On
October 12, 1974 I opened my own business. Due to circumstances I had
split with my business and 'life' partner. I had been the 'front man' in
the business and he took care of all the economics involved. For 8
years I had been a "STAR"--a big fish in a small pond. And I was good at
what I did--selling the product. When we split I opened my own business
for 3 reasons: the first was that I didn't want to leave Memphis and
unless you were black and/or a female you didn't work as a waiter
(things have changed since then!) and the second was that I was very
good at what I did but the 3rd reason was a stupid one--revenge!!

I
had a big following, as did the women who came into the business with
me. We took off like gangbusters, better than I had even anticipated but
I made a few-- really major--mistakes. The first was opening too many
locations, too fast and without a plan. The second was that I was a
lousy boss who didn't understand the business of business. If I gave one
person a raise I gave everybody a raise. I didn't keep an emergency
fund and I didn't compare income with outgo. I, also, was mired in
lawsuits with the ex--again showing his smarts--he knew he wouldn't win
but it would cost us money and time and we couldn't afford either.

4
years later I realized it was over and wanted out of the business. I
offered it for sale, took a very bad offer and that was that. It was
pride and nothing else that made me sneak out of town. It is the latter
that I truly regret because I didn't have to--I had done my
bestandshouldhave left with my head held high.
I did learn that I didn't have a head for business--something I knew
but wouldn't/didn't acknowledge--again because of pride. It was a well
learned lesson but the basic of it wasn't that I didn't have a head for
business but I didn't have a head for dealing with money! It took
another 20+ years to learn that lesson. I very quickly went from being a
millionaire (on paper at least!) to what I could move down to Fort Lauderdale in a u-haul. I still had, and still do have, good friends there but have lost contact with the ''girls'-- even did the facebook search with 0 results. Of course many might be dead.

I
don't regret any of the 12 years I spent in the weight reduction
field--I learned a lot--and I really enjoyed the work! I went back to
being a server, which I didn’t regret as it, also, was a profession, I
loved--never felt like 'work' to me--even when I did get 'in the weeds'.
LOL
I did learn that I didn't have a head for business--something I knew but wouldn't/didn't acknowledge--again because of pride.

I
don't regret any of the 12 years I spent in the weight reduction
field--I learned a lot--and I really enjoyed the work! I went back to
being a server, which I didn’t regret as it, also, was a profession, I
loved--never felt like 'work' to me--even when I did get 'in the weeds'.
LOL
Most
important about the weight reduction business, aside from my losing
100+ pounds, was that it brought me to Memphis, a city that I
immediately was made to feel at home, where I met some of the best
people and fell in love with the South!

I loved my decade in Memphis, being involved with Weight Watchers and Our Weigh, and returned two years later for a stayover on the way to St. Louis to see "A Chorus Line" in 1981. The city was as
beautiful as ever. It has been 32 years now since I last was there and
don't know if I will ever go back--can you go 'home' again? I don't
think so!