Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Watson.
Michelle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I became an entrepreneur by default. I was between jobs, and I decided to try and sell jewelry that I was making as a hobby. 11 years later, the hobby had slowly turned into my career. I grew Mimi & Lu from a single sale to a co-worker in Cirque Du Soleil’s wardrobe department, to a brand that has been sold to thousands of customers nationally and internationally. It has been seen in various media outlets such as People Magazine and The Zoe Report and did so without formal experience or training in jewelry-making, business, fashion or retail.
I learned by listening. I learned through discussions with other business owners, asking questions and advice. As I learned more, it became my passion to share advice with other entrepreneurs who wish to learn from my experiences, and my vision for DREAM | DRIVEN was to provide a space for fellow business owners to do the same. It is my belief that dreams do not develop without a drive and collectively we can steer each other in the right direction.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I normally say don’t believe anyone who tells you business is a smooth road. My primary business, Mimi & Lu, has had all sorts of bumps. But DREAM | DRIVEN has been so well received and runs relatively smoothly. This might have something to do with the fact that the goal is not to make money but to bring together entrepreneurs and create a platform where business owners can constructively contribute to one another.
My advice to other men and women is to keep in mind that passion is important, but productivity must follow close behind for the dream to be kept alive.
What should we know about Dream Driven? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
DREAM | DRIVEN is a departure from the meet and greets networking events. I found myself leaving these types of events with some new connections but without my specific questions answered. I also knew I learned the most about business from other business owners. I wanted to create a space where business owners could actively, in a very organized way, contribute to one another’s success.
DREAM | DRIVEN specializes in roundtable events. Each attendee comes with a few topics that have come up in their business- the topics are anything from hiring, to branding, to social media, to avoiding burnout. ANYTHING. I organize tables of five to seven business owners based on topics and who I think might be able to best contribute to each other. A table facilitator leads the table, and each participant gets 20 dedicated minutes where the table gives feedback on their topics. Each attendee to walks away with action items (and a bag of swag!).
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My parents always stressed follow through, commitment and simply that if we tried our best the outcome didn’t really matter. My father would also tell us to find something we loved to do and figure out a way to make money doing it- getting a ‘normal’ job was never expected.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daydreamdriven.com
- Email: daydreamdriven@gmail.com
- Instagram: @daydreamdriven
Image Credit:
Create with Gusto
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