I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
All In the Family
I spent part of my recent time off celebrating my Aunt Mimi's upcoming 95th birthday.
My aunt is a hero of mine. She's talented, smart, and so vivacious at almost 95 that she makes me and pretty much everyone I know seem like total slackers.
She and her 92-year-old boyfriend planned a 3-day extravaganza in Atlantic City for about 30 people complete with entertainment, gifts, speeches, poems, songs, dancing, and more.
One of the things I truly love about my aunt is that she is pretty darn fearless!
When I was in high school, she started her own business based on her love and talent designing and knitting gorgeous, luxurious sweaters.
At its height, she had about 20 or so women on her payroll.
In my memory, she is my first real example, up close and personal, of entrepreneurship.
Mimi started by selling her unique and gorgeous hand-knit sweaters to friends and friends-of-friends, then to local boutiques on Long Island, and finally her creations were carried in high-end stores from New York to LA.
She accomplished this success in a fairly short period of time, as well.
Recently, she shared some stories from that chapter of her life. Here are some of my takeaways from her entrepreneurial experience:
- Let others who know better (or can do it better) help you.
Mimi quickly realized she didn't really know enough to be the best sales rep for her business. It also wasn't something she enjoyed. So she hired someone to handle that side of her business and they became fabulous partners, which enabled her business to grow in ways she could not accomplish on her own.
- Trust is a precious commodity, do not squander it.
Once she become successful, Mimi fell victim to people who literally lied to her face in order to steal her copyrighted design patterns and undercut her in the marketplace. Thankfully, she was able to call these folks out and her clients, who didn't realize what had happened, cut their ties with the fraudsters.
- Don't avoid making the tough decisons.
When fashions began to shift and baggy, boxy clothing was suddenly in vogue, my aunt realized she wouldn't be able to charge enough for her sweaters to keep her business profitable. Although heartbreaking, she made the tough decision to close her doors.
Oh, I know my aunt would kill me if I didn't also mention that you need to moisturize and use sunscreen every, single day! (Check out her skincare video on Youtube, which she made in her 80s.)
At no point did my aunt regret her entrepreneurial experience. She learned a lot about herself and continues to consider all different ways she might start a new enterprise (even in her 90s)!
How can you not love and find inspiration in that?
I hope, like me, you've been fortunate to have an Aunt Mimi of your own to set the best kind of example for you in business and in life.
If not, I know my aunt would be honored to fill that void for you.
Need more practical, tactical, or strategic advice, I'm here for you.
Until next week,
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Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
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