Tami inspired Biz Divas at our April meeting. Here are the top questions the Diva Tami gets asked:
How do you balance having a family and kids, while working as a designer/entrepreneur in your new business?
Very carefully! It is not easy in the least. In fact the 18 months were very challenging, we sat down and had a family counsel at the very beginning and agreed that it would be hard. Anyone who wasn’t for it, we didn’t have to do the adventure. Exactly as planned it was very difficult, I was gone a lot, working hard, tired, sometime’s grumpy, my children missed me greatly. At times they would express their frustration at how much I worked and I would offer to them, guilt free, “Mommy doesn’t have to do this, I can quit at anytime time, if you would like the old Mommy back, I will stop”. But the children had a lot of associated pride with seeing the business grow, now three years into the adventure, pressure is easing, time is more manageable, and there is more family time.
How did you transition from being a student in design to a real life designer?
The moment I decided to be a designer there was no turning back. I wanted it as much as I want RubySnap right now. I tried a residential internship and hated it, I knew immediately I didn’t want to work with personal individuals spending personal monies. I chose commercial design because it felt more professional in decision making process. I entered the work force eager to listen and learn and solve puzzles. I studied, chose mentors and peers I admired and tried to emulate them.
In starting your own business, what are the first crucial steps you took to making your idea come to life?
I knew how to write a business plan. I knew how to dream big, and dreaming is free. I spent probably 20 years dreaming about a bakery. You have to decide what your motivations are, is it money, or a dream, a passion? If it is only money you will probably fail. Is your idea or widget needed or lacking in your market? Do you truly think you have the better product, or can you provide a better service? Are you prepared to fail????? If you are you willing to fail, how much money are you willing to lose if you fail? Keep in mind most businesses do fail. If you don’t believe in what you are about to sell, or believe in yourself, you will fail. Success starts in the mind, before paper and buildings.
What have you done to balance your career and your personal life, and feel good about it?
It’s important to feel happy and assured of your choices and move forward with confidence. It will be hard, even when it working and succeeding better than your wildest imaginations, it will be a very hard journey. Make sure no matter what you choose to endeavor, that you are so passionate that you will still love it even when you feel like the journey will kill you!
Balancing the career and personal life have been very hard. I have a supportive husband who accepted the journey before it started, my children have been patient. I have been busy and gone a lot. There are many hidden requirements that are difficult to foresee when starting a business, there are many hats one has to wear. I also have religion, when I feel like self imploding, I have prayer, and church is the one thing that has buoyed me up during the most difficult times. I know when I am at church that I am in a place where know one judges me, where I am at home, where I can feel peace and enrichment that carries me through the following week. Without a strong family and spiritual foundation prior to starting a business I probably would have crumbled.
Was it hard to break into the design world once you graduated? And how long did it take you (do you feel) to make a name for yourself?
I had worked in investment banking prior to going back to college to get a degree in design. I made very good money at that time. I left my career, spent 4 years in college, round the clock, built up debt and when I graduated there were no design jobs. My first job offer and the only available opening I could find was for $19,000 a year. It was discouraging. I worked with a great firm, great co-workers and I was happy to be doing what I chose. The happy word! I was happy so the money didn’t matter. Again, I tried to glean tips and tricks from people I considered the best, Miles Hunsaker was one of those individuals. I came into my own comfort zone very quickly and stayed there for the next 15 years until I decided I was no longer happy, or no longer feeling challenged or growing in that industry. Making a name for yourself comes with honesty and commitment.
Did you always want to be a designer/entrepreneur, and how did you get to where you are now?
I’ve always been hyper driven and always enjoyed being antonymous. I never quite felt that my energies and efforts given towards my careers and employers were acknowledged to my expectations. I hadn’t set out to be an entrepreneur; I am quite the accidental entrepreneur in fact. But I knew that when you work for yourself “the dirt hits the pavement”, either you succeed by hard work, or fail. “Making it” would be reward enough to take the leap, through success as an individual I could find a reward that would feel complete. In truth my best asset was not being afraid to fail, I was more afraid of succeeding…..then what? Failure is an automatic answer, success means living on a perpetual learning curve, always growing, always chasing to be a step ahead. Notice I never mentioned money, money does not equal success, meeting goals and milestones does.
Originally I wanted to be a structural engineer, but I was always pulled to the creative side, photography, graphics, sculpting, and the like. I have a very methodical mindset, which lends itself well to also being creative and managing a business. I’m very structured in my thinking, very compartmentalized, yet free with creative thinking. Which probably explains why I’m not creative 24/7 but in bursts.
What have your biggest challenges been in starting/running your own business?
So many! The most well known was our recent challenge with General Mills/Pillsbury, although we owned the trademark to our name, the mega-mogul corporation came to us with a voice of $23 billion dollars and said they did not like us using or having our name. We had owned it for almost two years, grew our brand around it, invested funds in all our packaging, and built a name behind My Dough Girl. My Dough Girl was intended to celebrate the past, simpler times, to honor the greatest generation who ever served our country, to glean back when food was food, made from real ingredients, when beauty was simple and wonderful and not naughty, WWII era. General Mills/Pillsbury felt we tarnished and diluted their icon the Doughboy. We spent the past 11 months coming to a resolution through lawyers, re-branding, and “starting” over. This has been our biggest challenge, taxing, burdensome, yet liberating, a learning opportunity. Every challenge is a learning opportunity. When faced with adversity one can learn to pick battles wisely, we chose to freely relinquish our name in pursuit of what we intended from the beginning “The Happiness Project”, we intended to be happy and make people happy. Fighting would only canker the soul and take away from the original goal.
Becoming a name and a face has taken away from private time and life. This wasn’t in the business plan, I didn’t ask, want, or chase the desire to become a common name. I rather enjoy my private life, there have been many times I’ve felt hostage in my office to reporters, and fan seekers. The public will artificially praise you simply because you own a business, are you prepared to give up a piece of your privacy?
What are the most rewarding/your favorite part about being a designer/owner of RubySnap?
Most rewarding is always people. Giving helps others and helps and heals your inner self. We donate to breast cancer and cancer awareness, Shriners Hospital, Road Home, Ballet, Opera, Symphony, Youth Services, Utah Food Bank. Giving to communities and causes heals hearts and minds. I become very attached to customers who become friends. Many have passed on from illnesses, cancer, and otherwise. Knowing them blesses me and fills me up. We always try to give wherever possible, while remaining prudent and not compromising our financial welfare by over giving.
As an entrepreneur, do you spend more time working in your business or trying to improve it?
Both, these go hand in hand, chicken and egg, you can’t have one without the other or something will grow musty. Another lesson in balance, you have to be willing to multi-task, be willing to shift on a dime. Rethink, re-organize. One thing that is constant is change, it took awhile to learn and accept this. Changing game or plan is okay, most often good. Also be open to hearing others ideas, you don’t have to like them, want them, but there will almost always be a growth opportunity to see another’s view and cultivate new ideas.
How much of your time is spent actually baking cookies or coming up with new recipes?
In the beginning most of the time, many recipes I had created over the years, but they weren’t enough to keep a business fresh and offer a wide enough variety of choices. In the beginning I was it, the employee. We have now grown to 12. Now I spend more time managing business and opportunities, which is why I left design in the first place, to chase more creativity. However, I still dream and have ideas all the time. I have to designate time to create, allot time to spend in the kitchen. This becomes increasingly difficult but it is important because creating is what we do, it is who we are. People enjoy our ingenuity of the palate.
What was your process for taking your idea from the possibility-stage to reality? Where did you begin and what important steps did you take?
First I chose not to be afraid to fail, that trying was better than not trying. I didn’t want to get another 10 years down the road wishing I had tried, or believing it was too late. I wasn’t willing to live with the “could’a, should’a, would’a” syndrome. Second, I decided how much money I was willing to lose if I failed. I didn’t have a very high threshold, and I didn’t want to have loans or borrow from family. It is easier to sleep at night when you don’t have to worry about how to repay a loan. You just sleep. I decided $10K was my tolerance for monetary loss. RubySnap has been built from $10K and lots of resourcefulness and sweat equity. Still today we have no loans or debt, if we don’t have money, we can’t afford it. We have operated at break even from day one. Break even is the point at which you are self sustainable, most businesses reach break even around year 5 in business.
Where do you find inspiration from as a designer?
I lived the life of a gypsy, I moved 21 times in my life by the time I was 18 years old. I was fortunate to spend many of those years scattered all over the world. Knowing, learning, discovering other cultures gave me a fortunate depth of experience to draw from, weather in interior design or from the palate designing food.
How do you stay motivated?
I have an artificial drive, I’m always dreaming (my favorite quote to my children is “dreaming is free”), I’m always full of adrenalin. I like to call it a “personality flaw”. I’m uneasy at rest; my mind is always working, especially when I am asleep. Most of my ideas come to me when I am relaxed; therefore I keep a journal by my bedside always. It is common for me to spring from bed to write down ideas. Ideas usually come to me in explosive spurts. I can be “stale” for months then have 12 ideas in a burst and I frantically shuffle to write them down as quickly as possible. You can’t force creativity, but you can leave yourself available to inspiration by minimizing stress and distraction. I also think creativity is inherent, I believe typically you are naturally that way or not. It’s hard to teach creativity.
What skills have you found helpful in being an entrepreneur?
Having previous work experience in a professional environment, this is important!, to take the time to mature, learn from others, learn from your own mistakes. Learn that conflicts always exist and this is okay. Learn to manage personalities and co-habitate in teams of people. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Always treat others with utmost respect even if they secretly grind on you from inside. Everyone IS someone and you never know what someone will step forward to be an ally in your goals. These things come through experience and time. Learning how to keep goals, promises and open communication. Being forthright is everything! If and when deadlines are missed, through open communication and honesty most “speedbumps” can be managed quite comfortably. Learning to have ownership for your goals and responsibility, wearing your own badge, right or wrong, good or bad, it’s your badge; will you be proud to wear it? These things come through time and often through employment with an established company. You need these skills to be an entrepreneur! You don’t have to be an expert at all things; you just have to be smart enough to know when to call on others for help.
What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome in opening her own business?
Ah! Well! Getting the ball rolling. Cities and governments don’t make starting a business easy, they in fact will act like they can care less about having your tax dollars contribute to the economy. No one will guide you in what to do next, you will have to ask, look, learn, study, repeat! When someone says “no”, the answer could be yes, when someone says “not possible” you have to believe it is possible. Where there is a will there is a way, but!, you have to look for it hard and find it. Hopefully you have mentors, maybe you won’t, you go and find them and keep asking questions, no question is a dumb question, its okay to not know, just keep asking, someone will finally have an answer and point you in the right direction. Dead ends come, and dead end go. Don’t get discouraged, starting can feel like the hardest part.
What does she enjoy the most about being an entrepreneur?
Freedom! Freedom to work harder than I ever dreamed possible, freedom to call my decisions my own, freedom to lead the way, freedom to fail, freedom to succeed. Do be careful what you wish for because you might get it, then what? Are you ready for your dreams to come true? It will be the most wonderful and difficult journey, painfully fantastic. It’s not a dance in the sun, it’s hard, hard work and extremely gratifying. There are many moments I’d like to stop, not quit, but take a breather, there are no breather’s. How will you learn to keep a balance with all that freedom?
How do you manage to balance both sides of your life – the side that designs and runs a business and the side in which you are a wife/mother/friend?
Tough question! One has to decide to choose balance. Hold onto humor for dear life, without humor you’re a gonner! Often I do this creatively, not ideally, but creatively. I spend many waking hours working in early mornings and late nights. I miss many workouts, which are very important to me. I have sacrificed much of myself to choose family over work or myself. I skip sleep, I forgo private “detox” time. I have felt often that I have lost a piece of me. I try to stay focused on my spiritual side; this can get depleted quickly when you work in the world. This too has not been easy, but so far it is working, I can thank a good husband and kind, patient, loving children for much of my success and balance. Friends have suffered the most, sometimes I feel I’m not even a friend to myself, but friends have come to my rescue many times. Friends suffer because if I have to choose anything, I always choose my family first.
Maximize your Small Business Competitive Advantage (by Tami Cromar of Ruby Snap, edited by Angela Johnson)
Angela Johnson with Tami Cromar at the April Biz Divas
Tami was the guest speaker at the April Biz Divas. And she had more than just good cookies. Tami showed us how being creative, innovative, tenacious and driven is more than just following your passion, it’s about creating a nationally recognized brand. And all with a $10,000 amount of start-up capital!
From Tami:
Two years ago if you asked me how or what was my plan to be competitive small business in this market, a recession, I might have answered with an eager smile: “I have no idea, I’m just following my passion,” which sounds rather reckless, but therein lies
the answer.
Assuming that your product is right for the market meaning, others also like your business model, idea, product & image that you are selling – the following are the ideas I believe have worked for RubySnap.
These are companies who are part of the Ruby Snap community (Building relationships builds business!)
Participation Yields Confidence:
Ruby Snap has been featured in:
Short Bio:
• Tami was born in Arizona but spent much of her life living in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia and traveling Europe.
• Educated at Brigham Young University where she studied Architectural Design and practiced her degree for 15 years.
• Married 23 years, mother of three.
• Tami has always had a passion for good food, her motto: “If it isn’t wonderful it doesn’t belong in your mouth.”
Many of my clients have been focused on setting up and improving their drip campaigns or autoresponder email series, which can also be called “Follow up Sequences” in my favorite email manager, Infusion Soft.
People often ask me what should be in the first email that is sent after someone opts in to your email.
First, thank the person for being a part of your community.
Second, let them know what they will receive from you. Here are a few examples:
Hi Angela,
Thank you for being part of our illuminated tribe. My team and I are committed to bring you the best experts, inspiration, education and empowerment in the most important areas of your life.
We believe you get to have it all. The Illuminated tribe celebrates you in having your best finances, business, career, family, relationships, health and purpose!
Our monthly newsletter will share resources on these topics and specials for our events, including our annual Ignite Your Spark women’s conference.
We are glad to have you be a part of our tribe.
To Your Illumination,
Angela Johnson and the Illuminated Team
—————————————————
I wanted to highlight Amy Applebaum’s first autoresponder too because I really like how she listed the type of information you will receive:
Hi Angela,
As a member, you will receive:
- Invitations and Special Offers for Members Only
- Monthly Coaching Tips
- Access to my Ask Amy Advice Column
- Assignments to Keep You “In-Action” and Moving Towards Your Goals
- An Opportunity to Be or Nominate Our “Entrepreneur of The Month.”
Everything I email you is meant to help you be a happy and successful. So, if there is something special you’d like to request or a comment you would like to make, feel free to contact me anytime.
Amy
Another shout out to how Amy has set up her website: I just came across Amy Applebaum and I like how she has identified three distinct paths that people can work with her on her site. This makes it easy for her market to identify if they are her ideal market.
Wanna know the piece of coaching that rocked my world four weeks ago? What totally shook me up and caused me to question EVERYTHING? What caused me to let go of a ton of guilt, “should-haves,” and “what-ifs?”
First, let me explain the state I was in. I was hungry for something to shift in my life and businesses and ready to release what ever block, problem, what ever I had to, so I can get the results I wanted quicker. I saw some recurring patterns in my life and business and I was DONE! It was those tiny, little nagging things that added up to be big results.
I had realized that the whole idea of working harder, going a little bit longer, hang on tightly because it will eventually work out was a lie. And I had bought into it. But that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was how in the world do I reframe THOSE stories of “working harder” with something that actually works? How do I stop working harder and work SMARTER?
Anyone else with me? Have you ever felt just so READY to be DONE with the current self-created circumstances? Have you ever felt like something has GOT TO GIVE so you can see the next step? I was there. I was soooooo there. Granted, things were going pretty well but I was ready for spectacular.
So I set the intention to find a teacher. Someone who can show me what I’m not seeing.
Then I come across Suzanne Evans. I was awed and inspired and loved her irreverence. She teaches business how it is while making an impact on the world worth noting. She didn’t cut corners, she is bold, honest, and most of all BRILLIANT. On our call I was asking her about the options she had available for clients and she got done telling me about her programs starting at $67 a month for a do-it-yourself product to her premium $47,000 a year package. I didn’t even question whether she could deliver $47,000 of value to my businesses and life. The only thing I was questioning is HOW I could swing forty-seven grand right now. Seriously? I’ve never purchased a car for even that much mula!
I settled on her $10,000 annual program and said something like “Hmmmm, I’m just not sure how I can make this happen right this second. There has got to be a way…”
And this is what rocked my world!
Suzanne said “Angela, what is there to worry about? You haven’t even made the decision. Until you make the decision there is no ‘how’ to even consider. You have to make the decision FIRST, the way will unfold but only AFTER you make the decision.”
Eh? I went into defense in my mind. I have to know what my options are and how each one would work and analyze what would work best and, and, and…let the insanity begin. Then I got it. OMG. I got it.
How many times did I THINK I was making a decision and I really wasn’t? I was preparing for Plan A to take place, while also preparing for plan B, C, D and F in the background of my mind going at the same time. No wonder I got confused, frustrated and got mixed results. I was giving my energy too many things to focus on.
When I thought I was making a decision, I was really letting myself off the hook from being 100% committed to my ideal outcome. End of story.
Making a decision means cutting yourself off from all other options. It means taking all other options off of the table. It means doing what ever it takes to fulfill the vision. (It doesn’t mean over-committing and doing it all by yourself while working yourself to death.)
I realized I had made a lot of “decisions” by default.
So I made the decision to work with Suzanne who is a seven-figure coach. When I made the decision the way unfolded. I put a project on hold because I realized that wasn’t my priority. This gave me the additional cash flow I needed. I launched a new product and program because it was finally time to stop hiding. Her program ended up being decreased in price by just over $4,000. I received money from unexpected resources. I found a killer flight to Orlando where our first live meeting will be with Suzanne and a mastermind. Everything supported me taking full advantage of the opportunity. I made the DECISION and expected it to be so. Things are still unfolding to support my DECISION.
When I catch myself saying “If this doesn’t go as planned, I can always do plan B, or it’s not a sign that I should do it…I know I haven’t made the decision but once again let myself off the hook from getting what I know at some level is possible.
“IF I hire (insert ANY company hire), HOW would I afford it?”
“If I attend this event, HOW could I schedule it in?”
“If I tell my client this isn’t working out, HOW will they respond.”
“If I tell my significant other they are bugging me, HOW will they react.”
Notice your conversations, if you start the statement with “IF” and it’s followed by worrying about a hypothetical situation, STOP. There is nothing to worry about until you make the decision. And even when you make the decision, worry isn’t required. Worry doesn’t get you closer to your desired results.
It’s simply making the decision. Commit. Take action. Ask for guidance. Rely on what you DO know. Trust. Surrender. Take more action. Get quiet. (Not entirely in that order, but close.) And the way will unfold.
Now this doesn’t go to say, you can’t change your mind ever. Or that it’s not useful to consider your options. But, do you get the impact of this on your relationships, bank account, business, health, etc. My world is still shaking from this simple, yet profound concept.
Making a decision means I take full accountability for my results. Yep, it can be a bit intense at times. But after all, I did say that I was “ready for something to give” so I could see my next step. Who would have thought that the ‘thing that would give’ would be my habit of being indecisive. Because if it didn’t work out, I would be the only person to point a finger at. WOW – now that is total honesty.
That is the true power.
And nothing feels better than to look at your results and know that you created it. You created the way. You received the support to make it possible and you couldn’t have designed it any more perfectly.
The only question left is “What is your decision?”
Wow, it’s been months since I’ve posted an article…which is a sign, I’ve just come out of a major reorganization and re-focus on what I love. I allowed myself to get carried away with other tasks that I didn’t really love and now I’m back and it feels good.
It feels awesome to be back in action and creating some pretty spectacular momentum. Plus, I learned how to keep connected in the middle of climbing a taller mountain at a pace I’ve never experienced before. 
I spent labor day weekend in Star Valley, Wyoming, which is the home to my hubby Richard. It was there that I got some amazing ah-has and insights.
Before the weekend, I set the intention to receive clarity and inspiration on what direction to take certain aspects of my business. I asked for more clarity and confidence in my message and the courage to share my passions more broadly. I then just stepped back and allowed to happen what was going to happen.
I was amazed at the simplicity of my answers and found them everywhere.
Ah-ha #1: Just Because I Don’t See Anything Doesn’t Mean Things Aren’t Happening
Looking at the opening of where the water emerges and it "appears" that nothing is happening.
In Afton, WY (one of the towns of Star Valley) there is the Swift Creek Intermittent Spring. There is an underground lake that fills up a pocket just below the surface and when that pocket fills up, it runs down Swift Creek. This happens intermittently every 15 minutes or so during the summer and fall.
It’s crazy to think that this creek only runs about every 15 minutes…yet there is always water under the surface.
I hiked to the top of this creek and I was in awe…
At the top looking down when the creek is running.
Just because you can’t see or hear the water filling just below the surface, doesn’t mean that activity isn’t happening. It just takes patience and trust that nature will keep producing what it’s produced for many years…
How many times in my business did I consider walking away because what I could “see” wasn’t matching what I “wanted to happen.” My logical reasoning was that nothing was happening so I need to move somewhere else.
What would have happened in those moments of walking away, I would have realized that possibly something better than what I wanted was being created, I just couldn’t see it yet?
What I learned at the top of this creek was that there is always movement. Sometimes it’s more subtle than other times and it looks much different than it did last time, than we think it will when we imagine it in our heads, or different than what other people tell us.
The point is that something is happening and it’s up to me to have clarity in my intentions and desired results to know when to be patient, take action or when to move. When I’m grounded in my intentions and clear about it, I will know.
Which brings me to my second ah-ha!
Ah-ha #2: If I’m Not Rooted in My Purpose, I will Lose My Footing
What does it mean to be so laser focused that it doesn’t matter what gets in your way? You know know you are in the right place at the right time, taking the right action for the right reason.
I was walking down the path back to the head of the trail and saw this tree on the steep interface. The tree was at least 20′ tall and it’s roots were twisted around anything near it so it could stay rooted in the earth. The tree wasn’t trying to be or do anything else, just BE what it is. It wasn’t trying to be a rock near the river, or a wild flower patch, it simply is a tree not trying to do anything else.
Where are your roots?
How many times do I lose my footing because I attempt to BE something other than what I inherently am? How often do you lose focus of your vision because another path looks more fun or attractive?
Or we convince ourselves that our path really isn’t our path because the trail get’s a little bumpy or our foundation gets rocked a little?
We’ve all done it.
When we lose focus on who we are, we lose site of how to get there when opportunities come up that can be the window to lead us to our next step.
I asked myself, where are my roots planted? Do they run deep or are they shallow? Are they solid? Have they been imprinted with other items that surround me for support? Do I allow my roots to be entangled with things around me for support or do I disregard them for fear that they may get in the way of what I’m creating?
Ah-ha #3: There is Always Room for Growth
As I continued down the trail, I was in my own thoughts about what I’ve just realized and was feeling very content in my answers I had received from this hike in Afton, Wyoming.
Then I took a quick glance to my left and saw this small 4′ pine tree growing out a rock mountain. I didn’t see any earth, just a sheer face rock and couldn’t believe it.
This tree is growing where circumstances may otherwise be impossible!
Just when I think I’m done growing, there is something more for me to see and experience.
The only question is, am I aware and open enough to see it? Or do I tell myself “I’m complete.” “I already know that.” “I know enough right now to keep me going for a while.”
And, when circumstances attempt to dictate that what I’m focused on is impossible, there is ALWAYS a possibilitiy. The only person it’s up to is me. Circumstances don’t determine who I am or what I’m capable of, it’s my beliefs of the perceptions of those circumstances and what I tell myself is possible or not.
Just like this tree that is growing despite being alone and depsite growing out of a rock, it’s growing. There is the possibility of life every where.
There are dreams every where. Who am I to say what’s possible? If the tree can grow there of all places, my dreams absolutely have a home from which to grow.
And all of this from a hike to Swift Creek Intermittent Spring with my husband and three good friends, Clayton, Kathy and Mike. What a remarkable afternoon.
And what’s even cooler than that is today as I’ve been taking action, I’ve had some obstacles and fixed beliefs come up for me. I just keep thinking about the tree that is still growing despite perceived circumstances. I keep reminding myself that something is always happening even if i can’t immediately see it. Are my roots and actions planted in my purpose?
Which “ah-ha” most resonates with you and where you are at in your business? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below and share your insights.
