This series is for my awesome readers. Some of the feedback I’ve been getting from my readers is – “I love your articles and interviews. They are so inspiring, but what I want to know is – how are these entrepreneurs keeping the bills paid while chasing their dreams.” So, this is the first in a series of stories where entrepreneurs tell how they kept the bills paid, during the lean times. In this installment, you’ll meet Jennyvi, Nancy, and Colleen.

Jennyvi Dizon, owner of Jennyvi Dizon Couture said, “When I started my company Jennyvi Dizon Couture, I was in accounting. The very first time I decided to take the leap was when I worked in the tax industry for an accounting firm. I was upfront with my bosses, the busier I got. The busier I got with my gown orders, the less I was interested in working another tax season on a full-time basis. I quit the job to look for a part-time position and sure enough I was able to get an accounting job with a weddings magazine. It was perfect because I was able to keep up with the bridal trends. I was dreaming of dresses I could design and make at work and then going home to sew the designs I thought of. Eventually, I was working more hours at the magazine, but I quit when I was booking more gowns at $3000 a dress. It was a sign, it was time to let go of the day job.

For more information on Jennyvi and her designs visit www.jennyvi.com
Follow Jennyvi’s blog at www.jennyvidizon.blogspot.com
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/jennyvicouture
Visit Jennyvi’s Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennyvi

Nancy Williams, Owner of Gift of Travel said, “I have actually launched two different companies. My first entrepreneurial effort launched in 1995 www.honeyluna.com. Initially, I kept my day job until we had positive revenue flow. Slowly I cut back my hours at my day job to part time. After I received an angel round of investing I was able to devote full time (and then some!) to HoneyLuna. Then after my divorce, I needed to earn a bit more income than I was able to pay myself with HoneyLuna. I lived in Marin County – expensive! Most of my revenue went back into the company to expand. HoneyLuna was viable, but I just needed more dollars for myself, so I waitressed for 2 years. (LOVED IT!) After selling HoneyLuna I launched a new company Gift of Travel. In order to pay the bills as Gift of Travel grows to positive cash flow, I am consulting for the company that is currently running HoneyLuna. I definitely love being an entrepreneur and would rather do whatever it takes to make my companies work than be employed by/for someone else!”

For more information on Nancy and Gift of Travel visit www.giftoftravel.com

Colleen Lloyd-Roberts, owner of Top Notch Nail Files said, “I continued another home based business, a network marketing company so I could grow a team and earn residual income. I knew that residual income would provide me long term working capital for my dream business. In months where it was really tight, I paid the most important bills first. I knew how long I had until the phone, lights, gas, etc. would get cut off, so I would rotate each month what bill needed to get paid. I needed money to reinvest in inventory and only the bare necessities to grow my business – nothing extravagant. By rotating my monthly payments, I never got cut off on anything, I was able to grow my business, and now I have a very successful web-based business. I also did do some trade shows, because that was instant money as well, that I could use to reinvest in my business and pay the most pressing bills.”

For more information on Colleen and Top Notch Nails visit www.nailfile.net
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/39ke9ey
Follow Colleen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/teamtopnotch

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

The Rodney Story is a series on GetYourBizSavvy. The story is about a little boy who wants to take over the world and is faced with many obstacles along the way, much like an entrepreneur.

Check out the previous Rodney Stories:
Allow Me To Introduce You To Rodney
Rodney Finds a Sidekick
Rodney’s First Lemonade Stand
Rodney Admits Delilah is Brilliant, More Lemonade Anyone?

Rodney Meets the Principal

I’m sure you are wondering where I have been the last week (well, I would want to know where I’ve been if I were you). To be honest, it is nothing but a simple misunderstanding. Once we got the shirts made and handed out to all of the representatives, the faculty decided that they needed to get involved, unnecessarily of course. They accused me of false advertisement. FALSE ADVERTISEMENT! For goodness sakes these people know nothing. Ruling the world is not false advertisement and I suggest that they get over that little qualm immediately. I even got Delilah to side with me on that one. Although she was such a baby about the whole situation. Anyways, to make a long story not so long, our representatives were called out and taken to the principal’s office, where they then proceeded to blame the whole situation on me,  and I proceeded to blame the whole situation on Delilah, who unfortunately was standing right next to me so that didn’t go over so well. Her “evil eyes” will cut to the core, let me tell you. So now our brilliant plan has been shut down and we are left with Plan B. Plan B is a much better idea anyways, in my highly commendable opinion. Now all I have to do is ask Delilah what plan B is….

Brittany Black is the creator of Rodney’s story. She is a 19 year old junior at the University of South Florida, majoring in English. Writing is a hobby she has always enjoyed. She eventually wants to be a criminal defense attorney. Her hobbies are reading, writing, running, beaching, and typical college people stuff. Follow her on Twitter at Brittany123xo.

This is the 6th and final installment in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Gabrielle, who went from stay-at-home mom to successful business woman. Keely, who is building a business on limited funds, Isabelle, who knew there was no alternative, but to succeed, and Jamal, who decided to create his own job opportunity after a lay-off. Read on to get your inspiration and remember – With determination and hard work; the road can lead you to Success!!

Gabrielle Napolitano, Owner of Still Hip, a kid’s resale boutique said, “Boy have I overcome some crazy things! The short of it is, I opened my business with a partner and a year later my husband left me, he ruined my credit and my business partner decided she no longer wanted to be a part of the store!” Gabrielle went from stay-at-home mom to single parent running a business completely on her own.

Visit Still Hip’s website at http://stillhipbrooklyn.com
Follow Still Hip on Twitter at http://twitter.com/stillhip
Become a Facebook Friend at http://tinyurl.com/28c7hzc

Keely Capel, Owner of BidABooking, an online auction for holiday property rentals said, “I set up my business 15 months ago even when the banks only offered 50% of the capital investment we required. I have managed to get the business off the ground by being resourceful and negotiating as much as I can on fees for services and purchasing and where ever possible looking for free options. Growing the company with such a limited budget has been tough. I have had to rely on friends and family to support me and have used personal credit cards when funds have not been available to us. We are currently seeking external investment as a way to expand the business as the banks are not prepared to increase their lending to us and personal funds are now limited. Although this is also proving a challenge. The experience however has taught me to think outside the box, never except the first offer and has provided me with even more determination to succeed in what I am doing.”

For more information on Keely and BidABooking visit http://www.bidabooking.com/
Follow BidABooking on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bidabooking
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/2dk5jqn

Isabelle Thomas Duston, the Founder of Apps of All Nations LLC, a producer of applications for the iPhone and the iPad said, “I live in the US, but I am French. In the height of the recession, I realized I needed to leave my husband but had no way of supporting myself financially. Additionally, I wanted to stay in the US to continue raising our two young children. These were limitations I was able to overcome by starting my own company, Appsofallnations. I realized that by starting my own business I could both obtain my own visa and become financially independent so I could support my family. This proved to be very challenging because in order to be approved for an E2 visa you need to invest about $100,000, hire 2 people, and be profitable within 1 year. However, I was able to do it and my business is going extremely well. It enables me to use my creativity and ingenuity, as well as to apply my philosophy of life to my business and management style. This philosophy focuses on the importance of empowerment, collaborative team work, virtual and international teams, and giving to important causes. 5% of the sales of my applications are donated to important causes of my choosing. I believe that bad economic times are actually the best times to start your own business. If you are out of job and need to support yourself like I was, that’s when you get the highest level of personal implication, because you have to make it. There is no easy alternative, so you are driven to find the energy within yourself.”

Visit Apps Of All Nations at http://www.appsofallnations.com/
Follow Isabelle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/iCooking

Jamal Hipps, a marketing and advertising entrepreneur, launched his company MPYER (“empire”) with a specific vision in mind: to help their clients find their own niche or personal ‘secret’ within their industry. Jamal, who uniquely can always be seen wearing a touch of orange (his company’s color), leads MPYER with the marketing mantra of uncovering those hidden treasures of clients – discovering the secret that strengthens the bond between clients and customers and identifying the specific wants and needs between the two.

Surprisingly, MPYER was born thanks to a major setback. In April of 2008, Jamal was laid off from his job at Regions Bank as its Area Marketing Manager – after being with the company since his college years. That’s when he was given the opportunity to enter the industry on his own, determined to establish his own marketing and advertising agency (a goal of his since he was 25). Through diligent networking and several phone calls and emails, Jamal was able to meet with industry professionals who provided insight and direction for his future plans. He decided to create his own job opportunity, and MYPER was born. The company assists its clients with a wide array of services, including event planning, crisis management, graphic design throughout Nashville and nationally. Now, Jamal boasts excellent clients and a great team to work with, and advises that everyone take the risk and jump into entrepreneurial waters themselves.

For more information on Jamal and MPYER visit http://www.mpyer.com
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/MPYER
Connect on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamalhipps

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the 5th in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Tiffany, who didn’t let cancer stop her from landing her product into CVS; Lisa, who didn’t let lack of time stop her from growing a successful business, and Savannah, who went from nearly bankrupt to millionaire in under a year. Read on to be inspired and remember – Kick those obstacles to the curb!!

Tiffany Krumins, creator of Ava the Elephant said, “I created a product that makes medicine time fun for babies, children and parents! Ava the Elephant is a friendly elephant that talks and then dispenses medicine to the child. I was shocked that there was nothing on the market that made it a pleasurable experience for children. Last year I pitched my idea to investors and was able to secure the $50,000 needed to bring it to market. However, two months after I started the process I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 28. I decided to push through and continue working at my “paying job”, do all things necessary to start my business, raise my new daughter, have surgery, radiation and recovery all at the same time! CVS will be our first large retailer. It retails for $9.99. They are also available for purchase on our website.”

For more information on Tiffany and Ava the Elephant visit http://www.avatheelephant.com/

Lisa Tener, Book Writing Coach, and Author said, “My biggest limitation was time, when my son was younger. So I built my business slowly. And it took time. Some of the keys were: – appreciating every payment that came in, no matter how small and seeing it as a victory! – sticking with my vision, even when others wondered how it would ever work. – Finding good mentors – finding supportive women entrepreneurs to brainstorm with and support each other. – I value the flexibility of owning my own business. Once I had more income, I began to outsource. I help people write and publish their books. I serve on the faculty of Harvard medical school’s CME publishing course and also teach my own book writing courses locally and by teleseminar. I also help people with book proposals. My clients have been published by Random House, Simon and Schuster, Prometheus, Karnac books, Atria Books, and Beyond Words.

Visit Bring Your Book to Life at www.Lisatener.com/book
Follow Lisa’s blog at http://www.lisatener.com/blog

Savannah Ross, a real estate investor and trainer went from nearly bankrupt to multimillionaire in under a year through real estate investing. Savannah had to overcome many obstacles that included the near death of her youngest son, a house fire, and an impending divorce. Savannah now runs the Rich Mom Corporation which teaches people about investing in rental real estate.

For more information on Savannah and Rich Mom visit http://www.richmom.com
Follow Savannah on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheRealRichMom
Become a Facebook friend at http://tinyurl.com/26x53fd

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

After the whole lemonade escapade, Delilah said that she should be able to promote me taking over the world. After much deliberation, I finally concurred. At first I was a little skeptical of this idea because my original plan was to keep the whole thing a secret and then use a method of attack to just kind of claim the world rather than have it accept me as the leader. But when Delilah presented her idea, it made sense. People need to know who I am before I take over the world, right? I can’t just up and tell someone that I am their new ruler (well I can but let’s be real here, that will just be too sticky of a situation, and too many questions asked, and answering questions is a major pet peeve of mine). So Delilah has proposed to me the idea of making shirts and electing a few representatives in every grade at our school to give them to in order to be worn around the school campus and exposed to people. Seeing as how I am only a 12 (.7) year old and some of the representatives we plan to elect are as old as 16, Delilah (she’s so brilliant, I have to admit) is going to call on the help of her 16 year old sister to give her a hand in distributing these shirts and requesting they be worn. Delilah thinks we should pay the representatives, but personally I think we should make them pay us. They are getting to know the inside scoop on our plan AND get a free t-shirt… why would I pay them? But in the end, she won as usual. I am never getting married. Women are too conniving and at the same time too innocent which totally messes with my brain signals that are so good at saying NO. So now we are going to be paying these chosen individuals $15 for two weeks to wear these shirts every day. More lemonade, anyone?

Brittany Black is the creator of Rodney’s story. She is a 19 year old junior at the University of South Florida, majoring in English. Writing is a hobby she has always enjoyed. She eventually wants to be a criminal defense attorney. Her hobbies are reading, writing, running, beaching, and typical college people stuff. Follow her on Twitter at Brittany123xo.

This is the 4th in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Andria, who didn’t let Hurricane Katrina end her dream; Steffany, who persevered through the limitations that resulted in a growing business, and Peter, who overcame what many would consider a disability. Read on to get your required dose of inspiration and remember – Anything is Possible!!

Andria Lewis, a wedding and event designer, made the leap into from corporate America sales into entrepreneurship in February 2005, six months before Hurricane Katrina hit. With only one client and a will to work, Andria relocated to Memphis to start her own wedding and event planning business. Not only is her five-year old business thriving, but she used her pitfalls to sustain and grow business while striving to stand out in a world full of wedding planners. This year, her growth as an entrepreneur and her efforts to remain diligent have allowed her to expand her clientele into corporate events, add 5 new staff members and move into a small office space. Andria is currently planning the wedding of Golden State Warriors NBA player Monta Ellis and his fiancé Juanika.

Visit Andria Lewis Events Website at http://alewisevents.com/
Become a Facebook Friend at: http://www.facebook.com/andrialewisevents
Follow Andria Lewis Events on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/alewisevents
Check out the Planner Pages blog at: http://www.theplannerpages.com/

Steffany Boldrini, Entrepreneur and Creator of EcoBold said, “I launched www.ecobold.com on my own and have gone through lots of limitations. The biggest one is that I wanted to make the “amazon.com of green products” but could not find a good technical partner that was driven enough and passionate about the subject. I looked everywhere for one year, I met 20-30 people and nobody was a good fit. So I started thinking about how I could launch the site on my own, without an engineer. After a few weeks the idea of doing video reviews came to my head. I posted internships for video guys. After us shooting over 20 reviews, his camera pooped out and all videos were lost. So I decided to buy a camera, tripod, I learned how to edit, got samples, and here the site is! It’s only 6 months old, growing, and it’s on the first page of Google for several keywords, and many people like it .”

Visit EcoBold’s website at www.ecobold.com
Follow EcoBold on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ecobold

Peter Geisheker, a marketing expert and CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm said, “My limitation is that I stutter. I was told it would be very difficult for me to build a successful business because of my stuttering. I turned around and built a very successful international marketing firm. The secret of my success is I am very determined and I love to prove people wrong when they try to put a limitation on me. When somebody tells me I cannot do something, it makes me want to do it twice as much just to prove them wrong. When a person tells me I can’t do something, they are giving me a tremendous amount of inspiration to prove them wrong. My biggest motivator in life was reading the book, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. It showed me that average people can accomplish anything they set their mind to as long as they believe in themselves.”

Visit The Geisheker Group’s website at www.geisheker.com.
Follow The Geisheker Group on Twitter at http://twitter.com/geisheker

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

Sotiria Krikelis started One Life, Live-It, Inc. after experiencing the wrath of corporate America. Sotiria knew she had to make a change. In this interview, learn how Sotiria launched her flag-ship product, Relax Missy – a foldable ballet flat providing everyday wearable luxury for the modern woman unwilling to walk in high heel agony. Relax Missy was honored to be included in the gift bags for Neutrogena brand ambassadors Hayden Panettiere and Vanessa Hudgens, during the Neutrogena Wave for Change campaign that was held this past Saturday in Los Angeles.

Tell us about your business and how you came up with your business name “One Life, Live-It, Inc.

I incorporated my business back in November 2007. The idea of Relax Missy was in the back of my head, but it was just that, an idea. My company name was important to me because I wanted it to represent what I was about. Some people name their business after themselves, but for me there was more meaning to it. I had just experienced the wrath of the corporate world in a hospital setting and I was completely disgusted with it. There were many names that I chose before settling on One Life, Live-It, Inc. that had the same meaning, but they were all taken and I had to think of something else. The name “One Life, Live-It” embodies everything that I believe in. Life is essentially short, and if we don’t seize the moment every minute, life will pass us by and before we know it we will be 70 and say “How did I get here?” I didn’t want that to be me. I made this decision at 24 years old. I remember reminiscing about being 21 and thinking where the time went? It had passed me by and I didn’t embrace my life – this mental note along with my negative hospital experience led me to say I really have one life, so I better live it, without any regrets.

Your flag-ship product is the Relax Missy. Tell us about your product and where it can be found.

Relax Missy is a foldable ballet flat providing everyday wearable luxury for the modern woman unwilling to walk in high heel agony. Relax Missy is sure to be the next wardrobe staple for every woman with a love affair of out-of-this-world stilettos, or as I like to call them, “15 minute shoes.” Ladies, you know what I’m talking about! It’s double duty fashion that folds up neatly in half and fits in a small, satin, carry pouch. They can be stored in a gym bag, hand bag, glove compartment or wherever your feet desire. Change into them for a lunch time walk, driving, subway commuting, or anytime you want to avoid those blisters. They are real ballet flats that can be worn all day, everyday, and then have the perk of folding up for easy storage.

They can be purchased at www.RelaxMissy.com and can soon be found on www.Shoebuy.com as well as www.AudreyShops.com.

How much research and development was involved in the product?

There was an enormous amount of time and effort dedicated to the entire development process. My background has nothing to do with entrepreneurship or design or manufacturing, therefore, I spent extra time figuring out how this was all done! I would say a solid two years was spent on research and development. Initially, my plan was to manufacture Relax Missy in the states and I spent six months researching and calling every factory I found, but none of them worked out. After six months, I discovered 99% of shoes are outsourced, and so, I went back to square one to research manufacturing in China. This was my biggest obstacle because I had absolutely no idea how to find a factory in a different country and communicate my idea to them. Another six months was spent researching, and again I was empty handed. It wasn’t until I came across internet platforms which connect you with Chinese sources that I was actually making some progress. Utilizing Skype and email are some of the best ways to handle business with overseas factories – it’s all done via internet. No expensive phone bills!

The next step was explaining my idea through designs and words. Creating something that is brand new and never before been made is more difficult than I thought. The factories were handing me samples previously made before I reached out to them that fit my description, but this was not up to par for my standards. I wanted my own design and something truly unique. The design process was another year long obstacle.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to launch a product idea?

Research, research, and more research! Nothing bad can come from this. Reach out to other entrepreneurs, send them an email or call them. It’s always great to listen to advice from others who have been in your shoes and you may even partner up for future events. If you believe in your business idea then never give up, no matter what anyone says. There are many people who want to see you fail and it will be much easier for you to fail than to keep going, but if you really want to live out your dream, don’t stop. The minute you stop taking action is the minute your business fails.

Find books that are in your field and read them thoroughly for tips and tricks. Align yourself with online forums where you communicate with other entrepreneurs and share advice, most likely you will learn something you never knew before and engage in conversation. Exhaust all avenues of help from SCORE to SBC to BAR Association (they set me up with a free lawyer), ask anyone you find in your path for advice. Oh, and if your shy – throw that out the window. If I can sum up being an entrepreneur in one word, it would be: Hustler. This is exactly what you must do to survive.

What have you learned during the start-up phase of your business?

Work never stops! Weekends are gone because you will find yourself working on something because you don’t have time during the week. Money is scarce as a start up and you have to get creative. One of the best things to do is to utilize students. Students are eager to do freelance work for a small price or even for free just to say they worked with X company and place that on their resume. Reach out to local colleges and place flyers on their bulletin boards; you will get a ton of interest and possibly an intern. Research is another major point that I learned will always benefit you and prepare you for your future plans.

Where there any online resources that you found helpful?

I didn’t realize how many websites exist catered to start up businesses. Internet was never a resource I spent a lot of time on, that is, until I started my business and I spent all hours of the day on it. One of the greatest websites, and I say this repeatedly, is the Mommy Millionaire forum for entrepreneurs. Even though I am not a mother, I found the website to be informative on the “how-to’s” of business. Another website I frequently visited was GetYourBizSavvy.com where I always read articles on entrepreneurs that gave me the momentum to keep going and never stop in times of frustration.

Have you always been entrepreneurial?

This is a big fat NO! My parents were not entrepreneurial, nor did they encourage it. My mother was in the fashion business when she came to New York, but that didn’t last long once she started having children. My parents are both immigrants from Greece and I grew up with the notion of go to school, study hard, become a doctor, and become successful. This is the way it was done; as far as I knew. I have been working since I was 16 years old and I never once thought about owning my own business until I was closing in on graduating from college. And now, I have so many ideas from a skincare line to restaurants. I caught the entrepreneurial bug and there is no turning back.

Is there anything you would like to add?

There is an infinite amount of opportunities in the world for everyone. I’ve realized that if you want something bad enough, you’ll figure out a way to achieve it and overcome all obstacles. A successful business isn’t created overnight. A successful business starts with one person, a thought, and taking action. Apple was started by one person in a garage years ago and then grew. Everyone should look at the small things a business does to accomplish their goals and not how huge the corporation is in its current time.

Thanks Julie for the opportunity to share my experience with the www.GetYourBizSavvy.com readers and hope to inspire them to achieve their goals.

For more information on Sotiria and Relax Missy visit http://www.relaxmissy.com
Follow Relax Missy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/relaxmissy
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/3yj7lql

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

Once upon a time in a faraway place, there was a little boy about 12 years old. This little boy had a big dream. Well, really, this little boy wanted to rule the world. Oh yes, and this little boy is me.

Delilah has surprised me by being actually kind of smart for a girl, and has come up with the awesome idea to acquire funds for our (my) taking over of the world. Our method of execution is something like this: we will set up a lemonade stand on every block of my neighborhood for one week, therefore setting up a total of seven lemonade stands. Delilah has this thing where she wears her hair in these ridiculous pig tails, but my mother said that they will be good for business (and gave me this really embarrassing wink) so I will keep my mouth closed about that atrocity until after the lemonade escapade. I have heard that cute little innocent looking girls generally fare pretty well at lemonade stands so it’s worth the try. Delilah is all excited about this; she is making signs with glitter and all that nonsense to catch the eye of our future costumers (and slaves, once I rule the world). I guess hiring a girl as my sidekick wasn’t so bad after all.

Our first lemonade stand day is today. We have set up shop right on the corner of my street in the neighborhood, complete with glittery, obnoxious signs and an enormous amount of lemonade (which is actually quite tasty but I refuse to let Delilah get too big of a head, what happens when she thinks that SHE doesn’t need me anymore and attempts to take over the world alone? I don’t think so). It is approximately 12 o’clock and we have already made fifty dollars from selling this sugary goodness. Humans are so easily manipulated into thinking that they need things they really don’t. For instance, lemonade. For instance times two, me as their ruler.

Rodney will be here every week. Don’t miss the fantastic stories of the young lad’s journey to rule the world.

Check out last weeks story. Read the first story about Rodney.

Brittany Black is the creator of Rodney’s story. She is a 19 year old a junior at the University of South Florida, majoring in English. Writing is a hobby she has always enjoyed. She eventually wants to be a criminal defense attorney. Her hobbies are reading, writing, running, beaching, and typical college people stuff. Follow her on Twitter at Brittany123xo.

This is the 2nd in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Robert who shares is wisdom on the “gut check moment” that all entrepreneurs need to be ready for and Dana who did not let domestic violence and being homeless with four children stop her from becoming an entrepreneur. Read on to be truly inspired.

Robert Tuchman, Entrepreneur, Author of Young Guns Fearless Entrepreneur said, “If you want to become an entrepreneur, you are going to have to take a few deep breaths and get ready to enjoy the ride. At some point during this journey, you are going to encounter a “gut check moment.” This is when you answer the WHY question of your business that you will have to figure out with your partner. Everyone must answer this question. There are going to be those times during the early stage of business that you come across these “gut check moments” and are unsure what to do. However, if you know what you are doing and realize WHY you are doing it, you are setting yourself up for a good future. Many people understand that they are going to come across these “gut check moments” and are going to have to make tough decisions along the way. It is a great thing to have confidence and you need that in order to be successful, but you also need to know that there will be scary decisions that you will come across.

When you come across one of these moments, you must stand tall and stick your chest out. You need to be in full control of the decision and make sure that you are feeling up to the challenge. If you put off one of these decisions, you will not be prepared the next time a situation arises. Being an entrepreneur is a learning process just as everything is in life. The more decisions you make, the more you grow as a person and as a company.

A “gut check moment” that I had to face was when we first started out the business and sold a client packages to the MLB All-Star Game that was taking place in Colorado. The cost for us was $25,000. The phone rang and it was not a call I was looking forward too, but I had to step up and stay calm. The supplier told me that his company was going bankrupt and would not be able to deliver the tickets. $25,000 was a lot of money to the company, especially since it was our first year of business. I knew that I had to do something to make the pieces fit into the puzzle, and we were able to get other hotel inventory and ticket inventory to make everything work out. I had to do the right thing for the client even if we lost money on the deal. If the client is happy, I am happy.

When engaging in these moments where we second guess ourselves, we have to keep going forward and never look back. After that phone call, I could have gave up on my dreams and quit but I kept going and did what I needed to do. As you are on this wonderful ride, keep positive and stay determined.”

Visit Robert’s website at http://premieresports.com/

Dana Rankin, Advertising Sales Representative said, “I did not let the crisis of domestic violence and being homeless stop me from building successful online businesses. Most started while living in a shelter with my 4 children. I used resources on and off line and researched in the library to help get my businesses started.

Visit Dana’s website at http://www.hopeforwomenmag.com/
Follow Dana on Twitter at http://twitter.com/devosbydana
Follow Dana’s Blog at http://therecipediva.wordpress.com/

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

Once upon a time in a faraway place, there was a little boy about 12 years old. This little boy had a big dream. Well, really, this little boy wanted to rule the world. Oh yes, and this little boy is me.

I have found a sidekick. Unfortunately, it is a female human being. Unfortunately number two, her name is Delilah. Much to my dismay, she has no qualms with this “name” she goes by and refuses to allow me to call her by a more professional name. Whatever, girls can be so contrary. So I have spent the last week training Delilah for all the things that she could possibly encounter while we are taking over the world, and how to handle the situation appropriately. I am giving Delilah the duty of deciding how we are going to come up with the appropriate funds for taking over the world. She thinks we will only need about one hundred dollars to start with. I think we need about a million. Either way, we must figure out how to get our hands on all this dough. When I asked my mother if I could temporarily borrow one hundred dollars, she said that I would have to work for it. That woman is purely insane. When one is taking over the world, there is no time to work for money. Especially from one’s own parental figure! Geez, when I finally rule the world I am going to formulate a class that teaches parents how to properly take care of and treat their children. It will be mandatory.

Rodney will be here every week. Don’t miss the fantastic stories of the young lad’s journey to rule the world.

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Brittany Black is the creator of Rodney’s story. She is a 19 year old junior at the University of South Florida, majoring in English. Writing is a hobby she has always enjoyed. She eventually wants to be a criminal defense attorney. Her hobbies are reading, writing, running, beaching, and typical college people stuff. Follow her on Twitter at Brittany123xo.