Pointless Overthinking

Hello, This Is Who I Am, and This Is What I Do

troy edits

By Troy Headrick

I’m one complex dude.  For example, I’m basically a shy person, but I like to openly write about very private experiences I’ve had and ruminate on what they’ve taught me.  Also, I’m not really into money, but I’ve long been a bit of an entrepreneur.

I married a woman who has a similar entrepreneurial bent.  When I first met her about a decade ago, during the time I was living in Egypt and teaching at the American University in Cairo, she ran a one-woman catering operation out of her home and did very well.

Today, in San Antonio, Texas, USA, my wife is a master baker and creates Mediterranean-style breads and desserts which she hawks at a really high-end farmer’s market in the nearby community of Boerne, Texas, a picturesque town located about a half-hour drive away from our home.  Many of the townspeople have extraordinarily deep pockets and German-sounding surnames.  Lots of them also telephone in orders, which my wife prepares, packages, and delivers.

I normally help my wife on Saturdays, market days.  Because I have no kitchen skills whatsoever, my sole contribution is to provide help that can best be described as “manual labor.”  In other words, I’m the flunky.  I’m fair at loading and unloading things into our truck.  I carry heavy objects from one location to another.  I pitch our canopy and drive tent stakes into the ground.  That sort of thing.

Last Saturday, I asked for the day off, and my boss, being occasionally lenient, honored my request, so I stayed home.

A surge of inspiration rushed through me almost as soon as she’d backed out of our driveway on her way to Boerne, and I found myself running over to my computer table.  Once I’d arrived at my laptop, I turned it on and immediately began building the website I’d long been thinking about.

For months now, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing my own little startup.  If you read my blogs regularly, you obviously know that I write, but you might not be aware that I once freelanced as an editor, back when I was a starving university student, and ended up making really good money in the process.  Plus, editing of one kind or another is something I do as part of my regular job as an educationalist and writing center director.  In fact, I spend a large portion of every workday creating and editing documents.

This is a hellaciously long-winded way to say that I just decided to carpe diem and create a webpage that would allow me to get started with my editing side hustle.  Troy Edits and Writes is the result.

As soon as I finished and put it online, I started thinking about how frightening it is to start a business.  Such fear has nothing to do with losing money or anything like that.  Launching an enterprise, no matter how puny, is putting yourself out there, in the most public way possible.  It’s making a declaration that goes something like this—Hello, this is who I am, and this is what I do.

Most of us try to hide lots about who we really are.  But being a small business owner is the opposite of hiding.

I want to end on a shameless note.  If you need editing or writing services, you might want to reach out (or not).

Troy Headrick’s business page can be found here and his personal blog can be found here.

57 thoughts on “Hello, This Is Who I Am, and This Is What I Do”

  1. I relate to your first paragraph so much. I too am shy and in real life a very private person and yet, I too choose to share my innermost thoughts and experiences on my blog. I really enjoyed this post and have followed you. I’m looking forward to reading more about you.

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    1. Thank you very much. I wonder why some of us were born shy but then end writing memoirish-type things? Why not post a link to your blog here? I’m sure many would like to check out your writing.

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  2. CARPE DIEM!!! I love this! How awesome to take advantage of being alive and redesigning yourself! Your process is beautifully described and I really enjoyed reading it. Sending you the very best!!!

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    1. Hi, Ray. You’re clever to point out the difference between working hard and working smart. I’m old enough now to appreciate that difference and like to think that I’ve figured out how to use my time pretty well. Thanks for the encouragement? Are you a business owner? Just curious.

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  6. Many wishes on the way ahead. I read somewhere trying something new is always, “difficult at beginning,messy in the middle and beautiful at end”.

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    1. I love that quote, christin. It seems quite profound. I’ve actually seen such a process play out in exactly that way. After a time wandering blindly in the fog, the sky almost always clears up and then it’s possible to see the stars. How are things with you?

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      1. It will be fair to say I’m in the messy phase right now. But I’m enjoying exploring things on my way. Have a good day!

      2. When is life not messy? If you’re feeling “messy” right now, please know that you’re not alone. I’m considerably older than you and am still waiting for life to get a little less cluttered.

  7. I know how you mean on the manual stuff as a lackey for your wife. Only today I have been sent up to the loft to collect jam making equipment and then sent to the garden to pick fruit. No doubt I shall be made tp wash up later.

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    1. In the realm of food and food preparation, I definitely play second fiddle. Here’s to having dirt under our fingernails! Thanks for stopping by. It’s always nice to hear from you.

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  8. Yes, it is daunting for sure. But somehow the universe likes people who go out on a limb. Wishing you nothing but the best with this project!
    P.S. You write like an absolute boss!!

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    1. I agree with you. The best things have always come to me when I did the unusual and the unexpected. You can’t win if you don’t play the game. I know that’s quite the cliche, but there’s some truth to it. Thanks so much for your comment.

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  12. Taking the first step is the hardest part. Completing that step takes hard work. Once you get pass that part everything else will fall in line.

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  13. Being a very small, partially retired business owner, I will take a flunky with muscle anyday to help me out in my business. My husband does all my heavy lifting but also quite handy. Priceless! I enjoyed you piece and will check out your website. Starting businesses on a fly is what entrepreneurs do best. I never try to think too hard on anything or I would never get started. No room for perfectionist attitude unless you are an Interior Designer or Architect I suppose…..or Brain Surgeon. It all seems to work out!

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    1. I really like your attitude. People often overthink things. Because I make my living as an intellectual, I have a tendency to live in my thoughts too much. The time felt right so I moved. What sort of business do you have? I’d like to hear more. And, if you’d like, why not post a link here if you’ve got a website. I really appreciate the inspirational words.

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  15. Cool idea! Most of my work aside from homemaking and taking care of the kids has been in operating a private music therapy practice or teaching private piano lessons. I do find it difficult to “put myself out there” and have often wished for a “normal job.” 😅

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    1. Thank you. Do you mean post more on my personal blog? Yes, I need to post some of these things there and will start doing so soon. Or do you mean something else?

      Reply
  19. Pingback: Over to You – Strangely Iridescent

  20. Kudos to you for making your website. I’ve got the idea for making a website to share my writing and music with people.

    Taking the first step is difficult, and I’m still working up to it. Putting myself out there is daunting, as people will be able to critique what I’ve created.

    Thank you for these words, and the encouragement. I may contact you in the future about your editing services.

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    1. Thanks for the encouraging words, Hamish. Yes, you hit upon the point of my blog. When a person makes a webpage, it’s sort of like making a public declaration. One hopes that that declaration is received positively. It takes a lot of courage to say “this is who I am and this is what I do.” When you do make your site, please send me a link. I’d be happy to help you with any writing project you might be working on. I’ve spent my entire adult life helping people improve their writing.

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    2. Hi, again, Hamish. I’ve been working on my business webpage and it’s changed a lot. I’d like your opinion. I’m totally open to suggestions and constructive criticism. I want it to start simple and then add a bit to it over time. Let me know what you think, please.

      https://www.troyedits.com/

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      3. Hi, Hamish. Thanks for looking and responding. I didn’t find your email though. Where did you send it? Did you use the “Contact” button on the website? I tested them and they work or did you send it some other place?

  21. Hey Troy, I enjoyed the post–as it reminded of an older version of myself: not into making a lot of money, but been entrepreneurial; and usually quiet/shy like but very open with parts of my personal life…
    With that said, I have to add that elders taught me how far “portraying yourself in one way, but truly being another way” might actually prove unsuccessful in life. And so I regenerated my way of thinking: now I’m an amateur, not so successful, author and writer, disabled Vetran, and Jack of many trades(to say the least). So my elders must’ve been wrong. How on earth did you pull off your success?

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    1. Hey, De’vPress! It’s nice to meet you. Like you, I’ve done lots of rethinking of things over the years. I’m not for sure that I’ve ever been successful, but I’ve done some things I’m proud of and feel happy about. I think authenticity is so important, and I realize how difficult and “dangerous” it is for people to be who they really want to be. We all receive lots of heavy-duty socialization when growing up, and so we learn how we supposed to act, what we’re supposed to strive for, and so on. I’ve always been happiest when I had the courage to leave the well-worn path and find my own way. I’ve rambled on long enough. You sound like an interesting person. Do you write? If so, why not leave a link here so we can check out your writing? Thanks for dropping by.

      Reply

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