Track your progress to bring your big bold idea to life.
If you can imagine it; you can.
“A good idea is the table steak. I buy into the entrepreneur.” – Arlene Dickinson
This book and others written by Arlene are part of my personal library. As I opened the signed copy of Persuasion numerous articles carefully collected fell to the floor including envelopes filled with more Arlene “facts and counsel” that had been mailed to me from those that knew how much I followed Arlene. The book is unrecognizable from its original new state – like a dog’s coat tangled with burrs – highlighted, written in and pages tagged. As I write this blog, I flip the pages and fall on the highlighted words, “You need to be in charge of your own direction… if you’re in charge of your own voice, it gives you so much more freedom.” How true is this. I’m known to tell clients that if you don’t tell your story someone else will.
Long before our meeting, I had started to follow her career when she first appeared on Dragon’s Den. It was either her smile or ability to stand-up to Kevin O’Leary that impressed me most. Whatever she said, there was always a smile behind it.
In November 2014 she presented on Vancouver Island, and again I went to see her. I don’t believe she’s been back since. The evening was motivational and I journaled the highlights of her talk. Here are my favourites … there were so many more.
- There are no half measures. You have to be all in.
- Bucket list? I am living it.
- Truth is accepting our mistakes.
- I love life. I am blessed with optimism. Life is fleeting. Experience it all.
- Who is your mentor? The person sitting next to me.
- Walk through the door when it is open.
- Looks are secondary. Content is primary.
- Our stories are the fabric of our lives.
- You only see me as the success that I am today, not how I got here.
- I listen to my instincts.
Arlene made me feel possible. Empowered, and I had no idea how much her words had penetrated me until I began to write this blog. As I write I think about my meeting her. Our conversation went like this. I had no idea what to say. Tongue-tied.
Her question to me? “What do you do?”
Me. “I’m in marketing.” Lacking the confidence to say much more.
She smiles, and replies, “It’s fun, isn’t it?”
With that she signed a copy of her book for me and I had my picture taken with her. It’s hard to believe that was a decade ago. And, true to her own personal brand, her words included a smile…
To Netta with love Arlene xo
I’ve never forgotten that moment, and with it she gave me a lift in my confidence. I knew what I liked to do and with tenacity I just kept doing it. I feel like I fell over and over again and two years ago it all came together with Vintage Cabins, Artic-e-late and with the Big Bold Idea. I’ve learned that we are all possible. Our dreams are. We can make them happen.
To meet Arlene again is one of my big hairy audacious goals. I want to give her a reason to accept my invitation so I’m creating a retreat centre for entrepreneurs to share with peers, a place to discover and share their “big bold idea” and to recharge. I’d like Arlene to be a guest. There’s more to the plan, but…
I believe that by documenting those pivotal moments in your life you’ll have them to refer back to. They can become your inspiration to set goals bigger than the life you’re currently living and can put your life on course for something that you could never have imagined. Surrounding yourself with the people that believe in you and tell you how you can rather than how you cannot be is critical to your success. I can relate to Arlene’s answer when she was asked what do you need to be an entrepreneur? Her answer, “Amazing perseverance, a support network that believes in your idea with you and the ability to execute.”
Even if you think you can’t – you can. We live life forward and understand it backwards. We’re not meant to know the whole plan at once. I believe we’re meant to trust that God has us and that we have Him. That His timing is perfect and our job is to show up … in faith and trust. And, to persevere, to treat people right and to do the work.
This summer I plan to launch Lakewood and make the outdoor boardroom at the Bluebird available for workshops. If you had asked me three years ago if I would be here doing this – I would have doubted even the sincerest supporter.
Arlene Dickinson is still smiling. The resources that she has made available online are worth digging into including her podcast.
Blogs produced by the Big Bold Idea and include information on how we help to elevate you so that the world will follow… you. We are here to elevate reputations and define legacies through a process entitled Artic-e-late which is designed to articulate your brand and/or idea and elevate it. As Arlene has said, “The only thing stopping you is you!”. We’re here to help you get unstuck. To get started and to keep moving towards the finish line of your Big Bold Idea.
