Isn’t it crazy how much can change in a year?
A year ago, I was sitting in my capstone class learning all about our year-end cumulative project. As my professor explained all that would go into the project, I was absolutely dreading it. We were to do a complete analysis and create a business plan for a large company. The whole thing was starting to sound like a ton of work for something I truly wasn’t interested in until he told us the exception he was going to make that semester. If we wanted to start our own business, we were able to do this project based on that theoretical company. I sat up a little straighter, started listening harder, and the wheels really started to turn.
I was calling my mom before I even got to the car to tell her all about my ideas and my new excitement for this project.
Up until this point, I had a plan ready to go post-graduation. I was going to work in the area *hopefully * as an event coordinator while doing a little bit of baking and catering on the side. After 3-5 years, I would take the leap and start Bushie’s Kitchen. I was convinced that it would be best to wait until I felt ready financially. I honestly hadn’t even entertained the idea of starting a company right after college. It had always been something I did on the side. I had made desserts for a few weddings, but they were just for family and friends who knew I loved to bake.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think a project would truly change my life. I had gotten to the point in my education where I was really just trying to finish. It sounds so bad looking back at it, but at the time I was just SO ready to be done with school.
As I started to dive into this project, I began to get extremely nervous. Not because I didn’t know what I was doing but because I was realizing exactly what I wanted to do. All of the research, competitive analyses, and financial evaluations were making me realize that this was not only something I could do now but something I really wanted to do and that terrified me.
Something about that 5-year plan I had created in my mind had been so comforting. I didn’t have to take any big leaps of faith or make any risky decisions. I would find a good job and then take all the time I needed to get the ball rolling on Bushie’s Kitchen. But what’s life without a little risk… or a lot.
I quickly switched my mindset and started to really focus on making this dream a reality.
While I’m sure some things would have been easier if I had waited until I had more experience or more financial resources, I wouldn’t change a single thing about this past year. Every decision has shaped me not only as an entrepreneur and a business owner but as a person.
As I write this, I’m honestly surprised by how many emotions this all brings up for me. I’m shocked, amazed and most of all so proud of myself for how far I’ve come in the past year. I’ve struggled, been extremely sleep deprived, and worked a LOT of 14-hour days. But all of this has been worth it because I’ve truly made my dreams come true.
There are still so many things that I want to do and ways that I want to grow this little business of mine, and I couldn’t be more excited. But for just a moment I’m going to take a deep breath and enjoy all that I’ve done so far. So thank you to everyone who has helped me get to this point, especially my amazingly supportive family and my capstone professor who truly changed my life with one little change to our year-end project.
Isn’t it crazy how much can change in a year?
*Keep an eye out for the one-year celebration of this fabulous little company in April!*
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