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What’s Your Story? Walking Down Memory Lane

How did you get to this very moment in your life?

What specific events happened that changed your direction?

As an entrepreneur, our business reflects our personal story.

When I talk to other entrepreneurs the reason they usually come up with the idea is because something happened in their personal life and needed a particular product or service. Or they wanted to create a movement and change the way people thought about certain things.

As a person that has built many brands I see an evident trend. The most successful brands are the ones that people can relate to, connect with, and have a clear story/mission. As a business owner I used to hide behind the logos of my business. I didn’t want to embrace the idea of sharing my personal story. But as my businesses grew I realized the reason was because I became more and more open to sharing my journey as the person behind the business. More importantly, I realized that my story mattered.

When I look back on my journey now I still can’t believe how things played out just at the right time. A lot of different things could have transpired, but I believe that God had a hand in my path to where I am today. Along the road to full time entrepreneurship I had many choices and opportunities. I had the free will to choose where I wanted to work, what I wanted to do. With a lot of prayer and tough decision making, my choices brought me here to the present day.

*cue time travel sound effects*

During the end of my final quarter at FIDM I decided I wanted to start my own business. I was drowning in an ocean of final projects, tests, graduation, working at a bridal shop 35 hours a week, and dancing in my free time. I have no idea how I pulled it off, but I did. Having all those things on my plate showed me how to multitask and handle multiple projects at once. At the same time I started my first business, Daydreamer Events, a wedding and event planning company. The wedding industry showed me how to be a people person, how to be more outgoing, and was my first taste in customer service.

Daydreamer Event Planning
Daydreamer Event Planning by Carissa Solomon 2004-2011

Post-graduation I was running my wedding planning business and was working full time for a print company. Charlie’s experience and my experience in the print industry inspired us to start our first business together, Inked Print and Graphics which later turned into CO Creative Cartel after we got married. The print industry showed me how important it is to have strong business to business relationships. 

Inked Print and Graphics, 2006-2011
Inked Print and Graphics turned into CO Creative Cartel, 2006-2011

 

CO Creative Cartel, 2011-present
CO Creative Cartel, 2011-present

2007 was the start of the great recession and that was the start of a lot of ups and downs for my family. I was very lost during this time. Everything I had known started to turn upside down. I had different jobs on and off during the next few years to help supplement income, when my mom convinced me to get my real estate license. I was still running both my wedding planning and print businesses, but things were slowing down. This time in my life taught me about perseverance and how necessary it is to adapt to change.

Original Ninong's Logo, 2008-2013
Original Ninong’s Logo, 2008-2013

In 2008, my family opened Ninong’s. Oh boy, if you knew the story of what happened before we opened in Granada Hills. It was really really hard for us, let’s just say that. It was new, it was exciting, but it also took a toll on all of us physically, mentally, and financially. We are finally starting to see the fruits of our labor and are extremely grateful that we didn’t give up. Charlie and I got engaged shortly after and 2 years later got married. Those years were an extreme transition time for us. We had so much to look forward too but there was an immense weight on our shoulders. After our wedding I worked a few contract jobs and found myself as a manager at a stationery company before I went to work at Ninong’s full time. Working as a manager showed me how to lead a team of people and set milestone goals which was extremely useful when I transitioned to Ninong’s.

New Ninong's Logo, 2013-present
New Ninong’s Logo, 2013-present

2013 was when I really went full time into entrepreneurship and it was the scariest time of my life, both professionally and personally. When I first started I was the first one at work and the last one to leave. I would work 14+ hour days and come in on my 1 day off a week. Guys, I think I cried every day for almost a year. I realized as an entrepreneur you just have to do what you have to do to stay afloat. You do it because you love it and believe in it that much.

A month after I started my mom found out that she had cancer. That moment was the turning point for me and my life completely changed. Things became clearer, more real, more complicated, but also more meaningful. I knew that this was going to change ever aspect of my life and my outlook. During that time I realized that all the odd jobs that I worked helped give me the experience I needed to run my businesses successfully. I stopped crying ever day lol! I became stronger and more in tune with myself as an entrepreneur. I realized I had all the tools I needed because of my journey. My long and winding journey shaped me to the person I am today.

Today I run our cafe Ninong’s, a stationery company CO Creative Cartel, a Real Estate business, and a Youtube Channel The Good the Bad the Foodie. This is me, this is my life, and this is who I am – an entrepreneur passionate about business in every way, shape, and form.

If you’re out there this is my message for you. You are going to experience a lot of ups and downs during your time, but it’s all about how you persevere through the tough times and the grace you show during the good times. Trust me, it’s always worth it in the end.

I believe we all have a choice which path we want to take it life, I truly believe there is always a choice. It may not always be easy, everyone has something that holds them back or they struggle with. But take it from me, the journey is the most important part. Cherish the journey, learn from it. Embrace it and be proud of your story.

xoxo,

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Making Entrepreneurship Work when You First Start Out

Sometimes I can’t believe I was only 19 when I started my first business. I was still a college student. I was at my last quarter at FIDM, working 35 hours a week at a bridal gown store, and on the verge of graduating. Who has time to start a business?! After I graduated, I found a job at a print company and was working 40 hours a week while still doing my business on the side. Since graduating I’ve held lots of full time jobs all while doing my business on the side. I was working until 3 am sometimes only to get up at 6 am the next day. Hey, I had to survive right? I had bills to pay.

In every way you can imagine, entrepreneurship is about survival. You have these skills, passion, and you see an opportunity that you can fulfill. You want these things to be part of your daily life and would do anything to survive by using those 3 assets. Even if that means working night and day to make it happen. Why would anyone do that to themselves? Because it makes us happy. I know it makes me happy being able to exercise all 3 of those things – skill, passion, and opportunity. When you start a business, that’s how you survive. You realize you do what you have to do so that you can be happy.

Don’t get me wrong, being a business owner is hard – really hard sometimes. I’ve written about it before. Here, here, and here. Sometimes things will be great! And other times, you just want to curl up and hide from the world. Sometimes you have more than enough money coming in, and sometimes you won’t. A lot of entrepreneurs start off doing their business after work hours until their business can sustain them. That was me for a while. Up until 2013 I was working on and off at full time jobs, part time jobs, freelance jobs until I started working at Ninong’s. When I first started working there I would be the first one there and the last one to leave. I’d come in at 7:30 am, stay past 10 pm, and then work from home after. There were weeks where I was really really stressed where I’d cry every day and there were weeks where things would go well. Point is: it’s just the nature of the beast.

You’ve got to learn how to do things you never thought you’d have to learn – how to be an accountant, marketing guru, social media manager, graphic designer, operations manager…the list goes on and on. You now wear a million hats, at least until you make enough where you can pay to have a professional lighten your load (trust me, it’s worth the investment). 

When you’re a business owner, a lot of times it’s all you can think about. It’s actually all you want to think about sometimes. If that’s the case and you haven’t started your business yet, then you should! Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let fear take over your life to the point where you stop doing purposeful work. Do what you’re passionate about, work that gives you meaning and makes you happy!

I always tell people that come to me when they’re thinking about starting a business the real deal – it has its pro’s and its cons. But I always tell them that I would never have it any other way. If you’re the type that just isn’t happy working for someone else, or you have an idea that you just can’t get out of your head, then being an business owner might be for you! The great thing about starting your own business is that it taps into your unforeseen potential. The potential to make more money than working for someone else, the potential to come better than you ever thought you could be, and the potential to push yourself and learn how to want to do work instead of have to so work.

xoxo,

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I Have a Business Idea, Now What?

When I started doing regular meetings with my long time friend and fellow entrepreneur, Heather, I realized how often people come to me when they realize they want to start a business. I usually get questions like, “I have this idea but can you tell me what paper work I need to get this going?” or “What kind of business should I open up?” or “Can I pick your brain about this business idea I have?” or “Do you think this is a good idea?”

Well, let me tell you that if you have a business idea then I think it’s wonderful! Entrepreneurship and small business is my life. I love being a business owner. Through good days and really crappy days in the end I know being an entrepreneur is what really makes me happy – it makes me tick. So, you’re thinking of starting a business of you own? Great! Here’s my advice of what you need to do first before taking the plunge.

  1. Get prepared
    1. Do. Your. Research. I can’t stress this enough. A lot of businesses fail before they even begin because of lack of research. A couple questions for you:
      1. What do you need to start up?
      2. What kind of permits are needed from the county and/or state?
      3. What kind of monetary investment is needed for start up costs?
    2. Scope out your competition. And not in a creepy stalker way! Reach out to them as a colleague in a professional manner. Worst case scenario is they don’t respond back to you. But best case scenario you have a new friend that you can talk shop with!
    3. How can you differentiate the market? Basically, unless you’re an inventor you’re business idea is just reinventing something that has already been done. So how is your product or service going to be different from what is already out there?
    4. What can you bring to the table? This is the culminating question based on questions 2 and 3. Most of the time you and your personal brand is what is going to set you apart from the competition. Is there anything else? Maybe you have an innovative way to present your product. Or maybe you are going to utilize technology in a way that hasn’t been done in your industry. Or maybe, the exact opposite, you plan on going back to basics and minimizing the use of technology. Who knows? You should know 😉
  2. Figure out your costs. I know a lot of people don’t like to discuss money, it’s a touchy subject for some. But let’s be realistic here. You want to start a business for 2 main reasons: to do what you love and to make money, right? Now I’m not talking about start up costs anymore. I’m talking about operation costs.
    1. How much will it take to keep your business running after you’ve started? Create a budget of your monthly expenses for your business. That way, you know exactly how much you need every month to break even. Do you need to rent office or warehouse? Do you need internet? Do you need a website? Do you need a company phone line? How much will you pay yourself? Those are your monthly expenses.
  3. Create pricing for your product or service. Now that you know how much your business is going to cost you it’s time to think about making some money. A lot of people think you can just take the cost of your product or service and multiply it by 3. But that’s not true for everyone. In fact, it’s not true for most. Pricing your goods or services correctly is extremely important. Some things to think about when :
    1. What is your competition’s pricing? It’s very important that you don’t undercut your competition. Not only will you be sabotaging your colleagues but you’ll be cheating yourself on potential profits. Just because you’re just starting out doesn’t mean you have to charge 50% less than the competition. You have value, your insight is valuable. You are knowledgable and have something to contribute in your field.
    2. What can the market bear? There are numerous factors that can play into this. Yes, your competition..but also your geographical area. Where are you located? Who will you be servicing? What kind of added value are you including into your product?
  4.  Go for it! Lastly, don’t be afraid! Take the leap and invest in yourself. Whenever people tell me they’re thinking about starting a business I get extremely excited for them. Why? Because it takes courage, and most people won’t have the courage to go for what they want. I’ve noticed that a lot of people that people don’t know what they’re passionate about. But if you’re thinking about starting a business that means you must be passionate about something and that’s exciting! I ain’t gonna lie people – owning a business is extremely hard. You’ll learn things that you never learned before, put in more work hours than ever before, and you’ll wear so many hats you never thought you’d have to! But for a lot of people they wouldn’t have it any other way. Why? Because despite all the hardships, entrepreneurship will always have the biggest potential for more. And more I mean not just more earnings, but more life experience, time, and more getting to know what you’re really made of. So go out there and do it! I’m rooting for you!

In your corner,

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