There are a hundred ways to learn to swim and one very easy way to drown, and that is by being unwilling to admit you’re drowning in the first place. 

I love this quote by Rachel Hollis from her book, Girl Stop Apologizing.

This specific chapter is about women asking for help or the lack of asking for help. So I started reflecting on all the help I’ve had in my business throughout the years.

I’ve had numerous people comment on how much I have accomplished in life and business but until this moment did not correlate these accomplishments to the help that I have received. I know that I am using the gifts that God gave me but had lost sight that it was not about me and my gifts but also about a series of people, at various phases in my life, that helped me to make it all happen.

Asking for help did not come easy and it still doesn’t but the help that I received is instrumental in how I was able to attain my achievements. I in return, can serve as many people as possible.

If you have goals, and I hope that you do, you need to ask for help in achieving them. If you do not think that you can fit anything else in your life and have tabled your goals, please consider how not living in your values is impacting your quality of life and others. When you are living in your values, you feel it. You have a smile across your face, and you light up inside and out! When you have this joy and fulfillment in your life, it will greatly benefit those close to you. Enduring life is not a pretty site for anyone!

When I started pursuing some serious professional goals, our children were older and so childcare wasn’t an issue. However, there were still a lot of other needs and I wasn’t afraid to ask for help from my husband, who was willing to jump in. Our children also helped, just ask my son and he will gladly tell you I had him doing his own laundry by the time he was 11 or 12 years old! He’s also an excellent cook, which his future wife will truly thank me for.

It truly takes a team to be successful or an entire village, at times.  I started growing my business by hiring part-time assistants that would come into my home and help me with projects. I then hired someone to clean my home a couple of times a month. When I opened my wellness center, I’d ask friends and family to answer phones when I couldn’t afford the proper amount of staff.

When I was blessed to have more clients than I could support, I hired a young woman with a nutrition degree who could take some of the load off my plate. There were also the dreaded financials that I had to ask my husband to explain and review because I just didn’t get it.  Next, I hired a CPA to take care of my payroll and taxes after I struggled doing it on my own (and wow was that painful).  Also, at that time, I was finishing my degree and getting certifications in various areas of health, which in the future would serve so many women! I had to stay focused on my gifts and where my time needed to be spent.

When it was time for a website, I built the first one on my own, one LONG and painful weekend. I was told I should be able to do it in one day, which is a clear sign that this was not my gift. A few years later, I learned having a professional image was important and I paid to have someone create it and enhance SEO, which is much more important than a pretty appearance.

The more that I reflected on my business, the more I realized I had so much help in achieving my dream.

Today, I’ve stepped into another role in my career, developing women leaders and representing a nutrition company. I love empowering women to be well, physically and financially!

I’m supporting and leading a team across the US and in various parts of the world and I could never lead this team of 200 plus people without the help of the incredible ladies that step in and train, so that no one person takes on all of the load.  We divide and conquer, and we have it down to a science!

I now have a virtual assistant that does everything from making hotel reservations, to paying bills, and talking to clients and/or customers. I have no idea how I would function without her! Next time you talk to Patty, show her some love for all she manages (especially me)!

Have I always done this perfectly and asked for help? Heck no. I can tell you that in one season of my life, when I was doing it all, I ended up in severe adrenal fatigue. That’s some serious stuff where your entire body starts to shut down because you’ve burned the candle on both ends for far too long. Your body goes on strike and says, I quit! That’s God stepping in because I wasn’t smart enough to slow down, give control to others and let Him take over.  I learned the hard and painful way that I can’t do it all alone.

So, my message to you is, do not end up in that place. I’m lucky that it didn’t turn into something that could have ended my life. I was given a chance to learn a lesson and now I’m sharing the message with you.  Ask for help.  If you can’t afford it, trade with a friend or family member that needs help or a break too. Say it out loud with me, “I need the help of others!” No one will think you are weak or needy.  If they do think this, they are not your friends. Friends and family will most likely feel blessed because they can contribute to your goals and dreams. It doesn’t matter whether you want to take painting lessons or build a multi-million-dollar business, both equally important. You can do it all and have it all…if you solicit help!

If you need to reach out to someone because you don’t even know where to begin, I’d love to hear from you. Chat with me here.

You can find more of what I offer here.