Tomorrow is a big day. One of the biggest in my business, except for a huge transition back in February. Tomorrow is the launch of a new brand, a new voice, a new experience both online and in all my business dealings. In honor of what's coming tomorrow, today I'm writing a letter to the person who started this blog 3 years ago as a food blog/maybe photography/who knows idea...a blog that has turned into my online home and the place I can connect with you. My how time flies...
Dear 21-year-old Me,
It feels funny to write a letter to myself, because today I don't feel much older or wiser than I was three years ago. I sometimes feel like the same scared little girl who started this business on a whim when I had too much free time after my husband began grad school and I spent more time alone. I know you may have thought that when you had your first real wedding booking, or when you charged a certain amount, or you got your first publication, that you would just know you 'made it.'
Oh how wrong I was! Since that time a few years ago I've been fortunate to book many weddings, meet amazing people, and get published in places like MunaLuchi Bride, the Knot, and some other amazing places. I'm here to tell you that neither the publications nor the money nor the recognition will make you feel like you've made it. You'll still feel scared, you'll still have times of feeling unsure, and you will always feel like you could be more or do more.
What I want to tell you is that you are enough. Right where you are, making cupcakes for a blog post or experimenting with your first website. You do not have to do anything or be anything different than who you are in this moment. You are enough, even when your family and your husband were the only people who read your blog. You are enough, even if you have no idea what you're about to step into.
I'll warn you now: you're about to step into countless hours of work, late nights, lost sleep, and wondering when brides will start contacting you (I promise - they will!). You're about to step into fighting for your business, fighting for your health, and fighting for your marriage every day. You're walking into a steep learning curve. You'll face challenges and heartache and a whole host of hurts from people you trusted.
But take heart, and keep your chin up. Because you're about to step into so much more. You're currently in the beginning stages of living out your dream. Of being your own boss. Of setting your own schedule and of making decisions confidently. You're stepping out of that little girl who was worried about not being able to get dinner on the table every night - you're about to not only do this, but start your own successful small business that will eventually become more than an extra source of income or a fun hobby - it will grab your heart in a way you never thought possible.
You will meet amazing people, you will have the BEST brides on the planet, and you'll even become friends with other vendors. You'll deepen your current relationships as you form new ones. Your heart will swell with pride when you reach a goal you never thought you'd hit.
Just remember as you live each day that who you are right now - today - is enough. Tomorrow you'll be a little changed, a little different, a little older, and maybe even a little wiser. But you are exactly who you ought to be, and you're about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Buckle up, friend. Things are going to get crazy, and you will never be the same.
With Love,
Me
