Cue the confetti, party balloons and noisemakers! Well, perhaps a glass of sauvignon blanc (The Beachhouse, South Africa, is our favourite) and a simple toast. We, Cheryl Smith and Carrie Campbell, are choosing to go into business for ourselves. And then the moment of silence creeps in. Are we really doing this? Yes, yes we are. For Cheryl, it’s a sweet return to almost 20 years of operating her own company, formerly Out Front Productions Inc. For me, it is a choice to make the full leap, after years of helping others on the side, while working full-time managing other people’s businesses.

“We love what we do. We’re excited to share our experience and help small businesses and non-profits grow and succeed. ” – Cheryl & Carrie

Like many decisions in life, and in particular, those with the greatest impact rarely happen overnight. Rather, they are born out of tiny gut feelings that start with a gentle nudge, followed by a push, until they take over mainstream thought. At some point we have to acknowledge them, as they don’t go away until we do. Internally, it is a merging of the head and the heart, bringing it all back to the reasons we choose to do what we do. Passion. And to help convey our experiences and passion, we’ve decided to commit to weekly blog posts.

After a few decades, we know we have something to add to the conversation. And so do you. You just have to uncover it, or most likely, take the leap of faith to finally share it on a meaningful platform. Each of us came here to Earth to contribute to the whole. And, each of us has the ability to speak our own truth. For me, putting pen to paper, writing down my truths and prioritizing them is key. It reduces stress, helps me organize my thoughts and provides clarity on how to best communicate them. Sources are great inspiration, and here are two aha articles that helped tie it all in. [ Source + Source ]

For blogs specifically, I put together a marketing plan, complete with a mission based on three words that will serve as a format for each post. The three words are brevity, storytelling and impact.

• Brevity – concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.
• Storytelling – the activity of telling or writing stories.
• Impact – the affect or influence of one person, thing or action, on another

I want to talk to you, simply, in a conversation-style format with a few relatable examples and a call to action that provokes thought. These three words will form the weekly posts to come. I’ve enjoyed this chat, and I hope you did, as well. If you need inspiration on why it’s important to pay attention to the little voice inside, check out my Facebook post from 6 years ago that popped up today. That voice only gets stronger.

We picked three words. And you should, too.