STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kenzie · Chanel

~*UPDATE*~ Quitting Corporate America

Suasoria · Chanel

RE: Quitting Corporate America

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Wow! How exciting! I'm going through similar times right now, and I agree with what Suasoria wrote. Best wishes for an easy decision.

You are trying to decide whether or not you should recognize and heed your intuition. In my life, intuition is usually the best choice. It might be scary, but I would hate for regret to creep in down the road.

With intuition, facts and figures that make a sensing-decision easier on the surface are often missing. But, since you have already been designing (and I assume selling some pieces), there are facts and figures that you can extract from the "go-with-your-heart" option. Isolate concrete information you have learned from what you have done so far with jewelry design and selling. Write it down, and make sure it is tied into your business plan somehow.

Many colleges and chambers of commerce, and regional business magazines can refer community members and students to entrepreneurship centers. www.sba.gov is the national agency. Look for branches of associations in your area. Our school has the E-institute in which community members can attend workshops, seminars, get counseling, get access to literature and technology that can help you get your business started and keep it running successfully. Check it out at www.bizhub.org .

Good luck with your ideas.

Alisa

-- Edited by pollyjean23 at 02:24, 2009-01-05

kenzie · Chanel

Thanks, susasoria and pollyjean. I am 99% sure I'm going to make the switch. Not one single person I talked to said I shouldn't (even Mom!).

I already have a vision for my gallery/boutique and even part of a business plan. I need to find a good location. I'd really like to move to the West Coast, but I don't know if the bf will ever be able to leave his job and find one that's as good- they keep promoting him and throwing more money at him. He's currently in a job that would require an MBA at any other company and he doesn't even have a bachelor's degree.

So...I think we're stuck here. But, there is a small city (Lancaster) that has a very vibrant downtown/arts scene. I think I could make it work there. It's just a little depressing because I've always wanted to move west. But, I I'd be happy with my own business here. And that town has lots and lots of programs to help small business owners. The more I think about it, the more excited I get.

Thanks for the links, pollyjean!

To answer your question, Susasoria- no, my company is not paying for school. It is available, but they make you sign away your soul for it. I opted out of that.I am concerned about their possible reaction. It's a huge switch and I'm not quitting yet (need to get some things in order first), so I don't want to give them any ideas that I'll be leaving soon. But I'm hoping to be out by the end of '09, hopefully before. I'm open to advice on how to handle that situation, too.

-- Edited by kenzie at 09:41, 2009-01-05

subwolley · Kate Spade

kenzie wrote:

I hate corporate, Office-Spacey America. Hate it. Loathe it with every fiber of my being. It is not for me.

Ugh! I hate it too. I am in the same boat as you. Thinking about starting my own business as a graphic designer, but let me tell you it has not been easy. At this point I'd even settle for getting out of the crappy job I have, except I can't find any in my field. I'm seriously getting depressed.

kenzie · Chanel

subwolley wrote:

kenzie wrote:

I hate corporate, Office-Spacey America. Hate it. Loathe it with every fiber of my being. It is not for me.

Ugh! I hate it too. I am in the same boat as you. Thinking about starting my own business as a graphic designer, but let me tell you it has not been easy. At this point I'd even settle for getting out of the crappy job I have, except I can't find any in my field. I'm seriously getting depressed.

Me, too. I was literally crying on Sunday night because I knew I had to come back to Office Space on Monday after an 11 day vacation. What's worse is that, despite my best efforts and for reasons beyond my control, my job has slowly degenerated to a glorified proofreader (everyone thinks they're a writer here, so no actually lets me do the writing). Very, very frustrating. But I look around at other positions here and realize I'd be just as miserable in those, too. It's the corporate bs that I can't stand.

And freelancing doesn't appeal to me either because the freelancing I've done has just pissed me off- the bottom line is, I was always working toward someone else's vision and not my own. No more. I'm done with that.

I plan to slowly work toward opening a boutique. In the meantime, I'm going to keep working on my jewelry design (keeps me sane) I don't plan to grow that much beyond the web and craft shows, and of course, I'll have my lines in my boutique, but that won't be the focus of the store.

I may also try to find another job in the interim where I actually use my brain, but like, you subwolley, there isn't anything in my field around here.

Best of luck to you in your graphic design business, subwolley. I know that's a tough field to break into on your own, but I think you can do it if you really want to.

-- Edited by kenzie at 10:26, 2009-01-06

kmd · Kate Spade

I just wanted to wish you the best of luck, Kenzie! Doing something you don't love really takes a toll on your life and I really hope opening up your boutique comes to fruition. Having your own business is really difficult at times (I've been official for 6+ years), but it's truly rewarding!

subwolley · Kate Spade

kenzie wrote:

Me, too. I was literally crying on Sunday night because I knew I had to come back to Office Space on Monday after an 11 day vacation. What's worse is that, despite my best efforts and for reasons beyond my control, my job has slowly degenerated to a glorified proofreader (everyone thinks they're a writer here, so no actually lets me do the writing). Very, very frustrating. But I look around at other positions here and realize I'd be just as miserable in those, too. It's the corporate bs that I can't stand.

And freelancing doesn't appeal to me either because the freelancing I've done has just pissed me off- the bottom line is, I was always working toward someone else's vision and not my own. No more. I'm done with that.

I plan to slowly work toward opening a boutique. In the meantime, I'm going to keep working on my jewelry design (keeps me sane) I don't plan to grow that much beyond the web and craft shows, and of course, I'll have my lines in my boutique, but that won't be the focus of the store.

I may also try to find another job in the interim where I actually use my brain, but like, you subwolley, there isn't anything in my field around here.

Best of luck to you in your graphic design business, subwolley. I know that's a tough field to break into on your own, but I think you can do it if you really want to.

-- Edited by kenzie at 10:26, 2009-01-06

I feel your pain! Best of luck to you as well!

Kelly · Hermes

It sounds like you're decided, but I have to tell you that I think you're doing the best thing. It sounds like you know what you want and you have the passion to go for it. And no one should cry going back to work! That's a huge red flag. You're still young and it's not like you've wasted 40 years in the wrong field and are looking to switch. You've made a (relatively) small investment so far in your one year of your current program, so I think now's a great time to switch. You haven't lost too much time/money/soul, but you've been in it long enough to know what you DON'T want, which is valuable in and of itself.

lynnie · Chanel

Corporate america has never been for me either. I work for a small company and will start my own as well.

I think the hardest part for anyone is figuring out what they want. Once you know that, even hardships are managable. Have you ever read the Fountainhead? I truly believe if you have a dream, you just do it. Even if no one else seems to understand for a while.

It sounds like you know what you want. Go for it.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Here's my take on it:

First, your job has no business knowing what you are doing in school. They aren't paying for it. Period. If I was in your position, I wouldn't mention it. It doesn't effect them, right? You're still doing the same position no matter what material you are doing in school.

Second, I know you want to move to the West Coast (and I'm right there with you...the second the BF finishes school we're outta here!). However, I think that Lanc and possibly even Philly has a lot to offer you and your BF. The art/craft scene in Lanc is huge and I can totally see the botique fitting in on Queen Street in Downtown Lanc. They're really pushing to redo the downtown area and while gentrification isn't always a good thing, it could really help you. I know quite a few people that I graduated with and most of the ones that stayed in Lanc live in the city.

Lanc also has a huge tourist population and if you can find a site that would catch them, that would be great. The city also has more and more people living in it that commute to work in the big three (DC, NYC, and Philly) around here. Even way down in the southern part of the county where my parent's are at, a good number of the houses are owned by weekend commuters who also have apartments in those cities. I know that with the economy tanking this will change some but for some reason, Lanc doesn't seem to be as hard hit as the rest of the country.

Also, it's a good base to start a company and once it's successful to then open one in Philly. You might find a lot of overlap in the people who would shop in Lanc and who would shop in Philly. You could open up a botique in Wayne even which has some great shopping.

Anyway....that was a whole lot of nothing, because you know all that already. I'm just reassuring you! Lanc has the ability to sustain a botique! :)

I also think it's a good idea for you to get out of Corp. America. You hate it there and have hated it no matter what company you work for. That should tell you something!

So, in summary of a very long post:
Stop crying and start botiquing!

kenzie · Chanel

Thanks for the additional comments.

Relrel, I hear you about Lancaster and it is where I plan to open shop. I hang out downtown quite a bit and the bf and I are thinking of buying a house there. It's so shockingly different (in a good way- hip, urban) than it was when I was a kid.

And, good point about overlap with Philly customers. I do plan to open a second shop, but I was thinking "down the shore."

Like Ocean City, NJ or something. (I think I have even more of this business planned out than I think I do- it's been in my head for nearly 10 years.) I like the Philly idea as well.

As much as I'd love to move to the West Coast, I cannot move there and do what I'm doing now. Maybe I'll retire there. And of course, if the bf keeps getting all the crazy promotions (he's been at the company for 4 years and has gotten 5 promotions), then I won't have to worry about needing tons of income on my half. How amusing would it be if that company ended up partially supporting my business venture via his income? (That was the same company who wouldn't promote me because I'm a woman. But they did give me flowers for Secretary's Day even though I wasn't a secretary.) Ah, karma.

I have to call the head of the department of the new program today to discuss the switch. I'm sure my pitch to her will sway her in my favor.

Lynnie, I have not read that book. I'll have to look for it.

-- Edited by kenzie at 13:30, 2009-01-06

clothes_horse · Dooney & Bourke

ttara123 wrote:

It sounds like you're decided, but I have to tell you that I think you're doing the best thing. It sounds like you know what you want and you have the passion to go for it. And no one should cry going back to work! That's a huge red flag. You're still young and it's not like you've wasted 40 years in the wrong field and are looking to switch. You've made a (relatively) small investment so far in your one year of your current program, so I think now's a great time to switch. You haven't lost too much time/money/soul, but you've been in it long enough to know what you DON'T want, which is valuable in and of itself.

ITA! if you know what you want and you have the means to do it, go for it! best of luck to you!

Suasoria · Chanel

relrel wrote:

First, your job has no business knowing what you are doing in school. They aren't paying for it. Period.

Ditto this, in case you need to hear it again. Eff them. It's your life, not theirs.

kenzie · Chanel

Suasoria wrote:

relrel wrote:

First, your job has no business knowing what you are doing in school. They aren't paying for it. Period.

Ditto this, in case you need to hear it again. Eff them. It's your life, not theirs.

Thanks. I probably need to hear that over and over again. Not because I really care what they think, but because I don't want to deal with fielding the questions and the curious looks I'll get with my answers.

Honestly, though, since making this decision, I feel as thought a huge weight has been lifted off of me. I didn't realize how much stress I was carrying just because I was taking the "safe" career path.

kenzie · Chanel

~*UPDATE*~ Quitting Corporate America

kmd · Kate Spade

Congratulations!!!

dangergirl · Kate Spade

how exciting! congratulations for taking the first steps towards your new career, it sounds like you've made the right decision!

-- Edited by dangergirl at 13:42, 2009-03-06

twinkle_star · Kenneth Cole

Congratulations, that's so exciting. It must feel so good to have a plan!

sydney · Kate Spade

That's exciting - Keep us posted on your progress!