I designed these flyers in Photoshop last week, and fell back in love with PS, recalling the creative freedom it empowered me with in my youth. Because the very first version of Photoshop that I used was 3.0, not CS 3.0, but the original one from 1994! My dad was running his magazine business at the time and had this crazy software on our home computer, a scanner and later, one of the earliest digital cameras.

It’s funny to think back to those times 30 years ago, that equipment, and how much it influenced my own path. That ability to create, replicate, modify… I took it all for granted in business school (instead learning theory and analysis). After university, I was even punished for my creative skills, while working in big corporate. Apparently, I wasn’t authorized to adjust an image for my presentation, because I was an analyst and anyway didn't follow the correct marketing protocol.

I understand the logic of centralizing brand control now, but that exact lack of creative freedom probably motivated me to explore my own path... leading me eventually to China. My creative skills were also later rewarded, when I had to run the marketing/operations in a small training company for a few years.

And maybe the biggest influence was my father, himself. Despite working 6 days a week and the 3 hours roundtrip into New York each time… I can see so much of him in myself, my work.

His personality ticks, obsessive desire to create/explore, AND his disorganization, rebellious nature. So much gets echoed thru me. I’d like to think I have it under better control… but maybe he also thought that about his business too!

Anyway, in an indirect way, I get to work with him now. Because I think my motivation to work with other entrepreneurs now is kinda-sorta to be able to help my father in his business (which closed after 9/11). As a child, I couldn’t help but dream of making that business my own, one day, advancing it to the next century.

I can’t explain my deep love for small businesses… the special people who for some reason put all their blood, sweat, tears into it, and sacrafice their precious time away from family… but I do understand it and understand them. So I hope to be able to contribute in my own small way now... with a renewed focus to strategize and build great businesses along side them.

Geez, it’s funny how a little software can take you down memory lane!