You can have mentors and coaches and cheerleaders galore, but nothing takes the place of a really good friend. Not just any friend, but a kindred spirit. A twin soul that inspires and motivates you, that dreams things you would never dream for yourself.
For me, that person is Casey McCann. Not only is she a brilliant musician and educator, but she's a visionary thinker, who is 100% committed to her passion, her vision and her truth.
I first met Casey at a funeral. It was a gloomy winter day, and we had just witnessed the burial of a mutual friend's boyfriend, who left the world much too soon after a two year battle with a brain tumor. I don't remember much about that day, other than our mutual friend singing the most haunting rendition of Eva Cassidy's "Songbird," and the serendipidous sound of a marching band outside the funeral home serenading his soul into the afterlife.
And Casey. I was blown away by her poise, her energy, her spirit. We didn't talk again for another year or so, meeting again through our mutual friend, who was hosting a CD release party. We had a brief conversation about my public relations business, which was in its infancy, and her music school, which was thriving and making its mark on the community.
I'm not quite sure the next time we saw each other, but that the raw wounds of our mutual divorces, our joint quest for spiritual and personal fulfillment and our shared passion for entrepreneurship bonded us for life.
Since that time, I've watched her confidence blossom, her spirit soar, her soul center, and the impact of her business has been incredible. She's a living example of the impact authenticity, passion and truth can have on a business. I leave every conversation with her insired, empowered, convicted, centered and resolute.
In an era when "coaches" and "experts" are a dime a dozen, it's a poweful remider that sometimes, all you really need is a little help from your friends.
