Well friends, today is a good day. It’s one we have been working towards a long time and have put a ton of heart and passion into. STORY is officially launching TODAY at 5pm. Our shiny new website and a stellar giveaway partnering with other incredible brands will all happen over on instagram. Don’t miss it! I am excited. But more than that, I am beyond grateful for the others that have joined me on the journey. STORY has been a collaboration at it’s very core.

Tuesday evening I spoke at the Lancaster Tuesdays Together hosted by dear friend Caroline Logan in Hingework’s beautiful space. Caroline asked me to share on Collaboration. Collaboration is something I BELIEVE deeply in. What an honor to share to this group of passionate business owners. I talked about being a second grader with long pigtails, the seven year old I had a bad crush on, and the times I have cried my eyes out in the process of doing business. People and connecting are so woven into doing life with fulfillment and growing a business. It’s because of others that I am who I am today.
You see, we were designed to need each other to survive. We deeply desire connection with others. We go after connection without even making a conscious choice. It’s such an innate part of us as humans. It is impossible to be happy and fulfilled isolated and all alone. Connection is PURPOSE AND MEANING. As entrepreneurs, isn’t that the real reason we we started a business? We want to create something we are proud of. Matter. Make a difference. Impact our community and change the world.

Collaboration: co-operate, join forces, team up, band together, work together, participate, combine; pool resources, put heads together.

Simon Sinek author of Leaders Eat Last said this “Nothing of real value on this earth was built by one person without the help of others. There are few accomplishments, companies, or technologies that were built by one person without the help or support of anyone else. It is clear that the more others help us, the more we will achieve.”

What are the benefits of collaboration?

1. THRIVE – We need other people in our life to thrive as an individual. We like to blame tough times on other things. But truth is, our business will only be as healthy and whole as we as businesses owners are. Research proves that good relationships are important for our mental wellbeing. Other people help us to stay focused, keep the vision in sight, and get thru times of discouragement. People enable us to thrive!
2. MOMENTUM – Momentum is defined as energy, force, power, strength, thrust, speed. Momentum is a beautiful thing in life and business. We form momentum by joining forces with others.
3. SHINE – Other people’s strengths enable ours to shine even brighter. Our intern program has become a fundamental part of our company. The vision for our instagram, our Master of Their Craft features, shoots partnering with other brands, our current editing style, the foundation for STORY, all formed by beautiful people that started by interning with us. They give so much to us and I pray they are blessed a million times in return for all they have given to our company.
4. LEARN – Engaging with open minds with those around us helps us understand we may not be as ‘smart’ as we think we are. And that friends, is almost always a very good thing. Bill Nye said “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” When spending too much time without others; it’s easy to lose our ability to be perceptive, become a bit idealistic, and lose perspective.
5. INSPIRE – People inspire. All kinds and every kind. If we allow it, other people always inspire.

The world is desperately looking for somebody to invite them. Let’s stop waiting for an invitation and instead start inviting.  And now for my most favorite part of collaboration: When we have the posture of open hands, giving and engaging, we will also receive way more than we ever imagined.

Winston Churchill said “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

So yes, this journey of STORY has been a collaboration at it’s finest. It has refined and shaped over the past year by the influence of so many. It will continue to evolve. Life is like that.

Thanks for joining our journey. We are grateful. xoxo