Your Name:
Sue Painter
Name of Business: In
Sight
Type of business: Mentoring and guidance
What does your business do? In Sight fosters and enhances health and
spirit, supports your business and the work you do, reminds you of the
importance of play, encourages you to be mindful about life and its choices, and
strengthens the sense of intuition, connection, and love in your life.
Why did you start the biz and when did your business open? I started In
Sight because people began calling and asking to meet with me to work out
solutions to business and personal problems. My business developed out of my
passion to help others take that leap of faith into entrepreneurship and
conscious living. I “officially” opened my business in November of 1998.
How many people in your company? Me plus two part-time staff.
What's your office location like? Truth is, I work just about anywhere! I do have an office space tucked away on the second floor of a small office building on Knoxville’s main drag. But just as often I work via phone from my deck, my home office, my car. And I frequently meet people in restaurants where we can feed both the body and the soul at the same time.
What's the toughest part of running your biz? Handling all the ideas I have for new ways to work, things I want to write, requests from clients and wannabe clients. Secondly, keeping up with the technology (blogs, e-commerce, ezines, etc.)
What's the most fun part? There is absolutely nothing I love more than seeing someone who was frightened but courageous get their business launched to the point we both know they’re going to make it. It thrills me, I swear, as much as it does them. I will move heaven and earth to come up with the right combination of marketing savvy, confidence-building, and chutzpah needed to help that kind of person succeed.
Anything you would have done differently? Probably not. My business has grown organically, and sometimes I think I should have had a grand plan all mapped out. But serendipity and taking advantage of opportunity seems to have worked for me.
Explain what's next on the horizon for you and your business? I
want to move into e-products that I can sell and gain income while I am not
awake, so to speak. I would like to publish more of my writing and increase my
phone clients by just a bit.
What advice do you have for others? First and foremost, take the
leap. It is such a waste of a good life to stay somewhere you are miserable just
because you don’t have the guts to leave and go out on your own. I see people in
my massage practice (another business) every single day who literally hate going
to work and cry all the way to their office. I know you think there is no way
you can leave that job and survive. My point is, if you DON’T leave that job you
won’t survive. Gather up your guts and go. Fake it till you make it. For the
most part, we learn early in life to play it too safe. Shake things up – you’ll
be amazed how your life can change for the better!
How do you use OnlineBizU.com to help with your biz or sanity? Well,
actually, I AM too new to answer, ha ha.. BUT I do see this as an easy and
friendly way to go to school on using the Internet to the highest and best
degree in support of building and keeping my business. I like that the forum
allows space for specific questions. There is a wealth of information in the
many articles, too. I really like getting the once-a-week e-zine, from there I
can browse as needed.
Personal Info:
School
I earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s from Auburn University (War Eagle!), worked toward a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado (didn’t finish that, we moved away before I got my dissertation completed). I also attended the Tennessee Institute of Healing Arts for my massage and neuromuscular therapy training. Besides formal education I have literally thousands of hours in advanced training, seminars, and workshops that form the base of what I do.
Prior jobs or business?
I have worked as a counselor for people recuperating from traumatic injury (car and industrial accidents), served as the Executive Director of an international organization that developed and shared industrial training across the U.S. and Europe, and owned a private clinic for therapeutic massage.
Favorite food? Bruster’s Ice Cream, preferably Coffee Toffee.
What are your pets' names?
Phoebe the Mighty Huntress and Jake the Tough Boy
Do any of these pets help with your biz? Absolutely! They remind
me every day about consistency and loyalty and the importance of love in our
work and toward each other.
What person or event in your life led you to go into business for yourself?
I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was about 10, starting with lemonade
stands. I worked for others for many years and realized that the inflexibility
was killing my creativity and my soul. Sometimes I saw that it literally made
others around me sick. I really had a burning desire to be “outside” the box and
I finally took the leap about 11 years ago now.
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