Entrepreneurship: Daring to dream

"2012 looks to be the year of the entrepreneur. There has never been a better time for individuals to start new businesses. Taking up entrepreneurship is now an extremely doable means to overcome unemployment and under-employment, and perhaps even get rich" -Time Magazine Online

One of my favorite stories of the recession are those of people who were laid off from jobs and decided to pursue their childhood dream or take a chance at a dream. With the scarcity of jobs available, and long lines of people attempting to collect unemployment, many sat down, looked at their life and started to consider options for themselves.

Karen Young knew firsthand the struggles of being unemployed when her job as an editor for a community newspaper ended after they closed their doors. Young had to figure out how she was going to support her two children. She decided to really review her life and all that she enjoyed doing. According to Young, she took into account all of the things that she loved. "And then it came to me—the Internet. I am an information junkie, so I was forever surfing the web. Why couldn’t I build a business on the web where I could do everything I loved? Why should I look for a job when I could create my own?" Young created My Daily Find, an online resource for local events and attractions.

Like Young, many people have found themselves figuring out a way to support themselves without necessarily working for man. I too found myself at a low after I graduated from school in 2007, and could not find employment anywhere. No one would give me a chance because I didn't have ten plus years of experience. I was forced to evaluate all of my talents and I pursued what I always seemed to open up for me, which was working with kids.

I worked at a preschool for about a year and a half and later offered private tutoring in Spanish, while babysitting for local families. When unemployment hit the city I lived in, and McDonald's had a 300 person wait list, my husband and I knew we had to relocate. We sold most of what we owned and moved in with my mother-in-law who lives in Kansas for about a year.

During this time, we started to build our dream of a media business. While I collected unemployment, we began by building a media website in 2009. Because we knew that our living situation was temporary, we sought council from our pastor, friends and family, and searched for a place we knew we could grow our business. We prayed, my husband visited Castle Rock, CO and the rest is history!

Although it took some time, we have seen much growth within the last year. Our business is thriving to the point where we've had to turn down clients. I am fortunate to live in a city where the majority of the economy comes from entrepreneurs. I call Castle Rock, "the land of dreams." Our media business offers music lessons, film music orchestration and voice over recordings for aspiring voice talent. To learn about our business, you can visit our site at www.thegoldenspindle.com.

Do you have a dream or vision that you would like to start? Perhaps you're afraid to jumpstart that dream because you're used to working under someone, or no one has ever truly supported your dream. Don't be afraid of stepping out! There are many out there just like you who have the same fears, so you're not the only one. Take some time today to analyze your life and where you are today. Are you happy? Are you truly fulfilled?

The world often teaches us to suck it up and do what we have to do to survive. But who really wants to just survive? Yes, we have to work jobs to pay the bills. I worked part-time at a different job and babysat for local families while building my business, but I saw it as a job to get me where I envisioned myself in the future. Don't get stuck when you could be thriving and fulfilling your true call. In the words of Oprah: "Find a way to get paid for doing what you love."

To read more about Karen Young and her story you can visit the My Daily Find website at http://www.mydailyfindsites.com/about. Watch the inspiring video below to see how two women started their own businesses later in life.