The Accidental Entrepreneur ... Why I started My Own Business In the Second Half of Life.

​Sometimes you just need to create your own opportunity.
I have been blessed in my life.
I have been able to do work that has been fulfilling. Hard work, long hours, many sacrificed dinners and evenings away from my family.  Whatever it takes. That was one of my favorite sayings. But nonetheless,
​I loved what I did. 
 
I mean who wouldn’t love being in the education/toy business, the business of making learning fun.  Travelling all over the world looking for the next big win, the hot product of the year, then watching the reaction of children as they explore new possibilities, because of a product that I helped bring to market.
 
The tag line for the first company I worked for was: “Helping You Make Learning Fun!” Their audience consisted of Teachers and Parents (who valued education and wanted to participate in the learning process at home).  The next company I worked for, the one that moved me from Canada to Minnesota, their tag line was “We Make Learning Fun!”  They were a manufacturer/publisher.  While simple and straightforward, these tag lines perfectly explain their organization’s mission: to aid in making learning fun for children all over the world. Through play children learn in many ways, and they don’t even realize it, because they
are having fun.
 
The business of making learning fun is the industry I loved and gave my heart and soul to for 25 years, including building relationships with vendors and consumers.  I helped build powerful brands by identifying what was going to be popular; and then making sure the inventory was available to meet the demand.  I found the challenge of picking the winners, out of thousands of new products each and every year, exhilarating.  And, it appears I have a gift for this.  Having launched hundreds of successful products. I trust my instincts, I use analytics to confirm, and then I build the strategy to bring the product to market.  This includes product development, pricing, packaging and promotion.
 
As I began networking and searching for my next opportunity, I discovered that while I have extensive industry experience, a great background and many transferable skills the employment opportunities in Minneapolis that would leverage my passions and experience were limited.
 
So what’s a girl to do?  …  Create her opportunity!
 
Having marketed products to teachers for all those years I know something very important …   Teachers are women (95% of all elementary school age teachers in America are women), women are mothers, aunts, grandparents. They shop as women and as teachers at the same time.
 
So while I am still open to and exploring leadership opportunities that would utilize my experience, I am going to leverage my new business Altogether Anna LLC. Curator of Treasures that Simplify Life! And “make working fun for me!” 
 
My first fun and fabulous find is SCRUBBY Soap! 
Made in the USA, this multi-surface cleaner was inspired by the freshness of Florida Oranges, and it is one strong all natural cleaner. 

A natural soap infused with a scrubber, it removes paint, dirt, grease, oil, sap, ink, dye, tar, graphite, brake dust, fish odor, urethane, wood stain, fiberglass, & flux.  
​SCRUBBY soap cleans plastics, vinyl, pots, pans, & stainless steel.

​SCRUBBY soap cleans and conditions hands and paintbrushes and the citrus essential oils smell amazing.

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