So Hazlet...How the heck did YOU end up here?

Mission Statement

I fundamentally believe that we're growing up in a world that fails to teach us how to be successful in many areas of our life. The most freeing thing I have learned to date is that success principles are both without expiration and without bias. If they worked for someone before, they will work for you. The caveat however is of course, that to get the same result, you have to do the same work.

My mission is to educate and empower anyone that is hungry, humble, and appreciative how to take ownership over their own life. 

The world desperately needs positive change. But first, homebase. Before I can go change and empower the world, I need to educate and empower myself - you can't teach what you haven't done. I think most of us can agree that people have different ways of saying the same thing, and sometimes we, well at least I do anyway, need to hear the same thing 15 times before we actually get it. This is my version of a tried and true method - a tool to help me reach out and connect with people who are in the process of redefining their direction. Maybe you aren't after entrepreneurship, maybe it's just a better quality of life. Whatever it is you're looking for, I fundamentally believe, "there has to be more out of life."

"Elevator-Pitch-Length" Biography (Because let's be honest, you're not here for me)

And I don't mean that in a, "you're so selfish," kind of way. Truly, you're here for you. You came here, or stayed here, because you were hoping to learn something. At least that's what I hope. You're hoping to find something to help you move forward. And that is fabulous. But to briefly answer any idle curiosity you have about me, here you go:
I was born, I had challenges, I overcame, I grew. I laughed and smiled a lot, but I had moments where I wept. Then I had challenges, I overcame, I grew. I laughed and smiled a lot, but I had moments where I wept. There's a cycle here, are you seeing it? There's growth on the side of every challenge if you're willing to seek it out.

Alright, I did tell you that I believe every story matters...so here is some of mine...
I grew up an only child to parents that believed you had to work to get what you wanted. Novel, right? I got incredibly blessed in the 'upbringing' department of my life. And while the whole journey to here obviously hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, I recognize that so many people have had to deal with a lot worse. When we start off majorly in the red, it's an even steeper uphill climb. Maybe that is why I'm so fascinated with the stories of other people - they always give me perspective.
So what were some of my challenges? On a summary statement level: mental. I'm clinically ADD, but that's not exclusively what I'm talking about. Self image and self-esteem are also mental things...and, depending on where you fall on the spectrum, they cause a cascade of other blessings or issues.

Do I think some of the self-esteem issues I created sprung out of the ADD? Sure. But a lot of it came out of ignorance. I didn't know enough to know how to love myself. I stigmatized myself more than my peers. There was something wrong with me because I wasn't like everyone else - and when you're a kid that just wants to fit in, that's hard.
The way we see ourselves usually impacts the people who choose to put in our life. Most of the time, these people will reinforce that mental picture we've painted of ourselves - for better or for worse. I made a post about how relationships and self image interplay. So let's talk about my relationship problems. HOLD ON. Don't panic. Remember I said I didn't come here to complain?

The fact is, I didn't know how to be a great friend to other people because I didn't know how to be a great friend to me. I needed to learn to like me before trying to like other people. Fix that first & you'll be amazed at how many things begin to change in your life.

Unhealthy friendships (and romantic relationships) further self-esteem issues. If we look in the mirror and don't like who we see...we tend to believe we don't deserve people that build us up. If you don't build yourself or think highly of you, why would anyone else**? #GotToChangeTheSelfTalk
**Quick side note here, on the recommended book list I have...the Shad Helmstetter book was critical to stopping this crazy-cycle.

Aside from relationships one of the biggest sledgehammers to my self esteem was my senior year of college. I was slated to graduate with a BS and MBA when I first enrolled. Accepted into an elite dual degree program, I preened like peacock coming into freshman year. Seriously. In fact, I was so proud of the accomplishment I practically built my identity about it. When you don't know who you are and what you value, it's easy to define ourselves by the situations we live in and the behaviors we display. And so, when I was told that there were concerns about my maturity (and I had a 3.4 vs. 3.5 and had scored a 680 on my GMAT...minimum needed was a 650). I was emotionally crushed. Everything I had planned for my life was spinning out of control and I didn't know who I was any more. Which sounds ridiculous...but it's not that uncommon. I see it happen all the time. The rejection felt personal. That they were rejecting ME. I was not good enough. 6 years later I'll be quick to tell you it was one of the biggest blessing in my life...but it certainly didn't feel that way.

So along with my diploma, college left me with debt and a crushed self-image. I took a job I initially hated but was too insecure and overwhelmed to look for something new. If I'm honest, I don't think I felt worthy of something better. Which is sad, but I see that all the time. I complained constantly but did nothing to change. I hated my situation and vocalized that I deserved better, but inside, I was afraid, hurt, and licking my wounds.

When you hit roadblocks, you have two options: get back up or lay there.

If there's one thing I'm thankful for, one of my program heads came and sat down with me after we...parted ways, and spoke life into me. Jim had run and created several companies before becoming a program adviser and I can't remember what he told me exactly but essentially it boiled down to this: some of these people don't have an 'it' factor. Not everyone agreed with this decision and understand that he felt I didn't need an MBA to be successful. He told me I was resilient. And I don't know if he was speaking into me characteristics I needed to develop or if he really believed I did have an 'it' factor. But I needed those words of encouragement.

Now, I think I have an 'it' factor. I think everyone has an 'it' factor. Often undeveloped, but I believe in my capacity and that of others unlike I did back then. Genuine belief in others is one of the most powerful gifts you can give. It's one my mentors bestowed upon me and I do my best to universally pay that forward without expectation of return.

So I overcame. Make no mistakes. It wasn't a one week turn around. It was the first time I felt like I completely face planted after giving something my all. After graduation, I stayed with my college boyfriend for a year longer than I probably should have. We were great when I was fully myself, but as a wounded soul so to speak, I was looking for him to give me something he didn't have the capacity to give me. And the lack of that from my closest relationship spiraled me further.
I don't believe in coincidence. A very specific series of events led to an introduction that's changed everything about my life. Pause. Rewind for a hot second: we're in the car driving and I'm the age of anywhere between 7-18 and dad is giving me 'the line':

If you want to successful, you need to find people who are where you want to be in life, learn what they've learned, and work backwards to see what you need to do to get there.  Do the work most people aren't willing to do and you'll have a life most people aren't able to have.

By the way I'm doing that teenager thing where I'm rolling my eyes and finishing his sentences to say without saying, "I know, I know..." Alright fast forward again - we're at the poignant introduction and I'm remembering what dad's said ten thousand times to me. These were people who were where I wanted to be. So I got to work. I knew on a scale of 1-10 of where I wanted to be in life I was at a -10. Alright, not that bad, but we're rocking something between 0 and 1 for sure.
 
You know those moments where, when you look back, you say: "This is where everything changed." Earning their respect and mentorship was one of those moments. That moment admittedly stretched out over the course of a year, respect is not given overnight, but it was completely worth it.
Second best decision I ever made? Shelved my ego. I was so open to mentorship. SO OPEN. I knew I didn't have anything the way that I wanted for my life, but if someone had the results I wanted and was willing to help me? Julie, be quiet and listen. Key point here though: I activated and acted on the counsel I received. HUGE TIP. Knowledge alone isn't power. It's applied knowledge that brings power.

So, I've spent the last three years learning how to love me, how to change how I think, and how to win in life - financially and otherwise. It has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. There have been a lot of really intense moments with the woman in the mirror. There were moments when we, the woman in the mirror and I, finally had to stop the pretenses. Everything that had been tucked away in the dark corners, out of sight, but never really out of mind - because those never are - needed to come out into the light. Because I wanted to grow. I knew there HAD to be more out of life and I've been consistently willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to get there. And so much of what I want to do is pay it forward. I swear, if everyone were able to learn what I've learned in the past three years, this world would be a vastly different place. So why not try?
My story is still in progress- any good life story never ends. But this is my story. This is the story of an #EntrepreneurInTraining

---

I wanted to leave the original post here because I wanted you to know where this blog started from. It's August of 2017 and I started this blog almost exactly one year ago. I have spent the last 4 or 5 months wrestling with the title I'd chosen 12 months ago: "Entrepreneur In Training."

Addendum

The contenders? One one side of the ring I had my gut at 5'7" weighing in at 220 "You need to own being an entrepreneur and take off your training wheels." On the other side I had my mind at 6'1" weighing in at 270 "Have you earned the right to do that yet?"

But here's the thing. Strength doesn't always come from size - the win isn't always from the big guy. And my gut was right. I did need to own being an entrepreneur and take off my mental training wheels. But more than that, I needed to completely change my perspective. Training as a concept has more than one connotation... and I was thinking about it all wrong.

Spurred on by an idea, I asked a handful of my friends, all athletes, 'What words or descriptions come to mind when I say 'Training Season'?" This is what they shared with me:

• Consistency, commitment, few rewards at the beginning, but more as you get stronger. 
•  You will WILL get injured. Adapt
• Training sessions are specialized objective goals geared to be a smaller piece in a big picture
• All. Year. Long. Discipline
• Pain. Sweat. Exhaustion
• Regularly scheduled time to focus and, of course, use effort.
• Mental toughness

Tricycles and training wheel be gone...this is about intensity and intention. Life is often about perspective. There is a point where training can imply that someone is going easy on you and you're learning. Tricycle training. But 'training' is not limited to that capacity. You are not limited to that and neither am I.

When I think of training now, I think of it as a time when you are pushing yourself the hardest. When you have to be the most open to feedback (but from the right sources) in order to stay on course and hit a specialized objective. Training season to me now means constantly adjusting because you need to get better. It's a push, but a push with the recognition that it's going to be painful. You are going to get hurt but it's not an excuse to quit. You will take care of yourself so that you can go back even harder than before. Adapt. It will require everything you have.

It gives you permission to fail, to struggle, and to overcome. Permission to get down, to get up, to keep going. It's not about an arrival but an overall direction and hitting bench marks along the way. Your biggest competition is yourself but winning looks different to everyone. Training season is about removing your quit point.

So this blog stays Entrepreneur in Training. It's not just about business, it's about life. It's messy, dynamic, and beautiful. To win, you need to develop all areas - you can't only do leg day forever. There's a lot more to focus on than that. So welcome to #EntrepreneurInTraining. Welcome to Training Camp.