"Follow Your Bliss" Seeking Advice from my friends
In the leadership class we are using a workbook to develop and improve leadership skills. One of the exercises was about priorities. It asked what about your job gives you the most pleasure. I got to thinking about what in my life gives me the most pleasure and it has to be my furkids. Dogs have been a constant nearly all of my life. I would have 20 if I could afford them. This got me to thinking why not follow my bliss and work with dogs. I would love to start a kennel/doggie day care/grooming/pet spa business. I would be able to "play" with all kinds of dogs and mine could come to work with me. There are a great many folks on the forum with varying degrees of experience with this type of business. I would greatly appreciate your feedback, advice, information, and suggestions. My sister is all for it, now I am consulting my "extended family" Thanks!!!!!! |
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| same age, same issues. One thing that keeps me going to work is retirement benefits. my guess is with a degree in hospital admin you would have better retirement benefits. |
| Hi,
I'm a HUGE believer in following your dreams, bliss or pathway ..whatever one wants to call it. With passion, one can achieve so many things. At times, once I've achieved that dream , I've found another, and follow that path. It may have been a branch of the original dream but once involved it's become easier to see which branch I wanted to follow. The key, I believe, is to feel true passion towards the intended goal and then it doesn't feel like work. However, saying that, I also do a bit of research or involve myself in the goal first before taking the necessary steps. My advice for what it's worth would be to try to ask someone if you could "volunteer" or spend a few days with them who are involved in your chosen field to see if that's what you really want based on actual experience. There may be pitfalls or things that are only seen by those actually involved in that business that may not be obvious to a lay person. Several years ago, our Federal Government offered fully funded programs to those that wanted to start their own business. They would pay all startup cost, give the recipiant money to live on for a year and send them to business school. It was free! The intended goal was to help first time buisiness owners to start up, as the ratio is quite high for failure the first year. All the monies recieved in the business would go directly back into it as the government gave a small stipend to live on during that time. Hundreds applied and only 25 were chosen to pursue it. I was one of those lucky ones that wanted to follow my dream of owning a childrens entertainment company. It included writing a 35 page buisness plan which a bank would look at as part of the course. Targetting my market audience and who would use my buisness. While the original program was very generous they have now since cut back on the money allocated to half but after 9 years it's still going strong. I realize you live in the US but I would do a bit of research and see if there is a possibility one exist in your area. Their expertise is a goldmine! Many banks offer programs similar to this and have advisors who are experts in assisting those who want to "follow their dreams". Me- I'm a risk taker and although many people said - I don't think you'll get in the program as who would want a kids entertainer over ........(another field) didn't deter me. It was my passion and I did prove them wrong. After the year was over, I was one of the three nominated for entrepeneur of the year by the business community. I didn't win but the nomination proved I worked harder at something I felt passionate about than any other job I had held previously. Originally, I had wanted to operate a childrens entertainer agency but after immersing myself in the buisiness, I realized with insurance cost and the responsibilities involved in hiring other entertainers , it lost some of it's appeal. Realizing I was happier just owning my own company with me as the only employee and I would hire others on contractual basis. Performing for me always brought the greatest joy. Having the opportunity to pursue my dream was amazing and I did it up until last year. Thankfully I didn't need to be a great speller...  just creative.
It's the same with you - I have no doubt you could achieve this goal ...and of course we all know - a doggy salon, grooming, ect would be a spectacular dream to follow. With some exposure you may realize that while all the endevors you wrote about , the one that brings you the greatest joy may be only one of them and concentrate on that. However, you never know until you try and I always say go for it! I'm sending you good karma and positive vibes. Best wishes! Marianne |
| How about putting your hospital/business admin talents and your love of furkids together, and search out some promising veterinarians and work to open a veterinary clinic or hospital???
Maybe your tenth degree will be in veterinary medicine! |
| Actually I have a friend who is a vet. I was going to talk to her about doing some work at the kennel too. I would love to be able to have as part of my mission, working with rescues, have part of the business designated for rescue and non-profit assistance. My friend could do vaccines, spays and neutering. The clinic would absorb the cost of grooming and feeding until a furever home was found. |
...and I thought I had come up with a new idea... 
But seriously, wouldn't opening and/or running a veterinary hospital have some similarities to hospital administration? Get together your friend and a few other vets and put together a hospital. Preferably one open on nights and weekends! 
There is such a need for that, even around where I live there's only 2; one 30 miles/ 45 minutes away and another one 30 miles/55 minutes away in the opposite direction. It is always bad if your pet is hurt, but if it is hurt off hours... |
I too was a nurse for 30 years when chronic lyme disease side lined me  I have a managable retirement (now days with gas prices etc everyone has to be careful) I want to start a rescue Black Dog, Old Dog, Big Dog ,Any dog Rescue. Have the room and lots of contacts but need to work on vol. Fosters and getting a 501c3 completed. I just pulled a lab from certain gassing in Cowetta GA .This is an expensive endevor.  I say if you can manage financially follow your dreams. Education of any kind always helps. God Luck and Best wishes |
| I'm a dream follower. I say take the plunge!
I've made alot of mistakes; most involved NOT following my instincts, and NOT doing what made me happy. I'm not wealthy; in fact if you looked at my bank accounts most would be horrified. But I'm really pretty happy. At 30 years old, I left my "career" in retail to go to school full time for art. I then left my brand new degree in graphic design behind to pursue illustration. I don't make much money, but I have more in savings now than I ever did as a retail manager. I laugh more, smile all the time, and have found seeing the "bright side of things": is now second nature, where before I could only anticipate the worst. And dreams I thought would never ever come true are now odd, every day occurrences. I have an abundance of emotional wealth. I have an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction I never did before. I expect financial wealth will show up any day now! |
| I balance my "real job" nursing with doing all the animal related activities that make me happy.
I teach training classes, and have for over 20 years. I made a reasonable price a priority, so all people could enroll, not just those who could afford it. Because I relied on my nursing paycheck, not the money from class tuitions to live on, I could offer prices lower than anyone else in town. I also volunteer and serve on the board of directors for a regional basset rescue. www.bbrescue.org My horses and pony are from a hooved animal rescue and I support them with time and money whenever I can. www.mnhoovedanimalrescue.org There is a danger in turning all your hobbies into careers. They can become work, not just a fun activity anymore. In the same breath, I can imagine nothing worse than going to work in a job that you dread everyday. |
got sheep wrote: There is a danger in turning all your hobbies into careers. They can become work, not just a fun activity anymore. In the same breath, I can imagine nothing worse than going to work in a job that you dread everyday.
A VERY good point! My boyfriend had always wanted to "grow up" to be an artist, and entered the professional field as one at 19 years old. 20 years later and he has no love of doing it anymore. But I think for those of us that spent out lives doing something other than what we dreamed, when we finally do get to pursue those dreams, it can be such an enormous relief. |
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