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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

It's NOT work

I'm just doin' what I love. Did anyone watch the Oprah show yesterday? I am not a big fan but I am happy that I saw this show as I was baking biscuits to fill store orders. As most of my blogging friends know, I am in transition right now with my 2 small businesses. My dog biscuit company, Pampered Pups Pastries is up for sale and I have a very interested party in the business. My cat-sitting business is NOT FOR SALE and never will be and it is growing everyday. People are asking me if I am sad that I am selling a business that I started from scratch (pun intended). 'My Baby' as they refer to the business. They ask if I think I will ever regret selling it down the road. I am not sad and I am ready because I have been thinking of selling for over a year and the time is right. I'd like to share a little something with you all...
Before the dog biscuit business was created, I owned a dog-walking service and pet-sitting service. I looked after dogs everyday and cared for them when owners travelled. I also cared for cats. I was called PAMPERED PUPS & COMFY CATS PETSITTING SERVICE. This was 10 years ago. From this service, the dog biscuit company was created. Just before starting the biscuit business I opened a fortune cookie that read "Soon your hard work will lead you to where you are happiest".
Of course we all believe what a fortune cookie tells us. I was so excited to think that I had finally found what I was going to love as a business (Pampered Pups Pastries) and that this was my destiny. I worked like a dog. I found stores, designed a bag and labels, named all the cookies, placed ads in local papers and our town featured me along with photographs in 2 stories on up-and-coming entrepreneures in the area. I was having fun but working very hard. All the while I was cat-sitting because by this time I had passed the dog-walking and dog-sitting to another woman who was keen to start a business. I loved those dogs but the baking kept me from having enough time for them. I could not give up the cats. I thought I should, I just couldn't. So, I kept cat-sitting and running this very busy dog cookie business from home. After 8 years of baking and sweating away at the biscuit business I just woke up one day and thought.....I am not enjoying my work anymore. I only want to care for the cats and now this business that I spent so much time creating is getting in the way. It is then that I realized that it was the cat-sitting business that I LOVED and never once felt that it was a job. It was always a pleasure and when I was with the cats I was living in the moment...something I could never seem to accomplish anywhere else.
Needlesstosay, this is what has led me to finally finding my passion. Yes, at this late age I now know what I want to do for the rest of my life. HA!!
So, watching Oprah was a pleasure yesterday because I knew I was one of those people she was talking about... those who go to their place of work each day and not for one minute feel that they are working. They are just having fun and completely fullfilled at the end of the day . How many years has Oprah been on and this show was the first one that made me cry. A happy cry....not one of those ugly, loud,  painful cries that scare the dog and send the cats fleeing. No, this was a happy cry because I realize now that I wasn't finished on my journey and what I loved to do was right in front of me all that time. Now I look forward to putting 110% of me into my cat-sitting service. Bring it on!

Hugs  Cat-nanny Deb

5 comments:

  1. It is really cool you are successful at something you love so much; you are very lucky, but so are your clients!...Enjoy your day, sweet friend.

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  2. now if I could just sell some scarves! ;)

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  3. Good for you Deb! How wonderful to be in your right place at your right time doing your right thing ~ awesome! Every once in awhile Oprah hits it right! :)

    Have a beautiful Wednesday friend!
    xo Catherine

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  4. Deb your love and happiness in your cat sitting business shines through in your blog. I would never think you could give it up as I see it as your passion and the most right thing for you to be doing. :)

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  5. How simply wonderful that you can go to work doing the thing you love best.. You are lucky and yes so are all the cats.. Hugs GJ xx

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