Nothing in this life that could’ve prepared me for becoming a heart centered entrepreneur and business owner. Or, maybe my whole life has been preparing me. All the wins and losses, all the laughter and tears, all the heartbreaks and heart-filling moments – maybe it was all happening so that building a business wouldn’t ever break me. 

What if I’d listened to the people who laughed when I told them my dreams? Being a heart centered entrepreneur means you’re creative, you take care of your wellbeing, you sometimes have to readjust your dreams, but you ALWAYS find a way! 

What if I’d stopped when obstacles were presented, or things didn’t go as planned? There’s been so many times I’ve come home after something didn’t go as I thought it would, and lay on my bed and cried. For moments I’d question myself, my purpose, my ideas, my whole plan… and these moments taught me, we need to allow space for the release because after the breakdown comes the breakthrough. Then, you get back up, dust yourself off and go for it again. 

Each moment surrendered, takes you deeper and deeper into yourself, testing your true grit, tenacity, and perseverance. You get to really see yourself, you get to reexamine your self care techniques over and over again, and you get stretched in unimaginable ways. You learn to hold on loosely because the tighter you hold on, the squirmier the thing you’re holding onto becomes – be it people, places, things, or ideas. 

Building a business has taught me powerful lessons – HUGE life lessons, like the ones you learn from marriage, miscarriage, motherhood, divorce, death. ALL the beautiful, challenging things that make us who we are. 

The conscious, heart centered entrepreneur listens to their body and tunes into their breath. Your body and breath offer insights to where your mental and emotional states are at. These aspects determine whether or not we are happy, thriving and successful or down and depressed. Have self care rituals and practices that work for you: gratitude, journaling, yoga, meditation, time spent in nature are just some of my favorites! 

Release perfectionist tendencies as these tendencies can stop us from moving forward if we don’t release them. Accept that you’re not going to be perfect at anything the first time you try it (probably not your second or third either) … it’ll probably be messy, ugly, and a lot less than perfect than you wanted… but hey, you can only go up from there, right! 

Be willing to unplug and know what restores you…We too are like the mighty oak, with periods of growth and rest. We are like the tides, we ebb and flow, we are also like the phases of the moon, each phase presenting something different. Remember that what you experience will not last forever. It will change and a new version of yourself will be called for each changing phase. Trust that when you quiet yourself down and give yourself the proper care, the infinite wisdom available to you comes through you. Learn what practices and rituals fill your cup because we cannot pour from an empty one. 

KNOW YOURSELF inside and out and your power will never get away from you. 

Learn to let go of what ‘was’ to make way for what ‘is’. Just as there are seasons in life, there will be many seasons in your business too. You will see what you did in year one doesn’t work the same in year 2 and 3 and so on. Learn to appreciate the times things worked and be creative and daring enough to try new things as your business and self-evolve. 

Be willing to admit that you don’t know everything and be strong enough to ask for help when needed. It’s very humbling to start a business. You begin to realize shortly in, how very little you know about life and the way it works. I remember my first meetings with bankers, accountants, financial advisors, insurance agents… the very language they used was intimidating. Things like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRA’s, 401K’s, liquid assets, A Share, C Share, LLC, INC, Income Tax, Sales Tax, can all be overwhelming. 

There were many meetings I made so many notes of words I needed to google when I got home. But first, I would cry. I would cry really hard. I would be frustrated with myself for not knowing and I would then, remember that it was all okay and I would forgive myself. For not yet knowing what I didn’t know, and then, you reach out for help. Mentors, advisors, coaches you go to any length to learn what it is you need to learn in order to grow. NEVER, EVER hang your hat on the opinion others have of you: KNOW YOURSELF inside and out and your power will never get away from you. People will not always like you or love you and it will be ok as long as YOU love you. What others think of you is none of your business. Speak to those who want to listen and keep it moving. 

There are so many lessons I’m continuing to learn as I grow in business and life. Life is hard for two reasons: because you’re leaving your comfort zone or because you’re staying in it. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable. 

Most importantly, enjoy the journey because it goes by in the blink of an eye and remember; anything is possible so don’t quit your daydreams and ALWAYS Follow Your Fun!