Well, I don't know about you but 2023 felt like it has come after me with a vengeance. It got so bad at one point my BP hit 172/108 and had me screaming like Captain Dan from Forrest Gump in the middle of the ocean in a storm "Is that all you've got?", determined that this wasn't going to break me!
Keep your eyes open to how things will happen in your life. It’s not about living a “happy life" 24/7 because that’s not possible. Life is a roller coaster. But, try to remind yourself in the lows that it always goes back up, and watch how God (or the universe) winks at you in your life.
I have always been a strong positive person, but I too am human and will sometimes complain about a low or stress out about it. I have learned from this year to take deep breaths, push forward, and say "Is that all you've got?“ Every time something weighs on my mind about what to do next; He makes it happen when I’m not expecting it.
I call these moments "God Winks"! 😉
When I stepped away from my Corporate CFO career to start my gift box business, my goal was to get my brand started; because the ultimate goal is to open a gathering space for Girlfriend Therapy. I thought I would need to spend a fortune on ads. Little did I know it would be a dance on TIK TOK that would open me to my DMV audience of over 50k. God wink!😉
The box has always been a struggle. Never did I realize how hard it would be to get people to send gifts to each other. It was natural to me, so I assumed it would be for others. During the pandemic it actually was great, but then it hit its lowest point coming out of 2021. The reason became clear - this dip in business allowed me to be completely available to help one of my best friends since 1988, Kari Whitman, as she started chemo in January 2022 for ovarian cancer. I focused on her and hosting events, and lo and behold women showed up! God wink!😉
But with caring for my parents, I began to stress about bleeding my retirement funds. No one told us to save for the cost of caring for our parents and being financially responsible for everything in their lives as well as our own. They didn’t even mention that on the CPA exam 🤦🏻♀️. I kept saying "I don’t want to go back to corporate life". That’s like hiring daycare for your kids so you can work 10 hours a day 🤦♀️. I just wished to consult, but I've been away from those connections for a minute. Then out of the blue, I got a call from a friend, who had been a client since I was 23. He knew of a company that fired their entire Accounting Department due to embezzlement! Oh if you know me, I was like, oooooh hell I’ll find that money (cue my criminal justice degree kicking in lol).
But that next week Kari went into the hospital and the timing wasn't right. I had the biggest job of my life - being there for the end of my girlfriend's life.
Shortly after finalizing Kari's Celebration of Life, I was discouraged, thinking I couldn't continue spinning in circles with the gift box as I have for the past 3 years. I got a call again from my friend to say 'they haven’t found anyone and I told them you are the best of the best". I was flattered that he had been raving about me out in the field so immediately said, "Let’s get them on the phone". A week later, I'm now in their office 3 days a week restructuring their entire system and helping to revise the past, with more calls coming in. God wink!😉
During 2022, I was loving the events I was doing but struggled to find owners to work within a budget. I wanted to offer an all-inclusive experience where I wasn’t in the hole, that wasn’t going to cost over $100 for tickets and I could still give to charity. Not being able to do my favorite event for Galentine's in 2023 broke my heart. Yet there was nothing I wanted to do more than to give Kari everything she deserved as a celebration of her life. I decided I will focus on my next event for Mother’s Day.
Little did I know that the owners of Perry’s Restaurant in Odenton, MD, where I hosted Kari’s event, would be the place I was desperately seeking. A partner, someone who appreciates my business, someone who would work with all my must-haves that I love to provide. I’ll never forget the owner saying “Hey, we can do anything you need us to do and within your budget “. God wink!😉
Now I’m off the grid three days a week, for about 12 hours a day to give the restructuring project what it needs and the other days are spent caring for my parents and working on Glitter Me This & Co. My time has become super tight, but it’s making me hustle harder, focus stronger and make decisions without overthinking. I’m sitting on A LOT of inventory and I still don’t have my Mother’s Day boxes promoted on my site (but I'm working on it). I did (thank you Jesus) push the button on the "I Want my MTV - My Throwback Vibes" event for Mother's Day weekend and I couldn’t be more excited about that because nothing makes my happier then an awesome Girlfriend Therapy Night!
A memory popped up one night and reminded me - Bowie Town Center has its annual Bowie Savor Festival and this year it's on April 15-16. Typically this is an event I go to walk around, listen to the Go-Go bands and check all the vendors and I’m often stopped by people asking if I'm the "Tik Tok girl” and I love it. We take pictures and chat. Last year I tried to be a vendor but they booked up months in advance and this year I was able to secure a spot! Holy cow. Hell yeah, I’m kicking into my hustle PG County mode, making Mother’s Day bundles and pushing this inventory out the door all while being able to have my followers see what I really do. Not just dance to GoGo!! And I can also promote the event. God Wink!😉
That was a lot, but I had to stop and share how the universe works. It’s always listening, kind of like your Alexa. Keep saying in your head and out your mouth what you need. I promise, what you are supposed to have and the path to what you want will open.
I am going to open Glitter Me Accounting Solutions LLC so I can send my client an invoice (and stay on brand)! I’m going to shoot out links to my event, prepare bundles for Mother’s Day and work hard to get boxes on the site. Oh... and make a TIK Tok dancing 💃🏽😜😜😜😜.
As the great Audrey Hepburn said… life is a party… dress for it followed by the greatest quote from Prince, "Life is a party and parties weren’t meant to last.💜 So enjoy every second of the ups and put your hands in the air on the way to the downs. God has got you locked in - it always goes back up. 😉
Remember when we would get on the Rebel Yell roller coaster at Kings Dominion and it would go up to its highest point, fly down then go up and down over 3 smaller hills only to turn the corner to come back over it all again? That’s life - a thrill ride! We are both scared and exhilarated during it and when it’s over, damn if we don’t want to get back in that line again!
Smile,
Sondra aka Glittabug