Did you start your own business or follow your passion?

Yes!

I used to own a scrapbook store with a friend, but after 2 years we had to close. So I started working part time retail, and eventually got a 3 day/week office job at a small, local collision shop.

When DS hit Grade 1 (full time all day every day school) I began searching for what I wanted to do. I contemplated going back to school, but decided it wasn't right for me. I took a Wilton cake class, and then found a wedding cake gal 45 minutes away that offered all kinds of classes. More expensive, but better than Wilton. So I took everything she had to offer. In the mean time, I left the retail and started the office job.

We moved, and when we built the new house we added a basement entrance because "someday" I may do that cake thing full time. But I only ever planned on part time and keeping my office job.

The office job laid me off, so we decided I would do cake full time. I did a complete business plan, and gave it to my Mom, in the hopes she would loan me the money. She didn't, she gave me the funds to start my business. She had an inheritance from my Grandma that was sitting there she wasn't using, so she split it between my brother and I. I now have a full commercial kitchen in my basement that I work from. SO thankful I am allowed this in our area, as having a retail bakery is NOT something I ever want to do.

It has been six years since I was let go, and I'm finally at a point where I can say I've replaced my office income. I'm paying for my own vehicle, have supported DS' expensive basketball habit, and can buy things for the house and pay for paint & decorations.

I do love what I do, and plan to keep doing it until I hang up the piping bag for good!

I did! I went into real estate at the beginning of the year. It's been the best thing I have ever done for myself. It's challenging and rewarding. I love getting to help people buy and sell their homes and I love that I'm actually helping our family meet financial goals in a very significant way. If things continue the way they have been this year for me, I will out earn my husband in my very first year on the job.
In January, I set a goal to sell one million in real estate by the end of the year. I thought this was a stretch goal because the median price of homes in my area is well under $150k. It would mean selling nearly a house a month. Yeah. I'm hitting my goal and going nearly 50% over it next Friday. I have three listings on the market right now and four buyer clients.

One of my colleagues came in to my office to visit with me this week. She wanted to know what I'm doing to get and keep clients. She's been in the business for nearly five years and she wanted my advice. It was a bit surreal.

When you find the thing that fits your skills that you can be excited about, it's like all the stars align for you. The money is nice, but the satisfaction of knowing I'm good at this and I love doing it? That's the best part.

I hope you find that. There are a lot of great ways to have a career in a creative field. Keep looking. Heck, real estate professionals need photographers for their listings. If you like houses, it's a great career.

I posted a little of this on the job thread. I have a business writing, editing and proofreading. Actually, a pea steered me in the right direction as to a company to work for online. From there, I just kept working and looking for work.

My dad was self-employed, and I was raised around his business. I learned great work ethic, customer skills, and general business principles. I have taken zero business classes. As my business continues to grow, that will definitely change.

I am now so busy that I now have subcontractors. This week, I paid out to subs what I used to earn many weeks just four years ago. At that time, some people who I respected really discouraged me from pursuing writing further since the income wasn't dependable.

I didn't listen to them.

I am now not only supporting myself but helping others earn money as well. I am beyond thankful.

I love the flexibility and working from home or anywhere in the world that I have an internet connection. I am a single mom with teens, so I am enjoying my summer with them, staying up late although I am often working then.

Lisa

I did...just this summer. I love to write. I submitted some writing to a local blog and they have asked me to be a contributor for them! Just submitted my first piece today. Very excited about this new journey. I was needing something for "me" to do.

Someone on my local facebook group has started taking those 360* photos of houses. They are awesome! That might be something to add to the presentation you create for the brokerage firm/agency.

Slight hijack. Good photos definitely matter. When we were house hunting four years ago, we had personally walked through probably a hundred houses (not even exaggerating). Because we were planning to never buy another house again, we were not willing to settle on any of our must haves.

We had a realtor but had also been looking at listings online ourselves too, and initially DH and I almost passed this house by because the photos of it were TERRIBLE. We saw it online and both of us thought "meh" but our realtor suggested we walk through it when we were in the area anyway.

Once we were in the house though, it was so much nicer in person and it hit all of our most important must haves. The house had only been on the market for 12 days when we walked through, and we had our agent get an offer ready that same day. We're convinced that the bad photos of the house turned off other potential buyers and it was only because we actually walked through it that we were able to get an awesome house at a great price.

Lisa- you have my dream business! I sent you a PM

Can you give us any advice about which company(s) are best to work for?

Many, MANY years ago I had a dream of a party in a box rental business (where you could rent, say, a princess tea party for 12 girls and you'd get everything from real china to costumes and games and everything inbetween). A few years back I was laid off so we decided I'd be a SAHM (our youngest was 1) and try to open my business on the side. But I had no start up funds so as a way to start off slow I started selling handmade party supplies on Etsy. I did that for a long time, finally last year I started adding paper plates and napkins (I now sell on Amazon, Etsy and my own site). I'm just now adding in the party box rentals that I'd been dreaming off, I even decided to try shipping them (ala rent the runway).

A few things I've learned along the way:
Being a SAHM is HARD! It took me a year to even start on my business. I made promises to myself and my husband that were foolish and impossible, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Working at home is lonely. Last fall I started subbing 1 day a week at the preschool just to get out of the house and be around people (even if they are miniature people )
Work-life balance is a myth and/or takes a lot of understanding from your family. They view it as I'm home so I'm available to get milk/drive you wherever/make phone calls/yadayada. I try to do errands/grocery shopping/housework during the day so we can have family time at night (like a SAHM would)yet that leaves me with very little work time so the expectation that I would be making much money is crazy. Right now I'm lucky if I can squeeze in 5 hours a week with school out, during the school year it's about 15hrs. I do have 2 very-parttime helpers so the business isn't completely closed but I absolutely see a correlation between the amount of time I work and the amount of sales I make.

But, I hope I don't ever have to give it up. I truly do think it could be something really good. It gives me a bit of an identity beyond "mom".

All that to say, I think you should go for it if you can. But absolutely be realistic about what you can put into it, and what you expect to get out of it.