Reluctant Entrepreneur Origin Story
8 years ago, I started a side business. I had 3 children between the ages of 9 and 14, was incredibly strapped financially, and was really frustrated with the reality of climbing corporate ladders (spoiler alert: it's a terrible system-- especially for intelligent, quick-thinking, and hard-working females).
So, I decided to start a side business to help me get a few extra bucks. I wanted to sell japanese toys and stationery online and at local anime conventions.
In 2017, anime conventions were still really masculine and the majority of vendors were part of that vibe. Most booths had the black grid walls and had similar product offerings. Every now and then, a tiny booth would have a table of cute plushies or toys. I never found japanese stationery and my favorite japanese toy brands were pretty much nonexistent at the cons.
Now, I knew there were LOTS of girls who were just as much into anime as I was and who were into cons for more than cosplay opportunities. And I knew lots of girlies wanted the same cute japanese goodies I was searching high and low for.
My plan was to do the conventions and local markets so I could build a local following and then, one day (probably when my kids were done with HS), I'd open a brick and mortar so the audience I built over the years could come and support.
And that's what I did-- I started with Florida Supercon in July 2017. I did craft fairs and markets and other local conventions like Animate Miami and Sunrise Comic Con on weekends while I worked Monday - Friday at the university.
2017, 2018, and 2019 I kept growing my little side business, perfecting booth setups, getting better at choosing where I went, and I kept growing the audience little by little. I encouraged people to sign up for my mailing list by writing their emails down on a sheet of paper I would later type into Mailchimp. I asked if we could follow each other on Insta.
Meanwhile, life had done the thing that it loves to do and it had changed. My kids were approaching the final stages of middle and high school. The lure of a college education was not really alluring.
I was on a grant-funded position at a local University that was scheduled to end in June 2020. I was planning on using that to catapult myself up into the next tier of leadership with a better position. I had, after all, managed a multi-million dollar research consortium beautifully. My boss was really excited to help me move on to bigger and better heights.
On Friday, March 13, 2020 we got a call from the supervisor of Miami Dade County Public Schools-- the students were packing their things and would be sent home. Further instructions on how long we would stay home, how we would handle education in a pandemic, and everything else would come later. At work, we were asked to pack our desks so that we could work remotely until further notice.
A few weeks later, the University started sending panicked emails. Hiring freezes were here. And then they closed all open positions. And they refused to extend any grant-funded positions past their deadline even if the funding was there. They were doing what they could to prevent layoffs. They froze retirement contributions. Positions got eliminated. People who quit or fired weren't allowed to be replaced.
I got my notice of impending layoff in April. Because I was given "sufficient notice", I would not be offered a severance package. My last day would be June 30. My boss and HR manager were adamant they could help me get a job. They were sure there was something they could find somewhere.
But, I didn't want it. I was pissed and frustrated. My tenth anniversary with the University, the anniversary that granted free tuition to my dependents, was scheduled to happen in August 2020. Most likely, I'd have to take a demotion and pay cut to keep a job with them and reach my 10 year anniversary.
It also seemed absolutely stupid to me to try and find another job. People were freaking out. Businesses were failing. Layoffs were everywhere. I decided the layoff was the green light to go for it.
And what I mean, here, by "go for it" is I decided to try and figure out how to make money without a "real job"; because, it was increasingly obvious to me that "real jobs" were only worth it to the very few at the very top who were almost always exclusively white men-- even in the supposedly ultra liberal environment of the university system.
I didn't want to work for companies that were shitty to most employees so that a handful could live ridiculously greedy lives. I didn't want to work for companies who were constantly focused on profit margins over happiness.
My dad pointed out that the notification of my impending layoff was my ticket to freedom. Now that the University had shown its hand and made it clear I was a goner in 2 - 3 months, with no severance because it was enough time, he reasoned I didn't owe them shit. The remaining time with them WAS my severance.
So, I did the bare minimum work I needed to do to close out my position and I had been so damn good at my job, there wasn't much left for me to do anyways.
I poured myself into everything else. I did coaching, I leaned into the online store, I was hired for consulting and training by other women who were trying to start side hustles. I started a subscription box, I signed up for as many zoom courses as I could. I drowned in info and worked my ass off.
I had been laid off June 30. The holidays would be here soon. Coaching and the online store weren't bringing in enough to keep things going. The boosted unemployment was at least keeping lights on and food in the fridge and rent paid. My partner works in a hospital warehouse so his job never stopped. We tightened expenses (not hard when you can't go anywhere).
My son was taking drum lessons at an emptying outdoor mall at the time and I noticed how many teens hung out there.
There were LOTS of vacancies. Everyone knew the mall was going to be redeveloped but no one knew when-- especially with the pandemic's impact.
One particular vacant space caught my eye. It was cute. It had dark hot pink walls. It had no real buildout going on except a checkout counter in the back that was in great condition and a back wall display shelf. The floor was in good condition. I could totally set up a little popup shop in there. Something like an extra large version of my convention setups (which had grown from one 10 x 10 inline to 2 booths, usually with at least one corner involved).
I kept checking out this space. It was across from a cafe that was super popular with teens. I would float over to the doors and stare inside at the emptiness. I wondered if just maybe, what with the pandemic and the mall being deserted, they would be willing to work with me on a pop up shop.
My uncle was the printer for the management company at the time-- a delightful coincidence that was super helpful. I told him what I was thinking and he reached out to his contacts. They would love to help me. I gave them a very low budget for rent they immediately approved. I would take over the property in November with a month to month lease. My plan was to leave in January or February when the post-holiday rush died.
My "grand opening" that I hardly advertised, was on Friday, November 13. I felt it was an appropriate nod to the other significant Friday the 13th we had experienced earlier that year.
The night before, my kids, my partner, and friends all came to the shop to help me with finishing touches. My friend, Tina, popped a bottle of champagne and made the official first purchase on the new register.
I really thought I'd be packing up and scrambling again a few months later. I hoped maybe I could make it through February for Valentine's and then that's it. Hopefully travel restrictions would ease and events would come back. Otherwise...
Five years later and Otherwise hasn't shown up. The years have flown past even while, at times, I thought it was too slow, too long, too far.
I remember hearing an acquaintance signed herself a five year lease and all I thought was, "WOW that's so risky. Five years? Most don't make it past the first 3!" because that's what gets poured into your brain constantly.
I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. I feel I know way more than when I desperately opened a pop-up shop five years ago and I am confident I know buckets more than when I started my side hustle 8 years ago. And I am confident there's WAY more to learn and know and discover and experience.
That's been the most pleasant surprise to me. I historically get bored when i reach a certain level of mastery and so I would often find myself in jobs for 3 - 5 years. But now that I own this business and run it and grow it, it turns out there's so much stuff and it's all so different that it's been challenging to find myself bored for more than a couple of months or so.
Boredom is something I look forward to because it means I've got enough under control that I am ready to lose control again. And so it goes.
Five years have passed by. The business has grown so much, has evolved, changed, mutated, and experimented again and again. It's delightful honestly. It's become my favorite project to work on and it gives me the financial stability to care for my family in one of the most expensive parts of the country.
I really believed people when they said to abandon dreams and be real. To find something you do well that pays well and live your life on the evenings and weekends. It's different, now.
Now that I've lived on this side, experienced this lifestyle, and experienced the meaningful communities that form around physical locations with just a TINY bit of effort, I can't imagine going back to something as soulless, cold, and meaningless as a large corporation and life in the leftover hours.
If you are scared to death of raising money on your own and cannot imagine a lifestyle where you don't know where your next paycheck is going to come from-- I was JUST like you.
I decided to stop assuming things about myself I'd never tried, to stop denying myself chances and opportunities because of imaginary situations that existed in my head, and to embrace the theory that "natural talent" is bullshit-- practice, focus, and attention are what matters.
Most importantly, I keep myself from fretting about what tomorrow brings because tomorrow isn't here. So obvious and so easily forgotten.
Maybe five years from now, this business will be dust in the wind that exists in memories and outdated social media accounts. That used to freak me out. Now? Well, I can't help but wonder-- if I'm not doing this, what OTHER crazy adventure have I fallen into?
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