Step into my office...baby

First off, I'm was so happy to read Mia's last blog. It was nice to tread down memory lane again, and remember the seedlings of our dreams.

I might add, had she not been a complete weasel, using inclement weather as an excuse to not go to work ("uhm...are YOU going to the office today? It's pretty bad out right? We should stay home right???") , who knows what could have happened? But let's not dwell on the past or ponder the future, let's stay present. Fast forward to a couple years later, this is now the office we bike, TTC and drive to, even on the worst of snow days.

(the northwest corner of our eco-store)

After I read her blog, I got to thinking about occupations in general. I've had several jobs, and two bonafide career paths, excluding the one I am now on.

They (jobs and careers) always start of with such a bang don't they? Such excitement and such potential on the upstart. But once the initial buzz wore off, and the new suits and outfits I've purchased for said jobs start fading and pilling from wash, I found myself wishing for a new start.

Someone once said to me..."You're not supposed to like your job". My thoughts on the statement: I'm torn. The idealist in me is completely abject to that statement (picture mouth agape). Yet, the realist side knows the validity in it. Most people HAVE to work (thanks capt. obvious). Not speaking for anyone else, but I always ended up being lukewarm about every single post I held...to me, that's worse than hating it.

I wanted to have passion and zeal for my 9-5. I wanted to love it THIS much (my baby cat Linxie loving her eco-friendly scratch pad).

Man, she loves that thing. She makes out with it, several times a day.

It is one thing to be a dreamer, and it's another to be a dreamer that's homeless and broke. Yes the decision to START GL was done shot-gun style, but the execution was not the least bit impulsive.

Mia and I were very very practical and pragmatic when planning Green Lavender, and the concept of the store and studio was ever-evolving and ever changing. In fact, the yoga studio idea came much, much later in the planning process. We met almost weekly to brainstorm and plan (thank you Williams coffee pub). We tried a crap-load of eco-products, did surveys, went to seminars, looked at spaces, talked to small business experts and small business owners...and the list goes on.

So, with our full time jobs, my yoga teaching gigs, planning GL and trying to have social lives on top of that, our plates, well...they runneth over. Not to be a martyr, but ya sacrifices were made. To quote small business expert Andrew Patricio "It takes a lot of effort to build a successful business. If you're not prepared to put in the effort, don't get into your own business". Hear hear Andrew...

If there is one thing that is still a constant, it's the hard work, and I don't harbour any delusions that it wont be, for a long, long time.

We've probably never worked harder in our lives (hey Mia, remember renovations??? Actually, I should say, hey Kostas...remember renovations???). But the payoff is priceless...see exibit A&B

This is my office and desk...

And this is my daily attire (I do not miss my starched button up, collar blouses)....

What I learned: Dream big, then put your back into it.

We're curious...do you love your job? What is your dream job?