As a child, I excelled at academics but my passion was music. My first college attempt was a music degree, but I was unable to finish due to an injury that left me incapable of playing my instrument. Unable to pursue my life-long dream, I floundered for a bit. [Insert long story here!]
I eventually landed in the Entrepreneurship program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. You know when you find something that just feels right? That was entrepreneurship for me. Always a high-achiever, I decided to major in Finance too, and get a minor in Economics while I was at it.
While there, I earned the Practicing Entrepreneur Award, and I was the chosen student speaker for the Schulz School of Entrepreneurship Ground-Breaking Dedication. After graduation, I adjudicated the Fowler Business Concept Challenge and was a member of Entrepreneurship Organization - Accelerator.
Because I still loved music, and specifically music education, I founded a music school right out of college. Virtuosos Music Academy opened its doors in January 2005. Creating everything from scratch was a high learning curve… procedures, manuals, contracts, point of sale systems, customer forms, recruitment, retention programs, hiring and firing, and oh so much more!
On the way, we got press in the Star Tribune and Twin Cities Business Magazine (links coming soon). We earned "Best in Plymouth" awards in 2012 and 2014 (the only two years they offered our category, to my knowledge). And we were written up in Plymouth Magazine for our 10 year anniversary.
When I was a business owner, there were times that I wished I could have executive-level help … without hiring an executive. My business was not large enough to justify hiring an executive… yet I found myself needing an entrepreneurial-minded "helper" who could dive in head first to help me get specific projects done. Even seemingly "simple” things like bookkeeping were challenging to find… all the bookkeepers I spoke with had very little (or no) experience with start-up businesses.
At times I felt judged because our business did things differently than the larger companies they were used to working with. I didn’t like the feeling of being compared to a corporation! In addition, when I did have someone "help", they were just entering data... not looking out for me, guiding me, and asking the right questions.
And this is where I carve my niche. I’ve created a consulting business that I would have wanted as a business owner. Professional and approachable, but casual and friendly. Accepting, open, and inquisitive. Experienced in starting, owning and actively running a business.
When the time came in 2018 for me to sell Virtuosos Music Academy to spend more time with my new daughter, I took some time off and then started helping other business owners. In my free time, you can usually find me in the vegetable garden, knee-deep in a building project for our off-grid home, hiking the beautiful Minnesota trails, reading a good book, or hanging out with my husband, daughter, and our three dogs.