Soon after opening the shop, which he called The Ink Stone, an architect friend of Smith's was bemoaning the fact that he had to drive to Richmond to pick up blueprints. Again, Smith saw an opportunity, and began printing blueprints at his store, as well as carrying drafting supplies, balsa and basswood for model making, and other architectural supplies.
"Most people would be winding down or thinking about retirement, and he's going off on this really risky venture," said his daughter Amy Jackson. "I think for him it just really mattered about having something of your own that you could really bring all of yourself to. He always used to say, 'Why rent something when you can buy it?'"
She's the founder and CEO of Contrarian Thinking, a media and finance education company with millions of followers and subscribers, aimed at empowering people to take control of their financial future through unconventional paths like small-business ownership. She also runs venture fund Contrarian Thinking Capital, earned her MBA from Georgetown University, and is a New York Times bestselling author. Her estimated net worth is about $17 million.