I've been asked this many times, I guess because no one can imagine that you dream about making soap when you're little or majoring in soap-making in college (neither of which I did.)
I think I was a budding entrepreneur in the womb; I was probably developing products to sell to the other babies in the nursery. From very early on, I would create new products and be convinced that they would actually be brought to the marketplace. I created a cartoon strip that I honestly thought would be next to "Peanuts" in the Sunday funnies. I fashioned an E.T. figurine that had a toothbrush where his magic finger was; I was sure that would get kids to brush their teeth. I wrote a "family newspaper" that was chock full of breaking news about the other 3 people in my family, that I would then sell to these same family members for a quarter. I started a jewelry company called, "Bead it", a small symbol of my infatuation with Michael Jackson. When I found out 20 years later that someone had actually used that name for their store, my father said reluctantly that he knew he should have trademarked some of my ideas.
I wasn't just playing for the sake of play, I always thought the end result would be seeing it on store shelves. As I got older, career choices ranged from archeologist to veterinarian to magazine publisher, but I was constantly creating new products that fell just short of mass production.
It's interesting to think back on the things that you wanted when you were young and how things have changed (or not changed, in my case) My parental units fostered creativity and the belief that we could do anything, which I think ultimately led to my sister and I creating the line of empowering baby gear. When you believe that you are creative, confident and powerful, anything is possible.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Were certain paths encouraged by your parents?
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4 comments:
I wanted to be a lot of things when I was little... but I always knew that my favorite thing was just learning new things. Most of the time, it was encouraged by my parents... anyway, it wasn't until I was in high school that I realized I could actually work in a library all day - and I thought that sounded like the best job on earth.
That absolutely makes sense then, that you would be getting your MLIS degree!
Good question. There were so many things I wanted to be when I was little- a gymnast, a teacher, a mommy. But the one thing that always stuck with me was a writer. I always wanted to be an author..of fiction and poetry. I graduated with a BA in English Lit. It was discouraged in my family though....can't make any money. So here I am now, a sahm, not making any money anyway! LOL I'm currently working on my first novel.
Good for you for always sticking with it! I'm sure writing that first novel is daunting, but exciting at the same time.
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