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Jess McClary used to bake for the local farmer's market. Now she makes "shrubs," or colonial drinking vinegars, and they're wildly popular as creative cocktail ingredients. She told us about how she focuses on the bigger picture, shares her stories of running into unexpected difficulties with bottling and discusses her plans for future growth. Let's hear from Jess! Name: Jess McClary Business: Owner of McClary Bros., a drinking vinegar producer Started: 2012 Q: Tell us about the inspiration for McClary Bros.! How did you guys get started? A: My husband started a business in 2006, but it failed during the 2008 recession and we had to declare personal bankruptcy. I'd always baked with my mom when I was younger, and I still enjoyed it, so I decided culinary school was the next step. I started the McClary Bros. Bakehouse from home and named it after my twin boys Jack and Ben. But about eight months in, I
Matt Clackett is a musician who has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists. Now that he's moved into a music business consulting role, he's utilizing Facebook and LinkedIn to reach a new audience and grow his client base. He talks to us about the importance of having a finely-tuned strategy and why word-of-mouth referrals are golden. Name: Matt Clackett Job: Freelance Session Saxophonist and Music Consultant Started: 1990 Q: How did you get started as a freelance musician? A: At 17, I had just relocated to a new city and I searched Time Out magazine to find open jam sessions. I went to as many as I could and played whenever I could. I started seeing the same musicians at different venues and soon I was building a network of contacts, which eventually turned into paid work that took me all over the world. Q: What has been your biggest challenge when it comes to consistently getting new work?
Unlike your average photographers, Adam Hendershott and Will Harper work out of a bright magenta truck that trundles around the streets of LA offering actors a chance to get their headshots taken. They told us how they developed a unique brand, found a crew that personified their brand, and weathered some unexpected legal challenges. Read on to see what they learned from their first year of business and where they'll be moving next! Name: Adam Hendershott and Will Harper Occupation: The Headshot Truck Started: 2014 Q: What were you doing before The Headshot Truck? Will: After I got my MFA in film, I went to an ad agency to make commercials, and my job somehow slowly morphed into a business-oriented position where I was helping client agencies launch new startups. I spent a couple years consulting, creating new ideas, and getting businesses past their early hurdles. I had a pretty interesting ca
Tyler Patin had a long career in real estate before he decided to launch his own design and development company, studioPATINA. His focus now is on building affordable homes and nurturing communities in New York and New Orleans. When we met Tyler and heard the story of how he started his business, we knew we needed to share it out. So without further ado... here's Tyler! Name: Tyler Patin Job: Founder and CEO at studioPATINA Design + Development Founded: January 2014 Q: How did studioPATINA come about? A: studioPATINA was an idea to merge my interests in architecture and interior design with real estate development. Having worked on numerous mixed use and multi-family development projects over the years, I felt as though there was a disconnect between the design intent that initially drove these projects and the development teams in charge of making them viable.
Let’s get this part out of the way: I think theSkimm is amazing. Full-on brilliant. If you’re a woman in her 20s or 30s, chances are you’ve known about theSkimm for at least a few years now. If you’re anyone else, expect to start hearing a lot more about these women very soon. Back in 2012, when Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin sent out the very first edition of theSkimm, it’s hard to imagine that either could have predicted how exponentially successful their daily newsletter would become. Nearly four years later, over 3.5 million people (us included) look forward to starting every day by reading theSkimm’s sharp, deliciously on-point recap of the news. Even Oprah and Reese Witherspoon have pledged their allegiance to what Weisberg and Zakin have created. Taking an idea from zero to 3.5 million is no small feat. So how did they do it? We decided to dig in and find out exactly how these entrepreneurs turned on the gasoline in their business without breaking
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Fashion was never a big part of Benjamin Steele’s youth in Grand Junction, Colorado. Yet, when he reached British shores as a missionary, he noticed that men wore slimmer fits, different fabrics and patterns — and paid far more attention to detail. After deciding to become an entrepreneur, Benjamin set out to revive the American gentleman with his neckwear line, Sir Wylde. Sir Wylde started off small but is steadily growing while Benjamin studies Public Relations at Brigham Young University. We caught up with this budding entrepreneur to talk about the sacrifices he's endured so far and what he's learned about using social media to get new customers. Name: Benjamin Steele Business: Sir Wylde Started: October 2015 How did you create your awesome job? I knew I was ready to start a company when I returned from missionary work in England two years ago. A friend suggested I start a neckwear company and I
Last year, Hamilton took home 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Book and Original Score. The hit hip-hop musical about the Founding Fathers is groundbreaking not just because of its unique story and musical style. While classic productions like Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King each claim to have grossed $6 billion worldwide, Hamilton has a clear path to becoming a billion dollar business — and it’s only in its first year. This is the story of how they took a creative project and turned it into an unexpected success. After picking up a copy of Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton biography while on vacation, Lin Manuel Miranda began a six-year labor of love writing the lyrics and music for what would become Hamilton. The musical made its Off-Broadway debut to a sold-out crowd at The Public Theater in February 2015 before moving to the Richard Rodgers Theatre in August of 2015. On Broadway, it was ecstatically received from audiences and critics
I have a Real estate cleaning business. I do not sell anything. I only charge for labor. Someone told me I needed to charge sales tax on labor. Some others tell me no I don't need to. Anyone know the facts on this?
https://innovatenewalbany.org/author/sjbarakony/ https://relaleadership.com/impact-squared-introducing-soft-skills-development-entrepreneurial-ecosystem/ One of the least well understood, yet very impactful, roadblock that many entrepreneurs, freelancers, and the self employed professional face is that their schooling years likely did not offer any coursework in soft skills. Going all the way back to the 1930's, it was well understood that interpersonal/people/human relations skills were important, yet the conventional system's tracks (K-12, collegiate, graduate programs) quite often still did not adapt. Trusting that these posts will be of ongoing value to you! Thoughtful feedback welcome.
Serving in the military might be tough, but nothing can prepare entrepreneurs for the uncertainty of setting up their own business according to personal trainer and supplement supplier Jase Elves. Wanting to make a difference in people’s lives might be one of the oldest clichés in the small-business book, but Jase really did start out with a desire to bring out the best in people. To do this, he says, entrepreneurs need to aim to be at the top of their game — and that means never settling for second place. Jase certainly doesn't mess around when it comes to his business: he gets results! We grabbed a few moments with him to find out how military discipline and the pursuit of excellence helped him become a success in the fitness industry. Read on for his inspiring story! Name: Jase Elves Business: Jase Elves Fitness Started: 2013 Why did you decide to create your business? After leaving the military, I wanted to con
In a world dominated by fancy cowls and appliquéd fingerless gloves, what’s a male knitter to do? Or, in this case, what’s a man to knit? Gus Baxter fell in love with the art of knitting only a couple years ago, but he had a tough time finding masculine patterns that suited his style. So, out of need, he began designing his own. Today, his business GCB Designs offers a range of handsome patterns and projects that knitters at all levels can choose from. Gus also teaches classes on his craft and publishes pieces on knitting for men. We talked to Gus about how he discovered his niche business, his secrets for successful time management and why he believes in the power of optimism. Name: Gus Baxter Business: GCB Designs Started: 2014 What inspired you to create your business? I began knitting in January of 2014. As I became more and more engrossed in the fiber world, I realized it was missing a variety of mas
When Romy Taormina suffered intense morning sickness during both of her pregnancies, she decided to manufacture a product that would relieve nausea for others — whether it was caused by motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy or anesthesia. Now, as Romy is considering expanding her product line and expanding her business even further, she talks with us about the order that allowed her to dream big in her business, how she learned to price her products and why she still sees every single day as a growth opportunity. Let's hear her story! Name: Romy Taormina Business: Psi Bands Started: 2006 How did you create your awesome job? I suffered from debilitating morning sickness throughout both my pregnancies, so I was basically sick for more than a year. I tried some anti-nausea wristbands but they looked like sweat bands — they weren’t waterproof and they wer
Caitlin Ahern is on a mission to change the world of experience tourism for good. Her business, Thread Caravan, connects native artisans with English-speaking travelers to teach them ancient craftsmanship skills. We chatted with Caitlin about how she got her first customers and what her big goals are for her new business. Plus, read on to find out what she's hoping to learn next from you. Name: Caitlin Ahern Business: Thread Caravan Started: June 2015 How did you create your awesome job? The idea came to me about a year and a half ago, when I was living in Hawaii. I met up with a photographer friend, Alex, who’d just come back from Alaska. He was doing environmental documentary work out there, spending time with a group of Native Americans who had been pressured into selling their land to loggers. The community thought they’d only be losing the wood, but cutting down the trees also meant removing the roots that had filtered the water in the gr
Inspired by the idea that she could make a difference by connecting kids to different charities, Lily started Little Loving Hands just last year. Already, she has a loyal base of parents, grandparents and teachers who love her monthly subscription boxes and the work she's doing to get kids of all ages giving back in a meaningful way. We chatted with her about the challenges of telling her brand’s story, why she wishes she'd quit her day job a lot earlier and what she's hoping to learn next from you. Take it away, Lily! Name: Lily Yeh Business: Little Loving Hands Started: 2015 How did you create your business? Although I spent most of my career doing marketing for large corporations, I've always been an entrepreneur at heart. The idea for my business came from having my two young children. I’ve been involved in charitable giving for most of my adult life, and I wanted to make sure that my children had a sense of gratitude and appreciation for what they have in life. I want t
Rcently I started playing with my new google calendar app and I saw some things that I really like. Maybe its been around for a while and I am late to the party but this is so good and is helping me run my business more smoothly. When you tap the + sign to add something new it will give you three items to begin with.GoalReminderEventI love the Goal optionExcerciseBuild a SkillFamily & FriendsMe TimieOrganize My LifeOnce you tap one of the above you get to narrow down the actual name of the activity. Then it will give you a choice for how often.Once a week3 times a week5 times a weekEvery daymore options...Here is a link to start the fun!https://www.google.com/calendar/about/ Let me know how you are finding it to help your business run more smoothly? Steve Chase PSMy wife often brags to me that she is more efficient with her time management in her business and I joke back that I am. But truth be told she does rock the calendar and it is fun to see her get s
When the 2008 recession left Rachel Bowes out of a job, she was in no hurry to jump straight back into the rat race. Instead, the creative entrepreneur invested her event management experience and flower arranging expertise into a way more exciting option: launching her own business. Rachel chatted with us about taking a skill she learned on the fly to make Finch & Thistle thrive, as well as how she deals with a surprisingly heavy amount of admin in the day-to-day running of her business. Name: Rachel Bowes Business: Finch & Thistle Started: 2008 How did you create your awesome job? I organized fundraisers for the Seattle Symphony for about three years, so my background is in nonprofit event planning. While I was working at the company, I started creating the bouquets we needed for our events because it was so hard to commission a florist and stay on budget. I didn’t have any experience in floral arrangement at
I personally find this to be a challenge. As a self-employed person, we don't want to price ourselves out of the market, but we also don't want to be underpaid. Do you have any experience successfully setting prices, or perhaps your journey in finding the right pricing for you and your business?
After a blip in her career, Anne Smith decided to harness her creativity to produce ‘80s-inspired goods from recycled materials. Soon after, she began selling her fun retro designs on Etsy as Sweetgyrl Designs. We caught up with the Seattle-based artist to chat about how social media has been effective in helping her business grow and how next she wants to tackle balancing her busy work schedule with an active personal life. Name: Anne Smith Business: Sweetgyrl Designs Started: 2011 How did you create your awesome job? After the retail store I managed went out of business in 2010, I decided to go to back to school. I took on a full-time academic load, which left little time for a traditional job. So, that's when I decided to try Etsy and see what I could do while working from home. When I started, upcycling was a new thing and I really liked the idea of turning discarded items into
If you spend any time reading posts and comments from this online community, you’ll notice one issue comes up again and again: pricing. Figuring out how to set (or adjust) what you charge for your products or services is a conundrum that just about every small-business owner faces. Entrepreneurs selling a product like handmade jewelry or baked goods may be able to use a relatively straight-forward mathematical formula along the lines of materials + overhead + time = price to determine their magic number. But for folks offering services – tax accountants, bookkeepers, social media consultants, brand strategists and graphic designers, for example – price-setting can be a little (or a lot) more challenging, especially when their “product” is less tangible than a delicious donut or sparkly earrings. We decided to take the pulse of this awesome community in order to identify some key pricing challenges – and, more importantly, to share some key strategies for so
Becoming successfully self-employed is no easy feat. However, after talking to so many of you here about how you created your jobs and how you found your first customers, we passionately believe in the opportunity to tap this powerful community to successfully make the leap to self-employment. Whether you want to hone your skills as an independent contractor, kick off freelance work, start a business from home or sell on Etsy, your fellow members and their stories enable all of us to learn faster and realize success sooner with fewer mistakes along the way. If you haven't checked out The Handbook for How to Be Self-Employed, Part One, stop right here and head over there first. In this section we'll be covering some of the questions you've probably asked yourself about getting customers and generating revenue from day one. The Handbook forHow To Be Self-Employed: Part Two 1. How am I supposed to get customers if I've never had one before? Think about the la
After working as a design researcher for more than a decade, Amelia Black began to feel like her creativity was stifled. Inspired by her undergrad days, she decided to start working with ceramics again. Today, she splits her time between her ceramics business and freelance graphic design work. We chatted to Amelia about her first big gig and how she learned to love crunching the numbers. Name: Amelia Black Business: Amelia Black Ceramics Started: May 2015 How did you create your awesome job? I originally studied design, going on to work in architecture, industrial design and design research for more than a decade. But over the last five years, I felt unfulfilled focusing purely on digital art. I think most people who work in design love creating objects, and when I found myself missing that, I returned to my passion for making ceramics. I joined a group of makers in April 2015, and together we have a large studio space. Af
