Heart and Hustle

Something has been on my mind over the last several weeks and thought it would make a great topic and “public service announcement”, if you will.

I have been so fortunate to witness, and even become a little more integrated into, local women-led businesses. I have several friends and acquaintances that have turned their dreams into a living reality. Their trials, tribulations, and success has been a large inspiration when I contemplate my own future next-steps. But if you are not a business owner, it’s easy to take for granted what goes along with it. Depending on the business, there can be a considerable amount of overhead - costs to make it operate, staff, and TIME!

Time is Money. We have all heard of the saying and we can all relate to this concept whether we are a business owner or work for someone else. Time is a valuable resource and it is a limited resource, just like good ol’ moolah. No one wants to work for free, nor can we. And I am going to say the collective absolutely does not want to be taken advantage of! So, we need to be paid for our time.

I speak from experience when my husband had his own construction business for a short time, charging for your time is probably one of the most uncomfortable things about being self-employed, from what I observed. And your worth can feel subjective, right? You may not think I am worth what I say… and that’s ok because that’s not up for someone else to decide- we decide what our time and talent is worth. As consumers, especially today, we want everything quick and cheap. I am guilty of it as well. We tend to want that feeling of a “good deal” and a mutually beneficial transaction, which is fair but sometimes I think it comes with ridicule

But, in my humble opinion, feel we tend to take for granted that someone (or multiple someones!) are behind the scenes trying to make our needs met. By seeing more of the of the operational aspects of owning and running a business first-hand, I have even more respect for all of the time they put into their businesses. I feel the need to advocate for them getting paid B I G for their time…because they are abundantly-talented, bodacious bomb-shells, and authentic human beings trying to make a difference in this world, and they do a frickin’ fantastic job doing it!! And they put a lot of time into their craft.

I bet you don’t understand what all goes into your catering order… or that workout class you attend 2-3 times a week…or the spa you frequent for your self-care…or those custom T-shirts you ordered so your family could match on vacation. All I am saying is next time you purchase something from a small business, take a moment to reflect and appreciate.

I’d also like to mention time/worth pertaining to customer relationships. If you have been following me up until this point, you know I am a big proponent of surrounding yourself with the right company. I’ve heard many stories from business owners speaking about repeat customers that do not value their product/service/time/worth. Whether it be a complete energy vampire, taker-advantager, complaining about pricing, not sticking to appointments… just like in our personal relationships, it’s absolutely appropriate and the right of the business owner to cut certain customers out of their circle if they are not aligning.

I have a lot to learn and consider if I ever wanted to start my own business. I am so lucky to have a lot of wonderful women to look up to and gain insight from. But what I do know is, I will be aligned with my time and worth and if I get the sense someone doesn’t, I will have no problem encouraging them to look elsewhere : )

Much gratitude to our small business owners! You’re doing amazing and thank you for all you do!

See you next Tuesday : ) Love yous guys! xoxo