Wednesday Wisdom: Throw Open Your Opportunities

Wednesday Thought for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners, Small Companies

Opening the window meant air was going to flow in. It looked gloomy outside but being September, I couldn’t quite tell if the air was humid and slightly warm or dry and cooler. Honestly, there was no way of knowing until I unfastened the lock and lifted the glass upward. It oozed sultry damp oxygen into my face pleasantly reminding me of Florida. It was much warmer than I expected.

Along time ago, I learned agreeing to a new meeting, personal occurrence or business opportunity was like opening up a window or walking out a door into an unexpected experience for a moment. Unfamiliar feelings switch gears to the known quickly and one’s spirit settles down into its reality rapidly. The same happens the moment our children head off the first day of a new school year, we set foot in a new vacation locale, or we agree to meet someone new to know them better. We always hope the experience will be what we imagined or better, but we can remain fearful until we know for sure.

Having just hosted my son’s future in-laws in our house both days and nights for the long weekend, I must admit I was trepidatious about how well it would go; but within thirty minutes of welcoming them into our humble abode and breathtaking backyard, the nerves dropped and the bonding began. It ended up being a lovely, enjoyable, and memorable weekend. Sometimes, our mind can conjure up too many intimidating situations playing with our sanity.

This might feel familiar to you when you enter a networking event with a room of strangers or when you meet a potential client for the first time or speak to a new vendor about pricing; but if you give the opportunity your best shot, you might end up with a new positive relationship that lasts for years. It has been this way for me as I grew Women TIES out of the safety of just Syracuse to areas including Albany, Utica, Binghamton, Ithaca and Rochester. If I never opened the car door and walked into a new region, I would have missed so many wonderful women who have filled my life with joy, knowledge, and even more “ties.”

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you, as a seasoned woman in business that just like we tell our children or grandchildren to go out confidently and bright-eyed into a new classroom, we must do the same. The pandemic is mostly behind us and so are the restraints that have held us back from developing new business relationships, especially at networking events. Remaining inside the cocoon for too long will only stymie us and future opportunities.

I say “throw open your window” and allow whatever comes in to gently hit you in the face, rattling your senses, calming limiting thoughts and reminding you that a breath of fresh air is what you need sometimes and that includes meeting new people, experiencing new adventures, saying “yes” more often, and jumping into more risk. Let the new era begin!