My Cottage Industry (Part 1)

If there's anything you should know about me, is that I am a big history-lover. And the subject doesn't really matter that much to me... I just love to study history! Even as a kid I could enjoy hours-worth of fare on the History Channel (before they started steering into the reality-TV-scene). Sometimes I would watch by myself and sometimes I would watch with my dad, especially if it was about WWII or the American Revolution (he was always particularly interested in Military History). One series we found together, and were surprisingly impressed with was a title that has gone of to have several different spin-offs: "The Men Who Built America."

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this show was originally a short 5 or 6 part series that profiled the lives and careers of "The Big 5" during the turn of the 20th century (you know: Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, JP Morgan, etc etc.). Believe me, I was more surprised than anyone that I took to this series the way I did, as I had always struggled to grasp this unique intersection of history and economy (just to tattle on myself: I struggled to understand economic principles when I was a kid).

But looking back on this show, I think it was really two things that drew me into its lessons: the first being the new style of dramatic (almost cinematic) recreation producers were embracing at the time; they were certainly much more enthralling to watch than the narration-style 'power-points' that became synonymous with education.

But the second aspect that drew me to it, I think, was the realization that several of these big players came from nothing. And succeeded in literally building something out of nothing - their industries were virtually non-existent until they decided "I'm gonna make this a reality." And honestly, that was pretty inspiring to hear.

At the time when MWBA first aired, I had graduated from high school and was just starting out at university. By that time, I decided I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship (a move that I think may have surprised a lot of folks in my social circles). The only problem was, I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to go about it. Remember, for a long time I struggled grasp how basic economic principles functioned. Why that was the case, and how I ended up getting it, is a completely different story for a different day - though I can give you the cliff-notes version: I was overthinking it.

Anyway, because I wasn't sure how or where to start building a business, I started out taking some introductory classes at the local community college. I figured I could always come up with an idea and refine it later, once I could fully comprehend the fundamentals. And while I was trying out different ideas (mainly by using my dad as a sounding-board), "The Men Who Built America" premiered, and Dad and I diligently tuned tuned in every week to watch the latest episode.

I think it was about halfway through the season when Dad said something to me I've forgotten. A dramatic scene unfolded after the narrator gave us some necessary context, and, without turning to me, Dad said:

"If you're going to start a business, you're gonna have to be just as ruthless as these guys were..."

At first glance it sounds more like a cryptic warning than words of encouragement. But, interestingly enough, I always interpreted it as both. Unlike a lot of people in my family, I think my dad was the first one to sense that there was always a little bit of ambition in me... far more than I usually cared to admit to. And of course, his words were not without their fair warning: one thing I have learned since starting this little adventure of mine is that will inevitably have to fight, and fight hard. That's just the nature of the beast. And, given my naturally gentle disposition (despite that ambition) he knew it was going to be an especially tough lesson to learn on my part.

Bring it on, I remember thinking.

Eventually I figured out the economic-basics and found my niche - I decided to utilize my crafting skills, which had grown enough by then to be profitable (not to brag or anything, but I do believe my crochet-dolls are easily the best in town!). Grant it, I still have a long way to go before I can even hope to make it to "Vanderbilt-status." And in the past decade since that series first premiered (... holy crap, I'm OLD!) there have been more than a few unexpected set-backs along the way - youthful detours, major life-changes, a global pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. But that's the whole point of starting a business, isn't it? You have to fight if you want it to succeed.

Contrary to popular belief, competitors represent only a portion of that fight; sometimes Life in general will be your biggest adversary. No matter how small your cottage industry is, no matter how talented or how skilled you are; no matter how many of the right people you have on your team. You have to fight because you have to want it.

And this is story of my fight: how I turned my hobby into a small business.

- 11/13/23

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As you can probably tell, I'm very passionate about this path I've chosen. And while I don't know where the end of the road is for me, I'm hoping you'll tag along for some of this series, and more than a few stories of what I've learned so far: about crafting, about small-business, about life - you know, the works!