In August 2021, I started my business "Black Hand Side Design”; a disabled veteran minority-owned mechanical design firm. This year, I invite the attendees to go with me as I present "A Year in the Life.” There were so many things to know when I started and honestly, I really wasn’t sure of what I wanted my company to be, the services I wanted to provide, and to whom. There were “CAGE CODES”, and “SWARM”, and “PACT” oh my! I had to manage my moment in the sun brought on by my Black History mini-series; I was interviewed like three times!! I received an invitation to be a SWUGN leader; to SWUGN or not to SWUGN, that is the question! I looked for opportunities to mentor the next generation of Black engineers, hired my wife to oversee marketing, and am refining my second product to pitch to market! Did I forget tax preparation? It has been an eye-opening year, and I will share some delightful stories, ladened with advice, on my first year of business!
