Honoring your inner child and becoming successful.
It’s officially summer!
Summer is one of my favorite times of the year. It brings back fond memories of my childhood in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Summer meant hanging out at my friend’s houses in the neighborhood, playing flashlight tag in the evenings, and running like wild beasts in the forest behind our neighborhood.
Our town was safe and my mom never worried about me being at the other kid’s houses. Those kids are still some of my closest friends today!
Thinking back on my childhood now really lets me see how my life then led to my success and happiness as an adult and an entrepreneur.
My parents divorced when I was just 5 years old and my dad was a farmer in a nearby town and worked hard, physical labor every day. My mother worked extremely hard to support us all and make sure we had what we needed. Seeing how hard she worked and how much she sacrificed for us really inspired me and shaped my work ethic.
I got my first job at 14 and have been working ever since. My mom also always pushed me and supported me in whatever I wanted to do. Her support was invaluable to me feeling like it was okay to take risks and be creative.
As a little kid, I wanted to be a scientist or an astronaut or a police officer. As I grew up, my goals and dreams changed to more creative and hands-on endeavors. I loved to create and work with my hands. I even invented a couple of products when I was young! Sometimes, I used to dig around my house and look through catalogs that came in the mail to see what I could use to make something else.
In 2015, I started my first business, Puff and Fluff Spa, a pet grooming salon in Phoenix, Arizona. I worked hard to grow my business and treat every family’s pet as if it were my own. I started getting word-of-mouth referrals quickly and soon I had more clients than I had time for!
We can all learn from ourselves as kids! Think back: What did you LOVE as a child?
What drove you to become an entrepreneur? Maybe you were inspired by the adults around you or from the things you were passionate about or from the treehouse conversations with your friends.
As for me, I think my best traits are ones rooted in my childhood – and the ones that drive my success today.
- My eagerness for MORE
- The way I love taking RISKS
- The way I LEARN and figure things out as I go
- My deep COMPASSION for others
- The abiding LOVE I have for animals and people
What do you look back on as drivers of your success as an adult? I believe that remembering and honoring my past self reminds me of who I am and why I work hard. Do you ever honor your inner child and just PLAY? Let go and have some fun!
Two of the ways I play and let my inner child come out is when gardening and cooking. I LOVE spending time in the sun and growing things and cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Check out some of my favorite must-haves in the garden and the kitchen here and drop me a comment about YOUR favorite ways to play!
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