So Long C-Suite: Is It Time to Open Your Own Business?
Posted by admincarolyn on Mar. 20, 2026 / Blog, Thought Leadership / Subscribe 0
I will never forget the day I got the call from my boss. We were fresh into a brand new year, still going strong with our new year resolutions, when I heard “we’re eliminating your position” on the other end of the line. For the record, I did not see this coming. Of course my first reaction was to panic. What was I supposed to do now? In my dreams, I always pictured opening my own consulting firm circa 62 years of age, and getting ready to comfortably adjust into retirement. Little did I know that the universe had other plans for me.
After wallowing for 24 hours in the reality of my job loss, I naturally took to LinkedIn and Indeed to see what was out there. The climate looked rough! None of the job openings I was finding were really all that interesting. A friend and owner of a PR agency once told me: “You will know when the timing is right.” Given that my job search was unfruitful, there was only one other thing left to do — time to hang my own shingle.
The Basics
Starting a business might seem overwhelming, but the steps are much easier than you might think. Nevada is a very business friendly state and the Secretary of State’s website makes it easy to navigate how to obtain a business license. Do some research online or talk to a tax professional to select between an LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Corporation. Within a matter of hours, I had obtained my state and local jurisdiction business licenses. Following the business license process, I acquired a domain, purchased software to build a website, set up our social media handles, and ordered some business cards. I called in a favor from a dear friend to design our logo, because clean branding is a must. Slowly but surely things started to come together.
Food For Thought
Cordova Creative is now in its third year in business, and there have been plenty of lessons learned along the way.
- One of the most important things for me has been to find the right team of experts to help me navigate the operations and logistics side of the business — accounting, bookkeeping, taxes, legal, etc. This will help you stay focused on doing what you do best.
- Last but not least, lean on your network. One of the first things I did when I opened the business, was connect with other agency owners and colleagues. I wanted to learn from those who had done it before. I’m so fortunate for the guidance and advice I’ve received along the way from fellow agency owners. This has also been essential to create a space to collaborate and share resources, as well as lean on each other for help.
It’s worth mentioning that before Cordova Creative started, I had been working from home for two years. This schedule allowed for flexibility with my family schedule, juggling two toddlers, mom duties, homework, school activities, and more. It would have been tough to go back into an office 9-5 job. This was one of the driving forces for finally taking the risk. Running my own business gives me the option to build and manage my schedule better, while still ensuring we’re there for clients when they need us.
Looking back, starting the business has been the best decision I’ve made in years — I wish I would have done it sooner.
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