Making it on your own is a scary, but potentially exciting venture.

I am an old "hippie" who got into the corporate world, first as an auditor for a tire company. That sucked, so I shelved my accounting degree, finished a marketing degree and got a job as communications manager for a telephone company. Next, I went to work as a writer/photographer for an international electrical manufacturing company, where I spent 30 years and worked my way up to Advertisinf/marketing director
for the largest division. I had a basic distrust of big business and intentionally planned to never count on my "day job" for more than 1/2 my income. A French company purchased the company I was working for and I was told I had to transfer to Chicago.

I had roots in Lexington and aging in-laws with Alzhiemers and Parkinsons disease.
I learned valuable skills at the electrical company. They paid for two additional graduate degrees, I had a substantial retirement and 401 and good industry contacts.


I started my own packaging, literature, music and film production company (I had done part-time project work since the mid 70'S)in 1993. This year, we'll do over $12 million in business, without making one outside sales call, with no web site or even a bold listing in the phone book.

Walking away from a $100,000 plus job was frightening, but easier for me because all three kids were out of school and I always played at least 4 nights a week and taught part time at the local University.

IT FEELS GREAT to be independent! You'll love it, if you have a passion for what you do, are VERY good at it, and live and breath your business EVERY DAY!

Carefully prioritize your life, and don't let your focus on your new venture negatively impact the ones you love.
Look for more than money as a reward for your hard work. The secret is to find a way to do for a living what you would do for fun.

Organize your life and work that way and you "knock em dead"!

All the best...please contact me if you need to talk to someone who has been there. If you're thinking of starting a rep organization (many of my friends have)I can put you in contact with some fine people who manufacture products for the hardware/sporting goods industries and are always looking to expand their representation.

Russ