairs” is my task for the day helps eliminate the wandering indecisiveness and overwhelm. When I finish that task, there are others waiting to be done.

I might eventually land on a schedule of, say, three must-complete items per day and a fall-back list for when those are complete. But this week, I’m sticking with one. It’s a learning process, and adjustment.

I guess my main message for the week is that it’s ok to have a learning curve, to realize that something isn’t working and take steps to adjust. And it’s ok for a realization to not magically create a better habit or action. It still takes time to build habits. I used to be one of those “all or nothing” types, but I’m learning as I get older that those plans have never worked for me. One change at a time.

Establishing a routine

One of the things I looked forward to the most about leaving my 8-5 job was having the freedom to do whatever I wanted during the day. Due to a very limited public transit schedule, I was on a very punctual (and not at all convenient) time table, lacking free time to do much but pre-scheduled outings with friends and work on the business and blog. I’d given up attempts to exercise because I couldn’t find the time in my schedule.

When I was still working and dreaming of entrepreneurship I listed all kinds of activities as part of my “ideal day”. Do yoga, eat healthy meals, meetings where I’d collaborate with other creatives, couple-time with Ryan, time spent in the garden, business work, and lots of design work and playing at the Design Center. I think I even did a Dream Report several weeks ago where I talked about motivation and what my normal day was like.

Three months in, I’m still struggling to find a routine that works for me. I know it’s a partial trial-and-error process, but I’m getting frustrated with days that fly by and I still haven’t written a blog post, done laundry, or exercised. Where does the time go? How am I spending it?

I will admit that I think the initial joy of not being “at work” caused the rebel in me to flare up just a bit. Knowing I could do whatever I want led to sleeping a little later than I’d intended, getting distracted by Twitter and Pinterest, and other internet tools that I MEANT to use productively. But lately it’s more that I’m stuck in a routine of NOT having a routine. Sleeping in later than I want, getting sucked in by blogs or catching up on my own, tackling design work, eating breakfast at 11 and lunch at 3, working on marketing ideas or other projects that don’t “show” right away, then realizing it’s almost 5 and I haven’t had the slightest thought about dinner for when Ryan gets home and the apartment is a disaster from starting a project at 2:45 before realizing I was ravenous. After dinner and feeling crappy when Ryan starts cleaning after HIS long day at work, I’m an insomniac until 2 or 3 am. I can’t seem to catch up or get ahead.

Luckily I do think that this is something that can be remedied pretty easily, at least with a plan of action. Part of my floundering is because there isn’t a plan in place. Not saying I’ll always stick to the plan exactly, but I’ll either be able to recognize when I’m steering off course, or know that I’m altering the plan for a particular reason.

This is something I’ll be tackling in the next week. Identifying my priorities, satisfying my need for some structure, even setting specific time benchmarks (such as “If it is 9:30 and I haven’t had breakfast, I’ll eat it now.”). I know from working with Michelle, my life coach, last year that it helps me to set timers to focus on a given task. I think sometimes realizing just how MUCH I have to do to accomplish all I want is so overwhelming that I sit and do nothing or I distract myself (with something like Pinterest). Setting a timer that means I’ll only focus on this for fifteen minutes, then I can move on if I need to, keeps me from feeling that panicky “It’ll never all get done” and drifting off to Twitter.

As far as my sleeping habits go, well, I just either need to embrace the night owl (even as a kid I’d stay up into the wee hours and don’t get me started on my college years!) and make those hours productive, or force myself into a slightly more reasonable sleep schedule. I’m never going to be awake at 6 am and asleep at 9:30 but being up by 8 should not be a chore! And if a barista is getting up to go to work, I probably shouldn’t still be awake! (I could probably do a whole post on insomnia).

Entrepreneurs, do you keep a pretty regular schedule? Are you a night owl? Do you use a timer or other “trick” to keep on task during the day? Would love to hear! Wish me luck! I’ll report back next week on how my routine is going ; )

Take a break.

I’m up to my ears this week finishing up client work and breathing some life into some projects that I started and then neglected, but I still jumped at the chance to get away for the day on Monday when Ryan had the day off.

We headed up to Whidbey Island, about a half hour drive and 20 minute ferry ride from our neighborhood. We spent the day driving up the island, eating terrible-for-us (but delicious) foods, taking countless pictures of the water, and finally crossing a majestic passage back onto the mainland and then home. It was so needed.

I’ve now been self-employed for three whole months. And while I’ve had some quiet time when work has been slow and I’m not quite sure what to work on next, I’ve spent a lot of time working, worrying, and moving apartments, and more working. As much as I try to get out once or twice a week to have coffee with another entrepreneur or run out for errands and what-not, I still spend the majority of my time sitting at a computer. I love the internet, I love blogland, tweeting and the vast resources available to a decorator and to my distance clients, but I needed to step away from the computer and get out of the apartment.

A long drive is also a good time to talk, and we had some good discussions (not all were business related, but this was!). The last month or so I’ve been sort of bored with blogging. It always seemed like a low priority thing on my to-do list, seeing as it isn’t a direct source of income (I do have a few sponsor spots in my sidebar, but nothing past coffee money). The summer months have always been slow traffic months for me. And as I get closer to my three-year blogging anniversary this December, I’ve wondered if I’m just running out of things to say! I have been unmotivated to write posts, brainstorm new ones, or (worse) I’d think of a great timely post and just never get around to writing it until it was “too late”.

Luckily, with a little escape and quality time with Ryan, I’m feeling rejuvenated and newly inspired. Ryan is always a good sounding board for my frustrations and offers great perspective. We agreed that blogging not only contains the roots of my business, but provides a very basic way for me to continue to steer the direction my business, brand, and readership go. Since being back Monday evening, I’ve written some of my best posts of the summer and drafted several others that will debut within a few weeks. Not to mention a new refocused emphasis on connecting with my readers and offering free tips and decor ideas – the best free marketing a girl could ask for!

Others may have more sophisticated methods of capturing blog post ideas. I tend to start a new post in my blogging dashboard with a title and maybe a blurb of what I’m thinking or a photo and credit. Then I save it until I sit down to do a bunch when I get the writing bug. Right now I have a nice little drafts file, and I’m hoping to continue to always have something in the works.

My lesson learned this week: get away. We entrepreneurs (and especially you Midnight Hustlers) may not get “real” vacations for a while, but you can probably spare a day or half a day to go do something just for the enjoyment of it. You’ll be a much better business owner when you come back to your desk with a clear head and fresh air in your lungs.

Want to catch up on Maggie’s first three months of full-time entrepreneur? Check out her full report.

Photo is by Maggie Morgan, from our trip to Whidbey Island.

So How’s Business?

If you ever meet me in person and happen to ask “So how’s business?” please forgive me if I’m extremely awkward. As I’ve become more and more confident introducing myself as a small business owner and decorator, more and more casual acquaintances tend to ask me how the business is going. And I never know how to answer.

You should be warned that in general I’m a very shy person. I can turn on the networking chatty skills, but it leaves me mentally drained. I am quite naturally chatty with my best friends, but I need a recovery quiet day after a lot of socializing. Textbook introvert.

Typically the questions “So how’s business” or “how is your new business going” are just innocent conversation topics. But I get really uncomfortable answering those questions. If I just say “It’s great!” it’s kind of a conversation staller and weirdly too-upbeat, but clearly they aren’t asking for my annual report and bank statements. Sometimes I get away with a jab at the old job, like “well, it sure beats that commute I had!” or by sort-of sharing that it’s DAMN HARD (which is the truth), saying something like “It’s tough, but I have some fun projects coming up.” Cause if you end with “It’s tough” PERIOD, that makes people uncomfortable. Not exactly what I’m going for at Ryan’s company picnic.

It’s a question of where the over-sharing line is, and how much information I want to divulge. But obviously there is more to starting a business than “it’s great!” as you’ve seen from some of my posts this month. Maybe I’m over-sensitive about it (Ryan thinks I’m making something out of nothing) but I hate feeling all squirmy.

So my question for you is, how much do you share with casual acquaintances (or prying family members) about your entrepreneurial efforts or dreams? If people know you’ve started a business or midnight hustle, do they ask how it’s going? Does it send you for a loop, or do you take it in stride?

Funny note: When I spent five years at my desk job, people always asked “So how’s life at XYZ?” My first year (during which I realized I’d made a huge mistake) I think I replied, “Can’t beat that paycheck!” By years 2-4 it had changed to “It’s a great learning opportunity” (HA!), and by my final year I’d say, “Why, are you hiring?”

Stand by me

Although being a solopreneur (get it?) suggests working alone, it’s not entirely true. Even if you’re the only person WORKING for your business, I don’t think any successful entrepreneur would be so without a strong support system. Family, friends, and your significant other are all a part of the business because they love and care about you.

I’m so grateful for my sweet boyfriend, Ryan. He is a huge part of Maggie Rose, even though he has little opinion of decorating and has only written two blog posts (out of pressure from me!). It was Ryan who put his foot down when I was miserable at my old job and said “Enough. It’s now or never.” It’s Ryan that reminds me that I’m not failing until I’ve given up. We live frugally because of my career switch but to him, my happiness is more important.

I can’t stress enough the importance of having the support of my partner. Even though I sometimes feel guilty that we can’t spend frivolously (even when I’m the one who wants to), that guilt comes from ME, never from him. He believes in me and has from the beginning.

From my friends, even the ones who aren’t into the blogging world at all, I get nothing but cheering and support. I don’t know that any of them have been anything else than encouraging. Even though most of them have “regular” jobs, I think they know that this is what I HAVE to do, for myself. A few in particular have been great as sounding-boards for business ideas and yes, some complaining.

I hear a lot from entrepreneurs whose family is not supportive of their new venture. I’m lucky to come from parents who have followed their own paths (my dad is a full-time musician and has been for over 30 years and my mom runs her own non-profit after being run into the ground working for someone else for years). That doesn’t mean they weren’t worried – and what parent wouldn’t be in this economy! But my mom was proud after I finally took a stand after complaining about my job for 5 years.

Not everyone is going to be supportive or understanding. But when you have your key people behind you, the naysayers don’t seem so important. They’re just the ones who “don’t get it”. The ones that do, keep ‘em close! They’ll keep you sane.

Roller Coaster

There are, in business as in life, highs and lows. Friends, I’ve been at kind of a “low” point.

Fear is the main force of gravity in my business’s low point. Fear of failure, of being laughed at, at screwing up, of going broke, of having to give it all up, and of letting people (like you all) down.

The fear comes and goes, usually in a different form one day to another. But it keeps coming back.

As someone prone to anxiety attacks (thanks, former desk job) and stress-induced aches and pains, stress-eating, and tension headaches, giving into the fear and stress is possibly the worst solution to my worries, and yet I find myself letting them take over from time to time. Like now.

I’m worried that I jumped in too far, too fast. Worried about bills that always seem to roll in right at my most stressful moment. Worried that I’m doing something wrong, that things won’t pick up, or that I’m marketing myself to the wrong people. Worried about client’s reactions to my designs, budgets, or well, ANYTHING. Worried until I get so stressed out that I flounder and miss items on my to-do list simply because I spent the afternoon crunching numbers and wondering if I should look for a part-time job.

I think in some respects it is easy to romanticize the idea of starting a business. There is definitely a “rush” involved in stickin’ it to the man, setting up shop, and landing your first big gig. But after the first wave of success there is a lapse. A slow-down where you start to wonder if you made a mistake. If you really are cut out to do this. If this really is your passion, calling, and future.

It is. IF you can hang on.

Another climb up, up, up is coming. Just hang on.

It’s ok, I’m a professional.

I had an initial consultation with a new client earlier this week and after the first round of introductions, the woman said “I don’t really know where to start – we don’t know how this works.”

I had to bite my tongue. My response in previous meetings might have been something like, “Well I’m just getting started, so I don’t really know either!” or with a more positive spin, “Let’s figure it out together!”

But those kind of brush-off responses where I offer up the information that I’m still getting my sea-legs doesn’t do any good in establishing myself as an expert or professional. Instead of “being honest” with my new client (and I’d been framing those responses in my head), I’m selling myself short. Even though I’ve done quite a few designs for clients online, the in-person decorating is still a new process to me. The principles of design don’t change, but the interactions between decorator and client are different. It has taken some trial and error to figure that out.

But in this meeting, I didn’t spout off anything about being brand-new, or blurt out that “Well I don’t have a degree or anything…” which I have done before. Instead, I answered her comment with “Well, let me tell you a little about how I work.”

Of course, if asked point-blank about my previous experience or schooling, I will be truthful. But what’s important to remember (as shared with me by another entrepreneurial friend recently) is that even though I’m new to this business, I’m still the expert on interior decorating when it comes to the people sitting in that room. Compared to Bunny Williams, or Mary McDonald, or Thomas O’Brien (all well-known designers), I’m not the expert. But my client hires me because I know what will make their home look better. Between the client and decorator, the decorator is the expert on decorating.

And in terms of how I conduct business, only I am the expert on my own business. I determine (and tweak) what happens after the initial consult, how I create a budget, how I bill, and how the process will work. Maybe not how their previous decorator functioned, but it’s how I choose to run my business. If a client feels that I don’t know how to run my own business and how the design process works, then I’m not in control of the project anymore. Purchases will be made, time lines changed, contractors hired… and I’ll suddenly be the last to know. That is the worst position to be in as a decorator.

So slowly but surely I’m learning to answer questions and explain what I do with confidence. I’m learning how I like to work with clients, what processes are efficient and effective. I’m learning to be the interviewer in an initial consult, not just the interviewee. I’m learning to be a professional.

PS – The Soc Chic All Week MML winner is #11, Valerie!

Time Management

One of the most difficult parts of being my own boss is managing my time effectively. By nature, I’m a procrastinator, but I’m also a planner, so while I’m still adjusting to answering only to myself (and my clients), I’ve tried a few techniques for structuring my time.

Part of the reason I was drawn to entrepreneurship (instead of getting a job working for an interior designer) is prioritizing and scheduling my own projects, working on what is exciting to me, and not having to read a supervisor’s mind in what they expect you to have been working on that day. But it’s easy for the “boring stuff” (ie financials, following up on email dead-ends, billing, etc) to get pushed to the side – or even for my blog to take a hit when I’ve spent all day searching for the perfect pillow to finish off a room and don’t want to blog.

I am by no means an expert on time management and I’m still figuring this out – but here’s kind of what I’m shooting for right now:

Monday: Post writing – I like to catch up on my blog reading, find cool links, and try to write 5 posts so I’m good for another week. I’ve yet to hit a full five (usually max out at three…)
Tuesday: Design work, based on which client is expecting to hear something soonest, then by what sounds fun to look for or (if I’m feeling ambitious) the hardest piece to find. I also like to devote some time to business-type tasks like tracking expenses or updating my mileage.
Wednesday: Big Project Day. Get to work on whatever is fun and exciting. Project doesn’t HAVE to be big, but usually is a multi-part job, like planning a class I want to teach, or working on an ebook.
Thursday: More design work. Some time spent thinking about/working on marketing plan.
Friday: Daydream time, and then whatever needs to be finished before the weekend.

I don’t know that I’ve had a full week that has stuck to this completely, but I like to have some kind of direction for those mornings when I think “I don’t know what to work on first.” And of course, deadlines, meetings, installs, etc. all happen whenever and interrupt the “schedule” but that’s ok. That’s why I don’t schedule by the hour : ).

So a “normal” day is kind of like this, assuming I don’t have any meetings and I’m staying home in the evening and not going out for networking drinks or whatever:

Usually I wake up when my boyfriend does to go to his day job (about 7:30 or 8). I check my email, read a few blogs, eat breakfast. I’ll usually spend a few hours working on any client projects – right now they’ll all online, so I spend a lot of time at the computer. I buckle down to whatever the day’s “focus” is. I usually take a shower in the middle of the day, and I’m trying to do some kind of exercise daily (this is also a work in progress). I’ll have lunch whenever I’m getting antsy and that’s when I’ll do dishes or laundry. Once I settle in for the afternoon I’m usually drawn to one of my ongoing bigger projects – marketing plan, researching networking opportunities, the website redesign. I’ll work on that unless I have any pressing deadlines. Once Ryan gets home we have dinner and I’m free to do whatever (tv, run errands, go to the park) unless I’ve been bad about my blogging and have to write a post.

I’m also trying to schedule at least one get-together each week with another creative person or blogger in the area. I find that I’m really inspired after even just a casual coffee date or happy hour. I’m also trying to find more events and networking opportunities to meet potential clients, so those are in the evening.

I’m also a list-maker. I try really hard to make lists that are action specific (I picked this up from Getting Things Done). So I’ll put “choose 5 pillow options for Davis house” instead of “pillows” or “Davis living room”. Anytime I’ve tried to break these out into days, it gets totally haywire but I usually have a couple items that are day-specific so those take priority. I sometimes use Remember the Milk online (and on my phone) but typically a good old lined notebook works best for me. I like crossing things off.

So that’s a dose of my time management – one of my growth areas, I think! Figuring it out. It’s not something I expected to be challenged by in business-ownership but it’s proving to be the toughest part.

Balancing

This week has been one to test my balancing skills – people always talk about work/life balance for corporate employees, but not much about balance for entrepreneurs. Maybe because by working from home our work/life seems melded into one? Maybe it’s because we’re following our passion so our heart and mind are in one place?

In any case, it’s been a struggle because on Wednesday we found out that we’d been accepted to a new apartment building! We’ll be moving in a few weeks. Some of this is for financial reasons, but the decorator in me won’t deny that I’m chomping at the bit to order swatches for new curtains and upholstery.

Needless to say, I have floor plans and leases and to-do items running a list a mile and a half long in my head. But in the meanwhile, there’s work to do. And it’s not oh-I-just-show-up-and-get-my-paycheck work. It’s I-gotta-create-work-to-maybe-see-some-money-from-this-if-it-works work. My business is still young enough that it’s not making money for me while I focus on the move. It’s all hands-on work and a lot of the things I’m working on are to bring IN clients, not work that results in an invoice and paycheck.

It’s an extreme but real example of how life and work can conflict for entrepreneurs but the solution is pretty simple – if I can stick to it! Setting work-only time and life/move time. That’s my magic solution. Luckily some of my life work related to the move (decorating, organizing, etc) is directly applicable to my work (at least for blogging material). But I need to be careful to not let that seep over. In the meanwhile, I’m shoving life-stuff thoughts to the end of the day where they keep me up until 3 a.m. and make me sluggish the next day.

Anyone else have suggestions for separating work and life time? I’m not above running down to swap laundry when my eyes are bugging out after sourcing coffee tables online for 3 hours, but I’m letting my desire to start packing and shopping distract me from the tasks at hand. I’ve tried setting a timer for 15 minutes of solid work time before, and that seems to help. Any other suggestions?

P.S. I’ve had a few requests for a post about time management, which I’ve put off until I started to find my rhythm a little more, but I think I’m finally ready to tackle it next week!

Big(ger) Dreams

Over the last six weeks I’ve gotten numerous emails, tweets and facebook notes from other creatives with entrepreneurial goals and dreams. I love getting these – keep ‘em coming! I’m always good for a resounding cheer and vote of enthusiasm. Many of the messages say “I dream of one day following in your steps” (which, first of all, WOW, I never thought I’d hear that and it’s so moving to me! And also intimidating! But we’ll stick with moving for now). And it had me thinking.

Dreams. I bet every entrepreneur-type has either been told they are a “day-dreamer” or personally identified with it (I know I always have!). Because day-dreaming and making goals and lists and picturing “what-ifs” is key to being a successful business owner… the other key is knowing when you need to buckle down and get the hard work done! But the dreaming part is the fun part.

I set aside part of my Fridays for day-dreaming about the business. I let myself get really crazy out-there and detailed and impose no limitations. “Reality” or “budgets” are not helpful in this situation. If I need some sort of prompt, I’ll think “where would I like the business to be in X number of years?” and go from there.

You guys know a little about me, that likely one of my dreams is to be an amazing and sought-after decorator. That’s true! But there is more. Some of it is far away, and some of it may be closer than I realize. Others may not be the right thing when I’m in a position to act on them, and that’s ok too. We’re not writing a business plan here, just day-dreaming.

My other dreams include writing a book, traveling the country to decorate homes, traveling the world to shop for homes, producing my own line of products, owning and decorating a boutique inn, and more. A BIG dream is to open a retail store and design studio. A fun space where I can show off my aesthetic, introduce new products to Seattle shoppers, host parties and events for the design and blogging communities, and meet with clients. I’ve even thought about staffing, how to decorate, and who might help host my grand opening! And it’s a dream that I hope to act on in the next five years or so.

I’m hoping that you will share some of your dreams with me in the comment section (or by email if you’re shy! maggie AT maggieroseonline.com). I’d love to hear what others in Jess’s little community are hoping to accomplish one day, what gets your heart racing and your imagination pumping out ideas. Is it a “one-day” dream or do you have an idea of a timeline? And lastly, is there anything you’d like to hear from me about in an upcoming report that might help? I can’t wait to hear from you all!

Necklace is Jess LC. Print behind is from Made By Girl and comes in various colors.

Marketing for the Small-Timer

Wow, hard to believe that a full month of entrepreneurship has gone by! I have been keeping busy with the web redesign, home tours and photo shoots, blogging, and of course, decorating! But one thing that I need to dive into is marketing.

I am by nature a shy person (my mom will chime in here with stories of me crouched in a ball on stage while the rest of my kindergarten class performed a song and dance number). Sure, I warm up and get chatty when I’m comfortable, usually with a group of 4 or fewer. But introducing myself to new people, making small talk within a group of 8 people (who always seem to know each other), or talking in front of a group of people? Heebie jeebies.

That’s why marketing my business online has been a comfortable way to ease into “putting myself out there”. In the past year, I’ve doubled my traffic rates, gained client work, and sold e-books and product from my shop all without having to make small talk at a networking event. Here are some things that I’ve done that I believe helped me do this:

1. Utilized social media. I have a Facebook page and Twitter account. Lots of old friends and connections have “liked” my facebook page and I think that has been a great way to share pictures of our home, diy projects for readers to try, and highlighted my eye for design and products I love. Twitter has been an amazing tool for connecting with other designers, bloggers, companies, and potential clients. I use it primarily for relationship building, offering a peek into my daily life, and sharing links to inspiring sites, products, or other blogs. Best of all, these methods are FREE and easy to learn.

2. Wrote guest posts. You’re reading one now! In 2010 I guest posted on 11 different blogs, some of them multiple times. Not only is writing a guest post free, but it also allows you to position your services and expertise in a way that will appeal to your new audience. For instance, I might write a post about organizing and decorating a walk-in closet on a popular fashion blog. I’ll share tips for affordable ways to decorate your home on a blog all about being thrifty. I also try to have a really strong post at the top of my site when they click through. Once you hook ‘em, you still gotta reel them in!

3. Emailed people directly. I do ok with meeting people one-on-one. I’ve definitely had a few non-responses, but I’ve had great luck emailing other bloggers about collaborating or even just making a friendly connection. As time goes on, I’ve even started meeting somewhat regularly with some of the other Seattle bloggers and designers, and was able to help on a photo shoot and gain some contract design work from one. Again, this is a one-on-one email introducing myself, talking about something we have in common, and opening the door to possible future collaboration (or to pitch a specific idea if I have one).

4. Posted on Craigslist. I’ve done a few “Interior Decorator for Hire” posts on Craigslist and have had a few inquires. Nothing has worked out yet, but I think it’s only a matter of time (this is also free).

5. Featured on popular sites. I was not approached by Desire to Inspire to feature my apartment – I sent them the photos. I happened to know a writer for Apartment Therapy, but before she was hired, I’d submitted photos on their online submission form. I’ve pitched stories to some of the online magazines. I’m sure these places DO approach people, but it’s likely that they have enough content sent to them that they don’t need to. Send your stuff to them (or to the big sites/blogs in your own industry). You’ve got nothing to lose!

But now I’ve reached a point where marketing online isn’t reaching the right audience. It’s great for my e-decorating, but I’d like more steady local work. Here’s what I’ll be focusing on for the next month in an effort to attract more clients (at which point I’ll re-evaluate and tweak as necessary).

1. Networking. Oof, this is scary for me! But the more people you know, the more that are talking about you and your work. There is a group of design people who get together monthly here in Seattle and I’ve been invited to attend – a kind of cocktails and chatting thing. I also am making an effort to meet more people one-on-one for coffee or a drink. And to meet potential clients directly, I’m pinpointing the kinds of local events they might attend – art gallery shows, yoga classes, cocktail parties – and try to get these on the calender. This scares the crap out of me, by the way!

2. Free advertising. Think flyers, brochures, and business cards posted in my target neighborhoods on community bulletin boards and in coffee shops. There is a coffee shop right next to Gymboree. Don’t you think some of the wealthy stay-at-home moms grab a latte? While the printing of these items isn’t free, the placement is.

3. Paid advertising. I’ve done some selective advertising online and it can be beneficial. But I’m talking about ads in the local paper, magazines, or on local news blogs that are read primarily by people in my service area (King County). This of course depends on budget.

4. Editorial coverage. Pitching a story idea to the local paper or magazine to either write about me or quote me as an expert in a related article, like “Where to shop for pillows in Seattle”. This is also free but may be a longer process.

5. Teaching a class. This is something I’ve kicked around for a while. This could be done either by collaborating with a local retail store or by going super-DIY and booking a meeting room at the local library. Partnering with a store has obvious perks – regular clientele, someone to help promote, etc. I would say the class would be free unless supplies needed to be covered. And attendees should leave with a physical marketing piece, like a brochure.

These are just some of the things I’ve got up my sleeve, and I hope it’s sparked some ideas for you in how to spread the word about your business (whether or not you’re full-time yet!). Even if you’re shy like me!

Well, big news first: I launched my website! After a loooong day of coding and formatting on Sunday as we installed all my new pages onto the permanent site, Ryan and I crawled into bed at about midnight after FINALLY figuring out why the comment section was broken. I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback and comments from regular readers and some new ones. I’m very proud of the site and I’m glad it’s been met with a warm reception. I think I might have taken it a little personally if people didn’t like it! It’s very close to the vision I had in my head when planning out the work on it. And a big shout-out to my friend and graphic designer who pulled together my new logo in record time, Deanna Mullican!

My “take away” from the experience is that I think it’s good to test my boundaries once in a while. I am not a graphic designer. I am not a web designer. The tools were unfamiliar to me, as was the language, literally! I had very limited knowledge from having a blog for the past 2.5 years where I’ve had to edit html code in very basic ways. But besides a few low points of just not knowing what the heck I was doing and bringing in my boyfriend Ryan the Computer Science major to help, it was an amazing experience. Every time I fussed around with a webpage and got it just how I wanted it, I felt like I was on top of the world. That’s the joy of learning something new! And it felt good to launch my new format of service offerings and e-decorating.

Since finishing the website, I realized that my three big projects I had deemed “post-job” are now complete! So this week has been a chance for me to look forward a few weeks and identify what I want and need to be working on. And Friday (today, for you readers) I have an appointment with myself to identify and brainstorm big projects for the next 6 months or so.

So what’s on my agenda coming up short-term?

Marketing – locally in particular. I love my online clients, but I want at least two local design projects going at all times. I have a variety of ways I hope to reach these people, but that will likely deserve it’s own post! It involves getting out and meeting people (scary for a shy wallflower like me!) and paper products like brochures… plus a little outside-the-box thinking!

Business stuff – I’m behind in financials, and I also have a backload of filing to do. Woo to the hoo.

Design work – I am working on a very fun nursery design right now, and a living room. The heart of the business!

Guest posting and collaborations – I’ve been trying to meet up with another creative local or business owner at least once a week. Not only is it good to get out of my office and out into the real world, but I leave each coffee date or happy hour so inspired and jazzed and full of ideas. This is also something I’d recommend for Midnight Hustlers. You never know what might come out of sharing your dreams with someone on a similar path.

Rest and reward – the site design took a lot out of me and my sleep schedule got kind of out of whack. I’m going to try to remedy that this weekend and unplug and unwind. And every accomplishment deserves a reward, I believe, so there may be a pedicure or new shelter mag in my future.

This isn’t the juiciest post, but not every week can be thrilling… it’s a glimpse into the day-to-day of owning a business. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and do the banking and filing. And thank you all so much for your amazing comments on last week’s post about fear. Taking a leap is scary stuff, but I’m honored to have you all to share it with and to know I’m not alone. I’ll see you next week – my inkling is that it will be all about my marketing plans!

Let’s talk about fear.

One thing I remember from my Midnight Hustling days (not so very long ago) is being afraid. Afraid that by taking the next step, I’d be exposing myself to rejection. Afraid that if I actually got a client, I wouldn’t know what to do (this one likes to pop up even now, which is silly). Afraid after hitting the “send” button to an e-decorating client that they would hate all my ideas, demand a refund, and tell the whole internet how much I sucked (this never happened).

I looked forward to a time when I would be confident in my abilities to run a business, to please a client, and to network with others. You know, when I was finally a full-time entrepreneur.

Maybe you’ve looked forward to the same thing. Ready for the fear to end and the confidence to begin. Maybe being afraid is keeping you from taking action and, like me for many months, hope that researching and reading will help ease your fear so that you can take action.

The fear doesn’t go away.

Not right away anyway. I was lucky to tackle some of my fears of rejection and bad performance while I was still working the day job. I’d gotten to a point of no return – I knew I couldn’t stay how I was, and the main things in my way were money and fear. Money was easy to come up with a solution for (save, don’t spend any “extra” money). And once I recognized that it was fear standing in my way, I had one of those “screw it!” moments, booked a photographer for my house, and submitted the pictures to Design*Sponge.

Guess what, they were rejected. And it didn’t kill me! Sure, I was disappointed, but all this time I’d been afraid of being rejected, and when it happened…. well, nothing HAPPENED. Instead, I submitted to Apartment Therapy. And when I didn’t hear back, I submitted to Desire to Inspire, who posted them, and caused a huge spike in my traffic and several guest posting and interview opportunities. Apartment Therapy ended up posting them the following week, and a month later I was on again with a full house tour.

With full-time entrepreneurship comes new fears. Money becomes a more legitimate fear. Stress on relationships. Most other fears boil down to those two.

No one will want to hire me.
Am I being selfish by not having a REAL job?
No one wants a designer without a degree.
I’m home all day, I should be keeping the house sparkling clean.
I want to work with other creatives, but they’ll think my ideas are stupid.
Does my spouse/partner secretly resent me?

See?

In regards to relationships, I only know that Ryan has given me no reason whatsoever to think that he resents me or thinks I’m wasting my time. He was unhappy when I was unhappy at my job, and having that weight lifted has been great. My stressing about the housekeeping, not so great. But we’re learning to adjust to our new routine and he has been extremely supportive. Not all partners will be. But that’s probably something you’d know before taking this leap.

In regards to money, I’ve decided to tackle individual fears head on, otherwise they’ll continue to come around to pounce. No one will want to hire me is something that I’m addressing with my web redesign (rescheduled to launch next week). Potential clients need to find a reason to hire me, and only I can provide that reason. I’m sure that once I have a more steady stream of clients the fear will be that I’m doing something wrong or they won’t like this pillow, or what if her husband secretly hates yellow and I just ordered a yellow chaise without knowing. And the only thing that will solve that is preparation and flexibility.

I just wanted to share that even though things have been going well, and I’ve had great opportunities and made amazing connections in the last four weeks, I’m still scared that it’s all going to come crashing down around me. That part hasn’t gone away. What has gone away is the opportunity to let fear dictate what I do. There is no “I’m afraid, so I won’t do that.” It becomes, “I’m afraid, but dammit, I’m going to make this business work.” And I do it anyway.

Let’s hear from you. What are you afraid of?

Two people walk into an elevator…

Ah, the good old elevator speech! Well I’m not going to give you the usual drill because if you google “elevator speech” you’ll find dozens of how-to’s and examples (probably both good and bad). But the essence of the elevator speech – how to explain your business or business idea to someone in the time it takes to ride an elevator, well, that I’m keeping.

I’m talking about WHAT DO YOU DO?

For the entrepreneur who can still count the days of freedom on her hands and toes, it’s a scary question. And it’s one that’s been on mind while I’m working on the site redesign.

Because of the layout of the pages, it makes sense for me to re-do my “about me” page and my “services” pages. And it got me thinking about what it is I’m selling to people. And who those people are. As a new business, now is my chance to tell people what I do before they hear it from someone else. And it brings up some really conflicted feelings for me.

When I first started blogging, it was all about inspiration. Gorgeous homes, Vogue-worthy fashion, feats of design that only come with one price tag: a BIG one. At some point I wanted to be creating more original content on my blog (which I still do) – taking photos of  my own design projects at home was the most logical, but I don’t exactly have a BIG budget. This ended up being about the same time as I was taking on my first clients. And when I started thinking about “branding” and “marketing” and “finding my niche” it seemed that “budget design” was right up my alley.

Right away I hit a conflict: In order to price myself fairly in the market (ie: after researching the competition) and to make any kind of decent hourly wage, I priced myself out of the “budget clients” that I was aiming to attract. That’s pretty clear to me now. And yet matching the price expectation of the budget decorating world didn’t value my work as that of a professional. On the flip side, I wonder how many larger projects have been turned off by my low prices because I wasn’t perceived as a professional?

The truth is, I just don’t love doing “budget projects”. Now I’m not going to go all “Million Dollar Decorators” on you (new Bravo TV show), but even though I like a deal as much as the next girl, I love design because I love pretty things – designer furniture, hand-painted fabrics, rugs that aren’t synthetic… and I’m a true believer in spending some money on quality pieces for your home that will stand the test of time. That just hasn’t been meshing with my branding. I’ve had some GREAT clients, but I’ve had projects where I felt extremely limited by the budget (and not in a fun way). And to be honest, I’m not the best budget decorator out there. I can name others who truly LOVE sniffing out a deal, and take pride in their ability to spot a trend and recreate it for half the price. But I don’t have that same passion for it… and isn’t the whole point of quitting my day job to do what I love?

So where does this leave me? Well, I looked through my past client folders. Most of my favorite projects have been working with young(ish) couples and single women who have either purchased their first home, or are finally ready to “take decorating seriously” (in one client’s words). They haven’t been millionaires, but they’ve saved up and are ready to make some investment purchases, like a well-made sofa, a beautiful wool rug, or reupholster a family heirloom. Some of them have been repeat clients. Sure, we’ve had to cut corners here and there (mixing one designer fabric pillow with some from TJ Maxx…) but it’s been about creating a vision for their homes.

So I’m working on my “What do you do” and “About me” and “Welcome to my new fancy site, please hire me” statements and here’s what I have so far:

“Maggie Rose Interiors is a Seattle based interior decorating company with a flair for mixing old and new, bargain and luxury for a home that feels layered, collected, and just like you.”

As far as my pricing goes? Well, I’ll be making some adjustments. But now I know more about who I like working for and the position they’re in. No longer am I basing my pricing off of my competition, but basing it on the clients I want to attract.

P.S. The plan is to upload the new site design over the weekend, so if you visit Maggie Rose and it’s down for maintenance, that’s what we’re up to! You can follow me on Twitter (@MaggieRoseBlog) to get the heads up on Monday when it’s back up… cross your fingers it all goes smoothly!

Good morning and happy Friday! I am pumped to announce that we have our next MML Dream Reporter on hand, Maggie of Maggie Rose!

[Insert cheers and applause here.]

If you read Wednesday’s guest post by Maggie here on MML, you’ll know that she is exactly three days into running her e-decorating business and Etsy shop full-time. I chose her as the next Dream Reporter as I think it will be wonderful to see the perspective of a business fresh from the Midnight Hustling path. Sharing this perspective I believe will be helpful and inspiring to those who are Midnight Hustling, self-employed, or even tossing the idea around that one day they might like to do their own thing.

So without further adu, I give you Maggie Rose (she’ll be here each Friday).

Enjoy!

Maggie Rose’s Dream Report: Week One

Hi everyone! I am so honored and thrilled to be the new Dream Reporter! As Jess said in Wednesday’s post, I have been a longtime reader of MML and have taken so much information and inspiration from the site that I am excited to give some of that back now. Thank you all for your sweet and supportive comments on that post. The first few days of full-time entrepreneurship have been strange but in a good way… I kind of feel like I’m getting away with something!

For my first post, I thought I’d share a little bit of history of my business to get you caught up.

In late 2007 I started my blog (then called Magchunk – obviously not thinking in terms of branding a business yet!) all about interior design, entertaining, and fashion. The blog grew steadily, hit some plateaus, then started growing again. Some readers asked for design advice after liking what I had to say and show from my blog. After e-decorating became a new buzz-word, I began advertising my services, probably sometime in early 2009.

In 2010 I’d had just about enough of my job. I’d moved to Seattle, was commuting 4 hours each day, and had just been cut back to 4 days a week. I’d been reading inspiring blogs like MML, When I Grow Up Coach, White Hot Truth, and IttyBiz. I finally decided that my love of interior design was well-rooted enough that I could potentially make a business out of it.

In May of 2010 I registered as a business in the State of Washington and City of Seattle. I chose to register as a sole proprietor, but someday I will need to upgrade to an LLC. That summer I also began working with Michelle Ward, a licensed life coach who specializes in people in creative careers. Michelle was a huge help in identifying my work efficiencies, personal roadblocks (like procrastination), and a great cheerleader. I also made some amazing friends through group coaching. These three people, along with other supportive people in real life and in the blogging community, are what I consider my “tribe” that I can turn to with questions or doubts.

As soon as I was registered as a business, I also opened a bank account for Maggie Rose Interiors. I plopped in $200 of my own money and it’s been self-sustaining ever since. I wrote a short business plan – I didn’t stress over it because I knew I wasn’t going after investors at this time. I had a designer  create a logo and business cards for me and I took out some ad spaces on other blogs. I also guest posted on 10 different blogs in 2010.

I should point out that until November of 2010, my live-in boyfriend of 5 years, Ryan, was unemployed. He’d been laid off only months after we moved in together and did not qualify for unemployment checks. At the time, it wasn’t possible to plan leaving my job.

When Ryan started working again, I began to take the business even more seriously. It had grown enough that I didn’t feel that I could take on anything else without creating more hours in the day. I wrote a growth plan for 2011 – over 5 pages long with charts and tracking devices for revenue, expenses, readership and activity goals, and long-term goals. When Ryan was promoted to full-time and we knew his employment was secure (about five months ago now), we began planning my departure from work in earnest.

Without sharing our entire financial position, I’ll tell you that I was able to set aside money, but not as much as I might have liked in an ideal world. We were able to take care of some large expenses before I quit, and I had all my doctor, dental, and eye exams before my insurance ended. Things will be tight, and I may end up working a few hours a week at one of the several coffee shops in our neighborhood. That would be fine – what I don’t want is another full-time career-type job that wants more from me than I’m willing or able to give.

And that more of less takes us up to Wednesday, when I had my first taste of freedom! I’m happy to answer any questions in the comment section, or take suggestions for topics for future posts.

Midnight hustler still. : )

On our last post, someone left a great question: “what exactly are you doing — didn’t you already have a photography business?” And today I am here to answer that question.

Going back to one of our first posts, I wouldn’t say that we had a photography business last year. I would use the word ‘business’ loosely — like I use the word gourmet for frozen dinners. We had equipment, a website, a photographer and a few clients but there was no plan. No plan of business, no plan of organization, no plans of growth. And a business without a plan is a dinner that’s been pre-made and frozen: it might still go with wine but it’s no gourmet meal. We had created a side job, not a small business.

In our efforts to take that side job and turn it into a legitimate business over the last three months, we’ve figured many things out and have shared some of our newly found wisdom here with you. On the other hand, we’ve figured out that sometimes things take a bit longer than once thought,  a discovery I assume that we will continue to find as business owners. But it’s okay because we have a plan.

As you all have been so kind to meet with us each week, I thought I’d give you a week 16 update. We’ve been working with a talented graphic designer to help us figure out our branding and logo for our new site. We’ve also been working with existing clients, taking on new clients and building new relationships. In these last few weeks, we’ve started to figure out funding and budgets with only a few broken calculators as the sacrificial lambs. And we are excited to say that we are almost there. Almost ready to launch our full time business and to share with you. But we just aren’t there….yet.

One thing that I’ve learned through this journey is that bringing a dream to life really means that you are asking reality to happen. Dreams tend to be soft and glowy; reality is more like the ugly fluorescent lights you find in government buildings. However, even in unflattering light sometimes it’s been fun to see ourselves change throughout this process, to watch each other make business decisions, to take on tasks that neither one thought was possible. Now we are taking on a very real task and that would be the daunting task of waiting for the final details to come together. (Trust me, as a control freak this has been the hardest part yet.)

So with Jess’s granted permission and hopefully yours, Bryan and I are going to be taking a break from the dream report for a few weeks to wrap everything up in a nice package to share with you. We can not wait to show you what we’ve been working on lately.

So it’s a date — we’ll see you in a few weeks.