Corporate Jobs
Delicious Choices: How Risking a Comfortable Corporate Job Leads an Entrepreneur to Taste Success
Mary is no stranger to starting companies based on only a whisper of an idea. After a career spent developing businesses from the roughest of plans, her latest project, Lovin’ Goodies—a production center for organic foods—follows the pattern of her other companies and has grown quickly with unflinching dedication. Her love of food carried into her adult life; she started her own catering company soon after high school and catered concerts for names like David Bowie, Kiss and Aerosmith. Creativity of all kinds came naturally. She studied to be a fashion designer at Wayne State University while working at the Hyatt Regency, where she received training in food service. Her entrepreneurial spirit asserted itself with the opening of a video and music retail store that eventually received national attention. After five years and additional work modeling for various commercials, Mary eventually took a corporate sales position at Compuware.
As a sales executive for 13 years, Mary became involved with six different business units, four of which were start-ups. “I learned a lot about business, even more so than having my own.” While working with the healthcare unit, she found things to be different than expected. “I learned about how broken the healthcare system is… Toward the end it just did not resonate with who I really was and I felt like I just needed to get my creativity out.”
Mary left her corporate sales position in early 2007 and soon afterward lost her father. These life-altering events convinced Mary to change things for the better. Growing up in a home where her parents always had an organic garden, Mary learned early about the importance of growing her own fruits and vegetables and eating authentic foods. With this foundation, Mary attended and graduated from the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, a culinary school specializing in raw, vegan cooking. Lovin’ Goodies was started shortly thereafter. She turned her home office into a “war room” covered in posterboard and sticky notes that became the business model for her newest venture. In June 2007, Mary gave herself until September to make it work, and though the money was slow coming in, everything else in her life was running smoothly. “When that happens, you are supposed to be exactly where you’re at.”
To gain attention for her newest project, Mary began putting herself and Lovin’ Goodies publicly on the market by offering to teach open classes. Her clarity and sense of mission is palpable: “I don’t care how old you are—everybody wants energy and vibrancy. Everybody wants to feel good, and if they’re not getting that from their current diet, I’m going to tell them it’s time for a change!” Within the year, local newspaper, radio and television coverage put her on the map. She also received national exposure, including time on Radio Disney. The hard work that goes into such recognition is second nature to Mary, who enjoys every moment of her working life. “If it’s really hard, you just need to move on. I don’t even mind working seven days a week… Because of the passion there, you don’t even think about it.”
Mary’s biggest challenge has been carrying out all of the work herself. Classes and workshops cause grueling days as she has to haul, take care of, and clean up everything for each show by herself. She readily admits to thinking, “G-d, I need some help,” but her passion for food carries such days. By necessity, she has committed to taking time for herself each day for yoga and to unwind in the morning before the day’s stressors inevitably mount.
Another part of Mary’s one-woman corporation is her Corporate Wellness plan, which enables her to reach more people while putting the same amount of work and energy into each presentation. She typically offers a meal based on her recipes after each presentation, with an explanation of why the food is important and healthy for each individual. Such a life is light years away from all those days spent as a sales executive at Compuware, and working on developing an electronic medical-history project in Michigan with many of the corporations, insurance, payers and providers that was going nowhere.
Ultimately, comfortable paychecks cannot compensate for personal longing and unfilled expectations. “In our hearts, we really know where we need to be. It was a big gamble, but once you take that leap, the relief is there.” Mary has high hopes for Lovin’ Goodies and describes being a chef as only the “tip of the iceberg.” At its core, her happiness is what drives the company, while the satisfaction of others is what keeps Lovin’ Goodies—and its customers— alive.
About the Author
Written by: Alyson_C (for uwemp.com)
For those of you in corporate jobs, how happy are you with your benefits package?
depends the benefits not all companies offer the same,..
like mine is 401k, Dental, Health. Pay vacations, and in my case I love it,... I mean in the end you need and come out right of hand
Corporate Jobs
Job: Corporate Recruiter - Full Time - LA, California
Why Your Corporate Job Is A Pyramid Scam!
I was talking with a business partner the other day about our home based business venture in a local coffee shop, when the customer sitting at the table next to us leaned a little closer and asked, "Are you talking about one of those mlm pyramid schemes?". My friend gave the eavesdropper an inquisitive look and smiled. I asked the gentleman if he had any network marketing experience. He told me that he actually didn't. He said that he had looked at one a few years back, but a friend of his, who apparently wanted to keep his so called friend in the misery zone with him, told him all about these type of shell games, and how he would just lose his money.
His response made me sit up straight in my seat. Did he really just say that his "friend" talked him out of a business that he didn't even have first hand knowledge of? Did he just make a hero out of a buddy who possibly took his dream away from him? Did he actually just lump all direct selling opportunities into one huge group? We asked him what he did for a living. He said he worked for a computer company for a long time, but was unhappy because all of the higher ups were greedy and made more money than they deserved. Our new friend went on to describe the structure of the president and board of directors, middle managers, and the worker bee group he belonged to. I wanted to scream out, this is why your corporate job is a pyramid scam. All of the loot went to a few big money players at the top, a little less to the bosses in the middle, and then the scraps to the guys on the bottom. Hmmm...that sounds more like the scenario he was asking about.
Network marketing is an industry where success is solely based on the efforts and work ethic of the individual rep or distributor. This is not a get rich quick deal. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. The road to success is paved with hard work! If this doesn't sound like it's your cup of tea.....you could always get a job!
About the Author
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