Q & A with Julie Cropp Gareleck on Dare to Become

Lifuo Makhele invites Julie Cropp Gareleck to this episode of MEJ: My Entrepreneurship Journey to discuss her first book, Dare to Become: From the Corner Booth to the Corner Office. Which encompasses her full career journey of humble beginnings to establishing Junction Creative as a leading marketing firm.

During the interview, Julie shares how her early years in her parent’s restaurant in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, provided a foundation for her understanding of business operations. She recounts her experiences in the corporate world, marked by challenging bosses and complex dynamics, which fueled the desire to create her own company.

When asked about what it felt like to move through the first year in business, Julie equates the experience to walking up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower.  “The first year of business is like nothing I can aptly describe.  On any given day it can be exhilarating, or it can be debilitating.  I remember walking up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower.  On the way up, it seems like you will never get to the top. It’s arduous.  And then on the way down, you can see straight to the ground below you. It also feels like you could fall through.  And that is really what it’s like to start a business – even after 15 years, I still feel that way.”

The conversation includes a discussion about how to finance a business, create a semblance of work/life balance, overcome adversity, and have gratitude toward the journey. Tune in for the complete episode.

To hear more from MEJ: My Entrepreneurship Journey, click here.