Vicki Gunvalson of Coto Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.

Today, we’ll hear from Victoria Gunvalson, better known as Vicki Gunvalson to viewers of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Vicki shares with us an inspiring story of how she turned turned her natural interests into a career she could be proud of and founded Coto Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.

Update: Vicki wanted us to let our readers know that her new book, More Than a Housewife, is now available!

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Vicki Gunvalson: I own and operate a full service life, health, and annuity insurance agency representing every major insurance company in the United States called Coto Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. Additionally, Coto Insurance provides existing or prospective life insurance agents with training to become successful in this business.  We provide exclusive internet life insurance leads, quoting software, weekly training calls featuring me and my team and our proprietary client data base system.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Vicki Gunvalson: Since 1992

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in what that is now the basis of your job?

Vicki Gunvalson: I love people – I love working with people and I love helping people.  Being in the insurance industry has been a very natural way for me to use those people skills and turn it into a successful career.  I take pride in being a part of my client’s dreams – at all levels of their lifespan and business cycle.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?

Vicki Gunvalson: I learned the importance of insurance after my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 59.  In the process of helping to pay for his care, I realized that I could help others as well to provide security for their families so they do not have to carry the burden of paying for medical care.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Vicki Gunvalson: The tools that I offer to my agents are all of the same tools that have made me so successful in selling life insurance (internet life insurance leads, quoting software, weekly training calls, etc.).   And of course, my laptop!

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? Or any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely worth it?

Vicki Gunvalson: Being my own boss would be the best part about creating my own job.  I have always been able to determine my own success.  The harder I work – the greater the return.  I have been able to provide an amazing, rich, blessed life for my children that I always dreamed for them to have.  We have many lasting memories together through family trips and vacations that would never have been possible if I didn’t work as hard as I have.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Vicki Gunvalson: The toughest hurdle I have had in creating my own job is finding balance.  I tend to immerse myself 110% in my career, and sometimes I don’t take the time I need to for my husband and my adult children.  It’s still a daily battle for me in finding that right balance, but I’m fortunate to have found a career that I absolutely love and to me ….it isn’t work at all.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Vicki Gunvalson: I would say to never give up on yourself or your dreams.  There will be lots of lows but through hard work and determination, the highs will outweigh the lows.  When you are your own boss, there is no limit to your own success.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs? Products, supplies, tech tools, etc?

Vicki Gunvalson: For those interested in the insurance business, I have a fantastic book called “Internet Life Insurance Selling Made Easy” that I highly recommend.  Running an organized office is extremely important to me as well.  I am a big fan of label makers to keep all of my files organized.(TheCareerCreator.com note: Click here for more information about Vicki’s book!)

More About This Company:
Company name: Coto Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.
Founder: Victoria Gunvalson
Website: www.cotoinsurance.com

Awards & Special Recognition Received:
Victoria is a Senior Insurance Specialist and is an Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor, member of American Association of Long Term Care Insurance, Past-President and Founder of LeTip of Coto de Caza  International, Member of the National Ethics Bureau, and a member of Saddleback Community Church.

Victoria has continually received national recognition as a qualified member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Top of the Table.  For more than 100 years, the Million Dollar Round Table has honored the very best individuals in the financial services profession from around the world. Less than 1% of insurance agents in this industry ever meet this benchmark of outstanding performance and service to clients and Victoria is a proud to be a member of this organization.

Vicki, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to tell us how you turned your people skills and a desire to help others into a flourishing business!

More to Come…stay tuned!

~TheCareerCreator.com

Alex Andon, Founder of Jellyfish Art

Alex Andon, owner of Jellyfish Art created his own job by solving a problem for potential customers–giving people what they need to safely and creatively enjoy live jellyfish in their homes.

In this interview, Alex shares some practical tips and resources for getting your small business up and running!

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about
your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Alex Andon: Jellyfish Art makes jellyfish tanks and supplies them live
jellies from a global catalog.  I started this business making
high-end custom installations but I just started selling a desktop
jellyfish tank online for $249.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Alex Andon: Since September 2008.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now
the basis of your job?

Alex Andon: I studied marine biology in college and wanted to be a
marine biologist for a while.  Scientists only recently discovered how
to breed jellyfish in captivity, so I wanted to push the envelope in
jellyfish research.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got
started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… What was the
turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a
career?

Alex Andon: I started Jellyfish Art with the full intention of turning
it into a business from the beginning.  People were getting a huge
kick out of the jellyfish exhibits at public aquariums, but you
couldn’t have a jellyfish in your home.  It seemed like if I figured
it out, jellyfish could be the next big thing in ornamental aquariums.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology
you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Alex Andon: I worked out of my cousin’s garage, tinkering with tank
designs from parts I picked up on craigslist.  I kept the jellyfish
breeding tanks in a shed in her backyard.  There are solar-driven
algae ponds on my roof right now, which I use to make food for the
jellyfish.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? (Or
any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely
worth it?)

Alex Andon: If I don’t have any meetings, I don’t have to wear a shirt to work.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how did you overcome it?

A Jellyfish Art Tank

Alex Andon: I was installing a large custom aquarium in Seattle right before Christmas so I had to meet the deadline in order to make it home for the holidays.  I had to drive all my equipment through mountain passes during a blizzard with triple the maximum payload in my truck.

Once I got to the install location, I slept at the renovation site to save time and avoid the icy roads.  I finished the installation just in time to drive 23 hours back to San Francisco and make my flight by half an hour.
I kept my resolve by remembering that every hurdle makes a good story. (See above paragraph.)

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Alex Andon: It’s a lot simpler than most people would have you believe.  Simple, but not easy.  I hope you like roller-coasters because you can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows in a few hours.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs? (Products, supplies, tech tools, etc?)

Alex Andon: There are tons of great free resources out there and it’s
worth using them before you jump into starting a business.  Everything
is online:
http://www.sba.gov/
http://www.tannedfeet.com/
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/
http://www.guykawasaki.com/
http://www.workhappy.net/
http://www.elance.com/

More About This Company:
Company Name: Jellyfish Art
Founder: Alex Andon
Products or service offered: Jellyfish tanks and live jellyfish
Website: www.jellyfishart.com
Twitter: @alexandon
Facebook: Alex Andon (San Francisco, CA network)

Thanks, Alex for sharing some good really good advice!
We think it’s really cool that Alex found a niche that could use his expertise and offered mainstream consumers a cool product that they might not have the luxury of being able to own before Jellyfish Art came along! If you’re starting a business, don’t be afraid to focus on a small niche and go from there.
And, if you haven’t already, check out this video of Jellyfish Art’s desktop jellyfish tank!

More to come…stay tuned!

~TheCareerCreator.com

Lisa Price

Entrepreneur and author Lisa Price is the founder of Carol’s Daughter, a very successful line of skin and hair care products she began mixing in her kitchen.

Lisa shares a bit about how she got started and then gives some sage advice about sticking to your vision and goals.

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”?  Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Lisa Price: My job title is President and Founder of Carol’s Daughter Inc.

I am also the author of “Success Never Smelled So Sweet”, a memoir that chronicles my transformation from a young black
woman deep in debt to the president of a multi-million dollar
business.

Carol’s Daughter is a complete line of hair and body care
products made with love and natural ingredients. From the brand name and its products, to the delicate care and attention mixed into each recipe, its heritage is a treasure that I have set out to share with the rest of the world.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Lisa Price: I officially established Carol’s Daughter in August of
1994 and opened the first free standing Carol’s Daughter location in
Brooklyn in 1999.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now
the basis of your job?

Lisa Price: I had a longtime hobby, love and interest in mixing up
fragrances and creams at home, which has in turn channeled into this
beauty empire.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got
started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… What was the
turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a
career?

Lisa Price: For as long as I can remember, I had an inherent love of
fragrance. My mother, Carol, always encouraged me to use my knack for
mixing essential oils and my innate feel for fragrance to create gifts
for family and friends.

Inspired by my mother’s words, I began whipping up products right in her kitchen that became an instant hit with loved ones. In the early 1990’s, I branched out and sold my homespun hair and body products at local flea markets and crafts fairs, turning my longtime hobby into a career.

Soon after, my products had a dedicated following. A few years later, I opened my first boutique in Fort Green, Brooklyn.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology
you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Lisa Price: I started selling at local church fairs – all I needed was
change, a positive outlook and some sort of branding.  It’s important
to keep track of funds and exactly what you sell so that you can adapt
to your environment and always stay fresh.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? Or
any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely
worth it?

Lisa Price: Knowing that I’m actually touching my consumer is my
favorite part.  To bring something that I always dreamt of creating
and seeing how it affects customers – wow! I love when women tell me
I’ve changed how they feel about themselves with products.  I get that
all of the time with Hair Milk.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Lisa Price: Managing my time – and knowing how to balance work with
family life.  When you are an entrepreneur there are certain
sacrifices you have to make – both in personal and work – in order to
keep your sanity.  It’s tough but very rewarding.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Lisa Price: Stay true to your vision … Often times I see
entrepreneurs change their vision to accommodate what people say, how
they feel, etc. and they end up with something that is so different
than their dreams.

They lose interest, their heart isn’t in it and it doesn’t work.  I say, stay authentic and adapt to your environment.  Never lose sight of who you are and where you are going.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Lisa Price: Anything you need to help you turn from entrepreneur to
mom, dad, sister, brother, daughter, son.  Whatever you need so that
you can switch and balance your life.  For me, it’s a special mix of
music I keep with me.

More About This Company:
Founder: Lisa Price
Company Name: Carol’s Daughter
Products or service offered: Natural Haircare, Natural Beauty
Products, Natural Skincare
Website: www.carolsdaughter.com

Lisa, your story is very inspiring and we are very thankful that you took time to help encourage future “kitchen table entrepreneurs” who may be wondering how to bring their products to a wider market.

~TheCareerCreator.com

Patricia Handschiegel

Patricia Handschiegel is a self-described “serial entrepreneur” who is currently at work on her newest creation, 9.

She also writes a column called The New Power Girls at the Huffington Post.

Today, Patricia talks about what goes into creating your own job and how she works her way to meeting big goals.

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Patricia Handschiegel: I’m a serial entrepreneur on my second company, 9. 9 is a multiplatform research/consulting and production company that helps brands, entertainment, internet and media companies do business on TV and the web.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Patricia Handschiegel: 9 is 9 months old.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?

Patricia Handschiegel: Putting things together. I like to see if I can accomplish what I have my eye on. It is now the basis of my work.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?)

Patricia Handschiegel: I initially launched my first startup, Stylediary, to try to angle into a journalism career, but saw the opportunity to get into more of the business side and that’s when it all started.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Patricia Handschiegel: Laptop, internet connection.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? (Or any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely worth it?)

Patricia Handschiegel: I am always excited to go to work. I love what I do. I have boundless energy for it. one cool thing is that I work as much as I did when I was an employee at someone else’s company, only now I can decide where and when.

If I need to take a few hours off, I can.  It’s not an issue, and my company doesn’t suffer at all if I do it.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Patricia Handschiegel: Endurance. Everything you do that’s big will require that more than anything else of you. I have seen it make or break people’s projects.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Patricia Handschiegel: Big things happen in small steps. Every step you take towards what you want, if it’s the right thing for you, doors will open up.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Patricia Handschiegel: I love all of Guy Kawasaki’s books — he is the founder of alltop.com.

More About This Company:
Founder: Patricia Handschiegel
Company Name: 9
Products or service offered: Multiplatform research/consulting and production
Website: www.whatis9.com
Learn more about Patricia at: www.dailypatricia.com

Thank you, Patricia! We really enjoyed learning about your approach to using your natural interests to create a successful company.

Books by Guy Kawasaki:

Rules for Revolutionaries

The Art of the Start

Reality Check

Pitch! Press

Shannon Estrada and Pam Roberts are friends who put their PR savvy together and formed Pitch! Press, a “strategic editorial” PR company that helps companies in the fashion industry get media coverage on a regular basis.

Their clients benefit from their years of combined experience, and Shannon and Pam have a good time in the process.

Shannon graciously offers up some advice about what went into getting Pitch! off of the ground and working with a business partner, and we think you’ll learn a lot from what she shares!

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Shannon Estrada: Pam Roberts and myself are publicists in the fashion industry.  We represent designers and brands in the accessory, apparel, beauty and children’s categories.

We created Pitch! because there was a need for an agency that focused their efforts exclusively on securing editorial in the lifestyle, beauty and fashion publications, weeklies, dailies and blogs at an AFFORDABLE monthly rate.  We are not a full service public relations firm, but a strategic, editorial one.  Editorial hits not only increase our clients’ retail sales but wholesale as well.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Shannon Estrada: Pitch! has been pitching for five fabulous years.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?

Shannon Estrada: Pam and I both have public relations backgrounds.  Pam has had a lengthy and hugely successful career in broadcast, as well as running the Fashion Mart here in Los Angeles.  I came from a fashion marketing, branding and public relations background and was sole proprietor of a full service fashion public relations agency prior to launching Pitch!.

For me, editorial: working directly with the editors to get them the product they need, has always been the most fun and most rewarding part of the job.  So, when Pam and I discussed this void in the market for an agency that just, well, pitches, I jumped at the chance to be a part of something new, something needed and something that I love to do.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?

Shannon Estrada: Tenacity has always been a part of my genetic makeup.  Pam’s too.  It has never occurred to us, something ‘couldn’t’ be done.  I moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago with a dream of making movies.  I had always wanted to be in film production but after 2 short years became disenchanted with the industry.

I decided fashion was my true calling (which my entire family responded with a “Duh!”) and jumped from one fast paced industry to another.  I worked on staff at several key Los Angeles fashion companies before the fashion editors themselves urged me to go out on my own and start my first agency.

I have loved being an entrepreneur and Pam has as well.  We work stress-filled, long hours, are committed not only to our business, but to our clients, our contacts and to one another.  She is a terrific business partner to say the least.  Pitch! Press could not exist without her!

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Shannon Estrada: One of the beauties of Pitch! is that there were no start-up costs.  That is incredibly rare.  We were selling a service where people retained us for our media contacts.

Editors work consistently with publicists they know and like and publicists that make their jobs easier.  So from the start, we had the essence of our business in place.

We made a landing page for our website (www.pitchpress.com), created our name and logo in-house and designated pink as our branded color because it is memorable and recognizable.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job?

Shannon Estrada: Being your own boss is wonderful.  Both Pam and I have a work-aholic-work-ethic, so as much as we love it, we are tired, needless to say, at the end of our long days.

But it is rewarding, rewarding to work with clients that love and appreciate you and work with editors that love and appreciate you.  We truly care about each of our clients, their businesses and futures as well as our editors.

Some of these fabulous women I have known for 12 years.  We’ve gone from being single to being married to having children.  There really is a bond with so many of the people I work with.  And that is priceless.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Shannon Estrada: The biggest challenge the first couple of years was to learn how to best work together as business partners.  We were a team from day-one, but we work and communicate very differently.  So there were definitely tense times in the beginning.

BUT, we are both very open to constructive criticism and to learning and evolving a business, and as individuals.  I have learned so much from Pam.  So much.  And she from me.  We are a team.  And most importantly we are life long friends.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Shannon Estrada: Do what you love.  We as a society have created a rat-race in how we live and work.  If you are going to spend 8 to 10 hours a day at a job, make sure you LOVE it.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Shannon Estrada: In this day and age, it is a necessity to have a professional, branded website.  Everyone Googles everything; it is imperative to have a positive and memorable first impression so invest in your site and evolve it with consistent updates, product, verbiage etc.

More About This Company:
Founders: Shannon Cavanagh-Estrada, Pam Roberts
Company Name: Pitch! Press
Products or service offered: A press service for fashion industry clients seeking ongoing editorial at an affordable monthly rate.
Website: www.pitchpress.com
Additional Contact Information: Editorial Offices: 310.791.0033.
More About Shannon & Pam: Guest Blogger at PRcouture.com and BusyBeeLifestyle.com

Thanks, Shannon for sharing your road to creating your own job with our readers! In addition to being hard workers who are committed to excellence for their clients, they also understand that creating your own job can be lots of fun and a way to build long lasting friendships!

~TheCareerCreator.com

Colleen's Cookies

For Colleen Thompson, baking was a hobby…until word of mouth spread about her shortbread cookies. Now she runs Colleen’s Cookies, a specialty cookie boutique that can create fresh, custom cookie art based on the client’s needs and the company’s motto: “It’s all about the taste.”
Colleen’s Cookies is a great example of how being passionate about things you make can turn into a new job, and in this interview she shares some tips about her unintentional path to becoming an entrepreneur.

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Colleen Thompson: Colleen’s Cookies is a special order cookie company.  Our house specialty is creating decorated shortbread cookies that match any occasion.
For instance, a friend had a moped accident and we created (once we knew she was not seriously injured) a crystal ball stating “we see you feeling better very soon”, some fun sayings like the old Batman “wham”, “pow”, “bam”, a moped cookie that we broke in half, her favorite beer – Stella Arteois, etc….we’ll you get it.  Fun…but very personal – that’s it in a nutshell.  It’s so enjoyable.

Colleen's Cookies

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business? Can you tell us a little about how you got started? What was your “Once upon a time…?”

Colleen Thompson: I started baking cookies in 2000 when a friend asked me to create 250 cookies for an event.  The guests enjoyed them, started calling, and that’s how it started.

In the beginning it was just a hobby – a few orders here, a few orders there and it all started word of mouth.  The hobby turned into a business a few years ago due to the growth in our client base.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?

Colleen Thompson: I have always been a “foodie”.  I grew up in Colorado and food was what happened in our house.  From my mother to both of my Grandmother’s – we all loved being in the kitchen.  My family also has a restaurant that is celebrating 51 years in business – very successful for such a difficult occupation.

My first solo baking was at 10 years old – a scratch strawberry cake with strawberry icing – the icing had chunks of cake in it, lopsided, and I was sooooooooo proud!!!  I was hooked.

Colleen's Cookies

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Colleen Thompson: When I began it was in my kitchen.  All I needed was a mixer, flour and sugar, some creativity and an oven.  It is more complicated now that we have a production kitchen.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job?

Colleen Thompson: The best part about my job is having the ability to create.  That’s fun.  We’ve sent out some amazing cookies.  Last summer we were selected as a winner for the A List – Best Gift Cookie in STL.  One of the comments in the write up was “if Amos is famous, someone should call Oprah”…Forever imbedded in my mind.

We also were selected to create cookies for a cartoon that launched last fall, Turbo Dogs.  The production company contacted us to bid on the project and create a cookie for the New York promotion and the LA promotion and we won.  These were works of art.  So very proud of them.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Colleen Thompson: The toughest hurdle…hmmm.  Had I chosen to start a business, It would have started out differently.  What was just a fun hobby became a business.

Colleen's Cookies

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Colleen Thompson: Be passionate.  It is an old adage but if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life….it’s all fun!

More About This Company:
Founder: Colleen Thompson
Company Name: Colleen’s Cookies
Website: www.ColleensCookies.com

Thanks, Colleen, for taking the time to encourage our readers with sound advice for starting a business from a hobby! Hopefully, Oprah will come calling soon!

~TheCareerCreator.com

Omar Soliman

Our People Who Created Their Own Jobs interview today is with Omar Soliman, the CEO of College Hunks Hauling Junk.

He was named a Top 30 Entrepreneur under 30 in America by INC Magazine. He is also a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Omar has been a guest speaker at many high schools and colleges across the country, and he’s taken a bit of time to tell us about the history of College Hunks Hauling Junk.

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Omar Soliman: I am the CEO and co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk, the largest US based junk removal company. We haul away and remove junk and trash from commercial and residential properties. We are like a dumpster service but we provide the labor.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Omar Soliman: Since June of 2005.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?

Omar Soliman: I never said that I wanted to be a “trash-man” when I was growing up. But I had a natural interest in entrepreneurship and starting my own business. My natural interest is in people and that is the basis of my job. As a CEO I empower and motivate the people around me to reach their personal and business goals.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your “Once upon a time…” What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?

Omar Soliman: I started hauling junk as a summer gig in Washington DC when I was on break from college. I used a beat up cargo van that my mom had for her furniture store. My senior year of college I wrote a business plan for College Hunks Hauling Junk that won 1st place and $10,000 in the Rothschild Entrepreneurship competition at the University of Miami.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Omar Soliman: We needed a logo, website 1-800 # and a truck in order to get started on a basic level.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? Or any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely worth it?

Omar Soliman: Seeing our vision grow into a national company and a soon to be household name. We started with 1 beat up van and now our orange and green trucks can be seen in 20 cities across the country.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Omar Soliman: The toughest hurdle was to get out of the mind frame that I was creating my own job but rather I was creating something bigger than just me. I wanted to give everyone that joined our company an opportunity to grow and to look at College Hunks Hauling Junk as something more than just a job.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Omar Soliman: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. I created my own job in something that has existed for hundreds of years, trash removal. But I added my own innovative spin to it. In the words of Nike…JUST DO IT!

More About This Company:
Founder: Omar Soliman
Twitter: twitter.com/OmarJunkMan and twitter.com/1800JUNKUSA
Facebook: Omar Soliman
Email: Omar@1800JunkUSA.com
Website: www.1800JunkUSA.com

Thanks, Omar, for answering our questions. We think your story is encouraging to others because you didn’t only create your own job, but you created jobs for many other people as well, which is pretty cool!

Lorenzo Borghese

Lorenzo Borghese is a pet enthusiast who comes from a family of entrepreneurs and wears many hats as an integral part of several companies his family created.

In this interview, Lorenzo talked about his road to starting his business, and we hope you’ll be as encouraged and inspired as we were.

Lorenzo began his career in a completely different field, but six years ago, necessity led Lorenzo to creating his own job in an area where he hadn’t anticipated being an entrepreneur.

We love hearing stories of people who start a business as they work toward finding a solution to a problem that they face in their own lives, and we like what Lorenzo has to say about finding a void in an industry: “If you see a problem, fix it.”

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?

Lorenzo Borghese: Royal Treatment is a pet related company that I started six years ago. We sell pet toys, grooming products, supplements, bedding, etc.  I manufacture numerous private label cosmetic brands which are all manufactured in Italy.

Regarding cosmetics, we have about 20 different labels, including The Giving Tree, The Giving Earth, The Giving Sea and The Giving Bee which are made with 100% organic products and sold at Borders bookstores. I am also a part of my family business, Multi Media Exposure Inc. (MME), an agency that represents various products sold through HSN and infomercials .

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?

Lorenzo Borghese: MME has been in business for 14 years, Royal Treatment for 6 years and I have been a part of the private label cosmetics company for 4 years.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?

Lorenzo Borghese: I worked at AIG for 4 years and hated it. After I stopped working there, I went to business school because I had an interest in working for myself. My family has been in business with their cosmetics lines since the 1950’s and I wanted to do something on my own, so I started my bath and body line for pets.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time… (What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?)

Lorenzo Borghese: Well, I never thought I would be involved in the pet industry. I had a black lab, and she had really dry skin. You could see the dandruff on her coat, and I tried regular dog shampoos and it just made it worse. I used some of our honey based Perlier products, and it made it better, but it didn’t cure her dry skin.

Then I started to research why dogs could only be bathed every two months and why their skin was so different from humans. I worked on formulating the products for 2 years and I contacted the manufacturers I was working with and told them what was wrong with the traditional pet grooming products.

People spend so much time and money dressing their dogs in outfits, but I realized that the multi billion dollar pet industry was void of bath and body pet products. The way I see it, any problem creates opportunities. If you see a problem, fix it.

I presented the concept to HSN and asked them to do a pet show. They were hesitant at first because they had tried selling pet products in the past it had never really taken off. But they agreed to give me 12 minutes to sell my products and I ended up getting a one hour show.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?

Lorenzo Borghese: I used the internet and my cosmetic contacts.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job? (Or any really cool moments that made creating your own job completely worth it?)

Lorenzo Borghese: There are actually a couple of things.  1. When you get to see your products through from conception to completion, it’s gratifying. 2. Getting the testimonials from people who use the products. When people call into HSN and talk about how the products have changed their dog’s lives, it’s very rewarding.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?

Lorenzo Borghese: Tough situations happen every day. There’s always something new that happens that’s a problem. With running my own business, the hardest part is separating my personal life and business life.

I’m working 7 days a week.  AIG was Monday thru Friday, and I never had to think about it on the weekends. Even if I’m on vacation, it can be difficult to relax because I can never let go of my company. Whether I’m approving art work or ingredients, I’m involved with everything.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?

Lorenzo Borghese: Just do whatever makes you happy and do what you like. If you don’t like your job, you’ll never be successful. Do what you’re good at doing. If you’re not good at numbers, don’t be an investment banker. I would never try for out the Olympics because I’m not an athlete.

People who complain all day and hate their jobs are not usually doing something that they love. I have a friend who recently decided to open a car wash and now he can enjoy it and grow his business because he likes what’s doing.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Lorenzo Borghese: The internet is the only tool you really need. There is so much information online. When I started, I went to the library to research as the internet was not what it is today . But now you can find just about anything online – all at the comfort of your own home.

More About This Company:
Founder: Lorenzo Borghese
Company Name: Royal Treatment
Products or service offered: Bath, body, grooming products and supplements for pets.
Website: www.getroyaltreatment.com and www.nuzzleplanet.com

We’d like to thank Lorenzo for taking time from his day to answer our questions and help encourage future entrepreneurs, even as he delves further into entrepreneurial ventures.

In addition to the products he offers now, in the very near future he’ll be launching a new and exciting pet-related website and we’ll update you with more details at the time of the launch!

~TheCareerCreator.com

Ellen Christine; Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

Ellen Christine Colon-Lugo is a modern day milliner who hand crafts exquisite hats in her beautiful New York boutique.

Her clients are a wide range of people and, recently, she designed Kentucky Derby hats for the Real Housewives of New York’s Bethenny Frankel.
Though she comes from a crafting family, Ellen Christine has always been serious about design, and took a well-informed educational path to creating her own job as a milliner.
She approaches life and business with a “no fear” attitude, and that’s part of what has made her so successful as an entrepreneur.
Read on to learn more…

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?
Ellen Christine: Ellen Christine Millinery makes hats for people in all walks of life: cancer patients, movie stars, celebrities, naked heads everywhere, male or female.  We restore antique millinery, and try to fix hats people love and want to maintain.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?
Ellen Christine: I’ve been working in one way or another since I was 12 and my first boyfriend formed a band and needed wardrobe. Until 1995 I was to the trade exclusively, with some custom clientele. The shop in Chelsea opened in 1995 as a retail and wholesale venue.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?
Ellen Christine: My Girl Scout troop needed one more badge to beat out our buddies, and all of our mothers/grandmothers sewed.  Quite naturally, we got the sewing badge with our projects, and my fate was sealed.  My girlfriend Joanne and I had always been doing some type of entrepreneurial activity: we made and sold potholders one year.

We were always crafting at home, too. My Mother was an artist, and crocheted miniature objects.  My grandmother was a knitting whiz.  We cooked, we decorated, we painted.  My background was inculcated and cultivated, and indeed, encouraged, even though the business of the family was medical (doctors, nurses).

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time. What was the turning point where you decided to turn your interest or hobby into a career?
Ellen Christine: See # 3 for some of the background.  And I resent the word “hobby”.  This is my life, not a career, not a past time.  I’ve never had a notion that it was other than what I do.  When nature takes it’s course, and you have the good sense to listen to your talent, it’s a given.

My Mom had tutors for me since I was 6 years old.  Friends taught me to draw, paint. Private riding lessons, to which I went dressed in full Sally Starr (do your research) regalia, never just the usual jodphurs, helmet, etc. When we had a project at school, my Mom was the one who helped the whole class track down the ingredients, and assemble the tepees, or whatever.  My life was a full-on, hands-on do-it-yourself because it’s fun and rewarding, not because it was a hobby.  Get my drift?

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?
Ellen Christine: I chose to go to design school (School of Fashion Design on Newbury Street in Boston) after my BA, and had an epiphany one morning, when I realized that I was involved in costume because I loved backstage, and the creative process, and so decided to come to NYC for my MA/Ph.D (I’m ABT from NYU) in costume history.

Design school filled in the blanks that I hadn’t learned at my grandmother’s knee (she made all of my clothing), and my earlier training as a tailor (I worked as an apprentice tailor in a shop in Ardmore, Pa for the experience) helped me solidify my knowledge.  Experience, and doing is the only real way to put it all into action.

When I was in PR getting my BA I had a shop (hippies all had shops), and made all of the clothing in the shop.
The most important knowledge was taught to me by one costume designer I worked with while I was in Boston, Francesco Di Russo: he told me that I had no fear, and I always remembered that.  He was talking about cutting into fabric, but I’ve applied it as a life lesson ever since.

TheCareerCreator.com: The best part about creating your own job?
Ellen Christine: Seeing the smile on the customers face when they put it on.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how you overcame it?
Ellen Christine: Paperwork, and hiring an accountant who will work with me.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?
Have no fear.  Of course, in today’s economy, having a little nest egg would help get it all going.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs? (Products, supplies, tech tools, etc?)
Ellen Christine: Join the Milliners Guild (www.millinersguild.org) and all will be revealed.

More About This Company:
Founder: Ellen Christine
Company Name:
Ellen Christine Millinery
255 W. 18th St.
NYC 10011
212-242-2457
Products or service offered: Hats for all and sundry
Website: www.ellenchristine.com
Additional ways to learn more about Ellen Christine Millinery: Find us on FB, MySpace, YouTube, Wunderbloc, and my blog.
Awards received by Ellen Christine Millinery:
Best Boutique in Chelsea-Citysearch
Hatty Award Winner 2008

Thanks again, Ellen Christine for taking the time to answer our questions!
We hope this interview will help encourage our readers who love crafting to explore the idea of starting their own craft business.
Visit Ellen Christine’s website and take a look around her shop…after seeing her creations, you’ll be ready to bring back the days of the Easter Parade!

TheCareerCreator.com

Mark Robert Halper; Photo by Angela Marklew

TheCareerCreator.com is excited that we got the chance to talk about creating your own job with Mark Robert Halper, a premiere photographer who created his own job.

For the past twenty years, Mark has put his photography skill to work for a wide variety of photography projects, including corporate, celebrity, advertising, portraits and architecture.

Mark shared some of his time with us to talk about some of the ups and downs of starting your own business. Here’s what we learned from Mark (paraphrased) in our conversation:

TheCareerCreator.com: What is your “job”? Please tell us a bit about your company and what you sell or what service you provide?
Mark Robert Halper: I am a commercial photographer. I provide images to companies to help them market products.

TheCareerCreator.com: How long have you been in business?
Mark Robert Halper: For 20 years.

TheCareerCreator.com: You had a natural interest in ??? that is now the basis of your job?
Mark Robert Halper: I loved photography and I loved taking pictures. And I realized that I responded well to assignments and being given a set of parameters to work within. Photography is an exacting profession and I enjoy challenges.

TheCareerCreator.com: Tell us a little about how you got started…give us a bit of your Once upon a time…
Mark Robert Halper: In high school, I had an interest in film making. I went to college at UCS and discovered that film making wasn’t really the direction I wanted to go in. I took several different classes, including a couple of photography classes. When I got out of college, I really had no idea what I wanted to do, and I applied for a lot of different jobs.

In 1988, I got a job photographing houses, and unfortunately that business went under about a year later. I decided to take an extension course in advertising photography. I realized that this was definitely the route I wanted to take when I would get upset if I didn’t have any homework! That’s when I knew I loved it, and I began to build my business from the bottom up.

TheCareerCreator.com: What were some of the materials or technology you needed to get started on a very basic level?
Mark Robert Halper: A basic camera, lenses and hopefully good lighting. Cameras cost more now, but it is far less expensive to shoot because digital is free, making it so much easier to get started.

The cost of film made you more careful about how you took pictures. Once I had a $5,000 lab bill for testing. A lot of your income went to paying for your film, but that was just part of the territory. It made you value what you shot and you put a lot thought into it.

Now you can get a really good camera for about $1,000. When you’re looking for a photographer, it’s as simple as finding someone who does good pictures. There’s a value to experience.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the best part about creating your own job?
Mark Robert Halper: When I’m working I get to do what I love and I can get paid really well. I’m my own boss to a certain extent, but actually, my clients are my boss. And I get to choose my bosses (clients).

There’s no upper limit on how much I can make, it’s all about what I can do. And it’s great because I can wear what I want to wear (into the office, not on my photo shoots) Sometimes I can set my own hours but sometimes I have to keep working until the job is finished.

One drawback is when I go on vacation, I lose money because I’m not working, but again, that comes with the territory.

TheCareerCreator.com: What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve encountered in creating your own job…and how did you overcome it?
Mark Robert Halper: My toughest is hurdle is right now, with the economy. I’m overcoming it because I’ve always assumed that things would get tough, and I saved and kept my overhead under control. I saved for a rainy day and assumed that things wouldn’t be great.

So now, when things are tight, I can still make it. I don’t know that I’d actually recommend being a photographer right now because the economy has made things more difficult than they were when I started in the late 80’s. And now with the easy start up, there are not only too many cooks in the kitchen, but there’s probably more cooks than customers.

Today there are so many resources for photography and stock photography, etc. and people are bidding against each other to provide the lowest possible price. As a result, the quality of work has gone down. There’s more photography available at a lower cost, which makes it harder for photographers who are trying to survive.

Photography is becoming a quickly shrinking market and people don’t need as much original photography. It’s easier to get halfway there and a little harder to get all the way there.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any words of wisdom or encouragement to anyone wanting to create their own job?
Mark Robert Halper: It’s best to plan for the hurdle instead of waiting for it to hit you. Know that when you own your own business, you’re on a roller coaster. It goes up, and it goes down.
Don’t assume that things will always be great, but don’t live in fear either. Work for the best and prepare for the worst.

TheCareerCreator.com: Any favorite resources you recommend to other entrepreneurs?
Mark Robert Halper: One of the smartest books I’ve ever read is, “The E-Myth Revisited”. I wish I would have read it years ago, but I only learned about it recently. It’s phenomenal and if you haven’t read it, you need to.

And I also recommend, “The War of Art” (not to be confused with The Art of War). Both of these books are short, to the point, and very, very valuable.

More About This Company:
Founder:  Mark Robert Halper
Company Name: Mark Robert Halper Photography
Products or service offered: Commercial Photography
Website:  www.studiomark.com

Thanks Mark, for sharing your wisdom with us! We know that future entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from your advice.
~TheCareerCreator.com