WHY WE CHOSE OCEANSIDE, CA AS OUR LIFE AND SMALL BUSINESS HQ

Location matters.  ​
For us, location (where we live and spend our time) is right up there as one of our most important things in life, and I don’t say that lightly.  

I’ve lived in 9 different cities, 3 different states, and 2 different countries since I graduated college.  Each move pursuing another opportunity and honing in on my place. 

Location isn’t everyone’s top priority, and it may not be yours.  No problem, I’m not trying to convince you that you should be like me.  You might choose to do life wherever life takes you.  Or you may prioritize family or friends and decide to live where those people are close by.  That is a-okay.  Yet, location or even broader, your environment matters.  You don’t have to move somewhere different to implement this. 

Give me a Sec to bring this home…  The story goes that at a very young age, I knew and told my parents that I would someday move to California.  I grew up in a small town in Minnesota on a farm that today is a legit wedding venue (shout out to Legacy Hill Farm -- our client and my parents’ business).  At the age of 23, I made it to California, and I’ve never looked back.  I love it here.  California is a huge state, though, and from city to city and region to region, the lifestyle can be drastically different.  I’ve loved every season I’ve had for different reasons, but since moving here, I’ve always been on the hunt to find “THAT SPOT” – the one that would be my city.  
 
In 2020, we found our spot.  We bought a home in Oceanside, CA and have fallen in love with it.  This seaside town has taken our hearts.  It calls out my love for the sun, water, outdoors, and so much more.  

If you aren’t from San Diego County, then you may not even know about Oceanside or at least not know much about it.  Oceanside is the least posh of all the San Diego beach towns in North County.  It’s not cheap to live here, but there are pockets where it isn’t outrageous either.  It has this mesh of young families looking to stake a claim on the Golden Coast where not everyone but the uber-wealthy are priced out — alongside the older generations who purchased back in the 70s and 80s and have had the benefit of large property value appreciation.  For reference, I have some neighbors that work in the local school district that bought their home for less than $100k back in the 80s.  

Oceanside is filled with people from all walks of life, and it is vibrant.  It has the both grunge and the glamour.  We’ve lived in a variety of places that were beautiful fun spots, but where we also felt like we were outsiders.  Not in Oside.  We are welcome here. 
 
Oceanside is picturesque, but it has some other significant things going for it as well.  It has that underdog spirit.  It’s tangible. You can feel it.  New opportunities are around every corner.  New restaurants. New shops. New businesses.  It’s becoming a small business hotbed and it’s ripe for turning into something amazing.  As a small business consulting firm, we are inspired by all the small businesses that surround us here, and we love that our city is fostering, encouraging, and cultivating a place for entrepreneurs to take risks and add to the community. The other thing about Oceanside is that it has that comeback spirit to it that gives you this feeling like tomorrow is going to be even better than today.  You can feel the energy of it all, and we are here for it!
 
If you want to come visit, there are some great places to stay:

• The Green Room - a cool local boutique hotel in South Oceanside
• The Seabird - a new, beautiful beachy hotel near the pier and downtown
• Mission Pacific Hotel - also new and beautiful, a sister hotel to the Seabird, right across the street

 
If you read this far, you can tell by now how much we love Oceanside.  Oceanside sets the “macro” landscape for our location and environment.  I think ideally, on some level, we all could like, appreciate, and hopefully be inspired by the geographic location that we live in.  If you hate where you live, it might be time to switch things up because, as the saying goes – life is too short.  

And also, you can’t possibly love everything about a specific location.  We love Oceanside, but like any place, there are certainly some things that aren’t ideal about it.  Yet, our “big things” are met here, and we see the potential and hope for better days ahead.  

Moving beyond your geography, we also have to address the type of environment you live in day-to-day – your home, your work, where you eat, work out, etc.  These places affect you.  The design and layout of your home and office impact your well-being and your output.  Where you spend your time affects how you think. It will inspire you or demotivate you. It will call you to action or lull you to inaction. It will give you confidence or make you feel unsure. 

In one of Rob Bell’s recent audiobooks, Handling Your Fire, he mentioned the importance of your environment and surroundings. He said something like… “your environment should remind you of who you are and what you are up to.”

I love that.  I want to lean into that.  From the city I choose to live in, to the way I set up my desk.  From the colors in my room, to the plants I take care of.  

We recently put our lock on the Oside heart.  I don’t know what lies ahead, but we don’t plan on leaving Oceanside, CA. 
 
Location and your environment is worth thinking about.  It’s worth being intentional about.
 
Live somewhere you love. Live somewhere you want to put a lock on.

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