Temperature Sensitive Ink (1)

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Temperature Sensitive Ink
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I'd like my first post with the story of how this
all happened. My first job out of college, I
worked as an "innovation consultant" as I liked
tinkering with ideas and seeing new
possibilities. Frankly, I was fresh out of
college, had no idea what I was doing with any
aspect of my life while desperately trying to
appear I did. 
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However, my first role in innovation was a
monumental, extremely lucky and turning point in
how I looked at the world, other people and
finally myself. Overtime I was immersed in the
concept of being a creator instead of a consumer
understanding the principles of what, how and why
successful people did what they did came to a
point where I knew I wanted to impact the world
and leave a footprint of my own. 
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While training and learning frameworks for
innovation, I began to read books, sought to
understand lean methodologies, watched
documentaries on great innovators and felt a
growing excitement that I had found my calling.
What came out of this was two things I fell in
love with Post-its and primed myself for the
opportunity that would be Ink N Drink. 
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Trying to start a company, especially in the wake
of the meteoric rise of tech based innovation
made it seem daunting. Not knowing code (the most
I ever did in that realm was create a Wikipedia
page), I figured I could not commence my
entrepreneurial just yet not knowing how to do
really do anything also made starting a company
seem impossible. 
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While mulling over a concept at work, I was
drinking a fresh cup of coffee I had expensively
bought and absent-mindedly took a sip and burned
my tongue. After the initial wave of pain, then
anger then the resounding I-am-stupid feeling
settled, I saw my name on the cup and the
beginnings of my light bulb moment began to form.
That kernel of an idea was the start of Ink N
Drink. 
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What happened after was a painful, confusing and
ultimately rewarding experience of what being an
entrepreneur was. Even though someone doesn't
have all the skill-sets, complement yourself with
the right people. Even when things get tough,
stay committed to the vision. Blood, sweat and
tears are the real currency of starting a
company. 
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After 1.5 years of testing, sampling, sourcing,
branding and launching, I started to make a few
hundred dollars in sales. Point is, I never
thought I had the tools to be an entrepreneur.
Never thought I was smart enough or talented
enough. And then I just stopped thinking and
started doing and Ink N Drink became the first
project of many. http//www.inkndrinkmarkers.com/