From 2014-2016 I ventured into the fulltime entrepreneurship world by staring my own men’s clothing store. It started with an idea and a void in the local market as the only retailer in town was looking to retire. Over the course of a year, I researched the internet every single night after work and assembled a 60 page business plan. From learning about the income and demographics of the area to going to the buyers market, store layout and merchandising, I dug into it all. Starting one’s own business is probably the greatest sense of accomplishment one can have, even if the idea doesn’t work out. For thousands of years, top humans are the risk takers that push society forward by ‘tinkering’ through trial and error, not by reading an academic book. I shut down the business at the end of 2016 as I saw the landscape of retail changing in conjunction with some other changes within my community. Looking back, there are many ideas and principles that I have learned and hope to take with me to new ventures.