After years of working as a freelance designer and brander, James Gaffney decided it was time to start his own business. While this was a major decision, it was minor compared to the change James later decided to introduce into his life. James recently took the time to talk with Gabe about his entrepreneurial experiences, the value of resetting his life, branding versus a brand, and more.
Becoming an Entrepreneur
James admits that while working as a freelancer was liberating and freeing in many regards, it ultimately held him back. He started thinking about what he wanted to achieve in his life and what his legacy would look like, and he decided it was time to establish his business, Blue Dozen Design. “This is my legacy,” James explains. “What I am building is what I will leave behind. I didn’t want the thing that I leave behind to be lame and boring, and like everything that else everyone is leaving behind. I wanted it to be authentic and a little bit crazy at times, but that’s me.”
Life Reset
After realizing he wasn’t happy with the overall status of his life, James decided it was time to start over. He and his wife made the choice to load up their family in an RV and travel the country. This life reset came about because neither James nor his wife were happy with trying to manage the expectations of others. This was placing a strain on their relationship and impacting their family, so it was time for a change.
Leaving his old life behind gave James the freedom to be himself and do what he wants to do. This ultimately brought him closer to his wife and drastically improved his relationship with his kids while bringing the entire family closer together.
Bet on Yourself
While many people would likely consider the decisions to reset their life unconventional, this makes completely perfect sense to James. “If something is not working for you, what are you doing?” James asks. “Why do you continue to get up and do it again and again and again if you hate it? If it’s not working perfectly, why not blow it up and start over again? What’s the worst that can happen? You have to go back to your old life?
But what’s the best that can happen? You fix everything, and everything is awesome.”
Taking the Leap
Get in touch with James via email, visit his site, or catch up on his personal Facebook, Blue Dozen Design Facebook, Violate Terms of Service Facebook or Instagram. Listen to other installments on Today’s Business Leaders, learn more about Gabe’s business and find out what kind of solutions are available.
