One Year Full Time: It’s Time to Switch Things Up

One year ago, I took the leap.
One year ago, I said, “Let’s stop playing small.”
One year ago, I turned a part-time hustle into a full-time business.

And now?
It’s time to switch things up. Buckle up!

The Revenue Story

In the year that I’ve gone full time, the business pulled in roughly $170,000 in sales.

That’s modest — short of the lofty goal I set — but here’s the bright side:
It’s more than I made in three years combined when this was just a side hustle. That’s worth acknowledging.

The less exciting part?
Profit: $2,000.

Yep. Laughable.

Where did the money go?

• Rent — Turns out, you can’t grow a business from your garage forever.

• Labor — I’m 5’5” if I stand tall and I start to panic if I inch near 160 lbs. So no, I can’t do it all alone.

• Inventory — A bottomless pit, because when clients ask, you always want to say, “Yeah, we got that.”

• Tools, software, insurance, vehicles — Let’s just say, Excel isn’t the end-all-be-all, and no, you can’t casually tack a box truck onto your personal auto policy for $20.

The Vacation Count (or Lack Thereof)

Let’s cue the world’s smallest violin.

In a year, I took three vacations:

• A long weekend in Florida with the kids — a logistical circus, not exactly restful.

• A trip to St. Maarten — stunning, but I could of been more present. If I wasn’t glued to my phone, fielding inquiries, I was mentally thinking about how I can make improvements.

• A New Year’s cruise — the only true unplug, because no way was I paying for the Wi-Fi package.

The Metrics (and the Misses)

• Nearly 150 events completed

• Nearly 800 quotes lost

The demand is there — but closing deals? That’s still a challenge.
I’ll own it: sales isn’t my natural talent. But with Chelsea (my AI assistant) smoothing the process, we’ve gotten faster, warmer, and more professional in how we respond. That’s progress. Say hi to Chelsea…

The Honest Reflection

I used to dream about taking a company to the high-yield debt markets with a $250M offering (don’t ask me why — it’s just the picture I painted in my head after years of catering to analysts).

Now I realize… very few companies in this space generate that kind of revenue in their entire lifetime.

Lessons Learned

• I spent years soaking up books, podcasts, and trainings — but nothing teaches you like actually doing the work. Only in the past few months have I let go of the “should-be” ideas and focused on just doing the work. The analysis is creeping back in (because I honestly can’t help myself), but I’m learning the magic is in the doing, not just the theorizing.

• I was so focused on building from scratch, I missed the opportunities right in front of me — aging operators with no succession plan, businesses ripe for partnership or acquisition.

• I can’t keep running on adrenaline and last-minute adjustments. I need systems, structure, and space to think like a CEO, not just a scrappy operator.

The Path Forward

The last 12 months weren’t glamorous. They were gritty, exhausting, and often humbling.

But here’s what matters:
I’m still here.
I’m still standing.
I’m still building.
And — surprisingly — I’m still liking the work.

It’s time to switch gears.

Let’s see where this next chapter takes us.

Until next time
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