My Name is Laura, and...

They say admitting a problem is the first step toward recovery.

Hi, my name is Laura, and I'm an entrepreneur.

Hopelessly creative. 
Stubbornly ambitious. 
Occasionally manic. 
Always dreaming.

I've been through a bit of a blue spell lately, the kind I think we all go through when doggedly pursuing our dreams. The crazy long hours. The endless self-promotion. The financial uncertainty. The fits of self-doubt.

But at the end of the day, I persevere because I can't imagine doing anything else. Because it feeds my mind and my soul. Because I am resolute in my dreams. Because I can't imagine returning to cubicle hell.

But most of all, because I can't imagine doing anything else.

I AM an entrepreneur.  Are you?  And what are you going to do about it?

The Bucket List

I was wondering what in hell I was going to blog about today (especially since I've set some random precendent of two posts in a row-gotta keep the momentum going), and I stumbled upon EPW's bucket list.  If you don't know EPW--Elizabeth Potts Weinstein--you should.  And not just because she's the queen of fabulous Twitter hashtags.  Don't believe me? Follow her.

Since I've been a bit bogged down with business budgeting and planning, I thought now would be the perfect time to dream.  The bucket list isn't about accomplishments--it's about experiences.  The unforgettable moments and memories that make a life truly well lived.  

On my list?

1. Meeting Dolly Parton.
2.  Belting out a show tune on a Broadway stage.  Or maybe just a stage.  I've always been the chorus girl--just once, I'd like to be the star.
3. Qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. 
4. Learning to play the guitar or the cello.  Or both.
5. Traveling to Europe to witness the summer sports trifecta--Wimbeldon, the British Open and the Tour de France.
6. Writing a book. Preferably one that people buy and read, and that makes the New York Times bestseller list and lands me an interview with Matt Lauer (swoon).
   
7. Speaking fluent Italian.  Or enough to get around Italy for a while.
8. Living in a foreign country for at least six months.
9. Getting a tattoo.
10. Owning an apartment in Manhattan and a house on the coast near Charleston, SC.  Or at least regular trips to each destination.
    
11. Taking a ballet class and performing in a tutu and ballet slippers.  Even if I'm 60.
    
12. Learning to shag and dancing really well at someone's wedding.
    
13. Talking writing with Anne Lamott.
14. Having my vote for President count in the state of Georgia (wishful thinking).
15. Buying a pair of Louboutins.
16. Getting paid some sort of money or winning a makeover/photoshoot/free clothes for looking like Sarah Jessica Parker.
17. Teaching a college class.
18. Becoming a certified Pilates instructor.
19. Attending the NCAA Final Four.
20. Eating at a five star restaurant and tasting everything in front of me.
21. Raising $100,000  for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
22. Getting rid of STUFF--and living a full life in a one bedroom apartment, with just my husband, a couple of pets and our collective bucket lists to fill the rooms.

What's on your list?
 

Taking the Plunge

I've always had an identity crisis when it comes to blogging.  This is my fourth blog to date, and while it's the first one to bear my real name, I've realized that I'm still a bit intimidated by the blogosphere.

In person, I think I come across as poised, confident--a leader.  But when it comes to writing, at least publicly and especially when it comes to thought leadership, I am shockingly meek.  I thought because I've established this blog as a personal, confessional space, it wasn't the place to explore more weighty topics--particularly professional ones.  But I'm realizing now it's simply fear.  Because I don't have all the answers, and the questions change daily. 

I've been guilty of the same timidity when it comes to business.  Second-guessing myself.  Undervaluing my work.  Giving things away.  Fearing risk and failure.

No more.  If I'm serious about my dreams--writing, speaking, connecting with amazing people and promoting the heck out of my clients--I need to jump in the deep end, feet first, eyes wide open.  

Or, as some of my wise friends have written in the past few days: Strike while the iron is hot.  Burn the ships. Fight like hell.

2010 is my year. Stay tuned.

December 17, 2009

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about serendipity and perseverance.  How if you just make the effort and take baby steps (again, "bird by bird"), good things will come your way.  Little did I know that that particular bout of perseverance was coinciding with the swine flu--so perhaps, a little rest would've been in order.

And then, approximately two weeks later, I had a very similar day (sans swine flu), on a much larger scale.  So big, in fact, that I sent this email to a good friend:

Do you ever have one of those days when it seems like everything--every idea, dream, connection, thought--comes together?  Today is that day for me--put it on the calendar.  December 17, 2009.

And little did I know what was to follow.  So many amazing connections and opportunities and experiences that made every little misstep, every dead-end job, every ounce of blood, sweat and tears I've poured into this business worthwhile.

2010 is going to be a huge year.  Bring it.

Dreams

January used to be the dedicated month for resolutions.  But it seems now that December is en vogue.  I've read quite a few blogs this week encouraging people to use the holiday season for self-reflection, planning and strategizing.

Maybe it's because my birthday falls at the beginning of December (I'm currently celebrating nearly 24 hours of being 34!), but this is also a natural time of year for me to ruminate and dream.

Note my use of the word "dream."  Substitute "vision," if you must.

Because I'm not a fan of resolutions.  Big lofty plans just seem destined to fail.  Maybe it's the free spirit in me, but I don't like to put boxes or limits or black ink on dreams.  Conceive them, believe in them and nourish them, but don't get bogged down by lists and tasks and metrics.

Dream big and dream often.

A Walk in the Clouds

Sometimes, if you spend too much time in the weeds--in the mundane business of paying bills, returning emails and relentlessly pursuing an ever-expanding "to do" list--you forget to look at the sky.  To remember your passion, your direction, your dreams.

So today, I made a conscious decision to spend some time in the clouds.  To plan, to dream, to luxuriate in possibilities.

I highly recommend it.