Dreamers Into Doers -- marthastewart.com

Doer of the Week: Courtney Dial

It's no surprise that this twentysomething found her dream job at such a young age. She was raised by a father who created his own business, and she works full-time at Vanderbilt University's career center. Courtney Dial has demonstrated you can take a passion and turn it into a profitable business.

Today, Courtney serves as creator and editor of Pizzazzerie.com, a robust website focused on the art of entertaining. The site offers ideas, recipes, and DIY projects for parties of all kinds, from a simple luncheon to an elaborate wedding. She's managed to grow a successful business while working full-time. Read on to find how she did it.

What were you doing careerwise when you decided to create your own business?
I was assistant director of the Vanderbilt University Career Center.

When did you start your business?
I launched the site this past year to share entertaining inspiration with my readers! I have been hosting parties for years, but finally launched a site to share ideas.

When did you know that you could really make a go of this?
When I realized how many readers were reaching out to me on a daily basis and the number of companies I interact with for my gift guides, I recognized how large the entertaining community is, and I'm excited to grow my website to share great ideas!

What was the biggest obstacle?
Time! Working a full-time job and building my site in the evening really took a toll on my life. I don't regret it at all, but I am excited to have more time to move the site to an online magazine format in the near future. We are also working on a fun rebranding!

Did your friends and family support your dream?
Absolutely! Both my father and mother have been instrumental in supporting my dream. Though my dream has changed its course a bit over the past few years, they know I love online marketing and entertaining, so running a website is not a surprise. They see my passion for this industry and are confident that I have found my dream job.

How long did it take you to get the website started?
About six months. The first two months were spent working with a graphic designer and web developer to get everything off the ground. The site launched less than a year ago and has grown pretty rapidly. By the third month, I hired on two contributing writers.

What's the hardest part of what you do?
The hardest part is finding time to "step away" and manage the other areas in my life. Even simple things like keeping the house clean and little errands can pile up when you love what you do, because it's hard to step away. This is a good problem to have, however, because I am excited to start work when I wake up and look forward to Mondays now!

What's the most fun part of what you do?
I love brainstorming with my team! We all have a marketing background and a creative side, so we enjoy working on our site's rebranding as well as brainstorming new additions and features. We have some exciting updates coming very soon that we are thrilled about!

Where do you work from?
As I transition from my full-time job, I will be working from home! I have redesigned an extra bedroom into a fun home office with various "idea walls" where I pin up creative clippings, photos, and more!

Do you have employees?
I don't employ full-time employees (yet!), but I work with a fabulous team of contributing writers as well as an expert web developer who all keep Pizzazzerie.com growing!

How have you been using social media to grow your business?
It's really the backbone of my business. Social media and online marketing is another passion of mine, and I enjoy using it to grow my site as well. I have connected with magazines, editors, and great friends on Twitter. Facebook is also a great tool for my site as it encourages community building through comments and discussion.

Do you have entrepreneurial role models? What's so inspiring about them?
Martha Stewart is certainly an entrepreneurial role model for me. My father is also a role model as he too stepped out of a traditional job in his twenties to grow his own business. He shares advice with me about all things entrepreneurial -- from accounting to time management. He is my No. 1 fan!

Check out Courtney's photos

See all Doers of the Week

Keep up with Courtney & Pizzazzerie
Twitter.com/Pizzazzerie
Facebook.com/Pizzazzerie
Pizzazzerie.com

Photo Courtesy of Kate Whitmore Photography

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Comment by Gemma Booker on January 6, 2011 at 1:55pm: Loved reading this !

Comment by Mary, The Savvy Host on September 11, 2010 at 4:25pm: a great feature - all the best! Mary

Comment by Amy - Blowout Party! on August 11, 2010 at 6:47am: Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration!

Comment by Kelly Lyden on August 10, 2010 at 6:35pm: Congratulations, Courtney! What a fabulous honor! :)

Comment by abigail barnes on August 10, 2010 at 2:40pm: Yay! Courtney... so cool! congratulations :)

Comment by Cherrl-Lou Jacobson on August 9, 2010 at 7:39pm: How wonderful for you!

Comment by Kristy - PoshPixels DesignStudio on August 9, 2010 at 1:28pm: Congrats, Courtney! You deserve it! So excited for you!

Comment by Lisa G.~ Polka Dot Pound Cake on August 9, 2010 at 7:24am: Congrats Courtney, and continued sucess!

Comment by Jamie - Giggledust Parties on August 8, 2010 at 8:54pm: Congratulations Courtney!

Comment by Gigi Page on August 8, 2010 at 7:06pm: You make it look so inviting and fun!!!!!! and thats the point. Good for you turning your passion into your fun...Much Congratulations.

Comment by Coryanne Ettiene on August 8, 2010 at 5:10pm: Courtney, congratulations darling -- what a great post, really enjoyed reading more about you.

Comment by Melissa Diamond on August 6, 2010 at 5:32pm: Congrats!! Love your website--such fun, creative ideas!

Comment by Tanya Martinez on August 6, 2010 at 3:21pm: Congrats again~ here;o) Glad I found you on twitter, now I follow you all over! Awesome feature!

Comment by Stacy - InkSpot Workshop on August 6, 2010 at 6:43am: Congratulations! Loved reading the interview and such a great photo!!!

Comment by Jessica - Pen N' Paperflowers on August 5, 2010 at 3:47pm: Congrats Courtney!! You are a ball of energy and I always love seeing what you have up your sleeve to share with us!

Comment by Rebecca-FreshChick Design Studio on August 5, 2010 at 2:50pm: Great feature!! Congrats!!

Comment by Courtney Dial on August 5, 2010 at 12:28pm: You are all just absolutely the sweetest darlings alive. Thank you - your support is the reason I have so much energy :)

Comment by Khaliah Gibson - The Party Muse on August 5, 2010 at 11:31am: So wonderful, you'r a true inspiration! Congratulations!

Comment by Gaynor Marshall on August 5, 2010 at 6:17am: Congratulations Courtney! :)

Comment by Erica Roberts on August 5, 2010 at 5:50am: Congratulations Courtney! I'm a fan of your website and have enjoyed seeing it grow over the past months. So happy for your success :-)