To start any business, first and foremost you have to believe in yourself. "You are your business." You must be pro-active and a risk taker with no fear. You have to make a commitment to succeed. I was told as a woman I had to be twice as good, twice as reliable, and twice as tough-minded as the men in the marketplace. But my standards were higher than just any man; I wanted to be the best person that I could be in my field. I find value in many forms of purpose and from a variety of results. I have realized how worthwhile you are and how valuable the information we have to share with others comes from our own experiences. Remember that the things that are fundamental to your identity are what drive you and what will make you successful.
My middle name has become resilient. I have chosen to find wisdom from my mistakes and continue to move forward. Never say never. I once said I would never survive a long sales cycle. In today's market most of my sales last a year or longer. If you can recover and persevere you can go on to do great things. Now I invest myself in the process not the outcome. Understand the process, focus your efforts, be persistent and find humor everyday especially in your failures and disappointments. Don't take yourself so seriously. Have fun. Show your enthusiasm for the job you love— always. I am passionate about people’s stories. I meet someone at a crossroads in his or her life. There is a story behind why someone wants to sell their business or buy a new one. I am privileged to share their journey to the next step in their life and start a new story.
Don't Let Naysayers Stop You From Doing What You Want. Think big and never stop being inventive. I started a marketing company in Knoxville that grew into a marina marketing and business brokering company in Tennessee. After 6 months my business expanded across the Southeast. Two years later I am sitting on a panel as a marina expert at the International Marina and Boatyard Conference. Yes, that was funny to be but I had serious information to share. It is always a great surprise to receive calls from different parts of the US and other countries. Trust yourself and don’t ever stray from who you are even though everyone else is doing it a different way. That is how I found my niche by going in the opposite direction and doing what everyone said couldn’t be done. There are people in my life that still don’t know or understand what I do for a living. They do know I do whatever it takes to get any job done. I KNOW I can find solutions that will truly benefit both sides of a sale. I will always be curious, question what I am doing, and always improving on myself. I never want to stop learning. But I wasn’t prepared for people trying to wave me down, while I was finding success by helping others succeed. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you're headed the wrong way. Be fearless and stay on course. Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. Creative thinkers energize me. I like to be around smart, fun and innovative entrepreneurs. Remember to follow your dreams, as your business is your own creation. It was your idea and everyday you are enhancing it. Don't just think out of the box, look past it.
