The Dream. The Plan. The Team. – Business and Sports Wisdom

Wisdom and Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs, Women and Female Athletes

5:30 a.m. sharp I entered the hotel exercise room for a morning run. It was in a beautiful hotel in Toronto, Canada where I was staying at a three day conference for women entrepreneurs. The event started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m. each day. The information Pat Mussieux shared with the audience was valuable, meeting friendly Canadian women entrepreneurs was extra special and the educational content outstanding. The only pain in the conference was my legs which were use to running every day; so I told my Women TIES and Women’s Athletic Network members about a plan to run early that morning.

One by one three women joined me in the wee hours so we could run together. First came Tracy Erwin of Rodan and Fields, then Ala Ladd a Life and Business Coach, and Linda Heeler of Live Inspired Life Coaching. They know I’m trying to keep pace with my 2017 Boston Marathon training schedule. Luckily for them, I only needed to run 3 miles that morning – not 7 – like I need to run today. Each woman gave me an added boost of energy on my treadmill as they walked in. We were make-up less, hair pulled back, and determined to be healthy as we ran together.

As I left the room, I asked my buddies if they would like to jump off their machines to take a “We are up early to run selfie,” just like their entrepreneurial spirit, they said, “yes” and this shot was taken. When I look at this photo today as I get ready to run on a very windy day by myself, I think of these thoughts:

* I wish I had these 3 ladies here to run since the run is longer and the weather rough. Having partners on a rough journey helps the mind, heart and spirit. It is one reason I love the concept of 261Fearless.org. Lesson: Surround yourself with supportive friends or business partners to make any journey easier and more enjoyable.

* Both running alone and running with others are equally beneficial to a person as long as they ultimately stick with their goal and stay on track with their athletic or exercise plans. Lesson: There are pros and cons to running alone and with partners. Make sure you do a little of both in life, business and sports and make sure many of your partners are women.

* Pick different people to accompany you on different length goals whether that is in business, sports or faith journeys. Lesson: When we surround ourselves with diverse people, talents and interests, we will have plenty of people to choose from when we need a companion.

I have learned there are many similarities between running a business and running towards a goal like the #261Fearless Boston Marathon charity team dream. It all leads back to having a dream to begin with, sticking to a solid plan to achieve the dream and having others help along the way.