Want to be an entrepreneur? So do I. Here’s my journey so far.

So what exactly is an entrepreneur? According to present day society, an entrepreneur can be ANYTHING! New industries are blooming and the options are endless! According to the dictionary, an entrepreneur is, "a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so”. That doesn’t sound half as awesome as the societal view on entrepreneurship…however, I’d say the reality lies somewhere in between (per usual). Now to warn you, I’m not this uber successful entrepreneur sharing all the secrets to success, rather, I am here to bring you along for the wild ride I like to call, lifestyle design. Buckle up, cause its bumpy...I committed to the idea of entrepreneurship while I was traveling around in 2016. The nomdaic lifestyle was rampant on the road. It seemed like everyone had this little “money making" secret figured out enough to design their life they way they wanted to live it. LIKE WHAT, HOW COOL! I even asked a friend I met on the road, Justin, "can anyone do this entrepreneur thing?!”. I remember him laughing and nodding… which makes me now laugh and look back at how much I have grown since then. I was obsessed with trying to figure it out. I wanted in the club and I was going to do everything to get in. Every entrepreneur I have talked to seems to have a different “story”. Some have started their own businesses, others sell products for other companies. Some sold their work, others were paid to promote another's work. Every time I felt like I had a somewhat grasp on the whole concept of entrepreneurship, fifty more ins and outs were discovered. I still don’t have it all figured out, but when I was starting out, I felt like I had to... which leads me to my first pointer…JUST GO FOR IT.  yeah, it is scary, and uncomfortable and at times, a bit risky. BUT, if you never try, well then, this entrepreneur lifestyle you want is going to be a long road for you my friend.Anyways. Once I came home from my travels, I started scouring the internet for anything on entrepreneurship. I learned terms like, “time freedom” and “digital nomad”. I spent hours upon hours researching. It was a bit overwhelming. Let’s just say I had information overload. and over a million ideas... The first “entrepreneur” opportunity I took, was buying into an MLM. If you aren’t sure what it is, look it up. It wasn’t for me but A LOT of people in present day love it. In my opinion, if I am going to market something and put my time and energy into something, it might as well be my OWN product. But, to each their own… I put a good amount of money into the program and saw nothing in return. WOOH. but hey, i LEARNED A LOT. More than I probably ever would going a different direction, who knows. moral of this story… I didn’t give up.Once I realized I did not want to sell anyone else’s product and wanted FULL AUTONOMY I knew what I had to do. Create my own product, or offer some sort of value/ service to others.From there I organized clothing swaps and a variety of events for women in my community to attend. A lot of the times, no one showed up to these events. I have a solid group of women that attend a specific group (the vulnerability events) that give me the support, love and constant strength to keep on keeping on, even when it feels like I am an idiot for pursuing this lifestyle. These experiences gave me the insight and courage I needed for something I always dreamed of doing….The next entrepreneurial direction I took was social media consulting. For months, I was constantly being asked about the in’s and outs of all things social, at first I would just help for the fun of it… however, after my “ah-ha” moment' I decided to make it a legit thing.  It started when a few friends who had small businesses started hiring me to strategize social media plans. From there I began creating content for a few brands and became an algorithm and post engagement maven. After some time working in that aspect of entrepreneurship, I realized it wasn’t for me. It was just okay, and I wanted amazing. I mean, if I am going to do something for the majority of my life, it better be my kind of awesome.WAS ANYTHING GOING TO BE “GOOD ENOUGH”?!Things really started to seem like they were falling into place when I met Taylor. Taylor is the founder of California Bloggers and Entrepreneurs, a community bringing together California creatives. She was in the beginning stages of creating her business and needed some extra help, they aren’t lying when they say, “it takes a village”.  We instantly connected and started planning right away. From the very first meeting, I knew I was more in my element. With my background in event planning from the glory days at CSUSM, I felt right at home, phewwww.Being exposed to such community and collaboration was SO INSPIRING && literally exactly what I needed. I dove into networking. Attended events, launches, coffee dates..you name it. I meet so many inspiring women and muster up the courage to finally chase the dream I was holding deep down. To start my own travel company!!I admit it took some pushing from Taylor and a few other friends, while I was freaking out to actually launch my company, I was terrified of failure and rejection. Once I did it, the feeling was UNREAL. Excitement, confusion, anxiety, love, passion... haha you name it, I felt it.I had my “first event” which I now refer to as my “soft launch” hahah. Because like 8 people showed. 3 people being “not obligatory” aka family or best friends/roommates/ charity and Alex. A bunch of people said they were going to come but didn’t. The timeline was completely screwed up && everyone loved it.It still was a success in the eyes of everyone who was there and that’s all that mattered to me. That small succeeds was all I needed to launch my first trip.Which brings us to today.. I’m sitting here writing this post, the day before Wildflower  Tours first ever getaway to Palm Springs. I’ve been working relentlessly for a few months now and even though everything is pretty much ready, I’m still stressing lol. Just hoping it goes well, you know?When I launched this event and released it to the public, the love and support I received was overwhelming. The ladies were more than receptive to the idea and that was suuuper cool to see!Even when contacting companies to collaborate with, most met me with open minds and interest in understanding what my vision for Wildflower is.F10 Creative and Palm Springs Aerial Tramway are two local Palm Spring companies I partnered with that really made my first “entrepreneurial experience” everything it should have been. It gave me the courage and experience i need to continue to grow as an entrepreneur. I had to write up marketing contracts, negotiate terms and create boundaries I never thought of before (like setting a limit on how much work I will do in exchange for experiences). Both companies were such a joy to work with and I hope to continue our partnerships moving forward.I also reached out to California companies regarding product sponsorship that would vibe with the desert getaway. I just want to shout those companies out real quick for SERIOUSLY helping your girl out..Suja, Health-Ade, Rebbl, Justin’s, That’s It, Holl & Lane, Ritual Energy, Wild Hearts and Halos, Paru Tea &&  Coola !Anyways, I’m exhausted. I’ve been working my ass off to make this side hustle dream a reality and now this dream is actually coming true.It’s unreal. But I’m so excited.Short story long, if you wanna be an entrepreneur... GO FOR IT. Try it out and see where it takes you. We are living in a time where creating and innovation is THRIVING. It’s not going to be easy and it’s not as glamorous as it sounds, BUT I think it’s worth it. I mean, we will see, right? Haha.Anyways,I got my groove back && I feel unstoppable.Sooooo , Here’s to the future adventures, successes, failures, meltdowns, happy dances and the entirety of my entrepreneurial journey. I’m excited to see where Wildflowers Tours goes!Thanks for believing in me, or at least pretending to while I’m around. Hahah.Much love,c