practical and meaningful

Entrepreneur's are turning the economy around without going to business school.

I call myself an accidental entrepreneur. I never would have expected that I would own a business - or three!  I am an artist who loves to travel and document the world with my camera. I spent my twenties traveling light with very low overhead and freedom to go as I pleased.  I always supported myself, paid my way through college, and was financially responsible. I started working and making my own money in 4th grade as a score keeper. Soon after, I started working for a family realtor friend - helping her run open houses and also cleaned her house, paid her bills, and did her laundry. After college, I bought a one way ticket to New York City and moved there (I had never been!) I started working young and I have a good work ethic.

I started my first company fifteen years ago and grew it organically. Two years ago I bought an existing business (with an SBA loan) and expanded it by opening a second location. This year I will open a cafe adjacent to the Hollywood Art Studio.  I truly believe that if you can start/grow/expand a business during a down economy and succeed - you will make it in the long run.

My college degree is in Humanities and Photojournalism. I do not have an MBA. There have been a few times where I have wondered if my businesses would be different had I gone to business school. Would I have been scared away from being an Entrepreneur if I had spent two years learning how to be in business and came out of it owning a hunded grand? I do not like having debt and I know I would have gotten a job to pay off the debt - rather than making my own way and starting my business.   Love this graphic from  Tony Shin and his creative team!

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Affirmations

When I love everything around me, I am constantly inspired.
When I have money in the bank, I am more able to think, feel, and live life.
When I invite people into my home, I am more connected and loving in the world.
When I am taking care of myself and eating right and exercizing, I have more to give.
Creating jobs and making money connects me to my community and my purpose.
Appreciate your life, find meaning in everything you do.
Eliminate what does not support your true self.
Love your life, work hard, play hard, be AWAKE.

painting by Adele Sypesteyn

productive and beyond

Most of my days are fragmented and super busy with too much to do and not enough continuous time to get it all done.  Yesterday I accomplished so much due to the fact that I had the full day to work and lots of people to help.

In twelve hours, I met with the architects and finalized plans for the cafe, met with an artist and created a workshop series for the art studio, reorganized various parts of the crafty warehouse, donated big heavy file cabinets, reconfigured the entire supply room at the art studio to make room for a knitting circle seating area with better light, moved a couch into my office, tore out the ugly counter and shelf in the bathroom, worked on new software system, relocated all the cake boxes to better storage, rearranged all the fridges and set up a mock layout of the cafe based on our finalized plans, decided to donate the big desk, shelves, and extra fridge and freezer, went to the tailor to get my jeans hemmed, taped crafty receipts, did banking, finalized payroll, booked a new show, worked on scheduling, had lunch with my husband, cleaned off all the sticky labels on the trashcans and fridges, with goo gone, cleaned the windows and swept, reduced some clutter, found some money, booked a party, bid on some restaurant supplies, worked on our budget, tightened up the operating agreement, got extra sets of keys made, replaced the broken fridge lights, booked someone to detail and wash the van, paid rent (x4), and strategized about ways to make it all work together and work well.

DONE.

 

Happy New Year from Practical & Meaningful

Practically speaking, here are some resolutions for the new year.  Meaningfully speaking, here is what I loved most about last year. 

PRACTICAL Resolutions for 2012 - Tighten up my systems, simplify, & be more organized. Exercise regularly.  Take more photos. See more movies. Spend time with the people I love. Enjoy more music.

MEANINGFUL What I loved most about 2011 - My Think Days. our Valentine's Dinner Party. the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. My daughter singing at David's 40th birthday party. Bring your dogs and parents to ART CAMP day. Moving Crafty. Hiking the Stairs in Culver City. All the great press I got through HARO. Being a moMPreneur. The Egg Project. my TWEEN.  Going to PSV.

Practical and Meaningful. Resolution and Review. Action and Appreciation. Work and Play. Friendships and Friends. Places and Memories. Systems and Recall.  Happy New Year!

practical and meaningful is going to BlogHer!

hope to see you there! cyndi

my summer "to do" list

go to the beach. go to trapeze school. read books. have a girls weekend with my friends who I grew up with. drink some adult beverages. get back to the gym. get back to pilates. spend time with friends. teach jack to ride his bike. have an intown retreat with my working mom friends. circle. take photos. go to london.

i am a mompreneur

Raising my daughter and running my businesses simulaneously takes a lot of effort, refined systems, and balancing.

I am grateful I get to do both. I am aware that not everyone can carve out their work day to pick up at the bus and be with your kids until bedtime - even if it means staying up til midnight working after they go to sleep. I love working and the example I am setting for my daughter. She is ripe with ideas for businesses, and I cannot wait to see what she does in the world with her talent and drive.

Not having much time to myself, and not having a perfectly kept house - is a fine exchange for the benefit of my children  - my daughter - and my businesses.

Tonight I am honored to speak on a panel of extraordinary mompreneur's as part of a fundraiser for Larchmont Charter West Hollywood.  We will hold the event at the art studio in Hollywood- and feel free to come support the school and be inspired.

how do I know maya brenner?

My good friend Maya Brenner is incredible. I met her thru my friend Marika -many years ago when we all went to the korean spa together.

I have been her personal photographer of sorts for years and also her friend. I have had the honor of photographing her wedding ,her pregnancies, her first born, her family portraits - as well as catering parties for her. She is one of my favorite people in the world - and she has taught me so much.

She helps me see beyond my own ways to work smarter, be more current, and have fun.  She is a girls girl who is beautiful, brave, and so much fun to know.

She is the reason, I started to hire more people to help me with my catering jobs - which led to growing my company. She came to my house one day and I was prepping for a party - where I was doing everything myself. She helped me see outside of the day to day and look at the bigger picture.

She is the reason, I finally took a digital photo. I was dedicated to film photography and unwilling to go digital, until she needed a portrait for her book that she wrote and they needed the photo in London in one day. So I rented a camera and the we shot, downloaded, and emailed the photo with ease. I have never looked back.

This is one of my favorite photos from her wedding.

She is a jewelry designer whose work is amazing. This past year was a really great month for her business - after being featured on the today show, she received over 20 thousand orders.

She is one of my favorite people and I could not be happier for her success!

me and maya in Mexico this week!

the album cover

priceless

a week with my family on vacation

time to connect and play and reboot

perfect

my daughter telling me she loves me all day

priceless