One of the hardest things I have had to experience over and over again through the years is the need to overcome unforeseen challenges and finding the strength and positive mindset to carry on. I know that everyone has their different beliefs and ways of self motivating, but there is no way I could have ever gotten this far without faith in Jesus.
To give you a bit of my background, I was a below average student in high school, Permian in Odessa to be exact, and I never finished college at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Go Miners! Needless to say, in the eyes of the world, and the percentage of small business that actually make it, the chips were stacked against me. Having to learn everything as I went along like marketing, networking, bookkeeping, taxes (ALWAYS PAY YOUR TAXES), profit & loss reports, balance sheets, website design, presentations, public speaking, handling money, budgeting, hiring/firing, payroll, and the list goes on and on, was daunting.
I remember trying to get B Everywhere Errands & Concierge off the ground, then being Busy Bees’ Buyers, and the amount of time, energy, effort, money and resources it was taking was certainly taking its toll on me. I went through negative bank accounts, not being able to afford coffee for a meeting or gas to get to the next client. I was exhausted, broke and desperate for a breakthrough. But still, someway, somehow, I would still tweet Forbes that I would one day be on the cover of their magazine. I knew that no matter what, I was not going to give up and kept focused on the dream and the true desire inside of me.
I can’t tell you how many times I had to keep giving everything up to God and somehow He kept giving me the will and hope to continue. With every struggle, challenge and person telling me to quit and get a real job, it all made me stronger and more resilient. The more I surrendered, the more I started to see God’s hand and face in the situations, opportunities and the people I was meeting. During those darkest hours of confusion and uncertainty, there was still a sense of peace and protection that can only be explained as something divine and supernatural. The truth is that the setbacks have been many, but the triumphs could never have happened without them.
Although I have not YET been on the cover of Forbes and my honorary degree from UTEP still hasn’t arrived, starting a business is hard. So, if you are in the midst of wondering if you can handle it and need some encouragement, guidance or mentorship, I am here. For now, my words of wisdom that have always proven true are: 1. Not one person that has ever achieved success has said that they got there because they gave up, and most importantly, 2. If God is going to put you through it, He is going to get you through it.
Please let me know what you need and I am happy to help.
Donna.