That’s me living the life at Glacier National Park. I’m back and things are rocking and rolling — I wanted to give you a few updates.

The other day I got my results back from the Strenghsfinder. If you’re not familiar, it’s an online assessment to help you identify your “strengths.” And I am OBSESSED.

BTW did you notice I put quotes around the word strengths?

(I did that on purpose.)

Because your Strengths don’t always show up as, well, strengths… There are balconies and basements, to steal a phrase from Strengths coach LaTondra Murray Chandler.

One of my “strengths”, for example, is Achiever. The “balcony” of this strength is I’m a damn hard worker. Working hard is just something I do. The “basement” of this strength is living in a near perpetual state of frustration.

You might recall I challenged myself to earn ten thousand dollars in July. It was a group challenge actually.

Just for context before this challenge I had planned to do jack shit in July except binge episodes of Alone and get ready for my vacay.

But challenges are candy to me as an Achiever.

So I jumped in.

Yep as an Achiever I like achievement. (Obviously.) The problem is I do that thing where I get really wrapped up in the results I want.

This can be good and bad.

The good part is that you can’t get what you want unless you know what you want. And too many women don’t even know when they have to go pee let alone what the hell they want.  If this is you btw, you should join me for the Dream Big 5 Day Challenge. It kicks off MONDAY!

The bad part is this: shit rarely turns out the way we want it to.

Hence the frustration.

I had envisioned a relatively easy time earning 10k in July.

NO.

Here is an excerpt from my journal…

“Day 1 of the 10k challenge sucked ass. I reached out to 19 warm leads and didn’t hear back from one. Then I got ghosted by someone who was thinking of working with me. Then I overshared on FB and made myself look like an ass.”

Here’s another one:

“Day 2 of the 10k challenged sucked ass. I’m not sure if it sucked as much ass as day 1 but it was close.

I reached out to several of the people I emailed yesterday. This time I recorded a video. I only sent it to a fraction of people this time, not the whole list. Crickets AGAIN.

Then I found out it was a no from the person I was waiting to hear from about 1:1 coaching.”

It continued like this for days.

In fact, the Achiever in me probably would have thrown in the towel after day 2.

But here’s the thing, achiever or not, I know something about this line of work.

I am an ENTREPRENEUR.

By definition an entrepreneur is a person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business.

RISK.

I know that being successful requires risk and means not giving up when things don’t go the way my Achiever wants them to go.

I eventually did  earn 10 k in July.

Some might call it a weak ass 10k.

But 10k is still 10k.

And you know what else? I would have never earned a dime if I hadn’t allowed myself to dream big. Which is why you should get your ass on over and sign up for the Dream Big Challenge.

So here’s the break down:

1 awesome new client –2500

3 awesome virtual retreat sign ups – 2391

A la carte coaching sesh –  $250

Reimbursement check for a class that got cancelled  – $150

SBA loan (yeah, I fucking counted it) – $1800

Affiliate payment – $109.60

Contract work (copywriting) – $2650

Misc. coaching –  $150

I had to count a reimbursement check, a government loan for 1800 and some change I found in the couch.

But you know what?

I hit my goal. Even if it wasn’t easy or effortless or sexy.

You know why?

Because I told my inner Achiever to take a chill pill, swallowed hard and kept going.

Plus I gave myself permission to dream big.

Here’s to your own big dreams. It might not be easy, effortless or sexy but a dream is a dream and every one of them matters.

Xo

-a