The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Photo from chiefexecutive.net
As an RN, my mother ran a care home operation in the comfort of our home. Like many RN Filipino-Americans in Hawaii, they thought outside the box and in the 80’s, they created their own business by taking care of the eldery at their own home. I’m honestly not sure if this business model is easier than working at the hospital or at a doctor’s office, but it allowed her do the things she wanted to do. As you can imagine, this required her to be present 24/7 and if she had to be somewhere, she had to make sure there was coverage at the house. As I grew older, I believed this business was not the ideal situation due to the missed opportunities and the inability to be completely present. However, now that I look back, she enabled herself to create her own wealth and not make other’s wealthy. Sure, she had to hire others to watch her patients when we would go on a vacation or watch my baseball games, but we were still able to travel and visit family in other states. I viewed this business as a burden most of my upbringing but the fact of the matter is that my mom was able create her own path towards success and not rely on anyone else.
I went into college thinking I wanted to be an engineer. I survived 3 years and in my final year, sh*t hit the fan. Things in my personal life were falling apart and I asked myself ‘do I really want to be an engineer for the rest of my life?’ Sure, the pay would be great, but would it make me happy? I took a quarter off, and decided to major in Finance with the intent on having my own business, just like my mom. I worked a variety of jobs after graduating and gained knowledge into seeing how businesses were run. I worked in various departments from analyzing financial data to creating databases and even answering phone calls. Some job functions I enjoyed more than others, but it taught me a lot about running a business and the different intricacies of it all. I wish I could say I run a multimillion dollar company, but I have a business that allows me to provide for my family AND be present. Yes, I still have a W-2 as well, but I enjoy that part as well. I have been blessed to live in a cubicle during the week, and have my creative juices flow after work hours. It’s the best of both worlds.
Fast forward to today and my photography business is at a standstill due to COVID19. During the early years, I was constantly busy booking and shooting weddings but times have changed. The market is now saturated with younger, aspiring artists who have realized how simple it is to pick up a camera, learn on YouTube and shoot events. I don’t blame them, I was at that point years ago too. While my bookings declined, I was searching for other ways to supplement that income. As I explored real estate investing, I began to learn the importance of building a solid foundation--a team that I could trust and lean on. The more I networked and spoke with other professionals in the industry, I understood that this too was a business. I may be new but I am hungrier than ever on this journey because of my ‘WHY’. Similarly to other businesses, I know times will be tough and it will take a lot of perseverance, but I have such an incredible support system and I look forward to this new venture.