Indie Beauty Blog Tag Party: Ten Things I Love About Being Indie

This post kicks off the January 2009 Indie Beauty Blog Tag Party. To find out how to participate, click here.

        

Ten Things I Love About Being Indie

1. I’m part of a global fraternity

Being Indie means being part of a fantastic global co-ed fraternity or sorority, where everyone is concerned about things that really matter in life. The beauty and quality of a handmade item. The fun of making something useful by hand from scratch. The rise in self esteem that always accompanies creating something from nothing, and then selling it for a fair profit. The thrill of meeting another Indie for the first time, feeling an instant bond that transcends all space and time. When I’m celebrating, I can always find another Indie to celebrate with me. When I’m down, I can always find one to help pull me back up again.

2. I am available to my family

I started my first business because I was bored. I started my second one because I was even more bored. I started my third one because I was about to get married and I wanted to be more available to my husband and our children than I would be at a traditional job. I nursed my children at my laptop. I watched them take their first steps and speak their first words in my home office. I got help when I needed it, or just did everything myself when I didn’t need help (or couldn’t find or afford any). I never had to go to an office in tears because I had left a sick infant with a sitter an hour’s drive away. While I know that all moms make different choices, and I respect all of them, for me, being Indie means that my husband and children can count on me to be physically in the moment with them in all of the unpredictable life moments that really counts. Though I’m an entrepreneur, I’m also a “housewife.” And I love the combination!

(Speaking of housewife, check this out!)

3. I get to create new stuff all the time

Being Indie gives me the freedom to make up fun new things as I go along. There’s no script I must follow, no policy manual and no employee handbook. If I want to do it, I can do it and I don’t have to ask permission first.

4. I can make as much or as little money as I want to make

Being Indie means working as hard as I want to work at any given time in my life. Need more money? Put in more smart hours. Don't need as much money? Take a break. Amassed a ton of money? Take a longer break. The point is that I am in control. I don’t have to ask for a cost of living increase, nor am I concerned with whether I am being paid equally for equal work. I cover my costs and make a fair profit, and that means I can make as much or as little as I want over time, and I can always be available to my family first.

5. I can serve other people freely and highly

As an Indie, I am not constrained by the belief systems and priorities of anyone other than my God, my self, my family and my customers and clients. Since everyone on that list is on one accord where my businesses are concerned, I am free to serve each of these important parts of my life in ways that allow me to make my best and highest contributions.

6. I get to use the best beauty products in the universe

Since I am not only Indie, but also Indie Beauty, I have access to the best beauty goodies ever. Sugar scrubs, facial moisturizers, cleansers, toners, mineral makeup, soap, balm, oil, candles, jewelry, bath bombs, aromatherapy oils …. You name it, I get to use it. I’m not just an Indie, I’m a Lucky Indie.

7. My cup runneth over

I am almost always happy, and not just because my life is always happy. I’m happy because Indies make me happy. Being around people who love what they do, day in and day out, is fun. And fun makes me happy. If you are glum or hate the world, hang around an Indie for a while. Let him or her teach you how to make soap, paint a picture or knit a baby bootie. It’s the best medicine in the world. Not only does it make the glass half full, it makes it run over.

8. My mom thinks I’m cool

Long ago, I gave up trying to be as wonderful as my mother. She’s a fantastic role model and is really good at a million things. For example, the first time I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my home, I was single with no kids and I still had to get most of it from Boston Chicken. My mother on the other hand, cooked every Thanksgiving dinner by hand from scratch for over 50 years, even when my siblings and I were running around under her feet and my father was serving in the military. But as fantastic as she is, she still thinks I’m cool because I had the courage to pursue my dreams. I’ll never ever meet her measure as a woman, but being Indie has given her a new level of respect for me, and that makes me feel really good inside.

9. I can work whenever I want to

If I want to work for several hours starting at 3:00am and take the rest of the day off, I can do that. You can’t get that kind of flexibility when you work a traditional job. Of course you can bring your work home, but the fact is that many workplaces have still not fully accepted women who work from home because they want to be available to their children. There’s always the thought that she’s working some, but mostly not. I don’t have to worry about that. That doesn’t means I’m not accountable. I am, to my customers and mostly to the members of the Indie Beauty Network. But because I serve other Indies (Lucky Indie Me!) who also set their own schedule, it doesn’t matter. Thanks to technology, as long as I get the job done, I can do it where I want and when I want.

10. The future is bright

Being Indie means that I can change when I have to. Whatever life throws at me will be met with my own Indie spirit. And what’s more, it will be met with a universe of Indies who support and lift each other up. The global fraternity I spoke of earlier will always be there as another bright star on the horizon. Indies are lighting the way to a whole new future for America. Their skill, tenacity, determination and work ethic are creating new opportunities for future generations like nothing I’ve ever seen. As Oprah once said: “The future is so bright, I can hardly look into it.” That’s what’s cool about being Indie. Indies are lighting up the future, and every community, city, state and nation in the world is made better for it.

Tag, you're it!

Kayla Fioravanti

Jennifer Kirkwood

Lisa Rodgers

Kelley Maddison

Pennie Mills

Comments

[Lisa M. Rodgers]

Hey dM!!

You tagged me and I rose to the challenge. Now I have tagged 5 others!

This was a lot of fun and I'd like to thank both you and Kayla. I hope you enjoy my Ten Things I Love About Being Indie!

Lisa

[Donna Johnson]

@Lisa: We are on a roll this morning. I just left you a comment. I loved all of your 10 things. And your oh so gracious for giving a shout out to the gentlemen. We *heart* them too!

[PRIIA Cosmetics]

Ok dM! I'm up for the challenge! I will be writing my Ten Things I Love About Being Indie and will pass the torch onto 5 others!

Watch out...here I come! =-)

-Kelley (a.k.a. The Mineral Makeup Coach)

[JoAnn Hines]

Thanks for the tag. I love being an Indie too. This is my favorite network and I get to meet incredible people with incredible products.

Thanks to dM I just started my own packaging network on Ning, so thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

Now on to tagging 5 nore peeps.

Packaging Diva

[Heather Tallman]

Thanks for starting all of this fun, dM!

[Kayla Fioravanti]

dM,

Like my daughter Selah used to say, we are "having a fun party" (while she tossed packing peanuts into the air).

I've been tagged, answered the question and tagged 5 more.

http://essentialu.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/indie-beauty-blog-tag-party-ten-things-i-love-about-being-an-indie.html