Sorry for the build-up on this news. I didn’t mean to make it such a big deal, but it IS an exciting move in my world, I just had to notify a few specific people before telling the internets. You all are so incredibly darling for being interested and so supportive. I truly, truly <3 my internet friends!
So, the “big move” is exactly that… WilloToons HQ has moved offices. The short story is that I was in the Renaissance Center last year, and now I’m working out of the Irata Labs office (which I expound upon more in the last 1/2 of this post). Now, this might not mean a thing to the rest of you, but in my life, it’s kind of a big deal… and, for those of you interested, I’ll happily detail why. :)
But first, a little background for those who don’t know me, or my story, that well:
I spent six years, working from home, doing freelance custom illustration and web/graphic design*, and while I loved working out of my house, my office was in my bedroom. Which, probably goes without saying, made it that much harder to create any kind of work/life balance. I launched WilloToons, my product line, in 2007, which meant I went from juggling one business, to two. Including storing inventory and shipping orders out of my garage**.
* I’ve pretty much let go of my freelance design business, but still take on small web/graphic design jobs + custom illustration work for cash flow.
** I now have a rockstar Merchandise Manager, Jen, who stores & ships all my inventory (among many other helpful tasks)
My First Office
In the fall of 2008, I was approached by the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center and awarded one of the few grants they had available, from the Mayor’s Office of Community Development Women’s Grant Program. This enabled me to enroll myself, and WilloToons, into RenCenter’s year-long Incubator Program. This program included office space in their SOMA location, as well as one-on-one consultation with business, marketing and finance professionals. As you can imagine, I was beyond thrilled! I’m very business-minded, and an entrepreneur no doubt, but the truth of the matter is I’m an artist. Meaning, I can use all the business guidance I can get! :)
Also, starting a company can feel really isolating and overwhelming. I am fortunate that I had (and have) a lot of really amazing, supportive friends… but at the end of the day, it’s me bootstrapping it all and having to figure out what move to make next. Granted, that is the task I’ve taken on by owning my own company(s), but doesn’t lessen the immeasurable benefit of having solid advisement from friends and business professionals.
For the first year (2007-2008) I worked my butt off promoting WilloToons – learning from every transaction and experience, collecting data, brainstorming new ideas, defining and re-defining my vision – all the while still taking on clients for my design business, but found it harder & harder to juggle both. Becoming involved with the RenCenter at the end of 2008, and starting the year with my offices there in January 2009, I decided to let go of my design business even more and “get serious” about WilloToons. This involved taking their Business Planning course and – finally, 2 years in to my business – writing a business, marketing and expansion plan, drafting up financial projections, and putting a framework around how I wanted to see my business grow and what it was going to take to get there. I have mixed feelings on if doing a plan is absolutely essential for every business (as many have done just fine without), but it’s an excellent exercise and taught me a LOT nonetheless. Plus, at minimum I need the financial projections for any fund-raising or small business loans.
I’d have to say one of the best, best, BEST parts of it all was having an office outside of my house! My bedroom is now just my bedroom (I have space on both sides of the bed… huzzah!), and the fact that I’m able to occasionally leave my laptop, and therefore work, at the office, and just enjoy my space/time at home is nothing short of dreamy. :) This transition alone has created so much more peace of mind this past year. And, as a small business owner, peace of mind is gold.
2009 started off with a bang! And while it was a difficult year overall, I have a lot to be grateful for. The support and consultation of the professionals I met through the classes, workshops and individual sessions at the Renaissance Center were life changing, and I am so grateful to know these resources are available moving forward. I sincerely think one of the biggest challenges we face in business – or even life in general – is learning how to ask for help. We have all these amazing minds around us all the time, and so much of it is just knowing what questions to ask, and being willing to receive support.
Making the Move
I actually didn’t think I was going to move offices, but as the year was ending, so was the end of my year-long grant. Which meant, in order for me to stay, I was going to need to re-up my enrollment into the incubator, which meant providing them with my financials, P&Ls, and paying rent. I had a choice. I mean, if I was going to be actually paying rent, I had the option of where that office would be. I certainly didn’t want to move my office back into my house, but as a business owner, I had to consider the additional monthly overhead rent was going to add to my already tight (bootstrapped) cash flow situation, and had to make a decision.
Thankfully, as I was trying to figure out what to do, I was chatting about it with my friend Chris, and he mentioned how much space there is in his office at Irata Labs, and that while he couldn’t promise it would be long term, we could arrange for me to have my office here for awhile. YAY! (Actually, Chris will tell you it wasn’t quite that easy. We seem to have a pattern where he offers up his help, and me and my independent (stubborn?) self doesn’t allow myself to receive, and next thing you know it’s in the 9th hour & I realize I *do* need his help, and he’s magically there for me. Heh. *sigh* I love my friends. And yes, I’m trying to work on that whole asking for help/receiving thing a bit more. :)
Moving into the RenCenter was a big move, so my moving on from there, in to another office space, is just as great in my book. I think this one feels especially big, too, because it actually marks me having my *2nd* office ever. One where *I* made the choice. And, BEST OF ALL, I’m with my awesome friends! I am so stoked.
I now work in an office with my super good friends, Chris & Keith (and Ben, who I’m just getting to know). Keith (@dkr), in particular, has been a friend for years, AND he’s a badass, creative designer (not to mention great taste in music), so I’m thrilled to be working near him. I was telling them both yesterday, “I am with my people!” :p Plus, I’m all excited about this new location (2nd & Harrison), because I’m near South Park and have a TON of great friends who work around here:
- My awesome TicketFly peeps: Ali, Amy, Marianne, and founders Dan & Fraser (who were my clients at TicketWeb!)
- Susan Wu, who is a rockstar CEO I met initially through CFC in ’08, but recently reconnected with (thanks to Randy), and we had an awesome business meeting. I’m THRILLED on her business guidance… and it’s been such an incredible reminder for me to tap into the amazing brains I’m surrounded by (and not just dine & have drinks with them, but actually seriously sit down & talk business :)
- Citizen Space is right downstairs, where my good friends work: Hillary, Seth and occasionally Thomas, just to name a few. AND this is conveniently where I host my Church of Craft monthly meetings (this month is most likely going to be there January 24th… get on the list if you want to join)! Oh, and coincidentally, Irata Labs is actually in the space where Citizen Space used to be! So I’d been here many times already.
- South Park awesomeness, including being able to eat lunch in the park, meet friends for lunch, and take part in all of the awesome SF street food carts that frequent this area! Most notably @banhmai, my friend Mai‘s Vietnamese sandwiches that I’ve yet to try. Update: Oh yes, AND The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, who is Heidi from my business planning class… they’re opening up soon just a few blocks away. Yum!
The move happened pretty fast, and yet totally felt right. I love it when that happens. After meeting with Susan on Friday, I stopped by to say hi to Chris & Keith, and saw once again how cavernous this office is, and realized how completely easy and great it would be to work out of here. I made a call to my friend Brian, who recently offered me to share some of his storage space, and asked him if I could store my desk & a few other things I wouldn’t need to bring with me, and he said he could help Saturday… so literally less than 24 hours later, I was moved!
Alright, I could go on & on, as I have a few points I want to expand on, wrapping up some of the other amazing things that happened in 2009, as well as discussing my plans for the new year, but let’s publish this bad boy once & for all.
Thank you all again SO much for your interest, support and friendship. Some days I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and having you all in my life – as a part of my amazing community, both online, and locally – is truly what keeps me going. Group hug! And for you locals, let’s do lunch in South Park soon. :)
Apparently ski masks are too expensive… but hey, grab a sharpie and you can just give yourself a black facemask that way!
