We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacy Read a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stacy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Being a business owner can be cyclical in terms of amount of work any given week, unexpected stressors that only you can handle, and just not getting a break sometimes. In these moments, I have learned to do what helps me the best to adapt and function without too much personal turmoil. My family is priority #1, and always will be. This is a large part of the reason that being my own boss was so important to me. When my son has a presentation on a weekday at 10am, I can attend. I can take off on any given day without having to answer to anyone. This also means I put in the hours on weeknights and weekends sometimes. But my focus has always been to do this in a way that allows me optimal freedom with my family.
I have never wanted to have a “regular” job. I love the ability to move (not be stuck at a desk), make my own schedule, and make my own decisions. There are definitely risks, and moments of stress – but we learn from them and try to best isolate ourselves from them happening again. Practice makes almost perfect :)

Stacy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

IMAGE Studios is a great opportunity for other small business owners to come in and lease a space for their work. We have three locations (soon to be five) in Colorado – our spaces have hair stylists, estheticians, med spa practitioners, tattoo artists, lash artists, photographers, make up artists, etc. While these individuals have their own business, we support them with added training, provide a positive community environment, and give them access 24/7 to their own space and create the business that they love. We believe our Pros are diverse and come from a wide range of business skillsets. This is exciting to watch – as someone brand new to a business gets started and sees their own success. And as a veteran thrives in their own environment. We love to see this gamut of individuality in our space – and this is what IMAGE Studios stands for.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Learning about other small business owners throughout my life, I find that the most that I have spoken to have a story that was not “easy”. While I believe the same of my own story, I would not change this about my journey. Adversity or the need to push/work/do/fight/find harder creates resilient people. Starting a business can be this way. Maintaining a business can feel this way. Funding a business can work that way.

I faced adversity at a very young age. I was never given anything. I worked 3 jobs to put myself through college (6 years), plus multiple disciplines, such a Project Management certifications, Vet Tech school, and advanced IT certificates. I lived in subsidized housing in very poor neighborhoods, had no money for food, and faced health issues. I say all of this to say – it needed to be my path. I never gave up, and I never was going to settle as that being my “story”. I work hard and I play hard now – but I will never forget how I got here. It is with this resilience still in me that I continue to fight for my businesses and businesses of others around me.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I would consider this unlearning to be a maturing and more selective part of my growth as a business owner. Trusting that everyone has the same morals, and functions the same as a business leader as you/I do – I had to unlearn this quickly. Bad business partners, people that try and take advantage of your success, and professionals who may care more about the dollar than have the same beliefs as you do in small business support – these are all real, and parts of being a business owner that can feel pretty bad. But they are all learning opportunities. Find your support system and work hard – but know when and who to trust with what you have worked so hard for – protect your peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.imagestudiosdenver.com
• Instagram: imagestudiosdenver
• Facebook: facebook.com/imagestudiosdenver

Image Credits
Laura Orozco Photography

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