Funny How My Mind Works

Am I the only one whose mind never stops working? I think sometimes I live with both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the way my brain functions. I can’t help but LOVE the idea of business – conceiving, launching, building, expanding, marketing, sales…ALL of it! I love it!

It’s a blessing, because this drive has allowed me the freedom to be self-employed for most of the last 12 years.

But, it’s also a curse because I have so many ideas, I sometimes don’t know what to focus on!

A friend of mine jokes that he has so many email accounts for me in his phone, he’s not sure which one to use! Let me give you an idea of the current ventures I have in motion at this very moment, in one way or another:

• JoltCMS – my primary business…website design, social media marketing, SEO
• My Restaurant Posts – daily social media posts for restaurants
• Landscapers Web Design – spin-off business, designing websites for landscapers, in particular
• Married to Jesus – a marriage book I wrote and published in 2007
• Ize-T – a side business I started with my kids a few years ago, “t-shirts for kids, designed by kids, to help kids”
• U>me – another “socially driven” side business intended to both encourage individuals to put others first, but also meant to help those in need
• Hands on Stow – a non-profit I launched with a friend in 2004 with the goal to keep the City of Stow clean

Then, there are the crazy business or product ideas that come into my head in the shower, while driving, at dinner, on vacation, at a funeral (yes…at a funeral!) or any other random time of day or night! Here’s a small sampling of these ideas…(some of these go way back!)

PRODUCT IDEAS:

• A baby toy
• A unique beverage-cooling device (even got a patent on this one!)
• A cornhole scoreboard
• Customized urns (yah – this was the one from the funeral!)
• An add-on to the LifeProof iPhone case

BUSINESS IDEAS:

• A teen hangout venue
• An indoor dog park
• A twist to the frozen yogurt business
• A “new” funeral home – one that actually looks like it’s connected to the current decade! (Yes, this one also came up at the funeral!)

There are others that I can’t think of at the moment, but do you feel my pain? (and the pain of my wife!! Can you imagine? Sorry, Babe!)

When it comes down to it, though, this is the way God built me. While it can seem like a curse at times, I do believe it’s ultimately more a blessing. Even when I’m struggling to focus, I think, “Man, I can’t imagine NOT having this drive, not getting excited about new things, not having ideas that keep me dreaming, thinking and LIVING!”

What about you? Which business or product idea is your favorite? Am I the only one who’s mind works like this?