Second Act or Accidental Entrepreneur

§ May 30th, 2026 § Filed under Uncategorized § No Comments

As you may know, I retired from the UT San Antonio SBDC in November. Two days later, I started a contract position with Launch SA as a…you guessed it…business advisor. I miss the SBDC team, but I love the team I work with now.

Since I have some time available (four-day weekends), I thought I would start my newsletter up again. The feedback I received from that first email was overwhelmingly positive. Of those who voted, the two topics that were most popular were The “Second Act” Business Strategy and The Accidental Entrepreneur. 

These overlap quite a bit so I think I’ll combine them. 

I am definitely in my second act (or maybe third or fourth, I’ve lost count). If you are in the same situation, wanting to change careers or getting ready to retire and not sure what you want to do, let me offer some advice. 

Before I retired, I uploaded the address of my LinkedIn page and my website to Gemini, my current favorite AI platform. My prompt was “I want to start a new career. Review https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystaldarby/ and https://crystaldarby.com/, and determine activities or jobs that would fit my skills.” 

You can add sentences to that prompt to limit the choices, like “leave out anything having to do with ____” or “include anything that I can do remotely.” 

If you need the business to be profitable, write an additional prompt similar to “Of these choices, which would have the lowest startup costs and which are more likely to be profitable?” 

If you have a product or service that you have been doing as a hobby or on a very limited basis, you might want to use “I want to turn my love of _____ into a profitable business. How should I start?” If you have already started, “I am selling (example: my services as an educational consultant or handcrafted pottery). What should I do to make this into a profitable business?”  

You may want to use additional AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) to see if more ideas pop up. 

I explored various AI platforms to brainstorm overarching themes for this newsletter, selecting the best ideas and adapting titles to match my personal perspective. Interestingly, the concept for “The Accidental Entrepreneur” was something I hadn’t considered until it emerged from that process, and I think it’s a fantastic addition.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! Please let me know if you found this issue helpful or if you’ve had a chance to try any of these suggestions yourself.

Reconnecting

§ May 12th, 2026 § Filed under small business, training § No Comments

I’m starting my newsletter again. I used to pick an overall theme and then write blog articles on that theme. I’m contemplating starting off with one of these themes:

  1. Modern Communication for Results – focusing on high-stakes professional writing and interpersonal skills, updated for the digital and hybrid work era.
  2. The “Second Act” Business Strategy – a series-based approach aimed at individuals transitioning careers or starting a business later in life.
  3. The Human Side of Small Business – business as a human experience, not just tactics.
  4. Advising is a Two-Way Street – what my clients have taught me.
  5. The Accidental Entrepreneur – aimed at people who have become business owners because they were good at a skill, not because they studied entrepreneurship.
  6. Generations at Work – communication, workplace, and marketing issues with different generations

Do any of these interest you? If so, I’d love to get input from you on these or other topics. Post a comment or email me at crystallizations@gmail.com and let me know.

Thanksgiving Treasures

§ November 22nd, 2012 § Filed under Uncategorized § Tagged , , , , § No Comments

This holiday provides a time for many of us to reflect on what makes us grateful. I join that chorus. I am so thankful for my family – my son, my daughter-in-law, my grandson – but also the family I have chosen – my friends.

My son is brilliant, gifted, creative yet pragmatic. He has grown into a considerate son, a devoted husband, and an exemplary father. He chose a sweet, kind, and beautiful woman as his wife and I am honored to have her as my daughter-in-law. Six years ago, she gave birth to, and raises with skill, my grandson, who has brought happiness and wonder back into my life. I could not ask for better family.

My two closest friends have been my friends since high school, and for an only child, those relationships are absolute treasures. When I was in the Girl Scouts, we learned a song, “make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other, gold.” These two are my “gold” friends. They have nursed me through so many difficult times in my life, but have also been there to celebrate the moments of triumph.

I am blessed to have people who have been in my life for dozens of years. They are too numerous to name here, but many are my friends on Facebook. We don’t see each other often, but I know they are only a call away when I need them. They make up an amazing support system for me and I thank you all for being a part of my life.

When I worked at the Texas Commission for the Blind 15 years ago, I worked with the most talented, brilliant group of people, and I have been able to stay in touch with many of those folks. I didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to be a part of another team capable of that level of accomplishment.  As a result, I am extremely thankful that I have found another professional team that has accepted me as a member. The San Antonio Small Business Development Center staff and so many of the people at the Institute of Economic Development (some of whom I’ve known for years and some I met 14 months ago when I started my job as a Business Advisor) are devoted to helping small businesses succeed. I am grateful for my job. I get to do what I love to do every day, and I am grateful to the small business owners who trust me enough to let me share in their dreams.

I am so thankful to be living in the most vibrant city in the country. My parents moved here in 1957. I was five and I thought I would be riding horses every day. (I have yet to ride one, but it’s on my list.) I have watched this city grow and blossom, and I’m extremely proud to be a part of it. I’m especially delighted to live in one of its amazing historical neighborhoods, an area that is filled with people from diverse backgrounds, not to mention the eclectic assortment of restaurants. I love being able to walk on the Riverwalk. I also love being walking distance from my job. I am thankful to my landlady and my neighbors for being a part of this new phase of my life. I adore my apartment and my simplified life. I love my windows that look out on the Tower of the Americas and Southtown.

I am grateful for the chance to reinvent myself. There are so many people in this world, even in this country, who never get that opportunity. I have seldom felt stuck. My parents gave me the foundation and provided the education that has allowed me to change careers, to obtain more education, to open myself up to new experiences. I have realized that if there are areas of my life that I am dissatisfied with, I have the ability to change and improve. That is part of the reason that I have lost 35 pounds over the last year and become much healthier (blood pressure is normal, cholesterol and sugar levels are much improved). I’m still a work in progress, but I know I’m on the right path.

I’ve lost family and friends (two this year) and am reminded of how precious every day is. I hope to have several decades ahead of me, and hope that I continue to celebrate the silver and the gold friends in my life. Thank you all for being part of my journey, and for letting me be a part of yours.

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