Read & write

When I was younger, I told myself that I wanted to be a teacher. School was so thrilling to me and I wanted to give that same excitement to others. By the time I finished school, I was on a different path. I started working in medical administration and I really liked it. Working in an office all day seems boring to most people, but I liked the idea of eight hour shifts and simple to follow instructions.

In 2005 I made a huge mistake that would affect my career tremendously. I went out on New Year's Day and ended up having too much to drink. I got into a bar fight and I hurt someone pretty badly. I regretted my mistake immediately, but that wasn't enough to stop me from getting a criminal record. I lost my job once they found out about this and I had a very hard time looking for something else.

I started working for temporary agencies, but it was a pain to be fired every time my past transgressions came to light. I decided then that it was up to me to start my own business. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I was capable of creating my own opportunities. I have always been a pretty decent cook, so I decided to try my hand at catering.

I went online and checked out all of the zoning laws in my area. I wanted to find out if I was required to have any special licenses to run a food service business from my own. Luckily for me, my state is pretty lax about things like this. I went out and purchased one of those stoves that have six burners. It was pretty expensive, but I knew if I became a success it would more than pay for itself.

The next thing I did was run a few surveys online for people in my area. I tried to get a good idea of what types of dishes I should offer. I wasn't sure if I should go the traditional route and make canapes and finger sandwiches, or if i should go out of the box and make some foods that are not readily available where I live. I decided on the latter since there are so many caterers around here that offer a lot of the same thing.

I went online and created a great website, well I thought it was good until my friends told me it wasn't. This prompted me to hire a web design firm to build my site. After they were done, I realized that my business picked up right away. I am swamped every weekend with orders from people all over the area. I never thought I would be this popular, and I am thankful for this opportunity to show everyone that I can do for myself. My story is proof that a bad situation doesn't have to be the end of your life.