About My Entrepreneurial Journey

I’m an entrepreneur, creator, and experience-driven professional based in Southwest Florida. My journey began young, fueled by a relentless curiosity and a willingness to dive into the unknown—whether that’s building businesses from scratch, performing on stage, or fostering community engagement while raising a family in Oaxaca, Mexico. Today, I channel that energy into a career that encompasses business leadership, innovative ventures, and creative expression, all rooted in a deep respect for nature and community.

I cut my teeth as an entrepreneur early. At 20, I managed a Furniture Medic franchise in Chicago with my family while studying Public Relations at Columbia College Chicago—learning the ropes of business leadership before I could legally drink. By 22, I launched my first true venture, Movements Gallery in Austin, Texas, a venue that won awards for its vision, blending innovative operations with a flair for creative expression. Trained in opera, theatre, and improv, I took on quirky character roles including on Motor Sports Unlimited (a cult classic), pushing my own comfort levels and engaging with the community. Shedding ego and expectations helped me understand people and systems—a thread that has run through every project since.

One of my proudest chapters in business leadership was resurrecting Shangri-La Springs (2012–2019). I transformed a shuttered property into a thriving community hub and private event venue, grounded in organic principles and respect for nature. Before 'experiential marketing' became a buzzword, I launched monthly art events that celebrated creative expression and showcased the venue's historic charm, drawing crowds and fostering community engagement. At Everglades Wonder Gardens (2019–2022), I spearheaded private events and managed marketing efforts, adapting to the challenges of COVID-19 to keep the community alive. These experiences were more than just jobs; they provided valuable lessons in resilience and reinvention.

My corporate side sharpened as CEO of Mushrooms Inc. (2022-2025), where I led a small public company through SEC compliance, financial strategy (no toxic debt), and team growth, all vital aspects of strong business leadership. That role birthed MYCOLabX.com, where I now drive mycelium-based innovation—think smart bandages and eco-textiles—merging science with purpose and fostering community engagement. In the years leading up to these roles, I explored new ventures, honing a deep understanding of people, practices, and business acumen, all while allowing for creative expression. My Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship from Florida Gulf Coast University ties it all together—earned while raising three of my four sons as a single mom.

I’m a sponge for experience, deciphering it through art and creative expression. I’ve written hundreds of poems—most written under the constraint of time—along with novels and novellas that explore the messiness of life. My stage training and global lens, shaped by living in Oaxaca and traveling through Europe, deeply influence my approach to business leadership. I blend the discipline of my military family roots with a drive to foster community engagement through meaningful connections. Workaholic? Maybe. But it's less about the hours invested and more about pursuing what truly matters.

It isn’t all dark. There is humor here, beauty, absurdity, and bright flashes of life. But much of the writing carries a twinge of endurance.

Writing has always been more than creative expression for me. It was a way to survive. Words gave me somewhere to go when I did not yet have the language—or the distance—to understand what I was living through. Singing did the same. For years, both became anchors: places to put what I could not yet resolve, and ways to find my way back to strength.

Many of the darker poems were not written after the struggle. They were written from inside it.

I share them now because I know what it is to feel completely alone with an emotion you cannot yet articulate. If these pieces do anything beyond preserve a record of that journey, I hope they offer recognition: a moment of someone else has felt this too.

Darkness is not the destination here. It is part of the passage.

Curious what the dark sounds like?

Step inside.

New poems are released on the 22nd of each month at 2:22 p.m., continuing the work as a living collection and an invitation to shared creative experience.

This space serves as my lens—where past ventures intersect with current missions in business leadership, creative writing, continued processing and framing of the world we exist in. Discover my event legacy at zawicarlson.com and my innovations at mycolabX.com, or stay here for the full inside story. I’m still building community engagement, still learning, and still connecting the dots through creative expression.