I’m stuck in a corporate career....wait; let’s start again...I’m stuck in year EIGHT of needing to maintain a corporate paycheck. 
Yes, that’s better; more to the point, really. So I began squirreling away tiny tidbits of money for my emotional and creative rainy day, which by the way, began to occur....like SEVEN years ago.
I’m a creative spirit in conservative skin. When I’m in a tense or rigid environment, I yearn to break free. When I’m in a relaxed, fluid environment, I seek boundaries. What’s my point? Well, as an emotional schizophrenic, I get stuck, as we all can. But when a girl is emotionally and philosophically bi-polar, it helps to have someone else in the room; just to break the tie. This costs money, but I suggest that wise and clever women know when they need help.
Synergy is the name of my game. I’m pretty doggone creative, and amazingly (I’m told) resourceful; but, not always. So when it came time for me to dip my toes in The World of Staging, I knew I needed guidance, support, new awareness, synergy (great word, that).
So when my tidbits reached $XX,XXX.00. I turned to my brother in law, a successful business pioneer, for advice on starting my own “design” (it’s a VERB .... please understand my meaning) business. I described to him my goal of starting part time, working with at least one partner, and.....
“No, Jaynee”, he says with confidence. “Part time is a hobby; full time is a business”. No part time. Wait until you can go full time before you try anything at all. “And no partner”. Partnership is for those who cannot do everything themselves. You have everything you need to do this on your own. “The business must be YOURS. No partner”. 
Uh.....well.....my dreams of beauty, my dreams of laughter, my dreams of service, all begin to evaporate (like the pink smoke in I Dream of Jeannie). Nooooooooooooo, I cry! Come baaaaaack, I cry. (like Dory in Finding Nemo).
So I ignore him (like Dorothy in The Wizard of....never mind).
So I start, part time, with other women. Okay, I’m a sexist. I’ve never staged with a man. I’m PART TIME for Heaven’s sake, there has NOT BEEN THAT MUCH OPPORTUNITY. But, this staging with women thing is KEWL! There’s just something about a sisterhood, even when you’re sisters from different families. That understanding!.....That connection!....That “sommos mas que dos”!
For a gender that’s as incredibly competitive (hair color, weight, dress size, carat size, house size, yadda yadda) as we babes are, we sure do bring it together in staging!
You see, alone -at the beginning- we all reinvent the wheel. Then, as experience begins to prevail, we rely on a template; a formula. If we’re not careful, that template becomes a pattern, and that pattern becomes predictable. No good. Not in staging. New looks, new ideas, new creations, new perspectives...that’s the ticket. Look around at the NAMES of our staging businesses. Nothing stale there.
For men, in a product-related industry (my brother in law), I’m sure the advice was sound. Full time? no question. Sole proprietor? no question. [Bad grammar in this post? no question, but I’m writing for DRAMATIC EFFECT, and am prepared to take the internet consequences 19 years from now, so hush].
For creativity, for freshness, for joy.....put a bunch of us “gals” together. Stand back and be astounded at the success. Watch our clients be thrilled!
Cheers! from DC...
Jaynee
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