MY JOURNEY
chef jeff catering
[2021 - 2023]
One of the most valuable connections I made during my early entrepreneurial efforts was through my friend, Jami. She was working as a business coach with a small, family-operated catering business in Minneapolis who needed some help. They were enduring and even recovering from Covid but it was a critical time for the owner and business manager to step out of daily operations.
If you’re a business owner, you probably know how challenging that process can be. It came with lots of conversation, planning, hiring, systems development and management.
My biggest gratitude for Chef Jeff Catering was how completely I was let into this business. Chef Jeff and his daughter, Amber, trusted me and were completely transparent and candid with me. They let me see the whole process and fully participate in the problem solving. I was glad to provide them with a sounding board, companionship and much-needed structure.
Chef Jeff Catering was also a fertile ground for my growth. I learned finance, graphic design, branding, and business development. I was encouraged to try new things, to practice, to learn, to fail, and to grow. And, I was allowed to see the full inner workings of a small business, to observe and to thoroughly understand the challenges and limitations of entrepreneurship.
perspective | versatility | poise | wisdom
At Chef Jeff Catering, I started releasing some of my imposter syndrome. I tried, failed, tried again and eventually learned that I could do it. I learned that failing is part of the process. I soaked up even more mentorship, coaching and perspective. I got to be my whole self. I felt known, appreciated and encouraged. I started to believe that I had something unique to offer, and that there were people out there who needed some Sarah Biddix in the mix. I just have to find them.
entrepreneurship
[2020 - present]
In 2020, I lost my job at Ecreativeworks and decided to take some time to regroup. My years there, while expansive and valuable, were hard on my spirit. I had learned a few things about myself up to this point: 1. I needed to be free to be my whole self and 2. being in a traditional job was increasingly uncomfortable. I spent some time looking for traditional jobs after that, but it became quickly clear that was not a path I was going to make it down in one piece.
Early in this season of unemployment, I started working with a few friends on their projects. I helped one strategize and start building her website, I helped others with some early branding efforts. I did social media and market research and interviews and nitty gritty spreadsheet work. I found that I really enjoyed the variety of work and I really enjoyed helping folks I love.
As the season continued on, I made some new professional connections and got to know some folks who were doing their own thing. I volunteered, helping a new friend with some research for his project. He later connected me with someone “like me” (he called himself an integrator.) This person introduced me to EOS and contracted me to be his personal assistant, someone to hold him accountable in maintaining momentum on his book. I did this work and I was effective, but I also felt a little like he paid me to be his mentee — for which I am extremely grateful. These two eventually introduced me to the person who introduced them, a man that heads a community of entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities.
He is a charismatic guy, brimming with energy and a desire to take care of folks. He often says things like “good people should know good people.” He seemed like someone I should get to know better… Eventually, he also contracted me to build out a project he’d been dreaming up for his community.
This experience (and success) in my newly expanded networking efforts, coupled with the opportunities that came from within my own “beginner” network, gave me some much-needed hope and momentum. I managed to collect a few small projects that came with new, powerful connections in the existing community of entrepreneurs, and some came with paychecks along the way. I also had a small team of mentors, with much more experience than me, who believed that I had “it” and wanted to see me succeed. That was the most incredible part of the journey and something I hold very dearly.
intuition | courage | persistence | confidence
During my early entrepreneurial experience, I learned that I have something meaningful to offer — AND that people want to teach and support me as I step into it. I felt encouraged and empowered to expand and reach out: for new possibilities, new relationships, new experiences and a new sense of purpose.
Ecreativeworks
[2016 - 2020]
When Youth Encounter closed in April 2016, I didn’t know what to do next. I was, admittedly, a bit burnt out. I was ready for a job with structure, resources, and ideally a livable wage. Non-profit is not for the faint of heart; it requires vulnerability, humility and ingenuity. I’d later realize that I wanted a for-profit with a missional focus, but first…
I moved to an agency, called Ecreativeworks. I got hired as sales assistant, even though my sales experience was essentially selling t-shirts at youth events. I learned a LOT in my first six months: business-to-business company models; more than I care to remember about linear automation, thermoforming and other industrial processes; strategy and consulting for website development and digital marketing. As I absorbed more information, I actually did get good at the job.
You see, I was already good with people and I was learning all of this from the ground up, which meant I could teach it. I was always asking questions, seeking to understand more about customer problems, internal processes, and team structures. This gave me perspective to build solutions. And, we had plenty of customers that needed help, so I managed to hit my sales goals along the way.
curiosity | transparency | problem solving | grit
Ecreativeworks is where I learned that my transparent, human-focused nature was not only not a bad thing, but a critical ingredient in business. I learned to learn, teach, build, lead, sell, and expand - and I can do it all without compromising my character. Ecreativerworks gave me confidence and clear vision.
youth encounter
[2012 - 2016]
I will be the first to admit that I’ve had a non-traditional career. To start with, I have no college degree… I did attend college for a moment (3 semesters,) but found that like many of my peers, I had no idea what I wanted out of it. I prioritized not going further into debt, and decided to go and get some life experience instead.
I am beyond grateful for my first “big kid” job, which was at a non-profit called Youth Encounter. I had volunteered with them, on a traveling music ministry team, at 17 years old. I traveled the country in a 15-passenger van with four teammates, playing music and staying in host homes. It was the first major upgrade in my character formation - which means it was really hard (and really good.) It also afforded me a ready-made community in The Twin Cities, which is great because I had no degree and no real plan.
Youth Encounter asked me to come help at a four-week training in 2011. This led to a part-time receptionist position, which became full time and eventually turned into “Operations Manager.” I managed vendors, supplies, office systems and board meetings. I also managed the liquidation of the organization, when it ultimately closed its doors for good.
Youth Encounter was where I learned to carry an attitude of service. It’s where I learned to do a lot with a little. It gave me shelter and family - 1,000 miles away from home. It was an opportunity, a soft landing place, and a community unlike any I’ve known since. It is my humble beginning and I am deeply grateful for it.
