From Couch Change to Code: How We Built Startups That Refused to Die
We created four companies from scratch, sold one, and started again with no investors and no apologies. We're here to stay.
In 1995, my husband and I co-founded T&S Software Inc.,
Initially it was a company of just the two of us. We were dreamers driven by brain buzz, couch change, and the kind of grit you only get when you have nothing to lose.
Our first client? NEC. We had a big name, small team. But somehow we pulled it off, and they’re still with us decades later.
Fast forward from there, and I either lost my mind or found a new calling. Over breakfast (and probably too much nerve), I launched Hairboutique.com, the first consumer-based hair, beauty, and lifestyle site on the entire Web.
Everyone said I’d crash and burn. Friends promised to drop by and support my new venture. Spoiler alert, most didn’t. But I refused to quit no matter how many hours a day I had to work.
But my husband, best friend, and business partner stuck by me through every stumble. Back then, I had to build the entire site in HTML myself because WordPress didn’t exist. Google was the new kid on the block and wasn’t exactly handing out tutorials.
I had to dig deep, code every page, and learn as I went. I didn’t have other hair websites to use as a template. I had to make it up as I went along.
But there’s a great plot twist. Hairboutique.com didn’t just survive; it thrived. Nearly four decades later, it’s still alive, still free, still fierce, and still home to the legendary HairTalk community.
Today, we offer hundreds of thousands of pages of expert beauty, hair, and lifestyle content, proving that grit, passion, and a little stubbornness can outlast the Internet’s trends.
We didn’t need investors, luck, or a viral moment. We needed grit, a good idea, and the guts to start when no one believed in us.
In 2008, my husband and I jumped back into the startup world and co-founded Telegato, a high-tech communications platform under the T&S Software umbrella. My hubs handled the software architecture and coding (he’s a full-stack developer), and I managed the business side.
After growing the company and selling it to a billion-dollar Canadian conglomerate in 2012, we launched The 99 Group, in addition to T&S and Hairboutique.com. It was a consulting firm serving the electric co-op tech industry for the next fifteen years.
Two years ago, we decided to scale down our consulting projects to just one or two long-term clients and embark on a project “just for fun.” That little side project evolved into Sayzio.com, a new hybrid social media ecosystem combining the best aspects of the Web while cutting out the toxic ones.
The company is 100% privately owned, self-funded, and hosted on offshore servers. It’s built with love and positivity—with no political or billionaire affiliations—under our T&S Software corporate umbrella. We bring three decades of integrity and experience to the table.
People said we’d fail. Again. But we’re still here, coding, laughing, and saying “pfttt, whatever.” It’s been two years of long nights and unexpected challenges, with a few folks who promised to help us grow, ultimately ghosting us.
Yes, it’s disappointing, but it’s life, and it’s how the startup cookie crumbles. Luckily this isn’t my first rodeo.
My husband and I are both writers at heart. He writes music, software, and memoirs. I write marketing plans about social justice, true crime, and vampires.
We built Sazio to celebrate authentic content, whether short or long form, written or video, created by real creators. After working nonstop on it in the shadows, we recently went live.
Yes, there are still a few pesky bugs and a ton of exciting features in the works, but we’re thriving, taking it one startup day at a time. After four decades of building five companies, it remains both terrifying and exhilarating. There’s always something new to learn, a scary challenge to crush.
Right now, no money is changing hands. But in 2026, we’re rolling out creator revenue programs to reward the bold new voices that are willing to help make Sayzio shine. If you’re like me—curious, brave, and ready to take a chance—I’d love for you to join us and help grow something epic.
Being an early adopter has its perks. Imagine hopping on Instagram or Substack on day one, yeah, it’s that kind of opportunity. I recall the thrill of being on Twitter in its early days.
The life of a serial entrepreneur can be intimidating. People ghost you. Promises fade. But at the end of the day, the only person my husband and I can truly count on is each other.
We’re best friends, partners-in-crime, and we’re not slowing down. I’m very grateful for all the years we’ve spent together.
So, come peek at the lightship we’re building. Jump in, explore, or stop by and share your thoughts so we can make it better. Either way, the adventure is just getting started.
Good read 👏🏽