Sideways

So. Crazy.

Life

Lots going on here! Here's an update...

-Moved down south to the countryside of Vancouver, WA. I'm planning on moving to Portland by spring because I have quickly realized that I'm not a country girl. I love the place and the quiantness of it all, but I'm just so darn far from any form of entertainment. Knitting is only fun for so long.

-I'm busy cutting and sewing with Queen B Quilts and hoping to get my name out here in Portland. It might take some time to build that up and I might need to do some strategizing. The good news is that I should be getting some awesome photos from my recent shoot with Mike Folden Photography and also a new website, coming soon!

-I had a recent sale at a craft fair with my Hey Jude Vintage and Crafts business and I'm looking for more opportunities. I really enjoyed spending the day socializing with the other vendors and showing people what I've got! I'm also looking into becoming a vendor with a Portland vintage shop, so I'll update you soon with that information.

-I got a part-time job working with fix studio in Portland and with their furniture exhibition called Show2010. Please stop by and say hello!

-I'm blogging about music for Culturemob.com in Portland. Thus far, I have written one article! I have been a slow starter but I'm hoping to get organized enough to start researching shows and actually attending them as well so I can really dive into the music culture of the area. I am so excited about this, especially discovering new local bands as well as supporting my Seattle favorites when they travel this way.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I feel like things are really taking off and I'm so excited about it. I also really really really love Portland. It's similar to Seattle in many ways, but it's even more down to earth, creative and friendly and that makes me really happy!

Picnic?

This is a fun and cute idea. Get the Urban Picnic Box from Boxsal.

Fall

(via Cuba Gallery)

(via MorBCN)

(via Pete Barr-Watson)

(via po-dad)

Afraid Not to Try

Should I be more stressed? I mean, I'm moving in a week. A WEEK! As of now, I have not packed. My apartment is actually in disarray as I work on multiple crafty projects and I always seem to be staying anywhere but home.

I had an interesting offer to return to work for a previous employer this week. I really really liked working at this place and the job offer wasn't so bad either. BUT... but... I'm crazy and I have decided to go ahead with my original plan to be a struggling artist and small business owner.

I used to make a point of always choosing the riskier or seemingly more challenging option but in past years it seems I have been making choices based on a need for security. It's hard to say when this change happened, but I'm putting a stop to it now.

So far, following my dreams has been really exciting, scary, strange, and confusing... and I'm barely getting started.

(via theresesennerholtshop.se)
(via bees knees)

Does Your Brand Have Influence?

What is Brand Anyways? from Urban Influence on Vimeo.

I Want One!

A horrible logo for only $5!

Collaborative Consumption

This looks like a good one! Read more about it at swissmiss.

Ready, Set...

Running a business is hard work! It has been made more difficult by the fact that I'm still working my full time job and trying to grow this business to be big enough to support myself by the 17th of September, but... whew.

I'm constantly trying to keep up with customers, update facebook, twitter, find people to work with on websites, photography, advertising, posting on craigslist and other classifieds, getting all of my paperwork and legal stuff in line, reqruiting new customers, and... oh yeah... actually making my product. It's been a hectic few weeks and I bounce between wondering if I'm actually making any progress!

I am so ready to go for this full time!

Want

I've got some news. Three weeks from today I will be leaving my full-time event planning gig. It has been a really interesting experience and I have learned a lot, particularly about management - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I am very excited to see what happens next in my career and I'm sure big things lie ahead of me. But, I will definately take what I've learned here along with me wherever I go.

This train of thought was sparked by this article from inc.com: 10 Things Employees Want Most. You tell me, if you got all of the things on this list from your workplace, would you ever leave?

1. Employees want purpose.
2. Employees want goals.
3. Employees want responsibility.
4. Employees want autonomy.
5. Employees want flexibility.
6. Employees want attention.
7. Employees want opportunities for innovation.
8. Employees want open-mindedness.
9. Employees want transparency.
10. Employees want compensation.

After years of management classes in business school, I think this sums everything up very well. When it comes time for me to be a manager of my staff, I plan to post this prominently on my office wall.

From the Desk of...

As you can see from my Strengthsfinder Signature Themes, I'm a bit Futuristic.

So, I'm visualizing the future in my new trailer.

My Vintage Year

I know I am crazy.

But I'm also crazy for vintage travel trailers and my birthday is coming up so...

What if a bunch of people gave me a couple of bucks and I could buy this little baby!

Let's get real here. This thing costs $2000. I have officially applied to have this project hosted by Kickstarter.com but that's a bit of a process.

My plan: Buy this trailer and turn it into my craft studio/home if I become homeless for some reason. I would totally remodel the thing, paint it, throw my Queen B Quilts logo up there. It would be amazing.

So, I'm not kidding (please refer yourself here, here, here, andhere. Help me out! You can give me a really great birthday gift and hopefully it will add up to a number that will warrant me buying this cute 1955 Vintage Duggan canned ham. If I don't get at least $1400 from this fundraising effort I will return all of your hard earned money (just make sure your mailing address is correct).

Thanks guys!

Let's See...

I Love You a Little $2.00 I'll Give Up a Beer for You $5.00 Pickpocketing is a Crime $10.00 I heard American Apparel is Going Under Anyway.... $20.00 I'd Like to Reserve a Night $100.00

Thinking Outside the Box

As you may, or may not have noticed I own a t-shirt quilting business. For the last four years I have been creating custom quilts for folks and it has been really great and just the right amount of work I was willing to do in my extra time, after the full-time job was finished.

However, I started thinking that I should get more creative with this business. When I had only been targeting a very specific group of people based on the product I offered: people who don't know how to sew. So I started to think outside of the box and came up with a few new ideas, one of which finally came to fruition tonight!

I am teaching t-shirt quilting classes! The first one was at Assemble Gallery & Studio in Greenwood and I am hoping to offer these classes at other crafty locations. From there, I thought... Why not in people's homes? I am hoping to get some attention about this opportunity to host a t-shirt quilting party.

This is one of my favorite parts about business - creating something new! Brainstorming! Putting an idea out there and seeing who grabs it! I was told that my class actually gets the most interest of all the classes offered at Assemble and that it might be in the upcoming Sunset Magazine... I am OVER THE MOON about that.

The class tonight was super fun and I can't wait until the second part next week! Lovin' my life as a business owner!

The Board

How do you stay motivated as a solopreneur? I've been asking myself that question because I am a people person and, quite frankly, the businesses I run very rarely involved working with others except for my customers. BUT have you considered having a Board of Directors for your freelance life? I have heard this idea... somewhere (forgot)... but many large, publicly-traded companies as well as all not-for-profit organizations have a Board of Directors to help in making decisions and so, why not your business too?

Ok, you might have to do some serious schmoozing to get some people on the board if you don't have the cash to pay them for this but I think it could be an informal group. Maybe just a few specific people you meet up with or talk to each week to discuss your new marketing or product ideas and get some feedback.

I have had a few friends ask me for business advice recently and due to the fact that I LOVE small business, I am totally psyched to help them out. Obviously it's one of my favorite subjects so why would I say no? I'm sure there are many others out there like me.

I love this idea and I'm thinking right now who I should pick. It could even be a group of other business owners that gather each week to drink coffee and talk business. I think it would be worth it. You would stay grounded and motivated (and caffienated).

Startup Quotes

via Startup Quote!

A List

Obviously, things have been a little crazy around here lately. I'm still limping quite a bit due to my sprained ankle and I've been all over the place trying to run my summer events. In about 2 weeks things should be slowing down again (finally!).

Here are a few things I've been reading about lately:

-When Less is More in Consumer Choice

-Are you an Early Bird Entreprenuer?

-Retail Analytics

-Researching Packaging Design for a new project I'm working on

-Finding new things to do on Friday Nights

Pirate Radio

I found a movie that combines many of my favorite things: rock music, the 1960's, boats, rebels, and random dance parties. Pirate Radio is a british comedy about a station, Radio Rock, which battles the government in order to play the music they love. It is full of great music and I also love the cinematography. I also liked feeling like I was on a boat with these guys.
Since I was so impressed with the visuals, I thought I would throw some up here.

Crutchy

This has been my view for nearly the last two weeks. I sprained my ankle at a wedding in Portland on the 3rd (no, not while jumping for the bouquet) and today was the first day that I found I could stand while putting my right foot flat on the floor. Still can't walk without crutches, which is mildly frustrating.
So, I'm not here to complain, just give an update. After a vacation through southern Oregon spent mostly sitting sideways in the backseat of a car, one leg on a cooler, listening to Radiolab and trying to stay cool in the 100 degree weather I have been on the couch working from my sister's home (I live in a 3rd floor apartment with no elevator).

I have spent more time staring at the tv in these last two weeks than I probably have in the last year and I'm totally caught up on all the reality drama of Bravo and Anthony Bourdain's most recent exploits.
It has been an interesting experience being so dependent on others. Acquiring food is particularly trying at times. If I'm hungry and alone, I basically have to eat standing in the kitchen since I can't carry anything while crutching along. I'm kind of wondering if there is some obvious trick to this stuff that I'm not figuring out. What do people do if they break a leg?!
I'm just thankful it only knocked me out of routine for a few weeks and not a few months.

I've Got Personality

A study from the Guardian Life Index lists six characteristics of entreprenuers. It's good to know that I have similar personality traits to successful small business owners.

Collaborative
Success-oriented small business owners understand how to delegate effectively to
others within their business as well as build strong personal relationships with their management team, employees, consultants, vendors and customers. They are more
committed “to creating opportunities for others.”
Self-fulfilled
Success-oriented small business owners place a high value on the personal fulfillment
and gratification that their companies provide them, relishing the self-determination and respect that comes from being their own boss and being in control of their personal income and long-term net worth. They are more desirous of “doing something for a living that I love to do,” “being able to decide how much money I make” and “being able to have the satisfaction of creating something of value.”
Future-focused
Planning for both the short- and long-term future are key traits that characterize
success-oriented small business owners. They are more focused on cash flow and more
likely to have “a well thought out plan to run our business for years into the future” as well as “a well thought out plan to run our business day to day.”
Curious
Success-oriented small business owners are more open to learning how others run their businesses. They actively seek best practice insights regarding management, business innovation, prospecting and finding/motivating/retaining employees.
Tech-savvy
Technology is a key point of leverage for success-oriented small business owners. They more intensely value their company’s website and are significantly more likely to “rely a great deal on technology to help make our business more effective and more efficient.”
Action oriented
Finally, success-oriented small business owners are more proactive in taking initiative to build their businesses. They are more committed to “taking the business to the next level,” “differentiating ourselves from our competitors” and “having something to sell when I’m ready to retire.” They also see adversity as “a kick in the rear to help move you forward.” Not surprisingly, they are less concerned than other small business owners about the overall state of the economy.

Read the full report here or another article about it here.

Weekend!

I haven't posted since Monday... I had no idea! Where did the week go? Well, I suppose it could have something to do with me trying to get all of my work done for my summer programs along with some side projects before my friends are in town for a long weekend.

I am so excited for this weekend! It will include kayaking, riding the Ducks, food, food and more food, rooftop bars, hilarious friends, Portland (!!), camping, and of course fireworks!