What Sparked You?
I listen to a lot of podcasts and read a lot of books, mostly by female business owners. I've noticed that a lot of the most successful women in the world started their journey because something was taken from them or someone told them they couldn't succeed.
And it lit a fire in them to prove them wrong.
Other successful business owners had their idea for their business come to them when they were doing something they enjoyed and simply observed how something was missing and they knew how to make that process easier, quicker, better. These women didn't go to Harvard or Yale and they didn't have a fancy list of reasons why they could do what they were doing. They saw a need and figured out how to meet that need.... from within themselves.
They observed. They listened. They were aware.
And then they acted. They did internships, started a small business out of their home, they took small steps every day to get to where they are now. (Which is freakin rich!)
And it all started because an idea sparked in their minds.
How can you create some quiet time for your creativity to bloom? How can you observe more, listen more and be aware more to the world around you? There are so many businesses waiting to bloom in your mind, they just need the quiet space to do so.
I recently had someone attack my ability as a business owner. I was told I don't know what I'm doing, that I haven't had the years of experience needed to do what I want to do. I was told I'm too young to be a leader. Everything about who I am on the outside was attacked as not being good enough. But guess what, I have thick skin and I know that as a 32 year old, I may be young, but I have been listening, learning and observing others my entire life. And I have learned a thing or two and I still have years of learning left to do. (YAY!) But I also have 32 years of stories, experiences, challenges and ideas. The drive, creativity, determination and versatility within me is immeasurable. God created me to be a leader. As an Enneagram 5 who is naturally a loner, that comes as a shock to me too. But it is what it is. He created me to be a writer, to love the outdoors, to be a woman's woman, to challenge the status quo. He created me with a fire inside that is unlike anyone else's because it's mine.
I created my business after the birth of my son, Gage, because I needed a creative outlet and because I understood the importance of how fleeting time is. How fleeting youth is. And I wanted to show others the beauty I see in them. I had many friends and family members support other photographers the entire time I was building my business. And that's okay, because I trusted that each person who supported me was placed on my team for a reason. I was told several times that I didn't have what it takes to be successful in this industry. And that's okay too because I trust God to be my CEO, my Marketing Director and my Sales Director and He has yet to fail me. ;)
We each have a fire inside, and sometimes it takes being challenged or rejected to fan the flame of that spark so that we truly come alive.
You don't need to have the perfect resume to do something great in this life. What is within you is all it takes to make the difference.
Get quiet, take some time to be alone with your thoughts and get those creative wheels turning. Because our stories, our flames will be a guide to so many others who are looking for the light.