There are a lot of reasons to start your own company, most of which easily surmount the general public appeal of having a easy four day workweek, making a lot of money, and throwing suave office parties. This is not why I started my own business. I did it because I was finding the the professional life as an intern and employee during and after college sequentially depressing and unfulfilling
Everyday I hear of friends and colleagues complaining about their jobs, and doing nothing about it. Many of my fellow college graduates are still either looking for jobs or settling for working the grind in a position that they claim is only temporary. Yes, this road is safe, and yes it has it’s benefits. But it can be stifling. Working according to someone else’s schedule, goals, morals, and demands that disagree with your own is not a way to spend a third of your life, no matter how kushy the healthcare and 401K seems to be. Personally, I have worked at three of the most internationally distinguished graphic design companies in the world; dream jobs for most people. I made many lifelong friends at these establishments and I enjoyed many office parties and employee perks along the way. But ultimately my desired passions and visions in life are something that an employer will never be able to provide me. Forging my own path was the best alternative.
The vision of my Riegner Inc. is very much my own. I love people; I love learning; I am an optimistic problem solver and I love the world of startups and design. Because of these inherent qualities, it is only natural that Riegner Inc. will be focused on creating start-up based communities, tools, and services in collaboration with friends, clients, and peers for the general public. The goal is not to make a lot of money but rather to have a modestly automated stream of income to dedicate more to world changing endeavors full-time. It’s not about the pompous parties, but rather about building meaningful relationships with other good-willed people; to build a community of other like-minded design entrepreneurs to help get some really big things done. To me that sounds much better than a 9 to 5 cubicle crunch with plastic plants and a rolodex on my desk.
Risks are difficult to take. It’s much easier to postpone action out of paralysis by fear than it is to take a leap of faith into the unknown for something that you believe could be better than the latter. Yes the first steps were like pulling teeth, but the days become easier whenever you begin to achieve the things that you most desire to do. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but it’s the one that I am most grateful for carrying out.