The other day my mom sent me my business card from 10 years ago. I worked at a prestigious advertising agency and lived in Chicago. Her message said, “You’ve come a long way baby . . . Remember when.”
Looking back, I just want to hug that girl. Sure she worked with celebrities and professional athletes on glamorous photo shoots and made a ton of money and lived in a big fancy loft, but that girl was depressed. I would cry myself to sleep every night. I was addicted to drugs and stuck in a vicious eating disorder cycle. I felt lost, alone, scared and unsure.
I had passion for writing and wanted to help others, but had no idea how to turn it into a career, and I was so consumed with worry that I didn’t believe in myself at all. But one step at a time, I slowly gathered up my courage and removed myself from all the things that didn’t work. I left the job, the city, and one by one I started to build myself and life back up on a solid foundation.
Even though I didn’t know how to make a living doing what I love, I knew I needed to figure it out. After all life is too short to spend it doing something you don’t like.
For years I would hustle, writing and coaching in the evenings but taking odd jobs in the day to pay the bills. Yes, I had outward success — my first book hit the Amazon best-sellers list and I was featured in national magazines and on TV shows as a happiness expert — but making money from my passion, at first, was always a struggle. I had passion but I had no idea how to turn it into a sustainable profit.
Even with my big fancy marketing degree and years in the advertising business, I still didn’t know how to market myself online. I wanted to reach more people and help people all across the globe but I could barely pay my own bills.
I knew I needed to stop trying to do it all on my own, so I sought out mentors, which changed everything. It wasn’t until I started working with Marie Forleo through her B-School program that I realized how important the structure and foundation of running an online business is.
I learned how to understand my business at an absolute fundamental level. I understood what my business actually was, what it stands for, what I wanted to create and how to market it in today’s competitive digital world.
If you want to make a difference doing what you love, you have to have a solid foundation, and Marie gave me a roadmap and the keys to online success.
Today I can work from anywhere in the world and impact hundreds of thousands with books, courses, retreats and coaching. I have the freedom and financial means to fly to China and rescue dogs, a cause I care deeply about. Truly, I am living my dream life, and it all started when I stopped trying to do it all on my own and looked for resources to help.
What is your dream? What do you want to do with your life? I’d love to hear int he comments.
Photo Axel & Ash
