If you are thinking about growing or starting a totally fulfilling, meaningful and FUN textile recycling business, I am here to tell you that you can absolutely do it – and build the life of your dreams in the process.

I have been building and developing my Textile Alchemy business (and life) for over 30 years (how the hell did that happen?) and it has been a pretty fun, and successful adventure so far.

While my work has morphed and changed since starting in 1987, one of the things I love best is sharing my experience. Teaching up-and-coming as well as established textile recycling entrepreneurs how to do, what I have done, really rocks my world. No matter where you are, along your path, a super helpful next-step is to dream-up exactly what you would like your business to be, and how you would like your business to serve you.

What I mean is, describe your ideal Textile Alchemy business. Be sure to include answers to these questions:

• Are you a ‘solopreneur’ or do you have a team?
• What is your super-power? Your favorite thing to do in your business? How do you want to spend your days?
• What is your desired income level?
• What will you do to attain that level of income? What is your product or offer? Detail a few streams of income that will support your dream-come-true business
• Describe your ideal workspace in detail. Within your living space? Separate? Size? Location? Color, floor type, windows, lighting, equipment, amenities…
• How will you serve? Start to imagine how your product or offer serves your customers. What problem does your product or offer solve?

Get your action slacks on cause this work is deep and will set you on a path to exactly where you want to be.

My biggest mistake when starting out and then growing my biz was not setting the time aside along the way to clarify where I wanted to wind up. There were no clear milestones nor chosen path, just nose-to-the-grindstone hard work and rapid growth with sales doubling each year for the first 5 years. Hindsight has taught me, that no matter how busy the daily-grind keeps you, no matter how urgent your task feels in this moment, that it is hard to arrive when you are not sure where you are going. Taking time out to chart your travels is imperative, rewarding, and super fun.

Call it my business (or life actually) GPS, this is simple, clarifying navigation process sets my path for the coming weeks, months and year.

You wanna try it?

Hop on your calendar and make three 30 minute dates with yourself over the next week.

On your first date free-write – stream of consciousness – get all ideas about your future business on paper. Brain-dump in as much detail as you can about all aspects of your dream-come-true business.

Be sure to include responses to these 7 bullets:

• Are you a ‘solopreneur’ or do you have a team?
• What is your super-power? Your favorite thing to do in your business? How do you want to spend your days?
• What is your desired income level?
• What will you do to attain that level of income? What is your product or offer? Detail a few streams of income that will support your dream-come-true business
• Describe your ideal workspace in detail. Within your living space? Separate? Size? Location? Color, floor type, windows, lighting, equipment, amenities…
• How will you serve? Start to imagine how your product or offer serves your customers. What problem does your product or offer solve?

A couple of days later, on your second date, reread, edit, condense, clarify, refine and rewrite a detailed description of the business you are building.

A week after your first date revisit the writing from your second date – refine, tweak and finalize your detailed description of your dream-come-true Textile Alchemy business.

Phew! Can you believe it?

With this level of clarity, you are primed to achieve success. Use your momentum to calendar a few milestones over the next few weeks, months and year. What a great way to kick off 2022!

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