Howdy Reader!

When I was a kid, I would wrangle the neighbor kids and charge them money to watch me perform. Every holiday party or family gathering, I was doing the "look at me!" thing to anyone who would watch.

I could usually get a few well-meaning aunts to pay attention for a song or a dance, but invariably someone in the room would try to shame me into silence.

I was showing off, too loud, too big for my britches, or whatever their story was.

Never mind my talent or ambition. I was just too much for them to handle. And there were big consequences for my behavior, shaming being the least of them.

So it's no surprise that I turned my volume down and dimmed my shine for decades. My last real attempt to turn things up was with my first husband... and THAT didn't go well at all.

There's a reason he's not my husband anymore!

It has taken YEARS of work since my divorce to get to a place where I honestly felt like it was safe for me to show up and shine.

Yeah. Me. The extrovert. The talker. The person who LOVES social interactions and lives for the energy of a room full of people.

Instead of shining brightly, I've walked into so many rooms holding up a mirror - only reflecting back whatever light the room already had to give. I'm good at it, though. Years of practice will do that to you.

But, as I tell my clients, just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should be doing it.

And I've been doing it for FAR too long!

As you read this, I’m in the final Creative Freedom Retreat with four brilliantly gifted humans. They are plotting their course for their future, and I'm both happy and sad about it.

Happy because they are amazing. They have shown up for themselves 100% and inspire the hell out of me to do the same. Sad because it's officially the end of an era as we close the door on Creative Freedom Saturday night.

One of today's retreat exercises is designed to help you decide how you want to show up and how you want your world to see you.

There's nothing better than a real-life example, so I'm showing them what that "new level" looks like for me.

I am both nervous and excited - nerve-cited.

It's the core of the work I've been doing for 20+ years. Whether I was working with direct sellers, creative entrepreneurs, or founders and business leaders, one thing has been the driving force behind it all.

And I am DAMN good at what I do. So I should have a whole lot of confidence in this unveiling.

But in this room with these people...

I have known these folks for years. Some of them for DECADES. One of them has been to EVERY retreat I've ever hosted!

But one of the pillars of my work is having the courage to face your fears - and specifically being willing to bet on future you.

So that's what I'm doing today. Nerves and all.

Nobody has it all together all the time. We're all either saying "hey look at me!" or standing in the shadows. Neither is right or wrong and we all get turns at both. The question is whether or not you'll say yes when it's your turn, and whether or not you'll be ready when you do.

I'll let you know how it goes. The next time I write, Creative Freedom will be history.

Thank you for being a witness to the journey. I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement of the last 30+ years and look forward to what comes next!

Onward!

-Lisa

P.S. The archive all access pass is still available until October 31. If you need the link again, let me know!