Growing up, the biggest business decisions weren’t made in a boardroom. They were made at our kitchen table.
At ten, I started in shipping at my dad’s commercial printing business. I packed business cards, made notepads, and when he bought a competitor, helped clear out their shop.
My dad was the third generation to run the family business. Printing wasn’t a growth market, and he joked that he was always the youngest person at every trade show. He told my brothers and me there wouldn’t be a fourth generation. His advice was simple: “Paddle your own canoe.”
After a few years in tech and project management, I realized I wanted to work directly with end users. A friend suggested small business finance. One hour, I might be speaking with a large e-commerce company in Los Angeles; the next, a mom-and-pop trucking business in Iowa. Different businesses, but what I enjoy most is working directly with the people making the decisions.
I want owners to understand exactly what they’re paying for and why. Sometimes that means arranging capital. Sometimes it means advising them to wait a little. Either way, I want to be someone they can call again, even just to say hello.
My Promised Land is earning a seat at your kitchen table. What’s yours?
