Okay, maybe it didn't always feel that way. The first few days, I was flooded with new members, positive feedback and action. It was exciting and great! Of course after a few days, it began to slow down.... way down. This didn't feel good after the incredible high I had been on for the last 3 weeks. So the two days before our second launch, I was intermittently taken into a world of doubt and fear. It was time to decide how I was going to react to this new business. Was I only going to allow my happiness, because business was good? What did it mean to my life's purpose when it wasn't? Why did I decide to create this business anyway?
Soul searching became parts of days 4 and 5. The answer was loud and clear. Authentic Times was created for what I wanted to see on the internet. It was created for honest voices, without looking at advertisements, and it was created to inspire my spirit, that YES you can do things in this world that are about community and creativity and learning without corporate funding. Basically, it was created because it was my dream. I am realizing that my dream doesn't need approval from the world, it's just my dream. Realizing your dream IS success. When I really let that sink in, it allowed me to appreciate even more all the beautiful gifts I had already received through emails from other women and excitement in their writing. Every email and member was a bonus to my dream. The icing on the cake, you know, the cinnamon on the latte. Having others connect with my dream, is just an incredible blessing.
That when the perfection of the slow down hit me! The slow down allowed me to clarify my intentions, it allowed me to rest (yes, sleep!), let go of the coffee (again), begin to exercise, meditate and best of all find time to connect with my children and husband, family and friends.
Gratitude Journal: I am grateful for how much beautiful success one person can have in just one week!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Yahoo! Launch Day!
Wow! We finally made it to the Summer Solstice and our AuthenticTimes.com Launch Day!
What a amazing collaboration from my husband, the Programmer Extraordinaire, my brother, the Amazing Layout and Graphic Arteest, my sister and good friends (you know who you are!), also known as the Profound Support Team, as well as the many women I have met, spoken and emailed with, who shared their ideas and wisdom to create a phenomenal site!
Thank you ALL!!!!
I have spent the last week on coffee (which is already back on my quit list), working most days from 6am-11pm, wondering where the boys (7 & 9) are, communicating passionately with my sweet dearest husband, and feeling the wild exciting ride. This is blazing your trail, ladies, and I highly recommend it! Building this website has been so much fun, and I have learned so much, I know, no matter what happens, this is the journey I wanted to be on.
I hope you will all check it out, and see what my caffeine brain, fuzzy eyes, and wild dreams has helped to create!
What a amazing collaboration from my husband, the Programmer Extraordinaire, my brother, the Amazing Layout and Graphic Arteest, my sister and good friends (you know who you are!), also known as the Profound Support Team, as well as the many women I have met, spoken and emailed with, who shared their ideas and wisdom to create a phenomenal site!
Thank you ALL!!!!
I have spent the last week on coffee (which is already back on my quit list), working most days from 6am-11pm, wondering where the boys (7 & 9) are, communicating passionately with my sweet dearest husband, and feeling the wild exciting ride. This is blazing your trail, ladies, and I highly recommend it! Building this website has been so much fun, and I have learned so much, I know, no matter what happens, this is the journey I wanted to be on.
I hope you will all check it out, and see what my caffeine brain, fuzzy eyes, and wild dreams has helped to create!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
One Week and the Lessons Keep Coming!
I look at my calendar and realize AuthenticTimes.com Launch Date is only one week away!
Do we have everything in place?
Yes, in fact, we have been ready for the past few days. We are just sipping margaritas in the sun, while the Summer Solstice comes to remind us to launch our perfect site!
Now for the real, or should I say, authentic answer. We are so far from being close, that we are working into the night and morning, every day. Excitement is high. Joy is coming in giant spurts.
On top of that my sweet 6 year old boy is turning 7 tomorrow and in my SAHM fashion, I couldn't resist, but to throw a huge birthday extravaganza! Too much on my plate? That is a great question, and the answer feels too big. It just isn't easy letting go of the ideas I had when I was a SAHM that a birthday party was huge deal. The fact is, I have always loved throwing parties. It meant planning and creating and gathering friends. I suppose that is what I have been doing with this website.
All working mothers must ask the question, how do you change your rhythm and find 5 extra hours in a day? My husband is doing a phenomenal job trying to take over some of the work I used to do. However, when my younger son got hurt yesterday, I was in trouble by both of my sons for letting my husband try to comfort him without me. My older son, came downstairs about 4 or 5 minutes later and announced, "Where were you? He needs you!" When I came up, my husband gave me a look that said, What else could I have done? "You are doing a great job," I try to encourage him, "it's just that this has been my job for the last 10 years."
Choosing to unschool/homeschool is something that is a way of life to us, and yet, we haven't found that time in the last week or two to help with projects. I already have told the kids that, except for the birthday party, expect mom to be really busy the next week. They already cook for themselves, and yesterday they cleaned the house, I suppose they will figure out how to find ways to move forward with their projects, without our help for another week.
This is going to be an adjustment for all of us, now that mommy is working.
I am less than 50 emails away from my launching goal of 100 women subscribers to start the Magazine with. I am still looking for more writers, recipes, and artists to fill the pages with other creative voices. (This might be a hint for you!) I am also trying to get the word out there about our launch date in creative ways.
My graphics are still being entered and functions are not all ready for action. Launching in one week? NO PROBLEM! I feel like those guys who, when remodeling our home, would look into my eyes of hope and tell me, no problem, we will get it done. Of course, that never actually happened. Not once. Have I become one of those guys?
So I breathe, I open myself up to the universe and say, I am here and ready to work. Show me what and where, and I will work. I will do my best to remember to kiss my kids and husband, sleep, exercise, drink water, and have moments of silence. I have always done what others have told me what I am supposed to, and now something has shifted. I am the one who is supposed to know the what and where. I am the head contractor of this building site. I am supposed to have the answers and make final decisions. Yet, I still call my girlfriends for advice and help and last minute ideas. I wish I had a big company. I would just call a meeting of staff to brainstorm these final decisions. But I don't, and it really comes down to me. What do I want? What is the creative force inside of me wanting to create? And the wisdom comes down as, if you knew you could not fail, what would you love to do right now?
It is up to the confidence in my choices again.
Do we have everything in place?
Yes, in fact, we have been ready for the past few days. We are just sipping margaritas in the sun, while the Summer Solstice comes to remind us to launch our perfect site!
Now for the real, or should I say, authentic answer. We are so far from being close, that we are working into the night and morning, every day. Excitement is high. Joy is coming in giant spurts.
On top of that my sweet 6 year old boy is turning 7 tomorrow and in my SAHM fashion, I couldn't resist, but to throw a huge birthday extravaganza! Too much on my plate? That is a great question, and the answer feels too big. It just isn't easy letting go of the ideas I had when I was a SAHM that a birthday party was huge deal. The fact is, I have always loved throwing parties. It meant planning and creating and gathering friends. I suppose that is what I have been doing with this website.
All working mothers must ask the question, how do you change your rhythm and find 5 extra hours in a day? My husband is doing a phenomenal job trying to take over some of the work I used to do. However, when my younger son got hurt yesterday, I was in trouble by both of my sons for letting my husband try to comfort him without me. My older son, came downstairs about 4 or 5 minutes later and announced, "Where were you? He needs you!" When I came up, my husband gave me a look that said, What else could I have done? "You are doing a great job," I try to encourage him, "it's just that this has been my job for the last 10 years."
Choosing to unschool/homeschool is something that is a way of life to us, and yet, we haven't found that time in the last week or two to help with projects. I already have told the kids that, except for the birthday party, expect mom to be really busy the next week. They already cook for themselves, and yesterday they cleaned the house, I suppose they will figure out how to find ways to move forward with their projects, without our help for another week.
This is going to be an adjustment for all of us, now that mommy is working.
I am less than 50 emails away from my launching goal of 100 women subscribers to start the Magazine with. I am still looking for more writers, recipes, and artists to fill the pages with other creative voices. (This might be a hint for you!) I am also trying to get the word out there about our launch date in creative ways.
My graphics are still being entered and functions are not all ready for action. Launching in one week? NO PROBLEM! I feel like those guys who, when remodeling our home, would look into my eyes of hope and tell me, no problem, we will get it done. Of course, that never actually happened. Not once. Have I become one of those guys?
So I breathe, I open myself up to the universe and say, I am here and ready to work. Show me what and where, and I will work. I will do my best to remember to kiss my kids and husband, sleep, exercise, drink water, and have moments of silence. I have always done what others have told me what I am supposed to, and now something has shifted. I am the one who is supposed to know the what and where. I am the head contractor of this building site. I am supposed to have the answers and make final decisions. Yet, I still call my girlfriends for advice and help and last minute ideas. I wish I had a big company. I would just call a meeting of staff to brainstorm these final decisions. But I don't, and it really comes down to me. What do I want? What is the creative force inside of me wanting to create? And the wisdom comes down as, if you knew you could not fail, what would you love to do right now?
It is up to the confidence in my choices again.
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