At Red Sunflower Farm, Barry and I are committed to eliminating waste and reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible. Some of the steps we’ve taken, like installing solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system, were grandiose. But most are small, simple shifts that require little effort.

On a recent trip to Hocking Hills with my husband, Barry, we stumbled upon a “hearts bursting with love” plant. An appropriate name, my heart overflowed as memories of my late Aunt Hickie flooded back to me.

Niching is a risky business. We’ve heard the arguments against niching time and time again:But if I narrow my focus, won’t I miss out on potential customers? I don’t want to limit my opportunities by focusing on such a specific segment of the market. What if I get bored?What if my niche dries up? MACKEY’s very own Sarah Grace is ready to bust some myths about niching and get real: nowadays, niching is necessary. It’s also a tried-and-true strategy to boost your profitability.

Dennis Devlin’s committed his entire career to understanding why people buy.As a self-proclaimed “non-shopper,” he’s never related to the people who enjoy spending time at length perusing the shelves. “I’d rather be in and out in 15 minutes,” he says. “These days, I don’t even need to go into a store. I can just go to a website, pull up my shopping history, and click ‘buy again.’”Dennis has a personal passion for improv, which isn’t surprising when you learn his story.With saying, “yes, and” at the core of an improviser’s philosophy, Dennis knows there’s an element of fear in moving forward, but with that fear, he’s also found prosperity.

Winston Faircloth’s on a mission of redemption.  “For Love of Team came out of my own painful experience as a founder of a technology organization,” he explains. “I really prioritized my clients and my products. I was always taking the side of my clients, which meant I had a pretty horrible culture inside.” 

Bestselling author, Sue Monk Kidd said in a recent interview with Brene Brown on her podcast, Unlocking Us, “Every person has their own particular genius, that is their largeness, that is unique to them. Bringing it forth is a life’s work… It’s frightening to think of having this part of ourselves, this magnitude, this passion in ourselves... Bringing forth your largeness is a gift to the world.”

I became the team’s CARES Act expert and began work with small businesses (whether they were clients or not) to help navigate the PPP and EIDL loan landscapes.   In the days, weeks and months that followed I began to encounter over and over again the true spirit of the Nation’s entrepreneurial community. 

As the business grows, experiences ups and downs, and presents what seem like a never-ending series of demands, the owner may feel like their business owns them, not the other way around.    Below is the story of my journey from busy entrepreneur to retired and how I was able to plan and accomplish the transition.