November 28, 2012
Four years ago in June, I was let go from the position I had held for 10 years. I was 64 years and 2 months old. I had worked in the same organization for 34 years in many different areas of Canada and South East Asia. The work had gone well and the job was good.
By 2008, the organization definitely showed signs of loss... and there was not enough money to pay the salaries of those involved. Being that I was the man in charge I had to face the reality along with everyone else - salaries were not there and we had to let everyone go - including me.
It was discouraging at 64 years to be considered as someone who might be possibly cheating the Government out of the E.I. money that I was going to receive. I had never felt like a possible criminal before - some one that would cheat. The guy at the Service Canada counter made me feel like I wished I would have come another day.
I asked if there was anywhere/anyone that I could talk to someone to get an idea of what I might do now. He suggested that I might go over to the "Northern Lights" group - an employment counseling service.
When I walked into their office that day I had been choking back tears. All these years of helping others to try to find 'hope' - now I was feeling complete hopelessness. The woman at the reception counter asked how she could help me... My reply was, "You can give me hope."
It was at that moment my life started to change. She introduced me to Pat - a Counselor with Northern Lights. Pat worked with me a number of times and also introduced me to Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation and the possibility that existed to apply for the Ontario Self Employment Benefits - OSEB.
The Northumberland CFDC accepted me and my idea to launch a wood carving business. On October 6, 2008, I started a brand new phase of my life - maybe the most exciting part of the journey.
At the end of the four weeks of looking at every possible aspect of starting a business, hearing of the pitfalls, the possible success, and the realities of business world, I completed the class work and launched Misty Hollow. At the end of 12 months and a great mentoring program - Misty Hollow steadied and grew.
Misty Hollow Carving took off in all directions. The immediate success looked almost too good to be true. I was suddenly making as much money as I did in my previous occupation and at times even more.
The website that I launched in October 2008 started off slow at about 200 hits per month. By the end of June 2009, it was hitting 3000 hits per month and, as of today, it is now averaging about 5000 hits per month, with a few months over 10,000. It has been a great adventure in this area alone.
The reality of a recession hit Misty Hollow hard. By the end of 2009 and then into 2010 and 2011, we almost bottomed out a few times. It was not so good during that time.
But 2012 has been a little better and steady.
Between 2009 and 2011, I had more time to collect my thoughts and investigate new possibilities for Misty Hollow. It developed further, into artwork.
After working on the creation of Misty Hollow images for almost a year and a half, Misty Hollow Digital Images were released in September 2012. Working in a close partnership with "Crop Circles", the Digital Images are being made available to scrap bookers and card makers world-wide.
You can get a glimpse of the first release of these images at http://www.cropcircles.ca/shop (their titled image is one from Misty Hollow) and http://www.cropcircles.ca/shop/digital-stamp-images-en/digital-stamp-images.html
The categories of images include Fairies, Beavers, Fairy and Elf Cottages, Misty Hollow Garden scenes, and different critters of all kinds. Each week we are releasing new images and categories. The images are also being used in the making of their Rubber Stamps as well.
And a further promotion that has helped open new doors are my Lace Making and Tatting designs.
Social Media tools make new contacts for these businesses all the time:
Twitter: @misty_hollow
Blog: about any and every topic possible http://murraylincoln.blogspot.ca/ published almost every day - Total Pages viewed in four years - 160,000 with a 117,000 visitors - averaging 100 to 200 people per day - highest visits per day 1300 - great topic and great day!!!
My Tatting Blog: http://tattingwhisperer.wordpress.com/
Facebook: My personal Facebook runs at about 1,200 now and the Misty Hollow's Facebook is producing new opportunities as well. Misty Hollow Facebook has this week 39 Likes, 4 People talking about it, 57 weekly reach and Friends of Friends is sitting at 15,602. As more Digital Images were released via Photo Album, 1,771 new people were reached.
It has been a wild but wonderful ride over the past 4 years.
“The Community Futures Program and the Northumberland CFDC had a great part to play in my journey forward. I am a self-appointed ambassador for CFDCs.”
On the side, for 34 years of my working career I spoke for a living. I am a "creative communicator" that has been fairly well known in my world. Today I am called often to tell the story of what has happened to me since my 64 years and 2 month release - when I "retired" early... and they pay to hear the story - wahoo!
I want to say from the bottom of my heart, “Thank you Community Futures Development Corporation - what you do makes a big difference in the life of someone like Murray Lincoln and Misty Hollow Carving!”
Final Note:
In the spring of 2012, CFDCs across Canada were invited to take part in a video “success story” competition, as a precursor to the Community Futures Network of Canada’s National Event in Halifax.
The videos were brief accounts of successful businesses and how a CFDC assisted in that success. The National Event committee posted them on YouTube. Ontario’s entry was prepared by Northumberland CFDC in Cobourg. It’s the interesting and heart-warming story of Murray Lincoln and his business, Misty Hollow.
Check out this video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaFY4HQEnQc
