On Saturday, October 23, 2010, I was a panel presenter at @TheCubicleChick‘s Show Me The Blog 2010 Conference. Not withstanding myself, it was an incredible group of speakers. Quite an accomplishment, considering this was year one for the conference! Danyelle worked her butt off on this, and it showed.

Thanks to her for inviting me to speak!

As this video picks up, I’m speaking about the impetus for starting Rizzo Tees.  Before @NickGilham hit “record” on his camera, I explained that I would not have been standing there that day speaking about Rizzo Tees without something that happened back in 1949.  My grandpa, Walter Reimer, started a window company called Moeller-Reimer. He and two partners built windows in a garage. During the mid-to-late 1970’s, my grandma would take me to his work, and I’d walk around the office and the factory.  The entrepreneurial bug was been planted as I strolled around the family buisness.

Up until 2007, I had been a CPA, working as a Chief Financial Officer for various companies around St. Louis. I wanted to start a business, but lacked the big idea. (this is where the video picks up – when I say “I honestly lacked an idea…. this is what I’m talking about!)  I once wanted to start a mobile shredding business.  My wife asked me where I’d mark the shredding truck, and that pretty much killed that idea. In October 2007, I ordered shirts for myself from Snorgtees and Busted Tees, and it was when those shirts arrived that the light bulb went off in my head. “I can do this business.”

I’m finally happy with my career. My path from CPA to ad man was an indirect one – it traveled right through Rizzo Tees. And for that, I’m thankful to my grandpa.