Maybe I Should Become a "Trend Setter?"

It's funny, how life takes some of us from one career to another; transitioning between the two almost seamlessly, without ever having planned it.

I am an example of this. I began as a paralegal, which brought to light my desire to be self-employed. That lead to me investigating a multitude of business ideas, ultimately choosing to become a Certified Master Dog Trainer. I owned two dog training schools over the course of 15 years, and enjoyed many aspects.

Surprisingly, this led to becoming a writer and public speaker: What began as the occasional pet-related discussion or article, eventually metamorphosed into business-related seminars and articles, a newspaper column, a five-year stint as a journalist, and one published book ("Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs").

Now I'm an author and small business consultant. When you spell it all out it makes sense, but looking at the big picture it seems incongruous.

Today, my husband forwarded me an article about home improvement trends... an uncannily coincidental article, given that just last night we were standing in our kitchen and I was suggesting exactly the same concepts.

This is not the first time this has happened: I was also searching for white "cottage" bedroom furniture two years before everyone else; not to mention the rustic black living room furniture I had custom-made by a Vermont craftsman for $2,000 (about two years before Target started selling it for $200). I also chose room colors of sage green and deep gold right before the rest of the world did... a little annoying if you ask me. I liked it when mine was unique.

I wonder whether I can make a career out of being a trend setter? This morning, I was thinking about how I love oil-rubbed bronze fixtures, but they just don't "go" with stainless-steel appliances. A quick Google search revealed that they are just coming onto the scene. Literally. I mean like this week.

Okay, so now you can go out and outfit your home with bronze appliances. Send me a check in the mail for my services.

Meanwhile, I've decided to outsmart everyone and go back to the old-fashioned avocado green appliances my grandmother had in the fifties.