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Creative And Stuck Behind A Desk? Time To Break Free!

Are you a creative type looking for more than the corporate grind? You know you have the ideas, but
do you have what it takes to break free? Lisa Gutierrez Martinez often asked herself those questions, and she even asked her friends, some of whom basically told her that her business idea was crazy. Luckily for her and many people who have benefitted from her culturally impactful, creative and stylish dinner parties, she didn't listen.

Lisa has worked successfully in various corporate positions, liking some, not loving some, and throughout them all envisioning other ways she could be professionally challenged and fulfilled as an entrepreneur. Having her own business was even more of a calling for her when her son was born. Until he was around one, she stayed with her job and had limited flexibility, but she still had to be away from him for 8 to 9 hours a day and knew it was time for a change so started her "side hustle."

Like many entrepreneurial-minded people, Lisa had lots of ideas swimming around in her head and landed on the one that has stuck - "communal dinner parties in Southern California for curious people who love food, wine and design" per her company's website. Her business is so out-of-the-box that many didn't and still don't understand it. Some have even gone so far as to call it "cute," which many mompreneurs experience. That little pat on the back, the demeaning descriptions of what we are doing on the side while we raise our children, as if to say that it will never be more, it will never be enough.

Even so, Lisa forged forward and her love for entrepreneurship is what most of us love - the time
flexibility, which is unparalleled. The joy of not reporting to a boss, not needing to ask off time to be with her son or go on vacation, going to lunch with friends whenever she wants, cannot be beat. Furthermore, for Lisa, her ability to design different gatherings for each dinner party fulfills her creative side in a way that she was not finding in corporate America.

The downsides, like any good entrepreneur will tell you, are that in the beginning most people keep their day jobs so finding the time can be challenging. Lisa recommends fitting in whatever you can whenever you can because a little bit here and there adds up. Overcome your fear of what could go wrong, jump in and start because life and time will pass by whether or not you do it.

To see the whole interview with Lisa and hear other incredible words of wisdom she has to share, click here.


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