at night, just to come home and get up and do it again the next day. So I thought surely I could start a small business online, right? Like lots of people do that. And in the beginning there, I did every single job myself. I answered every customer service email, I shipped every order, I did all the marketing. And much to my husband's amazement, my business started to grow. And it kept growing. And when I passed it off to a new owner a year ago, we had hundreds of products, millions of dollars in sales each year and a team of about 30 people. And along the way I learned two really important things. First I learned that running a successful online company is a combination of having practical knowledge and skills, putting in the work, and making good decisions along the way. See, I'm a realist. The idea of get rich quick schemes, that doesn't appeal to me at all. I have a family to support and I don't need any more stress in my life than absolutely necessary. My goal is always to build a business that is stable and sustainable. Second, I gained a better life for my family, one with more security and flexibility and for that, I will always be grateful. But something else started happening during those years too. When I would meet customers at shows, or people would email me, they'd often tell me how much they loved the company. And then they would tell me, "Oh, but I could never do what you've done." And that broke my heart. See, here's the thing, it's not true. I believe in the depths of my soul that many people can do what I've done. It's a matter of acquiring the knowledge and skills and doing the hard work and making good decisions along the way. What I did seems like a big thing. But it's really not. You don't do it all in one day, I promise. It's about waking up each day and doing the next thing and doing it well. So my goal with this podcast is to help you gain the knowledge and skills you need, so you can start and grow a successful business online. Maybe your goal is a side gig, to supplement your budget. We're going to talk through how to set systems up so you can be as efficient as possible and work on your schedule. I get it. You may have to do this on nights and weekends or during the kids nap times. Maybe your goal is to replace your family's income like I did. We will talk through how to grow the company while setting it up so you can manage it long term. Maybe you have big plans. Maybe you want to grow even further and provide jobs in your community. Well, I've got good news for you. The skills you need to run a company with up to say, 25 employees, really doesn't change greatly. And we'll talk through the ways it does so you can build those extra skills you need along the way. I am so excited to share this time with you. Please be sure to hit that little subscribe button in iTunes or Stitcher so you'll be notified with each new episode. I'd love to hear from you, and the questions you have about planning, starting and growing your business online. If you want to learn more about me and the Savvy Business Method, please be sure to check out savvybusinessmethod.com and visit me on Facebook and YouTube. See you soon. Announcer Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Savvy Business Method, with Julie Feickert. If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a review and subscribe, and for more great content and to stay up to date, visit savvybusinessmethod.com and Savvy Business Method on Facebook. We'll catch you next time.   Episode 000: About The Savvy Business Method Podcast