Subjects Covered in Valerie Holstein's Blog

As some of you hardcore followers (thank you) seem to be tickled by the fact that I write posts about quite a few subjects, let me tell you why:

I was a graphic designer who went into web design ages ago. After graduation, that industry wasn’t paying well, so I went into the construction business where I worked on the field, doing permitting and working with architects and also consulting on sales brochures, etc…I got to learn new construction, retrofit, and basic knowledgre of all trades on the jobsite.

Then one day, the company moved far away from me, so I went to work for one of the subcontractors as a drafting engineer (with no formal education, just math skills and common sense in my back pockets) for a very reputable screen enclosure manufacturer in S.E. Florida. I got to draw enclosures based on location and wind load calculations for different hurricane prone counties and do all the prep. work for permitting.

Then, I got pregnant! While I was still working part time, my husband and I renovated our home office, art deco style, and to our dismay saw loads of black cables hanging from behind our desks and PCs to whatever pripherals we had at the time (bunches). And CableOrganizer.com, Inc. was born, 2 months before our child.

So now, we have a new company, new website, basic logistics software. So guess what? I got to learn about supply chain management, accounting, reconciliation, software integration, negotiating pricing, purchasing, product development, cabling, specifications, cable management, retrofit wire management, new business development, SEO, you name it…juggling a newborn with customers calling day in and day out, packing orders at 3 in the morning.

Our customer base became larger. It also became clear that we were heading toward selling to electrical, A/V, telecom, aerospace industries. So guess what now? I got to learn about each respective industries, took management classes on the fly, RCDD classes, CEDIA classes; I don’t go out without my Amex, HBR, Air Combat, tED magazine and add about 6 more trade pubs and 35 e-newsletters and blogs I read weekly.

So, I’m not an astrophysicist, I don’t even have an MBA, I’m not a GC, I’m not a fighter pilot (but I love the Eurocopter Typhoon and the SR-71) or a researcher that can tell you the molecular structure of PTFE (I forgot, was back in high school), but I know a few things here and there, and mainly from researching and asking people around in the different industries I cover for their help and input.

Sorry, no secret sauce. Nothing ever comes easy in my life. Hope that gave you some answers.

Agh… now I have to go photoshop some pix to illustrate this post.