Each month, Successful Women Made Here brings you a notable successful woman who’s either made a product, created a service, developed a brand, made millions, and/or became known in her area of expertise. While we are inspired as we peer into their world, we also may tend to think their rise to the top must have happened overnight and came easily. They must have had the perfect plan all lined-up since birth practically or handed to them. But that is hardly the story nor the truth. We also learn what it took these women to get there and how they overcame trials and obstacles. We’ve heard how for Sarah Fisher – who even though she qualified for the Indy 500, she had no sponsor. Her car was literally a blank slate. She feared not being able to race and her chances were nearly doomed. Yet it took her hitting that low point for an opportunity of a lifetime to happen. Her angel investor and now part owner of her team today came out of the woodwork and changed her entire racing career. That took her from being not only a racecar driver but to Team Owner. That was a very smart move on her part for a lifetime in racing beyond her having to race the car herself. Obviously her situation wasn’t perfect before putting herself out there on a limb. Another guest interviewee of ours – Ambre Crockett of Ambre Blends – was mixing oils in her bathroom (not even a business started at her kitchen table), labeling them by hand, and giving them away to her friends – asking merely of them to donate what they could for her products. She had a mindset to overcome and had to quickly learn how to be a businesswoman as her products quickly came more in demand. She now is in 3 countries and more than 300 stores. She definitely didn’t have her ducks in a row before launching. She wasn’t even aware she was launching a line. While these may seem like embarrassing aspects these women would rather forget – it’s all a part of their incredible journey. It’s uplifting for us to hear it. Share your story with your clients and customers too. Don’t hide it – be proud of how far you’ve come.
The road to success is NEVER paved in a straight line.
Obstacles and detours are a normal part of your success. They also prepare you for your success to come. When I was a news reporter in 3 different cities – I figured I’d always be in news. Then, my husband’s job took us to NYC and I had to reinvent my direction. That transformed into acting and doing hundreds of commercials and videos as an actress. That lead me to realize my passion: dogs and interviewing; and from that I created a TV show pilot about people, pets, and dating and created Leashes and Lovers – an online dog-lovers community. People ask me if I had a big vision when I started Leashes and Lovers. I had an initial goal that transformed into others. It went from an idea to creating something that didn’t exist before – dog social events and a website from scratch that now connects thousands of people across the country. It’s also become a best selling book and featured on national media like FOX & friends, ABC News, and in The New York Times. My goal is simply to succeed in my own businesses and be available for quality time with my family – home with my children. So, every day, I take clear steps to propel the businesses forward.
And I did everything I could… from where I was… with all I had.
And that’s all you have to do too. Envision and write down your next step—the one that moves you in the right direction—and take it. It doesn’t have to be perfect yet – just take the step – one at a time. As the NIKE people would say, “Just do it!” If you do that, your vision will be revealed when you least expect it. Your business will not only help you achieve something your passionate about, but something that will have in impact on other people too.