In 2023 I sort of fell into running my own business. I had left one of the coolest jobs out there, managing a community makerspace/fab lab, the Lakeshore Fab Lab at Muskegon Community College and was applying for jobs and going to interviews with nothing really jumping out at me that would fulfill my passion.
I fell into a consulting role at a West Michigan manufacturer via a colleague of mine that retired from Muskegon Community College. I was making some money on my own! Wow! Maybe I could do this whole business owner thing! I also decided to try my hand at selling at craft shows and markets. I've been making things via 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC's for years without trying to sell the stuff! Teamed up with my wife, selling her crochet and knitting, we attended some holiday shows and enjoyed doing it together!
Now I sort of do a ton of different things, engineering consulting, education (workforce development and K-12), and selling both at in-person events and online.