My Dirty Secret

I’m going to let you in on a secret from my past, from my early 20’s, when my toughest daily decision was the one between happy hour and the gym (spoiler alert: the gym usually lost). I’m embarrassed to admit it now, but I had no passion. For anything.

I went to work, I came home. Life was good and it was easy. Sure, I worked hard at my job and was eager to learn more, but I wasn’t really dreaming of a future or a career. I was just doing what (I thought) I was supposed to do, day in and day out.

So What Changed?

There are two major things I can point to as professional turning points for me. First, I was extremely fortunate to have a boss who became a mentor and a role model. He saw my strengths before I did and provided professional guidance that helped me turn ‘just a job’ into a lifelong passion. Most importantly, he believed in me. It sounds corny, folks, but it’s true – sometimes, in order to believe in ourselves, we just need someone else to believe in us too.

Fast forward to turning point #2 – my daughter, Dylan, was born. As if the gift of motherhood wasn’t enough, Dylan’s birth also ripped my blinders off, so to speak. After she was born, I knew that going back to my full time job wasn’t the right choice for me. But I also knew I still wanted to work. Heck, I’d finally found some passion.

And voilà…Raven Creative was born.

Why Am I Telling You This?

My team and I are working hard to promote our participation in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, and because of that, I feel it’s important that I share a bit of my past and a glimpse of the future as I see it.

As a business owner, I work extremely hard. But I also eat breakfast with my kids every day and take them to swimming lessons and gymnastics. And sometimes I get to do grown-up fun things too, like play tennis, or get my nails done.

Starting a business has helped me realize that we don’t have to sacrifice the things we love in the name of doing great work. We really can HAVE IT ALL. We just need (or get!) to redefine what having it all looks like for us, and prioritize our lives accordingly.

The Future As I See It

I’ve got big dreams for growing Raven Creative and (fingers-crossed) the FedEx Grant will help me get there. In the company I’m dreaming of, I’ll help my colleagues find their passions and hone their strengths, all while creating excellent work for our clients.

Now, that statement sounds lofty and perhaps a little unrealistic, but here’s one thing I’m sure of: The best work happens when we get to combine our passions and strengths with the output of our work. When you get to work on the stuff you’re good at, stuff that really matters to you, amazing things are possible. So why not make that our goal?

Specifically, I hope to use the FedEx Grant to grow Raven Creative, by way of hiring an employee. This has always been and will continue to be the plan, the grant simply helps me get there faster.

But the role of this employee won’t be appointment scheduling or doing the work I don’t want to do. (Ha) No, my growth plan for Raven Creative is to continue to expand and enhance the skills and services we can offer our clients, by building a team that is multi-talented and entrepreneurial to the core. People who share my values and can get excited about growth, for our company, and for our clients.

My dream team is a group of people who are just as comfortable talking strategy and finding real solutions to our clients’ problems as they are actually creating and bringing those solutions to life.

Sound good? If you think so, would you please vote for us in the FedEx Grant Small Business Grant contest?

You can vote once a day, every day, until June 13, 2016.