Being a genuinely passionate advocate of entrepreneurism with over 19 years running my own businesses (tons of personal growth!), I so love engaging with creative entrepreneurs. They are heartfelt, overly passionate, superbly driven, and often times afraid of their own success. Now that applies to many entrepreneurs, but there is a common denominator within the event industry that I have come to know and appreciate.

Late July during the Southern California Event Professionals Association’s (EPA) elegantly produced educational event at the legendary Sky Room in Long Beach, I found a common theme among the guests while delivering my signature “Turn Your Personality into Profit” workshop. I found several were delaying their success either by not going full time in their business or not sure how to break through to that next level all because of a fear-based “self talk” that secretly said “I doubt my abilities to succeed.”

No worries! Join the world of personal growth + business = breakthrough success! You are not alone and I have answers to soothe your soul.

Case study: That night, a lovely woman who owns a part-time event planning business, confides in me she has been in deep fear of letting go of her “day job” to go full time into her dream life running her creative business. She was almost at a point of being paralyzed not knowing what to do next to bring in more business. Her ultimate goal is to be doing wedding event planning full time expressing her purpose driven talent on a daily basis.

What a dream! (And so doable).

Here’s the mindset lesson: She then shared with me she was thinking of doing the “leap” from her day job she had no passion for to her full-time dream business four years from now. That’s right; number 4. I took a deep, soothing breath and I looked straight in her sweet eyes and said, “Where did you get the number 4 and why are you delaying your dream and success? When you take a leap of faith that’s when the Universe comes in to support your courage, vision and clarity of passion by providing people, opportunities, divinely inspired ideas, and more that turn into money and progress.”

She looked at me with a long stare. I know I hit a sweet spot for her – it’s that place where hope and belief reside together but have been clouded over by fear (“Am I capable of making it happen?”) and disappointment. Her hope and belief have probably not been activated in months; maybe years. I lovingly said, “You can have your dream much sooner. Why not 6 months? It’s a matter of taking a deep breath and leap with a mentor and group of people all headed in the same direction at your side; then trusting what you need will show up including the clients and money. You are not alone.” She smiled with tears in her eyes.

This scenario is common and I am here to say it can change with the right mindset and right actions.

How about you?

What is the condition of your hope, faith and belief? By the way, this scenario of delaying your dreams and success goes for all industries and stages of business. So those of your who have been in business for 2-7 years and are stuck, frustrated, and very ready for a breakthrough to the next level of success in your business, it’s TIME to take a leap of faith and get support to hold the belief for you before you can do it alone.

Here’s the truth: you cannot keep going at the same pace using the same systems (or lack thereof) and same mindset if you want different results.

What’s required to take you out of your frustrating plateau or “stuckness” is a mentor and group of people headed in the same direction with shared goals. This streamlines your journey, gives you new systems, and a refreshed mindset. Yes I am suggesting you invest in yourself! That is the best ROI (return on your investment) you can ever make in life!

My message is this: taking a leap of faith requires courage but the rewards are incredibly fulfilling. We are here to EVOLVE. That’s our main purpose in life. We can only evolve and grow when we step out on faith, listen to our heart (it’s telling you to go for it!) and place our needs first with a willingness to be guided by those who have gone the path before us.

It’s your choice. Stay where you are (an energy block) or make a decision from where you want to be; not where you are. Join the ranks of high achievers who started where you are – in fear and they took the leap and have never looked back.

Here are 3 tips to taking a leap of faith:

1. Recognize when you are in that low, contraction energy (fear, doubt, lack, worry) which means there is no room for progress or prosperity. Shift immediately to gratitude, faith, trust and appreciation even in times of uncertainty and then take action that will remove you from the fear. That action could be making a phone call to that potential client you have been avoiding. It could be hiring a team member (contract not employee), and it could be hiring that mentor to help you breakthrough. Action removes fear.

2. Reacquaint yourself with your dream and vision by finding a quiet uninterrupted place (a park, your cozy bedroom, a weekend away alone, a sacred location) and compose your vision in deep detail in the AS IF format. In other words, as if it’s already complete. Please do not use any future words like I will, I want. It’s done in present tense. Be sure to place every detail about the vision, how it feels, the income, and the visual. I want you to feel it and think it. Embrace it with all your heart by reading it every day without fail. I mean that.

3. Live in gratitude every single day. Commit to listing 5-10 things you are grateful for seen and unseen. Every day. Ok, so start with 3 days a week and build the habit to 5-7 days a week. But create the habit. Our lives are a result of our habits and rituals. Is it time to create new habits? I say yes with a lot of love.

Blessings and gratitude,