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

Victoria Stiles

Victoria Stiles is a makeup artist based in Washington DC working worldwide for various media, celebrities, and events.

Her publication credits include Glamour, Oprah Magazine, Vogue Bambini, Ladies Home Journal, Washingtonian, and Virginia Living Magazine.

Her advertising clients include Revlon, Tigerlilly, Alagasco, and Wal-Mart, while her celebrity clientele has included Jordin Sparks, Star Jones, Roberta Flack, Sabrina Bryan, Gary Sinise, Emmitt Smith, and Universal Music Group Recording Artist Melody Gardot, as well as album cover and promo shots in Paris, France.

Today, Victoria talks with us about how she created her own job doing something she enjoys doing!

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

Victoria Stiles: I am a makeup artist for various media, celebrities, and events.  In addition to artistry, I am a beauty writer for my blog, www.makeupartistbackstage.com which is a member of www.totalbeauty.com.
My blog gives an insider’s view at life as a makeup artist and a first look at new beauty products and trend.

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

Victoria Stiles: 5 years

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

Victoria Stiles: At the age of 15, I knew my career path.
Makeup artistry is what I’ve always wanted to do and I’m very happy and thankful to live my dream.

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?

Victoria Stiles Makeup Artistry

Victoria Stiles: Since makeup has been my love since a young age, when I started college at George Mason University in Virginia, I applied for work with M.A.C. Cosmetics.

Through M.A.C. I learned about their products and how to work with different clientele.  They gave me opportunities I would not have been able to book on my own at that time, like working on concerts for Cher and Missy Elliot.

Although the work and opportunities were fantastic, after 4 years with the company, I decided it was time to try my hand at freelancing.

In 2004, I started my business, Victoria Stiles Makeup, providing makeup services for brides mostly.  Through a lot of foot work, networking, slow times, and dedication, my business flourished into what it is today!

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

Victoria Stiles: I would say the number one thing to focus on first is branding your business.  Brainstorm and set in motion the particulars of your services or products you are supplying.

Have a set business plan.  Create a logo or have a logo created for you.  From there, you can design your website to fit your brand.  In these times, the Internet is a major networking and marketing tool.

It is important to have a strong on-line presence with a user-friendly website that is also searchable and easy for your clients to locate– particularly through major search engines such as Google and Yahoo or social networking sites such as Twitter (yes Twitter!) and Facebook (they have a fabulous option for a public page which is a popular option for businesses!). Also, in starting any business, visit your local government office for detailed information on business licensing and tax information.

Victoria Stiles Makeup Artistry

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

Victoria Stiles: You are in complete control.

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

Victoria Stiles: There are ups and downs, like any business.  During the down times, it is difficult to stay motivated.  Having goals in mind has been the main motivator when it comes to keeping my nose to the grindstone!  Always strive for higher!

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

Victoria Stiles: It will not happen overnight.  However, with hard work and dedication it will happen.

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

Victoria Stiles: Web/Graphic Design Company
www.saxonycreative.com – they created my brand/website that got me noticed.

More About This Company:
Company Name: Victoria Stiles Makeup
Founder:  Victoria Stiles
Products or service offered: Makeup Artist
Website:  www.victoriastilesmakeup.com
Blog:  www.makeupartistbackstage.com
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/victoriastiles
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Stiles-Makeup-Artist/18710241359

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Victoria! You’ve given our readers some sound advice about how turn to something you love into a job that is a lot of fun!

~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

Photo Credit: Dan Foy @ www.danfoy.com

You wow your friends with your new designs.

You constantly dream of new ways to create things you enjoy.

Your catchphrase is, “Why buy it when I can make it?”

Strangers stop you and ask where you bought your creations, but their eyes glaze over when you try to explain the creation process.

You don’t have be an “artiste” to be artistic. Putting your own spin on things is a valued skill. You call it having fun, others call it couture.

Start sharing your unique outlook and turn your creations into cash when you read Create Your Own Job: 365+ Ways to Make More Money Now.