I’m an artist and an entrepreneur.  I have a Masters Degree (MFA) from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.  My passion is screenwriting, filmmaking and painting, and I have started many business ventures to support those activities.  I have not had a traditional job for over twenty five years. 

For seventeen years I had a small chain of retail art, rug and decorative accessory galleries in Chicago.  They provided a great living.  I had two homes and two cars, but hardly ever had the time to enjoy them.

I had a warehouse full of financed inventory, a payroll to meet, and heavy insurance, rent and overhead.  When an employee needed time off, or left for another job, I was the one who filled in. 

I had to cancel vacations to Italy, Mexico, France, Spain and even holiday visits to my family in Massachusetts, all because of employee problems.  Thousands of dollars were lost when the airline tickets expired unused.

A few years ago the retail climate changed, and my stores started to fail.  My customers were losing their jobs, and the money they got from refinancing their homes dried up.  The home furnishings market all over the USA was failing.  My competitors went out of business one by one, and I cut corners by finding new suppliers and re-negotiating leases to help the cash flow.

Eventually I couldn’t meet the payroll and overhead, and took out loans rather than lay workers off.  Finally I ran out of credit, and was forced to close the stores and lay off the workers anyway.  It was a traumatic day.

What actually happened was that after a few months of intense therapy and drugs, my father recovered.  But he needed constant care, and the hospital recommended that he be placed in a nursing facility because he would be incapable of living alone. 

I am so grateful that I now own an Internet business!  I was free to offer to take care of my Dad for as long as he needs the help.  So that’s the situation now.  Of my siblings, I am the one who is not tied to a job or a business (one sister owns a picture framing shop, the other works in one.)  I set up my office on my Dad’s dining room table, and have not missed a beat.  He’s glad to be home, and I’m proud to be able to help out.  There is no way I could have done this without my online business!

-Bruce Wood

P.S.  This is a picture of me giving Dad a haircut.  I got dressed up in a new suit for the occasion, just for fun.  (Haircutting is a skill I picked up in college to save money, and it comes in handy now since Dad can't get into a barber chair anymore.)