My company & title is… Owner, Proprietor and Chief Writer, Editor and Web Consultant of Ladybug Writer, and Editor In Chief “Mamabug” of Ladybug’s Blog.
A typical day in my life includes… Craziness! Every day I work on balancing the demands of everyday home and family life and volunteering at my kid’s school with working on writing and web projects, writing articles and continually finding new clients that need my help. I try to squeeze in some time for outdoor adventure with my family on the weekends whenever I can.
My favorite thing about living/working in the Deer Valley area is… I love the mountains, desert and awesome views readily available in our area! We have some fantastic, off the beaten path nature preserves and hiking trails, and our proximity to the I-17 freeway and the Loop 101 mean that we can head to Northern Arizona pretty quickly. I also love the sense of community in our area and the positive growth in our neighborhoods and economy!
My favorite movie I could never get tired of watching and why… I have always loved the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is fearless – endlessly curious, completely brilliant and on an eternal quest to find the truth at the heart of all things. Plus, I really love the hat.
My family… is the center of my world and my motivation for chasing the dream of running a successful writing and consulting business.
The business lesson I learned the hard way is… Always follow up and be responsive to customers. Listening to their needs is one of the most important things you can do to help them solve their problems. Always tell the truth and own up to your mistakes when they happen, then strive to fix it. Don’t sell yourself short – when you have years of experience in your field and provide high levels of value and benefit to your customers, charge what your work is worth because everyone benefits from fair market pricing.
One thing I cannot live without… Coffee and iced tea!
When I was younger, I wanted to be… a writer and journalist. Then I decided that earning money was more important, so I entered the corporate world. It’s amazing to me that I have come full circle in my life and career to arrive at where I started – now I write and publish articles full time!
The one person who motivates me is… my daughter. She is the most innately kind person I know, and she inspires me to put my fears and personal concerns aside to think about others first. I also work hard to show her the value of work and teach her that she can do anything she wants in life, as long as she is ready to work for it.
My first job was… I vacuumed floors for a local shoe store in the town where I grew up until I was old enough to get a job as a lifeguard. Then I waited tables until I graduated high school and went to college.
I’m currently working on… starting an online store to go with my blog. I plan to sell Ladybug’s Blog-branded outdoor gear – everything from performance shirts and pullovers, to hats, socks and water packs. It’s hard to find appropriate outdoor gear for your little ones – colors, sizes and quality are often limited. And they outgrow it so fast, that you don’t want to spend a fortune on high-end stuff. My plan is to begin with a few pieces, then work towards a more robust line of gear and see how it goes from there!
The best gift I’ve ever received was… most recently, my Breville convection oven. It makes my kitchen efforts so much easier – and it doesn’t heat up the house. I love it and use it every day!
My dream vacation would be to… hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and spend a week exploring. Then head back to camp and read a good book.
My words of wisdom to aspiring business owners… Don’t give up! Even when customers are few and far between and you wonder if all the time and effort is worth it, hang in there. Plan. Research. Network. Be patient and diligent. You will find people to encourage you along the way and opportunities will present themselves – have the courage to push yourself, meet new people, try new things and keep moving forward!
