Business Boutique Recap | Top 5 Lessons for My Heart

I am still on such an emotional high from this past weekend. I woke up this morning and just prayed that the fire that was ignited within me to pursue the passions and the calling that God has placed on my life does not go out.

Y'all, I cannot tell you what a blessing Business Boutique was. I'm going to try to describe the experience as adequately I can from my own perspective but I will say this first: If you are a woman in business, just go. to. this. event. It is life changing. And it certainly will change your (and my!) business in a monumental way.

My friend Jamie is a die hard Dave Ramsey listener, certified teacher of Financial Peace University, and practitioner of his plan in her own life. We were on a Skype call several months ago (we were getting up at 5:30 in the morning together to work through Crystal Paine's Makeover Your Nights... Crystal, by the way, taught at Business Boutique!). So we were in this sleepy Skype meeting of sorts and Jamie said "I just got my ticket for Business Boutique and you need to get yours now." First of all, I had no idea what this even was, where to get a ticket, or when it was, but if Jamie thought it was a good idea and Dave Ramsey was involved, I was like, "great, let's do it".

I'm so glad I did. Almost without thinking. My schedule was clear that weekend, which is miraculous because if you could see a snapshot of November in my planner, it's CRAZY, as I'm sure many of yours are. The tickets were affordable at $79 (I'll come back to this later), and it was in NASHVILLE! Hello, girls weekend!

By the way, I just want to throw it out there that Jamie has an unbelievable capacity to eat like an over-the-road trucker. I don't know how she does it. That's all on that.

I don't want to give away all the details of the event by walking through it moment-by-moment with you guys because I truly do hope that you'll attend for yourself. But I do want to share the Top 5 things that God spoke to my heart through the words of the incredible women leading the event. Of course, there was TONS of practical business advice, takeaways, and tangible ways to grow business. You'll see me implementing these over the course of the next year. But what I didn't expect to get at Business Boutique was the most incredible Holy pep talk I've ever received. My heart is so full and I'm excited to share these encouraging words with you.

1. There's room for you, too.

There are so many businesses out there! It seems like every where I look there's a new woman entrepreneur starting something cool. Maybe even doing the same thing as me (or you). But one of the most important things I learned this weekend that there is room for you, too. YOU were gifted with a unique-to-you personality, passion, skill set and capacity to serve. There is room for you, too.

2. Start with the Why.

This point is a little more on the practical side. I'm sure you've heard this before because it's a very famous quote by Simon Sinek. But what I got out of this portion of Christy Wright's talk was how we try so hard to make our own "why" into some big, philosophical thing. Like, by the time you're done writing it, you don't even understand what you wrote. Maybe you threw a few thee's and thou's in there. No? Oh, so that's just me? I'm kidding, but I have definitely over-thought this process. Don't make it too complicated! Get literal about it. Christy's why is that she grew up in her mom's cake shop watching her work hard and she got so much out of that experience that she wants to empower other women to do the same. I'll share my why in another post, so look for that soon!

3. Our favor is for service.

Christine Caine, founder of The A21 Campaign closed out the first night of the conference and brought. the. house. down! Her words and just her presence are so powerful to listen to. She spoke about the favor that we have in our lives--how lucky we are to live in such a privileged place where we can pursue business and education and not have to be some man's doormat or worse, slave. So what is all that favor for? It is for service. It is to do the work of the Lord. We are gifted with our talents and passions not for our own self indulgence or status, but for a PURPOSE to SERVE God's other children. I am so excited to step fully into my passion for teaching women in an accessible way to get back into the kitchen and feel confident that they are taking care of their family and friends well. If I allow fear or comparison or negative thoughts to hold me back, I am getting in the way of the work God has for me to do, and I am not serving His other children well. I don't want that to be my legacy.

4. It's not about me.

Christy encouraged us to dream so big that it seems impossible, because impossible is the point at which you let go and allow God to step in. If your dreams are possible, you can do it on your own. But that's not the point. You might not feel qualified or smart enough or all those other terrible things we allow to creep into our minds. But it's not about what we can do. It's about what God can do through us. The one who has called you is FAITHFUL and HE WILL DO IT. I'm trusting Him as I grow my business from here. I'm setting impossible goals. I'm dreaming of huge ways I can impact the kingdom through the service I provide. And I'm confident that He has not brought me to this place and given me the passions He has, to pull the rug out from under me.

5. Do it anyway.

Not everyone is going to understand or even like you. People might throw you shade. People might laugh or act confused as to why you are even attempting to pursue this thing that maybe you don't feel qualified for (hello, personal insecurity!) Who cares. You're not doing it for them. You're doing it for the people that need you. You might even be scared. Do it anyway. Don't let fear hold you back.

If these small takeaways strike a chord in your heart, I really want to encourage you to consider purchasing a ticket to either the Nashville event next year or the new 1-Day event, kicking off in January! Christy Wright has done an amazing job putting Business Boutique together and packing it full of speakers who will light a fire under you to give you the push you need to take the next step in your business and in your life. I mentioned the ticket price earlier in this post. The knowledge and encouragement I got out of the last two days was worth THOUSANDS of dollars, y'all. A ticket to the two-day event in Nashville is only $79. It is soooooo worth that and more. And the new Business Boutique one day event? $29. Yep, that's a 2. I wholeheartedly believe in the value of this life-changing conference and I know you will, too!