Big Wheelie

Yep, that's me at age three

It all started when I was three years old and was liberated by a Big Wheel I received for my birthday. The youngest of three children living in a suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan, our home was nestled among a lot of similar-looking houses.

It didn’t matter to me that my brand new Big Wheel wasn’t the girls’ version – my ride sported primary colors and bright-spangled handle decorations instead of a softer, pastel palette. For me, it was love at first ride, and as soon as my feet touched the pedals, I was in motion.

My mission (although I was unaware of it at the time) was simple: to connect with people. It’s hard to put into words the overpowering desire I felt to spend time meeting and learning about other people’s lives and experiences at such a young age. My mom likes to tell how I would be gone for hours and she would have no idea where I was only to hear later from elderly neighbors “how great it was to spend time having tea and toast with Juliette this morning.”

I was and continue to be fascinated by people. Back then, one neighbor in particular was my favorite. He was confined to a wheelchair, with an ever-present blanket on his lap, and an unending supply of circus peanuts. It never occurred to me to ask him about his handicap – I was just a kid willing to push him around the neighborhood – which to him was probably better than any conversation we could have had. My mom laughs out loud when she recalls the time she saw me streaking by the front of our house, pushing his wheelchair at mock-speed, his blanket flying in the wind. He was having just as much fun as I was, and we laughed all the way around the block.

My tastes have changed, but my fascination with people has never waned. So it seemed a natural fit when I decided to pursue a journalism degree with the thought that I might someday grace the airwaves of 60 Minutes and lead scathing interviews with world leaders. I liked being on the “asking end” and I was becoming particularly good at using my hypersensitive intuition to read people and paint a portrait of their story in my head. 

However, after earning an associate’s degree, it was time for another career decision. Following an interview with the first female president of the university, I had the sense that I had peaked as a journalist and was ready to take on a new challenge. Again, my interest in people led me to pursue a degree in marketing. It excited me to have the opportunity to learn more about the science of consumerism – particularly what makes people buy. A consumer behavior class confirmed I was on the right path.

Continuing to connect with people throughout the course of my career has led to some of the most fulfilling professional and personal relationships I have ever experienced. But it was only after having those “in the trenches” professional experiences that I realized my intuition has also played a large part in my success as a business owner. Following my gut and being unafraid to both listen and speak from the heart is a life lesson I will continue to share for many years to come, and I credit a great deal of this drive to my first big wheelie and the excitement, independence, and connection to others it provided.