Move to NYC, start your dream company, work your butt off, have lots of fun, do what you love.
Chris Bick, 1/2 of the design duo behind the super fun empire known as fred flare (Keith Carollo makes up the other half), gives us the inside scoop of how the pair created their dream company. Like all great American entrepreneurial stories, Chris and Keith’s plan started out small (they sold their first design, disposable coasters, off the back of a bicycle in SoHo) and hit a lot of bumps along the way (the coasters didn’t sell well, people thought they were bathroom tiles).
fred flare has since evolved into a collage of all things cute and cool–toys and stationary, interviews with up and coming designers and musicians, travel guides to iconic and kitschy locales–glued together by the founders’ enthusiasm, hard work and and eye for fun. Ready to get inspired? Read on to find out how Chris Bick and Keith Carollo created their dream company, and how you can, too!
1) How did you come up with the idea to start your own home decor and accessories line?
When Keith and I moved to NYC from Chi-town we were blown away by all the shopping here. We wanted a piece of the action so we started with a line of stationery that we sold off the back of our Pee-Wee Herman bike in SoHo.
2) Why did you want to start your own home decor and accessories line?
I think because both Keith and I had an entrepreneurial background. Both of our parents owned their own businesses so it was in our blood. Keith’s parents were clowns and mine owned a carnival… The apples didn’t fall too far from the trees.
3) What worried you about starting your own home decor and accessories line?
We were always worried about paying our bills, about how many items to make, how much to charge for them, how to ship them, how to approach stores to buy them… Yup, we pretty much didn’t know what we were doing back then and I kinda worried about it all. But I think Keith worried most about the money. One time he had to go into our piggy bank to pay the bills. Thank god those days are over.
4) What excited you about starting your own home decor and accessories line?
The most exciting thing was when we first saw our products in stores that we loved. OMG, and when we got our first magazine mention… It was in Harper’s Bazaar and Madonna was on the cover. I literally ran down the street screaming. Good times.
5) Were there people who thought your idea was crazy?
Mostly people didn’t understand what the hull we were doing. Our first product was a pad of disposable drink coasters and people thought they were bathroom tiles. It really was the first time anyone thought of stationery as a designed item… So, not too many people knew what to do with us. I don’t think that collection sold very well, but you gotta give us an “A” for enthusiasm.
6) Were there people who thought your idea was brilliant?
By the time the company was about 2 years old there were suddenly these copy cat companies emerging that had big budgets behind them. It was like instant competition… So yeah, I think the big companies were looking at us as trend setting and wanted a piece of that.
7) Was there a specific moment when you thought “Yes, we are going to do this!”?
I would say it was in year 2000 when French megastore colette placed an order with us. It was the coolest store on the planet back then, a moment of validation for us. We still had to work our azzes off though.
1) Was it hard or easy to start your own home decor and accessories line?
OMG, it was hard, super hard and still is. But ever since we stared fred flare, both Keith and I agree, we never again experienced that Sunday dread that you have knowing you have to go to your 9-5 on Monday. We love it!
2) How long did it take from conception of this idea to actually selling your first product?
Well, the name fred flare was kinda buzzing around our brains back in Chicago in 1996. Keith came up with the idea of our first product probably in the winter of 1997 and was selling it by the summer of 1998. So, it took about 2 years in the primordial ooze before we crawled ashore!
3) Has fred flare changed a lot from your initial concept?
Seriously, fred changes more that a woman changes her mind. It is retail after all. We started by selling subtle “Martha” style, high concept stationery to other stores. Then we morphed into kawaii, Japan superpop. Then we went online and started retailing direct to customers. Then we had to hire employees, then they started quitting, so we had to learn how to manage, inspire and develop people. Then we dropped wholesale. Then the website exploded, then we stared a podcast and a blog and now we’re gonna open our first door store. I think it’s all the changes that keep us (and the customer) interested! Ch-ch-changes…
4) What is your funniest memory of starting fred flare?
The funniest memory, which wasn’t fun in the moment, was when we used to have all our boxes delivered to this local mailboxes place. We’d load up our collapsible dolly (her name was Carrie-Anne) and cart these giant boxes down Bleeker Street in NYC’s West Village. Then up our 4 flights of stairs and into our 20 foot long hallway. Then back for more. The boxes were piled so high that you had to walk sideways to get out of our apartment. It was HI-larious. Our cat Lucy loved it. It was like her Kitty Castle.
5) What is your favorite memory of starting fred flare?
My fave memory was how supportive our friends and family were (are). Our very first Holiday in 1998, a bunch of our friends came over to help us package all the products in our tiny kitchen. It was a packaging party. Keith’s mom and her boyfriend Earl even helped us out. They’re really good at the little details. It really was such Ma & Pa operation back then.
1) What is the most fun thing about running fred flare?
The most fun really is just being able to do what we love. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s totes my dream job. Whatever we want it to be, it totally can be that. If we wanna sell ice cream, we’ll sell ice cream. If we want to turn it into a carnival… Ferris Wheels it is. No matter what’s happening, it always has this blank canvas quality.
2) Would you do it again?
Yes, one million times over again! But only if Keith would do it with me too. I’d never do it alone.
3) What is the biggest lesson starting fred flare has taught you about life?
Running your own business has this way of showing you the areas in your life that you struggle with and if you don’t deal with them, they’re gonna keep coming up again and again until you work that shizz out! Fred’s like the toughest most determined shrink you could ever imagine.
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of starting their own home decor and accessories line?
Do you what you love and expect to work non-stop for years with no one even noticing. Don’t forget, No Doubt was a 10 year overnight success. Also, if there’s anyway you can work with someone who loves and believes in the same things you do… Then partner up!
“You’re traveling alone?” the old woman in Hanoi, Vietnam asked Allie Almario, one eyebrow raised in concern. She was carefully making incense sticks by hand, one at a time.
“Yes, I am.” Allie replied, a little startled by the question.
“Hmmmm, most unusual,” she murmured.
Perhaps. Often as a single Filipino-American woman trotting around the world, Allie finds herself in situations that defy description. She’s just returned from Chile where she spent two weeks hiking through the desert canyonlands of the Atacama Desert, indulging in an afternoon of relaxation in a remote hot springs, and horsebacking her way above La Ultima Esperanza (The Last Hope) in Patagonia after photographing the cobalt blue glaciers of the fjords around Torres del Paine National Park. Did she mention she was staying in four-star all-inclusive resorts? It’s all part of her job as vice president of an award-winning adventure travel company based in Lake Tahoe, NV called Myths and Mountains.
It all started with a college semester living in the International House. American students were paired with incoming foreign exchange students from several different countries. It sparked an interest in travel, and the following semester Allie signed up for six months of studying abroad in London. She was hooked. After college, she spent another year working in London, then came back to the USA and stumbled upon an interesting job at the Philadelphia Zoo. “I’m only going to do this for a year,” she grumbled, a slight pretentious tinge of a British accent obscuring her New Jersey twang, still dreamy-eyed from her London life. Eleven years later, Allie had lived the life most can only dream of. A job scouting out exotic locations for the Zoo’s successful travel program (Zoofaris), being a tour leader on African safaris, and just to make her parents happy, using her English degree as the managing editor for the zoo’s publications.
Since then, she has become a specialist in adventure travel, specializing in eco-tourism in the Galapagos, and has checked off all 7 continents and almost 70 countries. Really, she gets paid to do this.
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to travel for a living?
I’ve been really lucky in my professional life. The Zoo job was the second job I ever interviewed for. My other two jobs in the adventure travel industry sort of fell into my lap. And realistically, you spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone and writing emails to people halfway around the world on a daily basis. But a few times a year we get a chance to escape, get our passport stamped, and to check out new destinations and try out new things. It’s worth every minute of sitting in that office 10 hours a day.
2) Why did you want to work in the adventure travel field?
I’ve always loved to travel, to “get away from it all.” Then it became a challenge – could I somehow make it to all 7 continents before I hit the age of 40? And I still get a huge kick out of arriving at an airport, listening to the thrum of a language I don’t understand, seeing signs that mean nothing to me, walking out into a sea of humanity who know nothing about me. And I love the idea that 50% of my life is hum drum every day living, doing the laundry, paying the bills, walking the dog, etc. And the other half of my life is getting to do things in places most people only dream of. I’ve spent three days traveling through India’s harsh Thar Desert by camel, was jokingly voted World’s Most Seasick passenger on an expedition to Antarctica, swam with playful sea lions and curious penguins in the Galapagos Islands, got drunk on awful-tasting rice wine with headhunters in Borneo, and cried while wandering through the Killing Fields of Cambodia. I’ve slept under the African stars with the haunting cries of hyenas as my alarm clock, climbed the world’s most photogenic Andean peaks at Machu Picchu in Peru, and have eaten fried grasshoppers, ostrich, guinea pig, piranha and ants, just to name a few tasty snacks.
3) What worried you about setting out to excel in this field?
Actually, I’m naturally a very shy person – it’s strange that I spend so much of my time talking to so people in so many different places around the world because in real life, I’m the person at a party who sits in the corner, sucks on a Diet Coke, and people-watches. So in some ways, I’m the world’s worst sales person for travel, but if you get to talk about something you’re passionate about, then it’s different.
4) What excites you about setting out to travel around world?
Everything. Every little thing. I still stare gleefully at every new stamp in my passport. I wish countries still stamped cool images or affixed actual visas as stamps, but now so many just do a boring electronic data entry. I love tasting new spices in foods I’ve never tried before. I always try to learn a few words in the local language. I love that kids giggle the same way whether they’re in Africa, South America or Southeast Asia. There’s something that always challenges you when you’re on the road in a country you’ve never been to, and that makes every day a good reason to wake up.
5) Were there people who thought your idea of making it to all 7 continents was crazy?
Yes. I still remember my parents not quite understanding my need to constantly GO SOMEWHERE. They emigrated here from the Philippines in search of a better life for their children and still scratch their heads wondering why I haven’t found that better life here in America. The truth is I HAVE found it, and it’s allowed me to indulge in my wander lust. Actually, they’re very supportive of me now and are very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. I’m very grateful to them for allowing me to grow up that way.
6) Are there people who think your job is brilliant? Yes, if I hear “Can you sneak me into your suitcase?” one more time…<laughs>
7) Was there a specific moment when you thought “Yes, I’m going to do this! I’m actually going to make it to all 7 continents!”?
Well, getting to Antarctica is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but I wanted to do it because it was the last continent on my list. When you cross the legendary Drake Passage by ship, you either get the Drake “Lake” – calm water, easy sailing. Or you get the Drake “Shake” – winds that create hurricane-force winds and rock the boat like crazy. Ironically, I’m really prone to seasickness and it takes two days to sail across the Drake Passage from the southernmost point of South America – Ushuaia, Argentina. I was really dreading the whole experience. Unfortunately, we had the Drake “Shake.” I honestly thought I was going to die. In fact, if I did, it would’ve been a relief. I was so terribly seasick. Believe me, I was on that very first zodiac boat (small rubber boats) that ferries people to the shore and I literally kissed the ground when we arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula. Never mind the penguin poop. And there’s a lot of penguins and penguin poop. But despite the seasickness, I loved the rest of the trip, every minute of it. My favorite memory from that trip was stripping down to my bathing suit and diving into the water with a bunch of other crazy people. It was probably 20 degrees that day, really, really cold, but in the bay were some volcanic hot springs, so we could actually sit on the beach and relax in the warm(ish) waters. On the ride back to the ship, my hair froze sideways and I had icicles in my eyelashes. I don’t think I’ve ever been that cold in my life. But it was GREAT!
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to travel to so many unusual destinations?
A little bit of both. I’ve mastered the act of packing lightly, but often I have to travel with added weight like a bunch of company t-shirts to give as gifts to our local guides and drivers, or our travel catalogs. They take up a lot of space. I always try to travel with a sense of humor, because true adventure travel means something is going to go wrong. That’s the nature of adventure. At some point, you WILL miss a flight, or a hotel WON’T have your reservation, or your jeep WILL break down in the middle of the desert. Stuff happens. You just have to roll with it and laugh at yourself if you make mistakes.
2) How long did it take from conception of this idea to actually making it to all 7 continents?
A long time. I really started traveling in my early 20s and I made it to Antarctica by the time I hit 40.
3) What is your funniest memory of traveling?
Too many to count! I should write a book.
Reflection
1) What is the most fun thing about travel?
There’s so many things. I think that I often find myself doing things I would never do at home. For instance, I’m definitely a more outgoing, social person when I’m on the road. I leave my shy persona at home more often these days. This has allowed me to make friends all over the world that otherwise I would have never met. I hate to exercise at home, but I love to hike and challenge myself physically whenever I can on our trips. Who would turn down a chance for a great hike in the gorgeous mountains of Patagonia, for instance? Or chasing butterflies in the cloud forests of Ecuador? Or floating on an inner tube into a river that drops into a maze of ancient caves in Belize? I tried sea kayaking for the first time off the coast of Thailand. We camped on extremely remote beaches and kayaked from island to island and ate freshly caught seafood for every meal. I loved kayaking so much that I eventually bought my own kayak later for Lake Tahoe, where I live. Another thing I’ve picked up on my travels is a love of photography. It’s something I’ve really taken an interest in.
2) Would you do it again?
I can’t think of a single thing I wouldn’t do again or a place I wouldn’t travel to one more time. You’d think that for someone who’s been to the Galapagos at least a dozen times that blue-footed boobies wouldn’t be that fascinating, but hey, I get to say “Blue-Footed Booby” every day at work. And it still makes me giggle.
3) What is the biggest lesson travel has taught you about life?
You can’t control everything. And that’s actually okay. People are the same all over the world. And that’s good. Smiling is the best international currency. And that’s great. Because it’s free.
4) What is your favorite memory of traveling?
Hard to pick one, there’s so so many. I’ve been very lucky.
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of working for an adventure travel company?
Pick a place. Go. Stay. Explore. Learn the language. Come back and be prepared to share your passion. That’s what gets you hired at an adventure travel company.
2) What book would you recommend to someone inspired by your story? Alfred Lansing’s book – Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. If you think roughing it camping without running water and a toilet is hard, you have to read this book. And I just read another fabulous book called Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts. Talk about an adventurous life! I was a little in awe of its 900 or so pages, but once I read the first chapter, I was hooked.
Interested in a cool and creative job? Amanda C. Peterson is a professional namer for Landor, a branding consultancy, coming up with monikers for snack food flavors, technology spin-offs and everything in between. After years of working in advertising planning and copywriting, she made the leap to worrying about Latin root words and trademark attorneys. For the names of hers you’ve heard of (Freescale, Photoshop Lightroom) there are hundreds of products and companies that get great names that never make it. Read on to learn about how Amanda became a professional namer and how you can, too.
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to become a professional namer?
As a copywriter, I’d help name quite a few things before - but in a random, ad hoc way. When a friend mentioned Landor was looking for a namer, my first reaction was, “People get paid to do that?”
2) Why did you want to be a namer?
As a writer, the challenge is to get your idea across using only words. In marketing, it’s use as few words as possible. As a namer, you get just one. It’s like the crossword puzzle version of marketing strategy. Fun and challenging.
3) What worried you about setting out to become a namer?
My background is in advertising and marketing. I never took linguistics or a variety of foreign languages. How would I be able to keep up with all the people far more word proficient than I am?
4) What excited you about setting out to become a namer?
After years of working in advertising where I had to try to work within long standing constraints, it was exciting to be there at the inception of a new brand, help lay the groundwork for the story they could tell over the years.
5) Were there people who thought being a namer was crazy?
There are people who still don’t believe it’s what I do, or that it takes any specific skills. I have to be very educated about the industry and research around naming so I can be a counterexample to the kind of bias people may have against naming as a profession.
6) Were there people who thought being a namer was brilliant?
I’d like to think my clients do – or at least see the value my team and I bring. I do think it’s a profession that no one sees the true value of until they try to do it themselves first.
7) Was there a specific moment when you though, “Yes, I’m going to do this!”?
Honestly, about two months after I started. It was a gamble and I felt out of my element for quite a bit at first. I began as a more junior namer, contributing ideas to other people’s projects. The first time I was brought in on a nomenclature project (figuring out a company’s entire naming system for all their products), it was like doing a Rubic’s cube. When I was able to find a few solutions and run through all the implications, I had this thrill as if, “Yes, there is a right and wrong answer for something like this and I’ve found it.” It’s the geekiest adrenaline high ever.
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to become a namer?
I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I was busy doing the best work I could on all sorts of strategy and verbal projects so that I was ready when an opportunity came up.
There are very few firms that doing naming professionally – and fewer that seem to create really good names, so getting hired there is often a challenge. Other people seem to find their way into freelancing through studying linguistics. And some start out casually through writing copy, finding a few opportunities and naming something high profile enough that they can say, “Well, I named this.” and clients and companies are happy to hire them.
2) How long did it take from conception of this idea to actually becoming a namer?
I found out you could actually make a living naming things (without doing the strategy or copywriting in addition) a week before my interview at Landor. I wasn’t leading my own projects or a skilled naming professional, however, for over a year. I was given some pretty rigorous on-the-job training to take my ad hoc flipping-through-reference-books method into a more thoughtful, process-oriented approach. Almost five years into it, I’m still figuring out the gray areas (like “What’s a glottal?”).
3) What’s your funniest memory of being a namer?
I was working with a client to rename something, and they were based in France. I had run names through preliminary legal screening, but hadn’t yet gotten results from the “native speaker check” to make sure they worked in all languages. I presented a name which included the word “Verge” and the woman from the Paris office cracked up. “You know that means ‘penis’, right?” I turned beet red. Luckily that client had a great sense of humor. We’ve had some amazing results from people in our other offices, so now I know how to say a variety of offensive things in languages from around the world.
Reflection
1) What was the most fun thing about being a namer?
The research. I’ve always had a fairly broad vocabulary, but I’m constantly learning about obscure topics, word origins, archaic terminology, imagery and metaphor in other cultures, history - you name it. When I’m mining for words or learning all about a client’s business, I get a chance to fill my brain with facts while I’m on the clock. Working with people who are scary smart and who get my obscure references is pretty amazing as well.
2) Would you do it again?
I have, in fact, done it twice. I went off to take a higher paying associate creative director/copywriter job at an advertising agency after a few years of naming. I missed the depth and the level of strategic rigor, let alone having my geekiness appreciated to the utmost. So, yes, I would certainly choose this as a career path again – even if I’m not sure what happens next. It’s like being a word rock star. Everything else pales in comparison.
3) What’s the biggest lesson being a namer has taught you about life?
How subjective words really are. We think of words as these immutable, solid things - look in the dictionary and that’s what it means and nothing else. But honestly, we can change what words mean, how they’re perceived, how they make people feel, even the imagery they conjure up, with the context and the tonality in which we use them. It’s made me much more specific about the words I choose to use, even when I’m talking to myself.
4) What’s your favorite memory of being a namer?
There are plenty of team celebrations that make me really happy, but related to the core of what I do? It’s always related to being faced with an impossible challenge and finally finding the solution. The best one is Frito-Lay’s O’Keeley’s. We needed a name that sounded like an Irish pub and I had put almost the entire Dublin phone book through legal screening. Absolutely everything - every Irish-sounding last name - was taken or too similar to something that was already registered. And then “I’ve Got You” by Louis Prima and Keely Smith came up on my random play. On a whim, I added O’Keely’s to the list (as it conformed to the structure) and submitted it. It cleared legal, became the name and they even created a Mr. O’Keeley for the front of the package and as a character to walk around the trade show. I found out later, of course, that originally her last name had been Keely - and of Irish decent.
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of becoming a namer?
Study linguistics. Get in on naming projects - even at a casual level - so you have something to show potential clients or employers. Make friends with a trademark attorney. Learn how to search uspto.gov like a pro. Learn a foreign language — or a whole bunch of them.
2) What book would you recommend to someone inspired by your story?
I actively dislike all the actual books on naming thus far. However, I would certainly read the Igor guide to naming (it’s a free pdf on their site), Hugh Macleod’s “How to Be Creative” (free on Gaping Void) and Roland Barthes’ Mythologies (to stretch your brain). There are a ton of white papers, articles, research studies and so on, but you’ll find those once you find what in naming is really interesting to you.
In 2006 James and Sarah Welle sold all of their possessions and left their comfortable jobs at Microsoft to bicycle around the world. During their year-long adventure, the pair encountered interesting people, delicious food, new found athletic prowess and the realization of how close at hand freedom and the choice to shake up your daily life truly are. Read about how they decided to bicycle around the world for a year…and how you can, too!
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to quit your jobs and travel around the world?
We both had been talking about doing a big trip together before we settled down and started acquiring responsibilities (house, kids, nice cars, etc) that prevent you from doing something like this. We were originally thinking about traveling for a year by train and bus, but then I (Sarah) read a book called Miles from Nowhere about a couple in the 70’s that sold everything and bicycled around the world for two years. It sounded like the perfect way to travel, and so I spent the next 6 months convincing James that it was a good idea.
2) Why did you want to quit your jobs and travel around the world?
We started to feel like every day was the same, we couldn’t remember what we’d done 3 days ago or 3 weeks ago, and it seemed such a depressing way to live our lives. We didn’t want to get comfortable with our Microsoft salaries and build ourselves a golden cage that we’d never want to leave. We wanted to see more of the world, have an adventure, and really enjoy & remember every single day.
3) What worried you about quiting your jobs and traveling around the world?
James was worried about money – both money spent on a one year around the world trip, and also the opportunity cost of losing out on two salaries for a year. Sarah was worried about whether or not she’d physically be able to bicycle 50 miles a day for a whole year while lugging 60 lbs of gear.
4) What excited you about quiting your jobs and traveling around the world?
Adventure! New experiences every day! Eating good food, and meeting interesting people that we’d never run across in our ordinary lives.
5) Were there people who thought your idea was crazy?
Absolutely. When my boss at Microsoft found out I was going to be literally traveling by bicycle around the world he actually said “You’re going to die.” Other people couldn’t get over the fact that we were going to sell all our possessions before embarking on the trip. Others thought we were nuts for quitting stable jobs at Microsoft.
6) Were there people who thought your idea was brilliant?
Lots of people said things to us like “I wish I could do something like that.” Sometimes this irritated us, though, because in truth almost anyone could do a trip like this if they really wanted to. It just hinges upon what you choose to prioritize in your life. James and I have always been very frugal and that lifestyle enabled us to build up a savings account that allowed us the freedom to do this trip. Many other people have told us we’re so smart for jumping in and doing this trip now while we can, and they wish they would have.
7) Was there a specific moment when you thought “Yes, I’m going to do this!”?
After I read the book [Miles from Nowhere: A Round the World Bicycle Adventure], I started talking seriously with James about the idea. We started doing a ton of research, reading other books, reading blogs of people who’d done similar trips, etc. When we sat down and forecasted what our budget would look like for the bicycle trip I knew that he was convinced and we were actually going to do it!
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to start quit your jobs and travel around the world?
Easy for me. More difficult for James. He’s the more cautious and responsible one of us, and he was even worried he’d be bored during a whole year with no job!
2) How long did it take from conception of this idea to actually leaving for your trip?
One year.
3) What is your funniest memory of starting the process of quitting your jobs and traveling around the world?
Telling people that we were going to ride our bikes around the world, and then watching people’s faces as they said “YOU?! Cycle around the world for a year? James can maybe do it, but SARAH?! Sarah you don’t even own a bike! Who’s idea was this anyway??”
Reflection
1) What was the most fun thing about quiting your jobs and traveling around the world?
Telling our bosses that we were going to quit our jobs and travel around the world…and then realizing it was actually going to happen and no one was going to stop us. There was a sort of glee about realizing we were adults with the ability to make a totally crazy decision like this!
2) Would you do it again?
Yes!
3) What is the biggest lesson quiting your jobs and traveling around the world has taught you about life?
How much opportunity we have as Americans. We didn’t really appreciate this before.
4) What is your favorite memory from your adventure?
Too many to recount. Maybe just the general daily freedom – every day we’d wake up and the realization that we could literally do ANYTHING was astounding. We kept a journal and are glad we did – it’s fun to go back and read through our adventures. [Check out Sarah & James' blog about their adventure at www.erck.org]
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of quitting his or her job and traveling around the world?
The hardest part is deciding you’re really going to do it. Everything falls into place once you make that decision, and you can always figure out a way to work through any problems you run into along the way.
2) What book would you recommend to someone reading your story?
Miles from Nowhere – Barbara Savage
Over 20 years ago Mona Sturges joined the Peace Corps. That was the first step toward a international career which allowed her to travel and see the world from a different perspective than most people get to experience. Would she do it again? Yes, in a heart beat.
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to join the Peace Corps?
I think I first became interested in the Peace Corps right around the time it was founded in the 1960’s, but I was busy with other things and also was not an American citizen so it just stayed in the back of my mind for years. I would make jokes when things weren’t going too well saying, “I think I will just run away and join the Peace Corps, or maybe the foreign legion.”
Then one day when I was working in the Oregon state legislature I went to a lecture on the Willamette University campus and saw a Peace Corps recruiting poster. My job in the legislature was ending and I had no relationship commitments at that time. I had become a US citizen, and I thought, well I really could join the Peace Corps now! So I called the recruiting office in Seattle and inquired into the application process. This was in the early spring of 1987.
2) Why did you want to join the Peace Corps?
By this time I had known quite a few people who had been in the Peace Corps including my sister and had heard a lot of stories about it. I thought it would be a nice break from the work I had been doing and a good entree into doing more work overseas
This proved true as after I was in the Peace Corps I started to get assignments with the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Eastern Europe (OSCE). I did elections related work for the next ten or so years in Bosnia, Croatia, Africa and East Timor. I know that without the Peace Corps experience I would not have got the first overseas assignment in Bosnia with the UN as they were specifically recruiting returned Peace Corps volunteers. But all that is another story!
3) What worried you about joining the Peace Corps?
My main concern about joining the Peace Corps was the logistics. By that time I had stuff… furniture, a car, and the usual stuff. I needed to sell my car, put stuff in storage, and get my life in Oregon tucked away for two years.
4) What excited you about joining the Peace Corps?
Frankly the main thing was I thought it would be an adventure. I would be working and living in a developing country and would experience first hand another culture. It seemed like it would be a challenge and it was.
5) Were there people who thought your idea was crazy?
I remember one person asking me what I was running away from. I thought it was more running to something, not away from something.
6) Were there people who thought your idea was brilliant?
I don’t remember anyone who thought it was a really great idea. Some of my friends worried that I was giving up a promising career to more or less drop out.
7) Was there a specific moment when you though “Yes, I’m going to do this!”?
I think seeing the recruiting poster and realizing that yes, I was in a place in my life where I could actually join the Peace Corps, was the defining moment.
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to join the Peace Corps and leave your life at home for your 2 year assignment?
It wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t easy. At the time I joined the Peace Corps there was no Internet and I knew that I would not be communicating with friends and family except by very slow mail. But on the other hand I was looking forward to the challenge of living and working in another country. I knew the two years would go by quickly, which they did!
2) How long did it take from conception to actually leaving for your assignment?
The Peace Corps application process is a lengthy one. It can take up to a year to get an assignment. I worked in the Peace Corps headquarters after I returned from my volunteer service in 1989 and it was taking up to a year for applicants to get an assignment then. I don’t think that has changed much. I was lucky that I got an assignment in August in 1987. Some of the volunteers that went with me to the Eastern Caribbean had waited much longer for their assignments.
3) What is your funniest memory of joining the Peace Corps?
There were lots of funny moments in the Peace Corps and most were of the “joke is on me” kind. Also they were the “you had to be there” to get it kind, so can’t think of anything that would sound very funny now!
Reflection
1) What was the most enjoyable to you about being in the Peace Corps?
I really loved my assignment as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I worked with women’s groups in the northern part of the island of Dominica. My job was in the area of small business development and the women’s groups I worked with were doing a wide variety of income generating projects. It was great to work with them and help put their enterprises in the profitable column.
2) Would you do it again?
Yes. Jimmy Carter’s mother was a Peace Corps volunteer when she was in her 80’s. I think that will be the right time for another Peace Corps assignment for me.
3) What is the biggest lesson being in the Peace Corps has taught you about life?
I think as a result of my Peace Corps experience I developed a more global point of view than if I had not worked outside the US. I found that we are are much more alike than we are different and we all want the best for our families and friends no matter where we live or what our cultural background is.
4) What is your own personal favorite memory or experience that you have from being in the Peace Corps?
My fondest memory is of the people in my village. I lived in a small village located up a narrow steep winding road. The main source of income for the villagers was growing bananas. Everyone knew everyone else and I was welcomed warmly. Even though I was considered a “stranger” the whole time I lived in the village, I was accepted as part of the community. I loved walking up the hill to the little store and having every one say hello and expecting me to stop and chat for a few moments. Going to the store or anywhere in the village took awhile.
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of joining the Peace Corps?
That is easy… go for it and go with an open mind, a lot of patience, a sense of humor and a spirit of adventure.
2) What book would you recommend to someone reading your story?
There are a lot of books about he Peace Corps and the experience of volunteers, but the best information is found on the Peace Corps web site. Most of the people that work in the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington DC are returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
Erica Conlan co-founded Allie Walker Designs, a company with three goals in mind: 1) create quality products that are beautiful, functional and encourage re-use; 2) provide a means for generating income that’s compatible with raising kids; 3) give support to women and children in need. The company launched with Hip Grips™, a reusable insulated cup sleeve.
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to start a business?
Well, this isn’t a new idea. This is the third or fourth business I’ve started. I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. I came from a family where my parents had their own business, so it was never a big leap for me. I eventually became the General Manager at my family’s business. We made measurement instrumentation for tracking steam usage where steam is being used for heating and/or cooling. I also had a marketing consulting business, managed a small advertising agency, developed a line of children’s accessories and other more traditional corporate-type jobs.
2) Why did you want to start a business?
For a couple of reasons: If I’m going to build something, I’d rather it be mine than someone else’s. I’m happy to put myself out on a limb, risk failure and invest the time - but I want my own chance to fail or the benefit and reward of success. I see failure as a stepping stone for greater success and “success” as an ever-changing illusive goal. I’m not as happy following and implementing someone else’s vision. I much prefer my own path - come what may.
This became even more important after having kids. I could never get comfortable with the daycare setup. For a while I was forced to work within that structure, but it was torture. I was always conflicted between the needs of my kids and my job and how to meet the needs of both optimally. I never did balance that act, nor do I have any greater insight on this today - at least in a traditional corporate setting. I finally concluded that a highly structured corporate environment was incompatible with the way I wanted to raise my kids.
That’s when I went to the small ad agency. That was great. It was a creative environment which tends to be less structured anyhow and I had control over how I worked in that environment. Of course you are always at the mercy of your customers, so total control over your time is never possible. But at the ad agency I could work from home when necessary. If my child was home sick, he could come to work with me and lie on the couch. I could exercise before or during work and never had to worry about the clock.
I ended up working more and harder in the end while feeling more relaxed overall. That’s how it is now. I work a tremendous amount of hours at all times of day or night and there’s no such thing as a day off. But now, for the most part, I’m at peace and juggling everything much more effectively. Plus I have the exhilaration of building something that’s important to me and the potential for great success or failure!
3) How did you come up with the idea of Hip Grips™?
My friend and neighbor, Nellie Allnutt, approached me with the concept of a reusable cup sleeve. She was a social worker with an idea. I had the business, marketing and design background. Here we are today! It’s a great partnership. We each have our important contributions; we’re each moms first-and-foremost; and we each have the same vision. For me it’s perfect. I can follow my vision and have a supportive partner on the path. It’s very symbiotic. Going solo can be lonely. Also it’s helpful to have an honest sounding board. Compromise can be a good thing.
4) What worried you about starting your own business?
If you’re going to start a business, “worry” is a luxury that you can’t afford. However I did spend time evaluating it’s viability and potential risk. You need to know and be comfortable with the risk/reward equation. Since the original product wasn’t my idea, I had to determine whether it was something I could get behind and feel passionate about. Also, I had to ask the question: “Will anyone want to buy a reusable cup sleeve?” And, it was a partnership proposition. One must be very discriminating about entering into partnerships. And finally there’s the investment: time and/or money. Clearly it all ended up being a green light.
5) What excited you about starting your own business?
See above.
6) Were there people who thought your idea was crazy?
Yes! Both Nellie’s and my husband thought we were crazy. They couldn’t believe that anyone would buy a Hip Grip™ in a million years. They were sure Allie Walker Designs would be a total failure! However, they have stuck by us and supported the venture nonetheless. In fact, my husband (the engineer) contributed the pocket and elastic concept to the product.
7) Were there people who thought your idea was brilliant?
A lot of our women friends thought it was brilliant. The reps that took on the product thought it was brilliant. I sent a sample out to a husband and wife team. The wife loved it. The husband thought she was crazy. He called me and said, “You need to let us rep your line. My wife has told me not to come home without it!” This has turned out to be our biggest market. Hip Grips™ has been a great addition to their showroom and he freely acknowledges it today.
8) Was there a specific moment when you thought “Yes, I’m going to do this!”?
Not necessarily a specific ah-ha moment. I think it really hit when I sat down at a sewing machine and designed the first prototypes. That’s when the vision became personal for me. At that point, it was clearly my product too.
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to start Allie Walker Designs?
It’s a long process that begins well before the products hit the shelves. In the early stages I was doing much of it myself: designing the patterns, sewing the prototypes, writing the patent, looking for sewers, creating the packaging, knocking on doors, etc. Now we have a team of people with expertise in these areas. But initially, if I didn’t know how to do something I figured it out. I’m not a seamstress, a pattern maker, a patent attorney, a graphic designer or a rep. I’m a woman with a vision and you just make it happen.
2) How long did it take from conception to actually having a Hip Grip™ in a store for sale?
I’ve lost track of the time and can’t honestly remember when we first started. I’m sure it’s recorded somewhere. I’m thinking that it was at least two years before anything hit the shelves.
3) What is your funniest memory of getting Allie Walker Designs up and running?
Coming up with our name was a huge process: both the brand name (Hip Grip™) and the company name (Allie Walker Designs). We tried combining our names with some pretty hilarious results. We also tried making up names that we liked the sounds of. Ultimately our final name, Allie Walker Designs ended up being a little tongue-and-cheek. It’s a bit of an inside joke: Nellie and I lived behind each other on an alley. We first met walking with our families up and down that alley and spent a lot of time during summers with the kids in that alley; hence “Allie Walker” Designs.
Reflection
1) What’s the most fun thing about running Allie Walker Designs?
Product design and development! Nellie is a virtual fountain of ideas and I’m good at making them into products. I love the creative design part. We’ve even added a few of my own initial concepts too! It will really be great if we become successful enough to make some sort of difference to people outside of ourselves.
2) Would you do it again?
Oh, yes - definitely! However if everything collapsed tomorrow, I’d need a breather before I could start fresh with something new. It’s a tremendous amount of work to build from scratch.
3) What is the biggest lesson starting Allie Walker Designs has taught you about life?
It’s a little early to answer this question, since I feel like we’re still beginning. Also, I don’t feel like I have any conclusive answers to “life” yet. I will say that I have learned to take steps - sometimes any step - when you feel stuck. I frequently think back to a presentation I heard from a guy who climbed Mount Everest. He made the insightful observation that when climbing a mountain, one must be willing to release one hand in order to reach above for the next grip (or help!). If you can’t let go with either hand, you’ll be stuck hanging on the side of a mountain.
In my life, when I’ve become stuck and forced myself to move forward with some sort of step - not necessarily the perfect step, not necessarily a big step, just a step - I’ve ultimately benefited. Things seem clearer from a new perspective and good things seem to come to those in motion.
4) What is the biggest lesson starting Allie Walker Designs has taught you about running a business?
Once again, I don’t feel qualified to speak to this yet. And learning to run a business is an evolution, that started for me many years ago. The big thing I come back to over and over again is don’t try and do it all yourself. Initially you may not have much choice, but as soon as you can find people with pertinent expertise, team up and if it’s a good fit, keep them happy.
5) What is your own personal favorite Hip Grip™?
First off, there’s never just one. I keep a selection in my purse. My mood dictates which one I’m drawn to at any given time. I don’t like being “limited”! Beyond that my new current grip of the day is usually my latest design.
My new favorite product is the Stadium Seat. It’s not really part of our “reusable” mission. But, I don’t care because I’m a mom who’s logged a lot of hours on a bleacher at my kid’s sporting events. I want a seat that does it all and looks great. I want it to carry my purse essentials, I want it to hold my cell phone, I want it to have and hold a matching wind and water resistant blanket (I live in the Northwest), I want it to hold my latte or water bottle - or both, and I don’t want to awkwardly fumble with it every time I stand up. I’m very definite about what I want in a seat. Since this seat didn’t exist, I’ve made one. Now you too can have this seat! And if they sell well, it will contribute to our ultimate goal to help support women and children in need.
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of starting their own business?
I’m not really comfortable giving advise. If something I’m doing works and you think it could work for you - then go for it! It’s all about action! And, I’ve always learned more from my mistakes than my successes, so what do you have to loose? Win or loose, you’ll learn more and be more prepared for your next venture!
2) What book would you recommend to someone reading your story?
I’m sorry to say that while I love to read, I can’t seem to find much time for reading books. When I do, it’s nuts and bolts type book about something that I’m interested in or need to learn more about. Right now that’s neuro-plasticity - not related directly to my business. The most inspiring business-related book I’ve read in recent years is called, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. This book creates a paradigm shift in the way we look at money. It deals heavily in real estate investment, which I’m also interested in, but it really goes beyond that.
Have you ever had a hankering to do something different? To make a big life change? To start down a new path?
To go for it?
If you have, then you are in the right place!
If you haven’t, then you are definitely in the right place!
The Life Less Traveled features people who dared to take the plunge and follow a dream, take a chance, try something new. We’ll tell you how their adventure has affected their life and touched the lives of those around them.
After getting inspired by our features, check out our resources page for additional tools to help you start down the path of your own best life. Carpe Diem!
To recommend someone you know to be featured, please contact us.
Who should be recommended you ask? Anyone who’s followed a dream, big or small. Perhaps they:
Started a business
Changed jobs
Went traveling for a year
Started oil painting/flying/marathon running/etc.
Adopted a child
Went back to school
Wrote a book
Insert adventure here!
Here are some sample questions that each person featured will be answering:
Conception
1) How did you come up with the idea to (insert idea here) ?
2) Why did you want to start (insert idea here)?
3) What worried you about (insert idea here)?
4) What excited you about (insert idea here)?
5) Were there people who thought your idea was crazy?
6) Were there people who thought your idea was brilliant?
7) Was there a specific moment when you though “Yes, I’m going to do this!”?
Implementation
1) Was it hard or easy to start (insert idea here)?
2) How long did it take from conception to actually doing (insert idea here)?
3) What is your funniest memory of (insert idea here)?
Reflection
1) What’s the most fun thing about (insert idea here)?
2) Would you do it again?
3) What is the biggest lesson doing (insert idea here) has taught you about life?
4) What is your own personal favorite (memory/product/project/etc.) that you’ve created since you started (insert idea here)?
Advice
1) What is your advice to someone out there thinking of starting (insert idea here)?
2) What book would you recommend to someone reading your story?
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. If you think roughing it camping without running water and a toilet is hard, you have to read this book. And I just read another fabulous book called 
by Gregory David Roberts. Talk about an adventurous life! I was a little in awe of its 900 or so pages, but once I read the first chapter, I was hooked.
(to stretch your brain). There are a ton of white papers, articles, research studies and so on, but you’ll find those once you find what in naming is really interesting to you.
about a couple in the 70’s that sold everything and bicycled around the world for two years. It sounded like the perfect way to travel, and so I spent the next 6 months convincing James that it was a good idea.
. This book creates a paradigm shift in the way we look at money. It deals heavily in real estate investment, which I’m also interested in, but it really goes beyond that.