It's been a while since my last post. I attribute that to two main reasons: 1) unlike last winter, there weren't as many opportunities to paddle this winter due to dangerous river currents all winter long and 2) I've been busy revamping my business.
You may recall from some of my past posts that I had been feeling frustrated with my work as an image consultant, feeling restless and discouraged. In fact, I started feeling that way around the same time I first took up stand up paddleboarding.
Up until Christmas of 2015, I was in prayer for a year and a half asking God to show me what I should do. Should I quit the business I had put 8 years of hard work into building a brand and do something different? If so, what was that "something different"? What did it look like? Was it going back to work for someone else (ugh!) and lose my flexible schedule (double ugh!)? Was it offering a different service to new clients?
A year and a half felt like a really long time, but the day after I got my new inflatable paddle board, an answer came so suddenly and quickly while I was in, of all places, the shower! What came to me was so very clear and I was able to see how all of my past experience and all the hard work building the name of my business fit in with this "something different." It was like a flashing neon sign that said:
PASSIONGod was showing me that I am to use my past coaching and career advising experience, my spiritual gift for encouragement, and my love for living life to the fullest and taking risk to help others discover and pursue their passions in life and career.
I am now a Passion & Career Specialist. Since making this change at the end of 2015/start of 2016, I feel like what Peter must have felt like following a long day of catching no fish at all to letting down his nets at Jesus's command and having his nets overflowing with fish. I have been getting more steady business without even trying than I had when I was previously doing image consulting.
And get this: for several months I had been racking my brain trying to figure out how I could "marry" my skills with my love for SUP. God made it clear that I could do some of my career and life coaching sessions out on the water, letting my clients use my new board (now that I have two instead of just one!). I could parallel many of the lessons I teach to SUP beginners with the lessons I coach my clients on.
In fact, just today I began to outline what that will look like because several of my clients have already said they would love to do a session on the water while learning how to paddle board. And, after a long hard winter, it's finally the season for it!
In addition to sharing SUP with my clients, I'll also continue sharing my own adventures, this time more through my business in addition to this blog, and this time through some live video and interviews with others talking about their own passions. I hope you'll check it out!
A couple of weeks ago I did my very first Periscope broadcast, just a short little video talking about my passion for SUP and beautiful weather, encouraging others to get out and enjoy their own passions. You can see the recording of the live broadcast here (please be kind, after all it was my first 'Scope!):
And last week I took the new inflatable board out at Percy Priest Lake following a wonderful and soul-rejuvenating women's church retreat entitled Finding Who I Am In Whose I Am: Studies from the Book of Colossians (how appropriate, right?!). I spent much of my time laying on my board basking in both the warm sun and in God's provision and perfect timing. I am blessed.
