One whole year of business! Exactly one year ago today, I finished my last day of work at my old job, my old career, my old life. I had an emotional release leaving that last day, while driving away singing/screaming “schools out for the summer” by Alice Cooper (as recommended by a close friend, shout-out Oscar ). I had a whirlwind of emotions including but not limited to relief, fear, and excitement. I had made a huge, seemingly irresponsible, life decision to leave a good paying salary job to venture off into the unknown world of entrepreneurship

It had been a lifelong dream of mine to own and operate my own business and I found myself with the opportunity and willingness to do so. But I hadn’t arrived there out of virtue; it was out of necessity and self preservation. I found myself incredibly and increasingly unhappy and unfulfilled in my old career which led me to a turning point. I had to do something wildly different or continue suffering the consequences of living a life off track. Not only was I suffering but so were the people close to me as they watched me spiral into depression and overwhelmed-ness. So I took the leap with the hope that if I do something that I enjoy and I treat people well, then maybe I’ll be ok. With a half baked plan, a few tools, and the support of friends and family I took off. For the first few months I held a part time cleaning job (shout-out Angie) to supplement my income, but in no time found myself with enough demand to focus on my business full time. I’ve morphed, grown, learned a lot, and shifted many times over all while still maintaining that original concept- if I enjoy what I do and treat people well maybe I’ll be ok. Remembering to have fun and to not take myself too seriously. That if I do what I love, I’ll do it well. That great customer service and quality work are absolutely paramount. These have proven to be the keys to my success thus far.

My wife asked me if I’m where I thought I’d be after a year of business and I truthfully responded I had no idea where I’d be! I was just ready to try something new and see what would happen. She was the one that encouraged me to lean into the refinishing business and for that I’m incredibly grateful. She has been there for me through it all as an incredible support (shout-out Jenna <3).

“According to the Bureau of Labor statistics approximately 20% of new, small businesses fail within their first year. The failure rate increases to 30% by the end of the second year, 50% by the fifth year, and 70% by the tenth year.” These are daunting numbers. We’ve beat the 20% odds and for that I am grateful and humbled, but there is a long road ahead. I don’t know what the future holds for Murray’s Modernized Furnishings but I’m excited for it. We have a lot of ideas and goals for the upcoming years and it’s thrilling to think about where we’ll be in 2025. I don’t know anything for sure about where we’ll be in the future but I do know one thing for certain. If we enjoy what we do and treat people well we’ll probably be ok. 

I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. You have made this thing possible for me and my family. Whether you’ve hired me for a job or simply followed along for the ride, I appreciate all of you immensely. Here’s to another year!