In support of the Indie Business: Compass e-Course launching on January 26th, we’re doing Q & A Wednesdays! The teaching team will talk about our experiences & challenges in our businesses and would love for you to answer the weekly question in the comments below.

 What Sparked Your Indie Business Dream?

When I was younger I didn’t have a clear picture of what I wanted my work life to be like- I just knew that I wanted to be excited about it every day. During and after high school, I was drawn to the entertainment industry and worked behind the scenes in theatre, film, TV and music. I eventually started zeroing in on marketing and was excited to be using my strengths and to be around the energy of the industry. It was also one of the only places I could picture my social media, blogging and design background being used in my day to day work. However, the more time that I spent in entertainment the more the lifestyle and high stress work environment wore me out, and I realized that it wasn’t for me. I also realized that I didn’t know what kind of work would make me happy.

Around that time I started thinking more seriously about what life could be like if I owned my own business. As soon as the thought was in my head, it sparked something in me that quickly caught fire! I couldn’t think about anything else and I knew that this was something I needed to do. I started working on design every day and creating products for my Etsy shop, I found mentors through the blogging community who I could check in on and be inspired by every day, and I planned and researched my heart out to see if this was something that could work. Being in a situation where I wasn’t happy with my job and needed to invent a better future for myself was the start of my indie business dream, and the start of a whole new, much happier, life.
Back in 1995, I wore my thrift shop finds with pride. My favorites were a 1970’s sheering coat, a silky brown velour track suit with yellow piping, and a collection of snug western snap shirts. There is nothing better for a 15 year old on a short allowance than scoring a great wardrobe piece for under a dollar. When I moved away from home at 18, I was on a tiny budget and needed to furnish my apartment. Thrift shops and auction sales did the trick. There came a time when I realized that I wasn’t the only one who valued vintage. Deciding to sell some of what I found made a lot of sense. It gave me a reason to spend time on my hobby, and pulled in some extra money too.

Having the ability to control and change my world has always been important to me. Before I created Lune Vintage, I always had a hobby brewing. I’ve dabbled in soap making, hemp jewelry design, sign making, furniture refinishing, and perfumery. I realized that exercising my power to create and build an environment of my design empowered me as an individual. It gave my life purpose in a time when the future seemed so unsure and far away. That feeling of positive change and control lit the flame for what would be Lune Vintage.
As a child, our family Garage Sale was the highlight of each year and I took it really seriously– at 7 years old, I wore a tool belt, considered customer service a necessity and had the masking tape around my wrist, ready to slash prices in an instant. In my early twenties, I started Freckled Nest because I’d unintentionally built an inventory of handmade gifts.

My love for inventing and handmade had kinda consumed me and I didn’t need the 50+ handmade albums I’d made, so I participated in a few local craft sales and opened an Etsy Shop. My yard sale instincts kicked back in and I was excited about the opportunity to run my own business, with handmade goods and lots of special touches and personality! The pleasure of making people smile with a good experience has always been the biggest spark behind my Indie Business dream! And I love playing store ;)

Indie Business: Compass e-course is launching January 26th, and you can buy access now to be the first in line! Click here for a course outline, answers to Frequently Asked Questions & to register for only $32 USD

Do you own a business, or do you dream of being an indie business owner?
What sparked that dream for you?