I had a dream come true last night and it brought me to tears. Yes, they were tears of joy from seeing a dream realized but it was also the realization that I had almost let this dream slip through my fingers. I want to share this with you so one day when you are tired, frustrated and about to give up on a dream, you will remember. I held on one more day - about twenty times!
That moment of doubt.
Three weeks ago, I had been feeling defeated, having not met my goals for enrollment in my new program, The Momentum Effect. I had pivoted and shifted with all my might to push the program up the hill because I believed this was meant to be. Women needed this so much and I knew it to be true because I had just lived the experience of finding my new life.
One friend said to me about my retreat, “Whoever is there is who is supposed to be there. Have faith in that.”
Another friend said the first time for any program is the toughest. This will be the framework for everything going forward from content to marketing to budget.
The deadline was approaching and the program was about to begin. The deposits on the retreat venue were irretrievable and I was facing a potential loss. I spent weeks picking apart what had gone wrong, if I could have done things differently and doubting if I had chosen to do the right thing in starting this new business.
We’ve all been there, right?
Belief + Relief
As an entrepreneur, our belief in our product or program is so strong that we risk our hearts and souls to bring this idea to life. We live with it, feed it, and coddle it until we think it is ready to see the light of day. Then we tiptoe out into the wild and hairy world of LinkedIn and other social media and we let people see the creation of our dreams.
Here is my dream. Please don’t crush it.
I never stopped manifesting. When I could have pulled the plug, I didn’t, even when it made the most sense. People asked if I should pull out and get my deposit back. I said, “No, this is going to happen.”
And eventually, there was a tiny crack in the veneer of my faith, there was fear and doubt.
Then, out of the blue, a former mentor and a good friend sent me a text and wanted me to check out his wife’s amazing video. I immediately watched it and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She was the perfect person for the program! I sent her the link and she signed up that night.
The next day, someone I had spoken to months ago asked if there was still room. The very next day, a friend reached out and said he saw my posts on LinkedIn and thought his wife would benefit from this. Could I speak with her?
IT was happening. The program was getting a little of its own namesake - Momentum.
The retreat sold out and all of a sudden - one of two goals was met.
Now, how could I get at least 3 more people to sign up for the full six-month program? I was inspired to reach out to just a few more people and ask for referrals but no other women signed up. Goal two was not met, or so I thought.
Here it comes.
Two weeks ago, a group of ten women attended a masterclass with @Tasha Chen about Deservingness. Tasha’s powerful testimony about her path toward self love and deservingness helped us all see how we too are challenged when it comes to believing that we deserve self care, wealth, and happiness. Some of us were even a little surprised that we could recognize that within ourselves.
Two weeks later, I facilitated a zoom meeting where the same ten women came together in a mastermind format to discuss topics such as vulnerability, courage and reframing of mindsets. The attendees were brave and they shared hard things about their lives and about their challenges. They opened up despite their fear or discomfort and I was so proud of them.
There they were. There I was. Just like I had dreamed it. The women who were there were supposed to be there - just like my friend said.
We were together and they were sharing how the program was already helping them open up and dream for themselves. They admitted they were afraid or intimidated but they proclaimed their desire to change and learn.
I sat there in awe as I watched them support each other and lift each other up. They began to express their excitement about the retreat and getting to know each other on a deeper level. They are all blessed with beautiful souls and hearts to serve. They had no idea the gift they were giving me just by being themselves and coming together in this way.
My friend, Kaye, is an amazing minister, retired now. Years ago, she shared with our group of covenant sisters that whenever someone would compliment her on a sermon she would get uncomfortable. Then one day, she recognized that it was a gift she was being given - a recognition of her work. So she decided to allow herself 30 seconds to feel the love and then move on.
What a wise and wonderful lesson this is for all women. We are typically very self-deprecating in the workplace.
I remembered Kaye's advice and that evening, I took my 30 seconds of wonder and pride in how it all came together.
The Backstory
On May 15, 2023, I sat down to write about something that had been brewing for months. I’d been envisioning a program that would provide a process for women who were seeking their “what’s next” or to help them find what was “missing” in their lives.
The process would be a culmination of all the gifts of wisdom from my friends, all the studies I had done to better my life, the business skills I had learned and the guidance to work through really difficult topics. I wanted to bring together everything I’d worked on and worked through during my divorce recovery and my one year travel sabbatical.
I graduated from four different leadership programs including @Leadership Franklin, @Leadership Middle Tennessee, Brentwood Citizens Police Academy and the Nashville Transit Citizens Leadership Academy. In these programs, we tackled a different subject each month and we gathered to learn together. This was the model for my vision.
I was searching for a group of women committed to working together, supporting each other and learning in cohorts - tackling subjects such as Personal Impact, Forgiveness, Letting Go of Bad Things, Self Love and Life Purpose.
Through a combination of masterclasses, masterminds and mentoring, the women would find their way to a deeper, more meaningful life which I foresaw as also benefitting their loved ones and friends.
I immediately named it the Momentum program because I believe when a woman begins to believe in herself she will gain momentum. And when she hits her stride, she has the powerful energy to provide momentum for others. If these women could work together, they would all win.
I had all the practical things laid out in a business plan and a budget. I had a mission, vision and goals. I knew it could work.
But it was these women risking their precious resources of time, energy and money, who proved to me that it was no longer just a dream.
It’s a dream come true.
Want more info?
Although the retreat is filled, we will be having a retreat next spring and fall. Please sign up to get more information here.
It's not too late to join the Momentum Effect Program. Read on if you are interested.
Momentum Program: https://www.ckcollins.co/momentum
Masterclass Team & Benefits https://www.ckcollins.co/momentumteam