steev227

I suppose I've probably grossed over $300k on stick figure cat drawings. But when things were really busy, I was renting office space and paying several employees to help with fulfillment. I was also spending freely on other creative projects, none of which really took off.

I've been creating things for a long time - often at the expense of other creatives who volunteer their time and energy. This gave me an opportunity to pay these people for things. So I had more logos designed, songs created, etc. in an attempt to give back to folks who had supported my projects.

This project helped me purchase a mini-van when my third child was born, and also made it easier for my family to move into our first house.

I'm no good at math - but that's how I measure the success of this venture.

I used to. I really did! But to be honest, Hamburger Helpster, I no longer want to draw a cat for you.

Paw-sibly.

As much as I have loved this 3-year ride, treating cat drawings as a company is draining and time consuming. I have a full time job, three kids, and other creative projects all clamoring for my time.

It's a scary thing to give up the one creative project you're actually known for. But I feel it's necessary for me to move on to other things if I want to stay happy and sane.

When things were humming, my overhead increased significantly. I don't have much business savvy, and wasn't prepared for the volume that Shark Tank generated. Also, Mark's investment was earmarked for other creative projects. Long story short, no, I didn't make 187k off this project.

That is one of my big regrets. Someone with more business sense could have had a more life changing financial gain from this business. Me? I'm kind of a fuck-up.

I'm not sure about further opportunities with Mark. My own assessment is that I have burned this bridge through sheer naivete and the inability to communicate effectively with a billionaire.