new feature alert | handmade happiness

"Your dream job does not exist; you must create it."

You all may have seen that friendly little reminder floating around Pinterest and what not. And to some it may seem like just another of the many inspirational tidbits that graze our consciousness daily, but this is one mantra I happen to believe with all my heart.

Almost a year ago exactly, I left my 9-to-5 (read: 9:30-to-6-sometimes-later) agency job to work for Jason's small marketing company because I knew that in order to be truly happy, I needed to feel like my contribution mattered. (Luckily, when you're one of three people in a company, you don't really have a choice but to be important.) It was one of the scariest things I've done - taking on all the uncertainty and lack of stability working for a small company, especially one so tied to my personal life - but it was also the best decision I ever made.

Since then, I've become fascinated with the whole entrepreneurial lifestyle and helping young people understand that they don't have to chain themselves to a desk in order to find a career path. (I'm aware that young people means me too... I don't mean to sound like I'm an old geezer referring to my generation as an outsider. Basically, I just mean my fellow peers. Ya know, my peeps.) I'm happy to say that I think as a whole, my generation is starting to abandon the notion that in order to be successful you have to start at a big company and work your way up the ladder. Instead, they're finding ways to make money based on their talents and passions.

I've decided that I want to share the stories and perspectives of young entrepreneurs with all of you because sometimes the best way to get inspired is to simply learn from the people that have gone before you.

So that's what I'm hoping to bring to you all in my new feature: handmade happiness. I'll be interviewing people who have managed to identify their passions and turn them into a profitable business. These people are literally MAKING their own personal and professional happiness, not waiting for it to come to them.

Of course, that isn't meant to imply that you can't do satisfying work at a big company, or that you can't be happy. Only that I didn't have that personal experience, and so I want to share similar stories in case there are people out there like me.

I hope that if there are any of you out there that have a dream, these stories will serve as a reminder of what's possible if you're willing to take risks and chase after work that fulfills you.

Come back tomorrow to check out my first interview! We're chatting with the lovely ladies of The Jam Stand, an NYC-based jam business that is taking off BIG TIME!

I mean, come on - how tasty and fun does that look? See you tomorrow!

Until then, keep making awesome, friends!

// ps. If you know a young entrepreneur that might fit the bill and want to be featured on CCH, please shoot me an email or leave a comment with their contact info below!