Starting a business is never easy, and doing it without a mentor felt like climbing a mountain without a map. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the absence of a hand to guide you doesn’t mean you can’t succeed—it just means you have to work harder, think smarter, and build relationships that matter along the way.
When the print shop I worked at for 15 years started to struggle, I was the last one laid off. The owner told me, “It should only be a month, and we’ll get back to normal.” I trusted him. Weeks passed, and when I called to check in, he reassured me again, “You’ll be back soon.” Then a month turned into two, and still, no paycheck, no work, and no clear answers.
I hadn’t even started receiving unemployment, and things were getting tight. I decided to stop waiting. I dropped by the shop one day to talk face-to-face, maybe to design a resume since I didn’t even own a computer. It was a weekday, during business hours, but when I pulled into the lot, there were no cars. The lights were off. I figured, Maybe they stepped out.
But when I went to use my key—because I was always the first one in and the last one out—it didn’t work. They had changed the locks on me without even telling me. Fifteen years of loyalty, dedication, and countless late nights, and that’s how it ended. I won’t lie—it stung. A relationship built over 15 years was gone, and I was left standing there, locked out in more ways than one.
I went straight to the library that day and made a resume. It was a humbling moment but also a pivotal one. That’s when I decided I didn’t need my old boss to succeed. I didn’t need a mentor or a crutch. I needed to trust myself, my skills, and the relationships I had built over the years.
Doing It the Right Way
When I started StandOut Design, I made a promise to myself: I would build my business the right way, not the easy way. Sure, I could have picked up the phone or emailed every client I had worked with during my 15 years at the print shop. I could have poached them, luring them to my new venture. But that wasn’t ethical, and it wasn’t who I wanted to be.
Instead, I focused on building new relationships. Some clients found me organically through LinkedIn or ran into me in public. When they asked where I was working, I let them know about StandOut Design, and we started working together again. But those were clients who came to me—not ones I chased.
At the time, my brand-new website didn’t have enough SEO or history to rank organically. I needed another way to get my name out there, and I remembered a group I had briefly joined years ago: BNI (Business Network International). BNI is a networking group built on accountability and exclusivity, allowing only one professional from each industry in a chapter.
I checked into it, and as luck would have it, the area BNI didn’t have a graphic designer at the time. I invested in joining, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Finding Mentorship and Lifelong Friends
In BNI, I met Keith, a print shop owner who immediately became not just a business connection, but a mentor. He showed me the ropes of how the group worked, but beyond that, he became a trusted advisor in business. Keith and I connected on a deeper level—we understood the grind, the sacrifices, and the joy that comes with building something from the ground up. To this day, we still text or speak weekly, and I’m truly grateful for the relationship we’ve built.
BNI wasn’t just about Keith. It introduced me to clients who are still with me today, years later. It taught me the value of showing up, being accountable, and building trust. And while I’m no longer in the group—my focus now is on refining processes in the business—I’m considering having an employee join similar groups in the future to keep that relationship-building momentum going.
From Locked Doors to Open Opportunities
Today, when I think back to being locked out of my old job, I don’t feel anger or regret. I feel gratitude. Gratitude that I didn’t let that moment define me. Gratitude that I took the hard path, the ethical path, and proved to myself that I didn’t need anyone else to create success.
StandOut Design now has a robust website, ranking at the top of search engines with one of the highest star ratings and the most testimonials in Ohio. We’ve built a reputation that I’m proud of—a business that focuses on doing what’s right, not what’s easy.
As Alex Hormozi says, “You don’t need someone else to give you a hand—you need to learn how to build your own ladder.” That’s exactly what I’ve done. I didn’t need my old boss or his approval to succeed. I needed belief in myself, the grit to push forward, and the willingness to surround myself with people who share my values.
Keith, BNI, my clients, my family—they’ve all been part of this journey, and each of them has made me better. But at the end of the day, the lesson I keep coming back to is this: Do what’s right, show up every day, and never stop moving forward.
Here’s to 10 years of building, learning, and doing it the right way. And here’s to the relationships that make it all worthwhile. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—you’ve shown me that locked doors aren’t the end; they’re just the beginning of something better.
Comments