Turn The Tables II - How do you define success? - Question 13
How do you define success?
How do I define success? Man, that is a loaded question. There are a few ways I describe success. Success is a feeling that feels like a warm blanket covered in confetti and surrounded by loved ones and puppy dogs. Honestly, success is such a person to person thing. The idea of success has changed for me as I have continued to walk in Thimblepress. Often success has meant paying the bills, inspiring others, taking time to encourage others in what they are doing, being able to travel the world when I want to, creating art for a living, and truly living my dream. Success with the world of social media is such an interesting thing. With it, we tend to sometimes see success in everyone else but ourselves. We are our hardest critic. Remember, everyone is in a different season of life and different walk of life than you. Remember to define your success off of your life and not the lives of others. If you do that, you can end up in a self-loathing black hole that does nothing but feed negative energy. Stand tall in whatever season and step of life you are in. Visualize yourself as a success and know you are conquering the world. You will fuel your positive thinking and energy, which will always reap wonderful results. Xo, Kristen
xo, Kristen
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CONNECT WITH E. FRANCES
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Good question. I define success as having a job! But more specifically, I define success as being able to support my family with my work.
CONNECT WITH STACIE
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I would say its a matter of pride, I’m proud of what we’ve built and what we’re building, If we can continue to be proud of ourselves I don’t think we will ever consider ourselves un-successful.
CONNECT WITH JANE & ANDY
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You know when you were a kid and you played hard outside? You ran all over the neighborhood barefoot collecting caterpillars and got a little sunkissed. Then, when it got dark, you came home, your mom probably sprayed your dirty feet with the hose before you could come inside for dinner.
CONNECT WITH KATIE
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I think there are so many levels and ways to define success. The first thing that comes to mind is finding anything you love to do that you cannot get enough of. For me, that’s creating; drawing, painting, experimenting. Every time I work, I can only improve my techniques and skills. As long as I’m able bodied, I will always have this relationship with creativity and I think connecting to that divine source is successful.
CONNECT WITH GINGER
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I think success is not about money - it’s all about happiness. If you can end your days with your head hitting the pillow feeling satisfied, happy and fulfilled. You are a success. Not every day can end that way, of course. But if you end your day that way more often than not, that’s winning.
CONNECT WITH TONYA
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By happiness and balance. I live by the Theodore Roosevelt quote, "Comparison is the thief of joy" and I often reflect on the idea of fulfillment.
CONNECT WITH CATHERINE
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Happiness and balance. I know that might sound trite and broad, but happiness is a complicated animal for many of us in this "do-it-all" day and age. For me, finding it feels like a massive triumph. As cliche as it is, doing what you love is important too--that's my definition of freedom. But you also have to make money! I think it's empowering for women to say that, and not crass. Especially women in the arts. Money is a currency everyone understands and respects, and we should all be demanding more of it! I’ve heard my job as a literary agent described as a calling and art, and I don’t disagree, but as fulfilling, soul stirring and creative as it its, it’s also still a job too.
CONNECT WITH KIM
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Working on things that are empowering and fulfilling, making a difference in someone else's life for the better, and working toward see Life vision that I had for myself when I'm old and wrinkly. Hint… it isn’t money!
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
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I can’t say it any better than Maya Angelou, so I won’t even try. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
CONNECT WITH LIZ
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I measure my success in thank you notes :) Sure, dollars would be easier to track, but getting words of appreciation from my clients keeps me reminded that the work I'm doing matters.
CONNECT WITH CAREY
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i define success by what feels great, like an accomplishment for my individual business. Comparison is an easy trap to fall into. We all do it one point or another, but is never a good thing as everyone is so different. People have different circumstances, goals, budgets, products, buyers, following etc. Ultimately, if i reach my own goals — big or small — that feels like a success to me.
CONNECT WITH ROBYN
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I define success as being able to see work not as a job, but as a passion. It’s living the life that you hoped, where others might see what you do each day as work, but it’s your calling. Success is when it doesn’t even feel like work anymore. I’m almost there in which I see my business as part of my life, an extension of what I love to do and who I want to be.
CONNECT WITH NANCY
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Success in this season of my life is to be able to provide more to my family, to feel calm, purposeful and productive in my days. It also means that I can be present where I’m present: I want my mind to be where my body is, whether that means I’m with my kiddo, I’m working or spending personal time. Impact is another way of measuring my success. I want to leave a mark on the world and whether that be through our Pencils of Promise school that we’ve committed to build, the lasting impact of the work I do with my clients or to raise children who are fulfilled and contributing citizens. Success to me means that I have choices and abundance in the way I live my life.
CONNECT WITH REINA
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Success for me is being able to reach (and surpass) goals I’ve set, to inspire and help others, and to feel creative and purposeful. Getting paid for it is icing on the cake!
CONNECT WITH JESSIE
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Being able to pay ourselves and building upon our reputation as a good neighbor, business partner, mentor and person.
CONNECT WITH STEVE & JILL
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For me, success looks like earning enough money to support my family financially and to have enough time and energy to do the things I want to do - that means being able to cook dinner every night, have lots of dance parties, and travel and enjoy the world! I try to measure success based on how I feel when I wake up in the morning rather than how much money’s in the bank!
CONNECT WITH TIFFANY
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Freedom. Success is being able to write my own course each and every day.
CONNECT WITH MANDY
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Drinking a full cup of coffee without having to reheat it six times. Ha! But for real… thankfully my perception on this has changed so much over the past few years. I used to define success by how much industry recognition I received…… how many magazine/blog features I could get, how many social media followers I had, how many people “liked” my post. This was SO mentally exhausting. Chasing things that didn’t actually matter to my business…. things that mattered more to my ego. But that no where near defines success. If my clients are happy, if I’m making enough money, if my kids are happy and healthy, and if my marriage is in a good place, if my dogs get a walk every now and then. That is success!
CONNECT WITH LESLEY
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I define success by how I impact people positively, making sure that people are compensated on my team and that they’re happy and enjoying life too. Profit is also another factor of success for any business, but not our only measurable. I want to strive to ensure our team, attendees, and anyone who interacts with us feels valued and walks away with more value than when they came. That’s the way I define success.
CONNECT WITH MARY
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When we first started Makers Collective and Indie Craft Parade was really taking off, we were getting requests from across country and even around the world to franchise. We thought we wanted to go for it, we were going to be the next big thing! But then as we grew, our priorities changed. We decided to intentionally dream a little smaller. We wanted to deepen our roots and still have time for another dream, our families. We’re now over 8 years in and I don’t regret this decision one bit. We’ve strengthened what we do at Makers Collective and our reach has grown organically. We’re helping people in a meaningful way and we can see the tangible results of our work. If at the end of my life I can look back and say that I cared for myself and that I cared for others, I will consider that a success.
CONNECT WITH ERIN
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