Hello … and welcome

I’m glad you stopped by

my name is Kathy Mosley

creative … entrepreneur … and quite a few other things too

i look forward to connecting

After calling Chicago home for over 20 years

I was ready for my next challenge

actually … I was completely OVER the cold and snow … and was ready to thaw out …

in October of 2019 I left my consulting job … … and closed my business @designsby1298

and took a roadtrip

along the iconic

until i arrived in sunny

Scottsdale, Arizona

I’ve worked in Hospitality for over 40 years starting when I was just 12 … first the kitchen and then behind the bar becoming a manager by the time I turned 20 restaurants have always felt like “home” and I knew I had a job waiting for me

but I was ready for a change

and once I got myself settled in the goal was to pivot back to REAL ESTATE I had been licensed before while living in Atlanta

the market was hot

let’s get real … everything about this place is hot

everything was set and then …

COVID happened … and I swear EVERYONE in AZ reinvented themselves as real estate agents

we’ve all heard the quote

when life gives you lemons …

make lemonade

full transparency I usually throw in some vodka too

my grandparents … and my parents both owned businesses

full transparency … one of them was a bar which might explain the vodka and the math behind my 40+ years of hospitality

but in all fairness

nearly EVERYTHING about me can be attributed to the life lessons that were instilled while growing up in/around those family businesses

being an owner/operator means you’re willing to play what I’ve lovingly coined

THE GAME

it is NOT for the faint of heart

it comes with some rules

that will infiltrate every part of your life and it’s lessons will start immediately and just when you think you’ve got them all figured out something comes along and reminds you that

Rule No. 1

is the only one you need to master

the only constant … is change

and it is

skill No. 1

perseverance

According to Merriam‑Webster, this is the “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition”

the game

has a few consequences too

some say I’m stubborn

but I much prefer saying I’m someone who’s acquired a healthy amount of

TENACITY … GRIT … FORTITUDE

and then I made a choice … to begin learning

how to effectively integrate those critical components of successful entrepreneurship into EVERY ASPECT of my life … personal and professional

and I will never stop

learning … growing …. adapting … evolving

with BIG DREAMS and a small budget

and by small I really mean teeny … tiny … non-existent a characteristic flaw of nearly every entrepreneur

I spent the next 18 months

buying … designing … remodeling … flipping houses

this was not my first rodeo

I flipped my first property when I was 19 years old … and I was hooked over the years I have been fortunate enough to meet many tradesmen and other professionals who have graciously provided me with invaluable mentorship and guidance along the way … most of whom are still friends today

so I built a team and we got to work click here to see some pics from those flips

I’m guessing this will come as no surprise … I have a soft spot for all things

entrepreneurs

AKA … small business owner/operators

First of all … I am one and because of that … I know we are weird (please note I used “WE”) and by “weird” I mean we are literally hardwired differently

FYI … weird and wired have the same exact letters … just organized differently!!!!

some of my entrepreneurial fundamentals

work smarter … NOT harder

easier said than done … which is the actual point of the challenge and arguably, the single most difficult aspect of being an owner/operator … because you need to

know what you know … but never forget … what you DO NOT know

this next piece is where things get tricky

and is extremely difficult for many to capitalize upon

be honest about your limitations …

seriously though … be honest about everything

it takes a village

this game requires

strength

because at some point

you will NEED to ask for help

BUILDING a business requires a commitment to building a team

every successful entrepreneur (and human) will do these two things in reverse order