Since my previous post sharing my gratitude about all the amazing feedback I have been getting on my new ventures, many people have reached out looking for a way to help or to somehow be involved. That said, many of you have not physically reached out, but may well have read what I am doing and have silently cheered me on. (That’s okay too). Regardless, THANK YOU, no matter what way you are showing your support.

What has occurred to me is that there are likely plenty of “silent cheerleaders” out there…(you know who you are and you’re not alone). You’re the one who sees cool things pop up on your news feed, checks out awesome websites, and hears all about that great thing that whats-her-name is up to…but you find yourself not saying anything when you see the person, or not “liking” or commenting in the virtual world. I’m writing this because I know I’ve done it. I’ve been there. I’m now loving being an “out-loud cheerleader”, and I want to share why you should too.

The difference between courage and self-confidence

Success is driven by courage not just self-confidence – I just want to take a moment to separate the two concepts. Self-confidence is defined as “assurance: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities”. The mistake we often make in observing someone else we deem to be self-confident, is that perhaps they are arrogant or self-centred, or they have enough confidence and they don’t need our support. Courage is defined as “the ability to do something that frightens one”. Here, you can see that regardless of self-confidence, regardless of a self-propelled belief in oneself and one’s abilities, courage requires that a person acts in the face of FEAR.

Calling all silent cheerleaders…

Here is where you come in. Encouragement is defined as “the expression of approval and support”. You are literally “giving courage”. So I’m asking you to support one another, friends. Go the extra mile. Be generous. Pay forward your gratitude. Say out loud the compliment you’ve been holding on to. Because you never know who might be facing their fears today. You never know who might need a boost of encouragement to keep up what they’re doing or to take a leap of faith.

--Christine Mason Miller

I’ll be cheering…

With LOVE,
Kiri

Lately, I have blessed myself with the gift of personal development at the same time as I am developing my businesses. The latest books to grace my bedside table are “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne and “Dare to Dream and Work to Win” by Dr. Tom Barrett. Inspired by all that I have learned, the latest project that I have undertaken is defining my own personal purpose/mission statement.  I am creating LOVE Vancouver Wedding Co. and The School That LOVE Built, building my business with Arbonne, and simultaneously creating MY OWN brand…ME.

WHY am I doing this? WHY am I telling you about it? WHAT am I contributing to the world?

The answer is simple. I have made a conscious choice to do what I LOVE and a vow to inspire others to do the same. I have chosen to be my own boss and to create a business driven by PASSION. I have chosen to partner with a business that allows me the ability to create financial and schedule freedom and is a vehicle to achieve all of my DREAMS. And I have chosen not to play small and stay quiet about it. So here is my personal mission statement:

I positively influence and inspire the people in my life with what is possible for theirs.

I listened to a presentation yesterday that really resonated with me. An inspirational (Kiwi-born!) speaker named Mary Christensen asked her listeners to:

“imagine every person you meet has a tiny pilot light in their heart. A tiny flame: no heat, no energy, no passion; it is just there, waiting for when it is needed. Your job is to ignite that flame so it bursts into a desire, whatever it is. Help to light their fire.”

With that said, I will leave you with the quote she concluded her presentation with. It has inspired me before, and has now inspired this blog post. I am choosing to share it to call me to action in pursuing my mission to inspire you.

--Marianne Williamson

Let your light shine friends.

With LOVE,
Kiri

“Courage is only the accumulation of small steps…” -George Konrad

You have to start somewhere, right?

Well here goes “nothing” friends. I have NEVER actually blogged before. I read them, I appreciate them, even gives heaps of feedback, virtual hi-fives and “likes” for them. But me – nah, I’ll just play it safe and keep quiet…let other people do the hard work. WELL, today I took a leap of faith. The first step to telling everyone in my life what I’m up to, is to do just that. So facebook came first (of course) and now, here’s my blog. Feedback…mucho appreciated!

Here it is…

I realized today that I haven’t actually taken the time to really introduce to the world what it is that I am doing. I told myself: “the websites aren’t PERFECT yet”, “I’m not actually IN Vancouver yet”, “what will people think?”, and so the excuses kept coming. But, do I really want to stop myself from sharing the most exciting things happening in my life with all the most important people in my life, just because “I’m not ready yet?” That answer is definitely “NO”. So no time is better than NOW to RE-introduce myself to you as: the founder and principal wedding planner of LOVE Vancouver Wedding Co.; an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International (which therefore makes me a courageous, business-building entrepreneur/skin care junkie); and the creatributor of The School That LOVE Built.

A little bit more about what all these projects are? Here you go:

LOVE Vancouver Wedding Co. is my way of combining my passion for people and LOVE with my skills in business, marketing, event planning and customer service. In my 2.5 incredible years with lululemon, I learned how to set a vision + goals, get clear on my values and my hedgehog, and go after my dreams. I gained the experience, skills and GUTS to know that I can run a business; why not create my own and do it with PASSION?

Arbonne International is a Swiss botanically-based skin care/health and wellness company that markets itself through Independent Consultants, word-of-mouth, skin care workshops/parties and referrals. The products are fantastic and the business opportunity is incredible. The network marketing industry and online shopping industries are booming. Say no more for me…I’m in! Arbonne supports my passion for meeting new people, inspiring others with what is possible for their life and their dreams, and I get to stand behind products that I LOVE and believe in. (For anyone who was around for my lululemon journey – sound familiar much?)

The School That LOVE Built was inspired by the TOMS Shoes One For One Movement and imagine1day‘s mandate (to ensure all Ethiopians have access to quality education funded free of foreign aid by 2030). I started working with imagine1day in 2009, and immediately started my brain working on to how I can help. In August of 2011, I read ”Start Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes. That was it – The School That LOVE Built was born. So now, LOVE Vancouver Wedding Co. contributes a portion of its profits from every event to “The School That LOVE Built” creatribution for imagine1day. The School That Love Built offers local Vancouver wedding vendors and wedding couples the opportunity to offset wedding day profits/costs by making a contribution to imagine1day. Great, right?

Social media LOVE and connection

I really learned today that in living so far away from the majority of my family and friends (in a wee-little fishing town called Moeraki on the South Island of New Zealand) that I am a huge sucker for connection and feedback via social media. Yep, that’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Viber, iMessage and Skype. Fortunately I have an iPhone – and you lovely friends are only as far away as the click of a button. What I realized today though – is the POWER of connection via social media. Today I shared with the virtual world the projects, ideas and businesses that I have been working on for the past 6 months – and the feedback so far has been AMAZING and EMPOWERING. Thank you for the “like” or the comment, or the virtual hi-five. Because as much as I loved being on the giving-end, the receiving end of social media LOVE is just as sweet!

Thanks for reading, supporting and “liking”. Keep it coming friends.

LOVE, Kiri

Here I am in the land of websites. Took me long enough, but happy to have arrived. I can check off a big goal on my list – now to get it up and running… I will be updating/adding/facelifting this site as I go along so stay tuned for all things Kiri.

Cheers, K