Make Your Own Job: Part 2

Thursday morning, as I drove my four-year-old son to school, he said to me in a panic: "Mom! I don't have a house to live in when I get big!" 

Me: I don't think you need to worry about that right now; you'll be able to find a house. 

Connor: Can it be green?  Me: Sure, it can be green. 

After a moment, Connor: Mom!  I don't have a car.  Can you find me a car like this (he's holding a toy Hummer) for when I grow up and can drive?  I want orange and I need a trailer.  Me: Yes, we'll find you one just like that.

Connor:  What I'm gon' do for work?  Me: Whatever you want to do.  What do you want to do for work?

Connor: I want to do what my daddy does.  Me:  What does your daddy do for work?

Connor: Pay da bills.... das what I wanna do.

And he's right.  His father, my ex-husband, does, sadly, work to pay the bills.  He doesn't enjoy what he does, but he's a very Type-A personality and doesn't really even have the ability to comprehend that there are other options.  He certainly doesn't understand someone like me.  Someone who continues to take risk after risk in order to avoid a "real" job with the hopes of one day doing something great rather than doing something average now that makes me miserable.  I refuse to work simply to pay the bills.  I WISH that were enough to satisfy me; I WISH I could live with that, but I can't.  I have one life and I'm not spending it doing something I don't enjoy.

  The first job I made for myself was starting Scoop Magazine.  I came up with an idea for this regional publication, printed media kits and started selling ads.  I collected money up front and we managed to stay in publication for about three and a half years.  One day I'll write about how it all went down.  My point though, is that I believe that you should ask yourself, "if I could do anything in the world, what would it be?"  I wanted to start a magazine, so I did.

It was fun, it was successful, but it ended.  I could have been bitter, but I had to look at like this: this is a new opportunity.  Instead of being upset and downtrodden, I psyched myself up to do something even bigger.  That something is this clothing line, con&kat.  I find it so exciting because I'm not limited geographically like I was with Scoop.  This could catch on anywhere!  And it will.  My designs are good... and they're different.  I have supportive friends and family (who are undoubtedly used to my big ideas) and a great business partner/boyfriend.  We're having fun!  I read a long time ago, "do what you love and the money will follow."  I have so many reasons to believe in that, so many serendipitous things happening that I want to tell you about... but your time is limited, I know, so I will reveal them bit by bit on this blog. 

  We're heading down to Savannah to sell our St. Patrick's Day Special Edition "Slugger O'Hooligan's Irish Smackdown" shirt as street hawkers.  I have 100 tags to sew in, so I've got to get going.  Our goal is to sell 100 shirts.  I'll let you know how it goes.

--Melanie