You Can Go Home Again

Believe me, I didn't go into the project with some illusion of grandeur. I am well aware that a switch from corporate life in the big city to owning a diner that opens at 6 a.m. won't be easy. But my heart told me it would be worth the challenge.

And what a challenge it is. Financially, I've gone from counting someone else's money to being accountable for every dime going in and coming out of this business. The purchase price, the licensing fees, the startup costs, the working capital—it adds up to a significant financial commitment, though I didn't drop every last dime into the project, and my family will survive even if the venture doesn't work out. Emotionally, though, I've given up the safety of my day job and created one that is all consuming. I'm also uprooting my family, which will require acclimating to a new neighborhood, a new school system and new friends.

It's said that nothing worth having ever comes easily. Not only have I endured the process of starting a new business, but I've also managed to start turning my life—and my family's life—in a new direction. Will it be all worth it in the long run? I don't know. But already, there have been psychic rewards: in our first week of business, customers drove from Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts just to eat at the diner that was once so dear to them. And no matter how this new venture turns out, I know I'd rather take the risk rather than to not pursue it and never be able to tell whether it would have been a success. The move to this new and better life does not come without many sleepless nights. It's a good thing I know an early-morning breakfast place that has a great plate of corned-beef hash and lots of freshly brewed coffee.

Manning is the former director of administration for NEWSWEEK. The Miss Portland Diner reopened on Halloween.

© 2008