Here I am!!! (Sorry I got so long-winded!)
HEY EVERYBODY!
I've SO missed being here but my life and new business have been exploding with all sorts of wondermous things. It was so nice to hop in here today and skim back over weeks of posts and see I've been missed. That means more to me that y'all will know.
As some of you know, I've been working on my new business for about a year now... digging in at times and slacking off at others. But with the new year and new me, I knew it was time to s**t or get off the pot so to speak. So I have been putting 110% of my energies into getting things off the ground.
My web site, should you be interested, is Living...InsideOut!
I just got back from the 2008 Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo in Atlanta late last Monday and was gone about a week. It's a show for those in the industry, and about the kewlest show ever. I went to it last year in Reno, but at that time I was just having the idea to design outdoor kitchens, showers/baths and living spaces so I walked around there with my jaw on the floor in amazement. This year I went to do business. It was very successful for me and I got accounts established with many companies that I wanted to hook up with... grill companies, outdoor cabinet companies, umbrellas, accessories, etc. I left here on Feb. 26th (at 5AM) and antiqued my way to Atlanta. Because I also do Exterior Decoration, I have to have my own place spiffied up, so I'm turning what used to be a small stable into part Vintage Potting Shed and part Vintage Work/Tool shed. I've been buying all vintage gardening tools and stuff and vintage tools and things. I was in Atlanta several days for the show, met up and spent some time with a fellow down there who is also an independent outdoor kitchen designer (we are few and far between)... he took me around to show me some kitchens he has done down there... then spent an afternoon with an old personal chef friend of mine who has now gone RAW and does RAW cheffing and cooking classes, etc.
Then, I antiqued my way back home for 2 days and stopped over last Sunday night in Clover, SC and spent the night with a dear old friend who used to be my roommate in Raleigh. He and I were both exhausted because he's a meeting planner and was just home an hour when I got there from a week in Nashville where he did a meeting for 4000!
In the 10 days or so before I left for Atlanta, I got a call from a landscaper up in Person Co. at Hyco Lake who found my web site. He was BEGGING to come to Zebulon for an appt. w/me to "do some business." He also has a home and his business in Wilmington and said if I'm willing to get in my car and drive he has a LOT of business for me. He wants me to come in after his landscape jobs and "make it look pretty." He needs my Exterior Decoration services... so we are in the process of setting up that meeting.
THEN, a fellow in Rocky Mount who does pools called me to see if I'm ready for bizz... that he's working on a "LARGE" project with a builder in Fayetteville who is looking for somebody like me to come design and do a kick-a** outdoor kitchen and living area! THEN, I hooked up with a local builder who is also a friend and we are teaming up to rock 'n roll the outdoor world in North Carolina! He wants me to start designing an outdoor kitchen for his mansion yesterday... to work out his kinks and mine... so we can then let 'er rip!
I haven't done ANY marketing nor submitted my web page to search engines, but it is showing up and builders, pool installers, landscapers, etc. are finding me and calling me because there's just no one else out there doing what I do!
I'm terribly excited and terribly terrified all at the same time...
So THAT is where I have been! And OH, I still have a few personal chef clients too, and have to chef for two families THIS WEEK! And trying to get back in the "normal" groove. I still feel yucky from my trip and missing my swimming and not eating quite as "usual" as I do at home. I did take an electric cooler with me with my yogurts and stuff and took my toaster and English Muffins to make my breakfast in my hotel room... and the Y in Atlanta wasn't close enough to my hotel to go swim, so I got out of sync on all that stuff and MISS it. It's crazy to even say I missed EXERCISE but now that I've got my groove on with that, I DO terribly miss it when I'm outside what is now my "norm."
I'll be popping in as I can, but the next few weeks are going to be insanely crazy as I start on my builder's kitchen, meet local reps with all the vendors I'll be using and meet with these other folks who are calling and begging to come do business with me!
God is throwing piles of blessings at me from every which way lately and I am so very grateful! I'm not here cause I don't love and miss you... but I've gotta take these blessings as they come and act on them to get my new company off the ground. I feel like I'm sitting on a little gold mine and need to capture the moment!
And Oh, I hit the 80lb mark on Thursday!! I feel SOOOOOOOOOO great and have SOOOOOOOOOOO much energy that some days I feel like I'm going to explode. Folks are throwing me nice compliments too, and that is always nice to hear.
I hope everybody is doing great....... I just don't have time right now to catch up and read weeks of posts. Sometimes I feel like when I come in here I need to reply to nearly every post and feel guilty when I don't... so once I got "behind" I felt bad about that... so please forgive me for being so slack these days... I'm working what seems to be round the clock on new contacts, creating new forms and checklists and all sorts of stuff on the new bizz... so I'm spread pretty thin!
Gotta run now... my handyman/carpenter is here and we are going to Lowe's to buy supplies. He's going to fix up my stable/out-building that I'm converting into the shed mentioned above. We're going to close it in and secure it around the bottom to keep SNAKES out... I'll just die and have to move if I go out there to work and see one... my biggest fear in the world! Once it gets finished, I'll post some pictures!
Then after that, we're going to do my outdoor shower.... THAT I can hardly wait for... nothing more relaxing than a cool outdoor shower on a hot and sultry NC summer day!
Y'all be good... and I'll pop in every chance I get. I'm excited about tomorrow... Barb is coming to my house to help me scrapbook piles of pictures from magazines for my "Inspirational Ideas" books for all sorts of outdoor spaces.
See you in the morning Barb!! And hoping to see lots of you next Saturday at our monthly gathering too... I guess that's still on...!!
Hey Wendy -
I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning and of course next week.
I'll be posting the get together next week as soon as I finish this post.
I'm so excited for you.
Barb
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
Hi Wendy,
I have missed you but so happy to read all about what you have been up to.
You know what they say they say Seize The Moment hope I spelled that right.
See you on Saturday.
Annie
PS I was listening to the radio and they were describing a item at a resturant and they mentioned Panako I thought about you LOL
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