C7 FAMILY
1/21-25/26
#2 - GROUNDWORK
IT FEELS SO GOOD TO GET THE PILOT OUT OF THE WAY SO I CAN MOVE MORE IN THE DIRECTION THAT I ENVISIONED MOVING IN WITH THIS PROJECT. FOR THIS TO PROPERLY HAPPEN, FIRST I MUST SET THE STAGE WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME. MY NAME IS CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG AND I WAS BORN AUGUST 10TH 2004. I GREW UP A BIT SOUTH OF THE BAY AREA, AND WHILE I DON’T CLAIM TO BE A BAY NATIVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THE BAY AREA IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO MY CAREER IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I AM WRITING THIS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF MY LAST SEMESTER IN COLLEGE, AND WHILE THERE IS A LOT OF STRESS THAT COMES WITH GRADUATION, THERE IS ALSO AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF EXCITEMENT BREWING IN MY SYSTEM. I SPENT MY FIRST COUPLE YEARS OF COLLEGE AS AN ECONOMICS MAJOR, AND WITH 3 SEMESTERS LEFT I REALIZED THAT WASN’T AT ALL WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE. I THEN SWITCHED MY MAJOR TO BUSINESS WITH A CONCENTRATION IN ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT AND IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST DECISIONS I’VE EVER MADE. UP UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE SEMESTERS, I’VE NEVER FELT TRULY ENGAGED WITH THE MATERIAL I’VE BEEN FORCED TO LEARN, SINCE I COULDN’T SEE THE REAL WORLD APPLICATION OF ANY OF IT. THIS ALL CHANGED WHEN I STARTED TAKING BUSINESS CLASSES, SEEING AS I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO START A BUSINESS. I WAS IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO APPLY WHAT I WAS LEARNING IN CLASS TO MY WORK, SHOWING ME THE REAL VALUE OF THE CONCEPTS I WAS BEING TAUGHT. THESE CLASSES HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TO ME, AND HAVE GIVEN ME THE BLUEPRINT FOR MY FUTURE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR.
NOW THAT I’VE LAID THAT OUT, I CAN BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE STATE OF MY BUSINESS AND WHAT THE NEAR FUTURE WILL LOOK LIKE. I STARTED MAKING CLOTHES IN 2023, IMPROVED IN 2024, AND BEGAN SELLING IN 2025. THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, I WENT THROUGH WAVES OF UNMOTIVATION, STRESS, AND EXHAUSTION. I KNEW THAT BY OWNING A BUSINESS, THESE FEELINGS ARE INNEVITABLE, HOWEVER I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE POSITIVE EMOTIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH THESE. THE MOTIVATION I RECEIVE FROM SEEING SOMEONE USING SOMETHING I MADE OR WEARING A PIECE THAT I CREATED IS ACTUALLY INCREDIBLE. I DISCOVERED A NEW KIND OF HIGH SEEING PEOPLE SHARE MY VISION, AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IS GONNA DRIVE ME THE REST OF MY CAREER. BEING SURROUNDED BY LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAS MADE ME REALIZE HOW ACTUALLY POSSIBLE ALL OF THIS IS. WHEN I SAY I COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW ME LOVE AND SUPPORT, I MEAN THAT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. ALONGSIDE THIS, I NOW HAVE A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ON HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO TRULY GO ALL IN ON THIS IDEA.
SO WHAT AM I GOING TO DO THIS LAST SEMESTER TO ENSURE I AM ABLE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AFTER GRADUATION??? LOCAL NETWORKING WILL BE THE FIRST STEP, OFFICIALLY BEGINNING AT THE ARCATA FLEA MARKET ON FEBRUARY 8TH. I’VE HAD THE IDEA TO SELL AT THE FLEA MARKET FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, HOWEVER I WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO COME UP WITH A REASON NOT TO. WHETHER I DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH PRODUCT TO HAVE MY OWN BOOTH OR I SIMPLY DIDN’T THINK I WAS MENTALLY PREPARED, I’VE AVOIDED SOMETHING THAT I KNOW FOR A FACT WILL BE A PIVOTAL POINT IN MY CAREER, MARKING MY FIRST EVER PHYSICAL STORE LOCATION. I WILL HAVE 4 CHANCES TO SELL AT THIS MARKET UNTIL I GRADUATE AND MOVE BACK TO THE BAY AREA. ONCE I AM THERE, MY NEXT PRIORITY WILL BE SPREADING MY ART AND CREATING CONNECTIONS. I’VE ALREADY SCOPED OUT SEVERAL LOCATIONS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE PERSONAL SHELF SPACE THAT I’LL BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY MAKE MY OWN. WHILE THIS WILL BE EARLY ON INTO THE STATE OF THE BRAND I AM AIMING FOR, I AM GOING TO TREAT IT AS THOUGH I’VE ALREADY MADE IT. I WILL PUT MYSELF IN THE SHOES OF MY FUTURE SELF, WHEN ALL OF THE SHIT I TALK ABOUT WILL BE MATERIALIZED AND PHYSICALLY REAL.
I’VE HEARD NUMEROUS TIMES THAT YOU MUST ACHIEVE THE SUCCESS YOU STRIVE FOR IN YOUR MIND BEFORE YOU EXPECT ANY PHYSICAL REWARDS, AND I WANT TO ATTEST TO THAT. NO MATTER HOW SMALL A WIN IS, IT’S STILL A WIN. IF YOU LET SOCIETY CONVINCE YOU THAT IT’S NOT A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, YOU WILL BELIEVE THAT IT’S TRUE. IF YOU START TO APPRECIATE YOUR DREAM IN AN EARLIER STAGE, IT CAN HELP YOU MAINTAIN THE ENERGY REQUIRED TO BRINGING IT TO LIFE. MY DREAM IS NOT TO BE RICH AND FAMOUS. MY DREAM IS TO CREATE. HUMANS HAVE NEVER HAD AS MANY RESOURCES AT OUR FINGERTIPS AS WE DO NOW. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BRING SOMETHING FROM YOUR MIND INTO REALITY, YOU HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE TOOL FOR FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO IT IN YOUR POCKET EVERY SINGLE DAY. I HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY THIS TOOL, AND HAVE LET IT DRAIN MY ATTENTION AND KEEP ME FROM COMPLETING PROJECTS THAT I KNOW WILL GIVE ME THE ENERGY I’M SEARCHING FOR. WITH THIS BEING ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS, I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH THIS, AND I ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR LENDING ME YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS WORLD OF DISTRACTION.
-CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG