I DIG YOUR GRIT AND SHIT

Follow your dreams. Such simple words. How can three words little words demand so much from you?

When I had our second daughter, Ila, I went through what most moms go through, I couldn’t bear to leave my girls and wanted to start my own business. In my mind, 6 months in I would be laughing all the way to bank. LOL. That’s life laughing at me. You see the posts, you hear of the struggles, you know how difficult it is to start a small business, and more importantly to stay in business, but you always believe that your story will be different. Thing is, you have to hold on to that belief.

When I looked at my dream, I always assumed that just one person had to believe in it - me. Turns out that several people have to believe it too – banks, fans, supporters, suppliers, your (business) partners, your spouse, your friends, your family. And suddenly it seems like such a huge summit. I did what most future business owners did, I put my dreams on hold.

I know how incredibly difficult is it when you’re starting out: you have to find suppliers you’re happy with, materials you’re happy with, courier companies you’re happy with, photographers you’re happy with to eventually create that product that you’re happy with. And I did, I found them all. What I didn’t find was find a bank vault full of money.

The other day I found a motivational quote that made me think of a fellow Facebook friend. I posted it and he asked, “Why do you love me so?” I didn’t have the answer then but I have it now. Because he is so magnificently passionate about what he is doing. Every post, every cup of coffee he is making has so much love it in. How can that not taste f*cking fantastic?! My favourite line, motivational quote if you will, surprisingly comes from La La Land. When Ryan Gosling character says, “No-one wants to come to a place called Chicken on a Stick,” and Emma Stone quips, “They’ll come because you’re passionate. And people love what other people are passionate about.”



So this is my ode to the business owner - whether you’re starting out or going strong:


To the one still hustlin’ every day, I salute you.
To the one who’s heard 162 “no’s” and still waits for their one “yes”, I salute you.
To the one who’s thought about giving up 800 times but has continued 801 times, I salute you.
To the one saving up, making loans, cutting down, I salute you.
To the one attending markets every Saturday instead of getting their drank on, I salute you.
To the one fulfilling orders until 12:04am, I salute you.
To the one losing sleep. I salute you.



Because here’s the thing about dreams, everyone has them but not everyone has the guts to pursue them. And the fact that you took that first step, that you’re brave enough when others aren’t, that you’re getting up, moving up, dressing up, showing up already means success. Coming from someone trying to do it too -  legit, I dig your grit and shit (so much so that I’m sacrificing all forms of grammar here).

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