8 Comments
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Ingrid Wodenitscharow's avatar

I love the raw and honest insights of this very important chapter of your life. It can serve as a very encouraging and empowering example for small business owners building a thriving business against all odds in today‘s world!

Thank you for sharing!

Denise Wakeman's avatar

Thank you, Ingrid, I know I'm not alone in the struggles to build a thriving business. They change over time and it's good to look back once in awhile to see how far one has traveled.

Paul Chaney's avatar

Happy endings often come after heartbreak. I celebrate your success Denise, but not nearly as much as I cherish our friendship. 💛

Denise Wakeman's avatar

Heartbreak teaches important lessons for sure. And I too, value our friendship. So glad we reconnected through Substack, Paul!

Dennis Berry's avatar

Great story!

Love these lines:

4. Real growth comes from doing the thing that feels unlike you.

I never saw myself as someone who made bold moves, until I did.

5. The work changes you long before the results show up.

That first business built a steadier, more confident version of me.

We need to "become" the person who deserves, and can even handle, our dreams, goals and wishes.

Just wanting something doesn't mean we're ready for it.

And, "becoming" isn't usually pleasant or fun all the time (or ever. LOL)

The irony is that it took time (likely years or even decades) to become who we are now... like it or not... so it's going to take time to become who we want to be next.

And, only very few are willing to do it... which is why we hear about the 1%.

And, the other 99% wonder how they did it...

Well... it's because they put in the time to "become" who you see. :-)

Denise Wakeman's avatar

Dennis, thanks for your thoughtful comment. And sometimes, we don't know who we want to become until we begin to see hints of what's possible.

Kathi C. Laughman's avatar

Thanks for sharing this, Denise - hindsight often holds riches we need to explore not just for ourselves but for others. "The story didn’t end the way I imagined, but it set up everything that came next." The belief that guides me is that everything makes something else possible. And we don't always get to know right away what that is - but believing in that does make all the difference.

Denise Wakeman's avatar

Well said, Kathi! The possibilities + curiosity are what drive us.