When I started thinking about doing this as a business, I made a mental nod to the fact that it would be hard, but my eternal optimism didn’t allow me to take full stock of how hard it would be — not just the building, but all the peripheral stuff as well.
I was finally able to deliver my first batch of straps, though it was 2 weeks later than I’d hoped for. The prototyping and production process was severely more complex than I’d anticipated, and it’s still not thoroughly fleshed out. Consequently, I’ve slowed down on marketing them until I can get some stability in the production process (I could take the easy way out and have everything done overseas, but that’s not what I want Dog Tired to be). Couple that with several guitars on the bench and a complete reorganization of my shop space, and all of a sudden my time has disappeared. I’m working more and sleeping less than when I was in college, and at 41 years old, I’m feeling it.
The weird part is this, though, I’m having the time of my life. I’ve always been one who loved learning new things and being creative, and this venture has afforded me plenty of opportunities to do both. Though it’s been terribly taxing, I love the challenges inherent in creating and designing new products, marketing, and developing a vision for my company. My company. I like the way that sounds.
“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” – Jonas Salk