Where Ya From // Where Ya At: The Summer I Became an Entrepreneur
“It don’t matter where ya from, it’s where ya at.” —Missy Elliott
The above photo was taken in July 2012—the year of the dragon--on the rooftop of my friend’s gorgeous condo overlooking midtown. A group of us had been meeting regularly as an accountability group dedicated to our vision boards and goals we had set. This evening was one of those times, and it was also a celebration.
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After 5 years, two promotions, 70+ hour weeks, and a salary that was nowhere near what it should have been, I quit my job, started a business, lost 15 pounds and got married within a 4 month time period.
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It was only a year before where in the middle of stressing about work a voice came to me out of nowhere and said “No one can live your life for you.” It was at that time that I took a step back and asked myself if I wanted to be complaining about the same things in five years.
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Through a period of soul searching, coaching, taking care of my body, eating more than just one meal a day (ridiculous, I know!), meditating, distancing from the people in my life who drained me, taking the time to be more intentional, and a little nudge from my mentor, I finally gained the courage.
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The most important thing I learned was that no matter how hard I tried to achieve something, it had to be done in a way that was aligned with my strengths and also did not require martyrdom. I gave myself permission to have my wants and needs met and go after them in a way that I had never before.
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July has so much meaning to me even after all of these years since Independence Day coincides with the time I took my freedom seriously and started living in my truth.
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The past 7 years have been an incredibly beautiful and wild ride. I love looking back on the 26 year old me who was just starting to recognize her worth and tryna be cute wit a lil drink on a rooftop. It reminds me of all the possibilities the future holds if we stay aligned, do the deep work, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
