My interview by Janelle

I participated in the citizen of the month great interview experiment and totally forgot to post my own interview questions here. It was fun to interview someone and to be interviewed. Janelle over at junk food for the soul interviewed me and thankfully she asked about my interview and reminded me to post it! I totally forgot…

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Ok, so you own your own business, Hello!! something I have always wanted to do! How did you come up that idea for a business.

I came up with my business idea back in November 2005. I was making these little ornaments and gift toppers from candy, things like trains, air planes, snowmen and more all using candy. Someone remarked that I should sell them and that was what inspired me to buy a domain name and to start learning how to run a business.

How did you get your business off the ground?

I am a highly creative individual and my business idea stemmed from candy ornaments but I needed to expand my product line in order to reach people and allow my business to flourish year round. I just followed my gut feeling whenever I became inspired. It was super hard to keep my doubts under wraps. There were many times when I thought “what the heck am I doing?” or “am I crazy?”.. I felt the urge to quit many times and the “off the ground” part did not happen over night. Simply believing in yourself and trusting that your creative juices/ what inspires you is what you are meant to do keeps you going.

Looks like you like animals, did you grow up with animals? Did you have a favorite?

I do love animals very much! I currently have 7 zebra finches (5 are babies), a 10 gallon take of fish (that are also breeding), 4 cats, 1 bunny and a dog.. I love nature/ animals and everything. I had 1 dog as a child and it had puppies so I got to experience the miracles of new life at a young age. I also had cats as a child and would have to say my favorite one was my 1st kitty, Tiger.

When you 15 years old and thought about your future life, did is the life you are living now the life you thought you would have?

Oh, boy.. When I was 15 I wanted to be a singer/ performer. As a senior in high school I decided I wanted to teach vocal music, went to college as a music ed major and soon discovered the confines of school didn’t work for me. I have always yearned to do something that touched others and made an impact. Amazingly life has sort of shaped my experiences and has led me to work that I truly enjoy. I get to cross performance arts with “touching lives” and “making a difference”… I am a colorguard/ dance coach and choreographer now with my own business and I write in my free time. My jobs allow me to be creative everyday nothing is ever dull or confining and I grow everyday. I never imagined I would be where I am today and I am very thankful that I have been led in this direction because I love the life I am living.

When you are “blog surfing” what is something that keeps you coming back to certain blogs?

Honestly when blogger are interested in relating to their readers they are more likely to get return visits. It’s nice to build relationships with other bloggers via comments and posts. Blogger who’s topics interest me will entice me to leave comments, when bloggers respond to my comments or return the favor I will make it a point to return to their blogs so I can return the favor also. It’s all a give and take.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I can be either but am mostly a night person these days since my partner is an anchor for the evening news.. We cross paths before work and after so that keeps me up later at night. I used to work grave yard shift at a hotel, then I was all messed up! I was an early evening person then…

What are some of your favorite TV shows?

TV shows are currently leaving me hanging. I really got into Army Wives, Dirt, Friends, Six Feet Under and X-Files. These days we record Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and the X-Files reruns.

Do you consider yourself to be a good friend? What was the greatest thing you ever did for a friend?
I think I am a good friend but I often feel the need to distance myself from people because I tend internalize their feelings and issues. Learning to love unconditionally is the greatest thing I have ever done and it was the hardest thing too! I have a best friend that has taken a path that I felt was not the best for her. It pains me to see her struggle and to know of the pain and struggles she faces as a result of her choices. I love her and value the friendship so I have learned to not force my views on to her and to allow her to express her thoughts and feelings without telling her what she should have done.

What quality do you dislike the most when you meet someone new?

I don’t like when people are fake. Superficial relationships and facades are my biggest annoyance. I would rather someone be brutally honest than to hide things or pretend that they are something they are not.

Take a photo of your favorite place in your house and tell me what it is your favorite place.

My favorite place in the house… Hmm I am moving to a new place in 18 days but in my current place I am drawn to my living room where I sit with my laptop, TV and on my worn couch with the space heater pointed at me. It’s comfy to me.