Don’t ignore your stepping stones.
Don’t ignore your stepping stones I started working wedding banquets when I was 13 years old. I saved every paycheck and bought my first car in cash. I learned the only way to have money is to save money...and that driving in the summer with no AC sucks.
Photo courtesy of Burn Boot Camp
When I was 17, I worked in retail and tried calling in “sick” often. I quickly learned that excuses are a dead end to success.
When I was 18, I worked the front desk at Rochester Athletic Club. I washed towels and announced upcoming fitness classes over the loudspeaker. My heart would race when I picked up the phone. My voice was shaky and short of breath. I was terrified. I learned the importance of humility, and that the only way to get better is to keep practicing.
When I moved to North Carolina, I served fried food. One day, I worked a double shift and made $12 in tips. I also tried to pass off mahi mahi for chicken to a customer, so, $12 is basically all I was worth. Ted disagreed. I learned that sometimes we need to borrow the belief in others before we can believe in ourselves.
Fine dining was next. I used words like “delightful” and “hint of coriander” to describe food. I learned that I couldn’t be fake AND be happy.
During my senior year of college, I landed an unpaid marketing internship at Bank of America. I was ecstatic. When the internship had ended, my immediate manager told me there was no budget to pay me. I showed up the next day and offered to work for free. They let me. I learned that if you want something, you have to be your own advocate. I was later offered $10.00/hour as a contractor.
Months later, I wiggled my way into a full-time position on the Marketing team. I learned everything is earned.
Years later, and shortly after being promoted to VP, I left Corporate America. I learned that I needed more than a new title, I needed a purpose.
Ted’s business was booming so I became his sidekick (really, minion) for all things marketing and unpleasant tasks. The idea of writing articles and blog posts excited me – until I did it. I learned that writing about SharePoint and law firm intranets was not where I’d find my purpose. That our talents only become passions when we love what we do. I consumed myself in all areas of his business to learn as much as I could. I learned the grit required to own a business. These lessons were different than watching my Dad build his 40+ year masonry business on his back. This time, there was no buffer or innocence that kept me oblivious. I had a front-row seat into the deceptively glorified small business life of stress, risk, worry, time, taxes, payroll, failures, and fleeting moments of celebration. The freedom in this kept my attention.
In 2015, I joined Burn Boot Camp. I had two small children, a strained marriage, and a terminally ill mother-in-law occupying my main floor guest room. The direction of my life was unclear. I maintained a quiet presence at home to keep the energy suitable for both a dying woman and a stressed entrepreneur. But, the fire within me was loud at Burn Boot Camp. There was something there that kept whispering, “Don’t ignore this.”
In 2017, we bought into the Burn Boot Camp franchise. A new city and four gyms later, I’ve learned to trust the unknown. The unknown is full of opportunity and should be greeted with optimistic curiosity. I’ve learned that when we make intentional decisions to build the life we want, we get closer and closer along the way. These stepping stones equip us with the knowledge, experience, and tools to rise to the life we have been searching for all along.
