Yesterday was a rockin’ day.

I was (delightfully) trapped in a moving vehicle with the one and only Naomi Dunford... for… wait for it…

Five hours.

Yes, I DO recognize that it shouldn’t have taken five hours to get back from Houston. But considering the situation, I could not possibly have had better company. (Except maybe someone with an iPhone. Speaking of which, I’m taking recommendations on iPhones.)

There’s something about running the gauntlet that deeply, viscerally inspires me. Three hours to Houston International, an hour or two at the scanning faces game, five hour drive home and a leisurely ramble through “lost in the middle of nowhere” to boot—another few hours at dinner and then downtown again to (pitifully) try to catch Pastries & Pasties, even though they wrapped up an hour early and we got there spot on the final “Goodnight!” That was my day. It sounds mundane and harrying—not like battling the encroaching Persians or freeing your countrymen. But it’s also strangely appealing just because it’s hard.

That’s a pretty amazing realization for a girl who’s had to work consciously to combat her own laziness!

Pushing my own boundaries has gotten addictive. Making the decision to put myself in new challenging situations gets easier every time. I look forward to it more—I relish knowing the ending. Can I make boundary-pushing even more addictive? What bigger, better thing can I do next? Getting to keep moving forward is the chocolate avocado icing on the raw nuts-dates cake. (Delicious, by the way, if you want the recipe.)

So my first day of SXSW Interactive was unorthodox, but incredibly awesome. I wouldn’t change it—not even to catch every single panel I missed because of my drive. The challenge and the company were too spectacular for me to even think of complaining. I could not have had a better day.

Okay. Maybe if we hadn’t gotten lost.

But other than that. ;}

Before discovering Naomi Dunford at IttyBiz, I didn’t know of any really good resources for teeny tiny businesses—you know, the ones you start out of your living room. I knew there was information out there (and I had slogged through a lot of it, building Virtual Magpie) but it was a rough path to take and I historically have recommended it with care (albeit a ton of enthusiasm).

In my short association with Naomi’s website, I am becoming more and more certain that she is changing that. I am thinking of all the people who have asked me how they could start a business for themselves, over the years, and wiiishing that I had known about this resource then. Argh!

The thing that finally spurred me into saying something was this whole “Online Business School” thing, which is a product she’s going to launch (at huge discounts for the first however many customers, so keep an eye on that) and a handful of lessons she’s already begun posting, for free, on her blog. The first one BLEW MY MIND. The second and third are likewise extremely awesome, and deserve your attention if you are even remotely interested in making money for yourself instead of schlepping around for the Man. You know. The MAN.

Anyway, you can find all three of them (and any of the other posts she makes between then and the moment you click this link) at her Online Business School page. It’s preeeetty freaking awesome.

I’ll probably say more as things develop. I’m very much interested in finding out more about what she does and how she does it. A bit inspiring. :}

[Update Nov. 12, 2008 – Naomi posted the audio portion of one of the modules on that same page, so there’s more to play with. The package goes live sometime today, and the first 2000 people get some obnoxiously ginormous discount on it. You should probably sign up for her mailing list. It’s way at the bottom of the page. That IS how I find these things out… :}]