So I’m curious. Do you love the work you do?

If you don’t love it, do you at least kind of like it?

If you don’t even like it, why do you do it?

I know we’ve all had jobs in our lives that we worked at just because it was a job, and we needed a job. I get that.

But I also know there are those of us fortunate enough to really love the work we do – like me!

My Work Loves

I’ve had many jobs in my life that I have loved.

I started my work life at a Dairy Queen (it was a fun place to work while in high school because all the cute guys hung out there – LOL), then moved into real estate (when home mortgages were 18-20%), then started doing freelance graphic design, worked at a luxury car dealership, was a travel agent for a short time, worked in interior design, worked at an engineering manufacturing company (where I met my future husband) and even started a windsurf board manufacturing company with my not-yet husband.

After these initial jobs, life got even more interesting. Here’s a brief look into some of my work history.

The Corporate Glass Ceiling

Before I had kids, I was working at a job for a large corporation. I had lots of opportunity for growth at that company, and they paid for a large part of my continued college education. I was a young woman (just turned 20) and was working among mostly men in positions of authority.

During my time at that company, I advanced very quickly through the ranks and took on one project after another – everything from engineering documentation control, patents and patent submissions, to learning how to use a computer and then teaching others to use computers. Because of the boss I had, I was very fortunate to be able to tackle pretty much any project I was interested in. But… I was still working for a corporation. And one that didn’t really think a young 20-something woman should be given that much free rein, or that much of a salary. I knew it was time to move on…

Direct Sales Consultant

While I was still working at the company mentioned above, I was invited to one of those direct sales “in home parties”. I had never heard of the product or the company before, but it was an evening with friends, so I went. Who wouldn’t?!?!?! After the “party”, I thought to myself – “I could do this!” and I signed up. For people who know me, I am very true to the things I love. If I don’t like a product (or a company), I’m certainly not going to promote it – job or no job. But, I fell in love with the company’s products and I really saw the potential for making a decent income doing something I love – teaching people.

I became a Jafra Consultant and taught skin care and make up classes for people and their friends in their homes. But I didn’t stop there. I worked my way into bridal shows, doing the makeup for models. I had some pretty clever and innovative ideas for getting the product I loved into the hands of more and more people in ways outside of “in home parties”. It was fun and challenging! Shortly after I became a consultant, I became a manager of other consultants, and I loved the training part of the business – helping other consultants grow their businesses. By the time I had kids, I owned and operated two other companies and knew I needed to step down as a branch manager for Jafra. But to this day, I am still a consultant. Yes. I love the products that much! I don’t do in-home classes anymore, but I do still work with established clients and am always looking for new clients through my website and Facebook Page.

Computer Training

After leaving the corporate world, I was ready to start a new business! For many years I owned and operated a very successful computer training company I started called CompuTRAIN.

I taught computer classes at many businesses, all over Minnesota. I created customized training for these companies, wrote the training manuals, and taught the classes.

I LOVED this job! Seriously loved it!

I loved the technical writing for the training manuals I wrote. As a matter of fact, I wrote software manuals for Microsoft Press and other large national training companies. It’s that logical side of my brain that this writing appealed to. I also loved teaching the classes. My students were always adults who were learning a new software program in order to do their jobs. I used to play school with the neighbor kids when I was young, so this software teaching as an adult was something I really loved. It just fit.

I lived and breathed my company, CompuTRAIN! I was SO passionate about every part of this company and worked at it for 20 years.

Fishing Tackle Manufacturing

At the same time I was running CompuTRAIN, my husband (an avid muskie fisherman) and I bought a muskie fishing tackle manufacturing company.

In addition to contractors we hired, we actually did a lot of the manufacturing ourselves. I was the business mind behind the company and my husband was the perfect salesman and production manager. We grew this company from a small business into a large company. Our lures were featured in television fishing shows, fishing books, fishing magazines, and in fishing tournaments.

This was the second business my husband and I ran together (our windsurf company was the first), and it was something we both really enjoyed.

And then I got pregnant. Not unplanned, but not totally expected when it happened. I was a workaholic and really loved running companies and being self-employed! I had visions of future endeavors and wanted to take on the world!

During my pregnancy, I worked both companies – my computer training business and the muskie tackle business (and my Jafra business on the side). But when our first son was born, life took on new meaning to me.

Yes, even as a workaholic, I found that I could sit in a rocking chair all day holding our first born. He became my life and was more important to me than any business. Who knew I would fall into the role of Mom so quickly?!?!

During the time we owned the fishing tackle manufacturing company, my husband still worked full time in engineering at a manufacturing company, where he had been employed since he was in high school. Now that we had a family, and my full time job of computer training and my husband’s full time job at his company, it was time to sell the tackle company. It was a bittersweet moment when our company sold, but we knew it was for the best.

My husband continued working at his full-time job, and I dialed my hours WAY back at my software training company to just 8-hours a week so I could be home with our son.

Educational Ecommerce Business Owner

Two more sons later, we built our dream home. I was still running my computer training business, and my Jafra business, but now had an hour commute and a nanny during my 8-hour work week (just two days a week). Due to the downturn in the economy, businesses started cutting back on their spending around this time, and one of the cut backs was employee training. It was a good time for me to let go of my software training company of 20 years and start something new.

I was home with our three boys and discovered that teaching them at home was the perfect fit for all of us. I started homeschooling our boys at the preschool age and continued on from there. As a home educator, I knew there were unique products out in the world that we enjoyed using for learning, so I started an ecommerce business for selling unique, outside the box educational products. Books, games, science kits, you name it. I was having a blast finding these unique products, using them to teach our kids, and growing an ecommerce store that I could run from home.

My ecommerce company grew VERY quickly! I found a way to make it very unique and it was a huge success! My kids and I even developed our own products and won the Dr. Toy award for them – Thinkonium and Fiddlets. This was a true family business and even one that our very young boys could participate in.

I loved this company! I loved everything about it! I developed the website, wrote the content for the products, and we packaged and shipped our products worldwide.

As our kids grew, they were invited to hold “jobs” in the business, and they really enjoyed their responsibilities. They helped test new products – we only inventoried and sold products we could stand behind – they helped receive new shipments, helped shelve the items in inventory, and helped pull items for packaging. This was an incredible learning experience for them, and one that they will be able to use in their own careers!

We ran this highly successful company for many years. And then I discovered vintage…

Vintage Ecommerce Business Owner

Oh, for the love of vintage!

Our kids were older and while we were still homeshooling, they were much more independent in their learning. I was still running our educational ecommerce business, and loving it, but then I discovered a passion for old things.

I spotted a really cool beverage glass and pitcher set in a magazine article. I was on a quest to find a similar set for us to use at home. I’m very good at searching the internet, but I wasn’t able to find these bubble-wrap looking glasses. I showed the magazine article to my Mom and she identified them as hobnail glasses from the 1950s.

I had never payed any attention to antiques or other “old” things in my life. I didn’t even realize that “vintage” was a “thing”.

After Mom told me hobnail, I searched the internet for that and landed on a website called Etsy. I had never heard of Etsy before, but there was the glasses and pitcher set I was after. Needless to say, I purchased that set. But in order to make a purchase, you had to create an account. I had explored the website further and found many old things that I loved. Who knew??!?! When I created my account, I thought to myself “I could do this!“, so my account name became ThirdShift – because I already owned an ecommerce store and still had stakes in my software training company, as well as homeschooling three boys, and yes, still running my Jafra business. I knew I would have to work this new business during the nighttime hours, so ThirdShift was born. See what I did there?! LOL

I had never been to a garage sale, thrift store, auction, or flea market in my life. But, I was on a quest to find cool and unique old things to sell in my soon to be created ThirdShift store.

While searching for vintage treasures, I realized just how much I loved these things from the past. Searching for them was the icing on the cake!

My vintage Etsy shop (ThirdShift) quickly gained ground and became very successful. So much so, that I knew something had to go.

Our kids were older, so finding unique educational products for younger kids wasn’t quite as exciting anymore. Instead, I focused my energy on my vintage shop and on my kids.

My kids enjoy going with me on our vintage treasure hunting adventures, and they really appreciate things from before they were born (things before I was even born). They already have the entrepreneurial spirit, so working with me on the vintage shop became second nature for them, and makes this business even more enjoyable for me!

Here and Now

So we’re at the here and now stage. I no longer run the educational ecommerce store. I no longer run the computer training business. My kids are of the age that they are schooling themselves before heading off into the world. My entire family – husband and sons – are invested in our vintage business. It is something I am very passionate about and know that I will be working this business for a long time. I am very thankful to have a family that understands this business and enjoys it with me.

Vintage Ecommerce Website

After having owned and run a very successful ecommerce store on my own, I knew I needed to expand my vintage business beyond Etsy. I researched many selling platforms before making my ultimate choice – Shopify.

I couldn’t be happier with my own website on the Shopify platform – ThirdShiftVintage.com!

My website, and business, is something I am very very passionate about. I love going to work every single day.

Having my own website allows me to incorporate my creative writing skills into writing product descriptions, along with my life-long photography passion by taking photos (and 360-photos) of the unique vintage items I sell. I just love everything about this business!

I love sharing fun vintage articles, photos and more on my ThirdShiftVintage Facebook Page, and in a vintage group I created called Oh, For the Love of Vintage! (come join us)!

And then….

Ecommerce Mentor

Because I love developing and running my own website on Shopify so much, I decided I wanted to share this passion with others. Specifically with other Etsy sellers who are struggling on that failing platform. So… I became a Shopify Partner.

Now, in addition to running and maintaining my own ecommerce website, I am also mentoring and helping other merchants get started with their own websites through a new business – TheDrawingBoard3.

What goes around, comes around – right?!

I am now writing technical training articles for these merchants to help them with their businesses. I lead several support groups for these merchants where I am able to teach them and mentor them, utilizing my teaching skills. What could be better than that?!?!?

I have to tell you. I simply am LOVING the work that I do!

I am running my own successful vintage ecommerce store.

I am helping and training other merchants to run their own successful ecommerce stores.

I feel like I am on the top of the world, doing things I seriously LOVE.

But, Wait. There’s More…

Okay, so I mentioned earlier that I am a workaholic.

I don’t like sitting still.

I have a TON of ideas for businesses and I like to keep busy.

In addition to my current jobs – running my vintage shop; still a Jafra consultant; and a Shopify Partner – I am also a team captain of other vintage sellers on Etsy; run a vintage blog with friends,  I answer questions to help others with their businesses on Quora and on Reddit, I’m an amateur photographer selling my photos on Shutterstock, I also just got started as an Amazon Influencer just for fun (and a small commission), AND…. I’ll be starting two new ecommerce businesses very soon (cliff-hanger!).

So there you have it. This is the work that I love.

Sure, I could have become a forensic pathologist (something I’ve wanted to do since I was young), or an author of scary, horror stories – but maybe these are things I’ll still have a chance to tackle. 😉

Now you know more about me. Tell me about YOU!

What are your passions?

What is your favorite job?