Creative at Heart Conference

I’m not sure it’s possible to string together the write words to express exactly how I’m feeling in this moment. You see, last week I had the opportunity to speak in front of sixty amazing women at the Creative at Heart Conference. I stood in front of photographers, calligraphers, designers, planners and other creatives to share a tiny bit of my heart in the hope of helping them succeed!

When I was working on my presentation for Creative at Heart I was unbelievably nervous… I imagined a million scary scenarios in my head, including but not limited to: tripping Jennifer Lawrence style on the way to the front, forgetting my words, stumbling through my presentation or doing all of the above simultaneously.

This was a big dream of mine and standing up there, beside so many women I admire, was… terrifying.

Ashlee Proffit Designs

But somewhere between leaving my seat and taking ahold of the microphone, everything changed. I looked up at these beautiful faces staring back up at me and that whisper of a voice in my head became an outstanding roar…

You have to be brave.

Each and every person sitting in front of me was doing just that… they were being brave. Starting their own businesses and taking that giant leap of faith that they are capable of turning their passions into a career requires courage. The type of courage that rallies on your strengths and pushes your insecurities out the door.

These women, like me, took a huge risk to launch into the creative field. They were willing to sacrifice their time and money to make the dream work. And friends… That’s all I needed to set aside my own worries and speak from the heart. So that’s exactly what I did.

I absolutely loved hearing Katelyn speak on Building a Business on Blogging and Krista rock her SEO presentation that even had the veterans taking notes! And the last presentation of the conference had every single person in the room reaching for a tissue… Kat Schmoyer of Dear Sweetheart Events (you may remember her from this Annapolis Portrait Session last year), poured her heart out on the stage. She talked about her struggles, her fears, and how she overcame them. She recounted conversations she had in the pursuit of taking making her business a reality. Every word she spoke, every tear she cried, reached into my heart and reminded me why it is so important to be a part of this creative community.

Rachel Tenny

Each and every one of us has struggled. We’ve worried about the future of our businesses. We’ve questioned whether we can truly make a living doing what we love. There have been slow seasons and plentiful ones. There are happy emails and frustrated ones.

The roller coaster of entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. It demands bravery.

And more importantly, it requires community. No one can do it completely by themselves. Businesses are built with the support and guidance of others. A rising tide lifts all ships, as they say. And by lending a hand to another creative in your field, you aren’t setting yourself up for ruin. Trust me. I’m living proof. The more I live to help others and grow our local community… the more my business has thrived!

The biggest take away that I had from Creative at Heart was the reminder that: You’re not alone. All of the struggles you face as a small business owner, I have faced them too. Rather than feeling isolated from behind your computer screen with that first cup of coffee (or second cup, lets be honest!) — Reach out and ask for help. And if you’re farther along on your entrepreneurial journey, please work to help someone who is struggling. Be their compass, guide them into a safe harbor.

We’re all in this together. Each and every one of us.