Today marks the start of a new chapter in my life as Emily Brinks, business owner.

I never imagined myself as business owner when I was growing up. If I’m being honest, I’ve never had a specific vision for my career. I knew I wasn’t going to be Emily Brinks, M.D. or Emily Brinks, J.D. Instead I had this hazy mental image of adult me wearing a business suit (3 button front with shoulder pads) sitting behind a desk, doing some “important things” and “stuff”.

Which if you know me, you know that is NOT me at all.

Walt Whitman wrote in his perfectly-named Song of Myself, “I am large, I contain multitudes.” If ever a quote described me, that is it. I’m both a dancing, laughing, fun-loving lefty who is ready to travel and roadtrip at the drop of a hat and a goal-oriented problem solver with a laser focus on deadlines, systems, and doing things right. I love thinking outside the box almost as much as I love coming up with solutions that work.

I realized that I had a problem that needed to be solved: my multitudes were at odds with the life I was living. I know I want to expand my potential but I wasn’t doing that, not on a grand scale. I’m wont to do when I’m feeling confused or overwhelmed, I got out a notebook and wrote out what I was thinking and feeling.

I finally wrote this sentence down: I am creative.

And it clicked: me as a person, what I can offer, what I want to do with my life. (And it doesn’t involve shoulder pads!)

From this brainstorming session came a solution to my own problem: Emily Brinks Creative. I’m excited — and I can’t lie, a little nervous too. But what business owner isn’t? I’m throwing off my guide lines and sailing away from the shore. I’m so grateful to my friends and family who have listened and supported this idea from the outset. Thank you!

And to everyone else: I’m open for business! Email me at [email protected] and let’s get started finding creative solutions. Because that’s Emily in a nutshell.