I drove all the way to Maine with a friend who was helping me set up and run my very first workshop. The first of the 48 state touring workshop I had set out to do.
We had our gas sponsors, snack sponsors, and friends and family rooting for our success. Heading into Maine, I knew there were only THREE women registered for this event, but I was hoping and praying to the Universe that others would show up. We had a press release out, the hotel had made an announcement and it was listed on the local events pages, so it should fill up, right?
My heart was racing and my hands were sweaty. One woman walked in, then another, and then the third woman arrived and I as I greeted them with a nervous smile and handshake, we waited just a few more minutes in hopes a few more women would appear.
Nobody else.
It was just the three of us, including my assistant, so four of us. Strangers in a room about to get intimate and vulnerable.
Let’s rewind a bit…
I remember thinking I had to take action as soon as possible after leaving my job. Because if I didn’t take action and wasted any time, I’d miss out on leveraging that transition energy—leaving the corporate career world.
So I got myself a bartending job, I made those initial phones to my mentors, I found an office down the street from my bartending gig, and I hired a few coaches.
BAM.
I was committed, ready to go all-in for whatever was to come my way. While I was lining up my investor ( bartending income ), securing the space for “work”, and meeting my coaches, I had no clue what the next step would be.
How was I going to earn a living with my magazine? Of course, advertising was one way, but what other income streams can I establish?
One thing I discovered early on was the value of a coach. My first choice coach was one of the BEST decisions I made as a new Entrepreneur.
It was the biggest pivotal moment in my career.
She taught me how to take action, no matter what and how important play and creativity were to be successful. She instilled into my brain that there are no right or wrong ways going after what you want.
Whether it’s confidence, weight loss, health, a new career, or love, you must move, pivot, shift, step forward and create that forward momentum each day.
Pick up a new book, join a gym, find an online group, get a coach, ask for help, read more books, watch all the free training videos online, and take advantage of the resources at your disposal.
For me, I got therapy, starting working out, accepted responsibility for my nutrition, read books on personal development, started a passion project that turned into a career, I invested time, energy, money, mindset and hunger to get the results I wanted.
I found a way to invest $5,000 in a coach.
PIV.O.TAL
My coach and I were brainstorming and she mentioned I should maybe publish a book. I suggested creating a book out of the online content I had published during the first few years in launching. With that, we then played and got even more creative with the idea of selling advertising in the back of the book to help the costs of publishing it and that is how The Identity Magbook was born.
Within the year of creating and publishing my first book with advertisers, I had the fear of nobody even knowing who the heck I was and how they would purchase the book. How the hell was I going to sell or use this book?
My coach and I had another very bold, take action, and think outside the box kind of idea. I was so excited and naturally nervous and filled with fear.
Although I had all those emotions inside, I was committed. I left my job, invested in a coach and have lots of skin in the game—I couldn’t give up.
So we created that 48-State Touring workshop and that’s when my speaking and workshop career got ignited.
Back to Maine…
I gave those three women at my very first workshop everything I had in me. I practiced my knowledge, my mission, and believed the four of us in that room were there for a reason. I wasn’t going to let them go without experiencing what they came for. Which was, empowerment, support and leaving feeling more confident in their identities.
Want to know how this tour turned out?
I didn’t complete 48 stops. I completed twelve and I was only profitable on two of them. Depressing you may think, but not at all.
This was the most amazing experience that took my career to an entirely new level.
During the process, I learned how to sell sponsorships, negotiate contracts, put on events, host workshops, perfect my speaking, teachings, workshop-style, and ultimately created my signature workshop.
With the experience, I built networking and a following. I showed the Universe I was committed and willing to be uncomfortable to gain confidence, experience, knowledge, growth, and to grow my business.
My very last stop, stop number twelve in Arizona, I met a woman who a year later reached out to me to hire me to host a workshop for her organization. She hired me for 3 locations at $5,000 a piece, travel and experience all included.
Do you see the full circle?
Do you see why it’s important to show up, experience, keep pivoting, asking questions, taking risks in order to GROW and REACH YOUR GOALS?
Now, years later and I’ve earned well over half a million in my speaking and workshop career. I get paid between $3,500-5,000 to speak and host my workshops.
If I never took those early-on-steps in finding a passion project to heal, turning it into a business, leaving my job, investing in coaches and programs, showing up to do the work and take risks, I have to wonder if I’d be where I am today.
I’ve gained SOOO much more than an income over the years. The most important gain is my confidence and belief in myself and knowing I’m capable to go after what I want emotionally, physically and within my life and career. The obvious gains, I have been able to help thousands of women transform, shift and grow as well.
How amazing and rewarding is that? Very, and I’m proud.
Your Turn
What are some of your PIVOTAL moments? Reflect on decisions that have shifted your journey in love, health, and/or career?
Are you happy with them? If so, FANTASTIC. How can you deepen and create more?
If not, where can you start to shift and pivot so you can get back on track towards your goals? Can you pinpoint where you THINK you went wrong and how can you course-correct so it doesn’t happen again?
Because it’s OKAY to get off track here and there as long as you believe that you are capable to change the track again. I’ve got a fun fact for ya, you CAN. You’re in control of your track, accept that, own that, embrace that and have fun with that!
Make your track FUN and ALIVE. PLAY, CREATE and GO ALL IN.
Decide, commit and take the risks! If you show up, it will pay off!
Can’t wait to discover your powers,
Sue
P.S. Reflecting, acknowledging and even celebrating your PIVOTAL moments will keep you driven on your journey. Know when and how you gained that additional spark of confidence and self-trust. Know when you have growth within your career, know why you got the promotion.
In Discover Your Power & Ignite Your Life, I teach you simple exercises to clear and release the negative blocks and to celebrate all your wins and pivotal moments. We take action, so you always know how capable you are in having any of your desires and goals come to fruition and what steps to take next. Join us now
We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re not talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I’ve become accepting of my imperfect “mom tactics”. It’s such a mental game being a mother because you constantly worry about doing the right thing, saying the right thing. However, all the previous mothers are right, we do the best we can. The most important is showing love and kindness and teaching our kids that.
I’m always working on less yelling and stronger communication with my twins.
Appreciation is everything. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I so appreciate being a mother and the Universe giving me the opportunity to be a mom. I’ve experienced a messy miscarriage and the blessing to then have spontaneous twins… that’s a miracle I won’t take for granted.
Share with us one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.
In addition to this little mom win this week, I’m so proud of surviving and thriving the first 5 years as a Mom. I’m proud of my husband and our communication and our promise to support one another. It’s not perfect, but both of us put the effort in.
