Born With A Flame Inside

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was born with a flame inside of her body. While she was a child, it crackled happily. She was able to be curious, adventurous, and brave, and everyone loved her for it. Her mistakes were forgiven easily, and her courage was rewarded. She learned to explore the world, test limits, and share that light with others. 

But as that girl grew, she met people who didn’t admire her fire. They felt it was too hungry, too busy, and too curious. Sometimes, when she burned too brightly, people would dim her light or extinguish it all together. She learned that in order to survive, she needed to fit into spaces with people who didn’t have any fire inside of them. 

Instead of glowing, she began to dim her light. She found out that if she stopped feeding the fire, she could be smaller and quieter, which allowed her to blend in. Without fuel, the fire was reduced to ashes. The little girl grew into a confused, angry woman who moved in spaces that seemed relentlessly cold and unfriendly, lacking any hint of the flame she lost so long ago. Over the years, the world seemed to require so much of her that she focused on merely surviving. 

In time, that woman had a baby girl and that tiny baby changed everything. The woman looked at that little baby girl born with a flame inside of her body and suddenly realized what she had lost. She swore she would never again let the world snuff out her fire. She began to question the systems and the cage she was born into. 

Determined to rebuild her flame and lay the foundation for a new way of life, the woman started to seek out people who had beautiful fires inside of them — women who had lives fueled by their internal fire. They had financial independence and loved the work that they did every day. These women treasured their inner fire. They used its energy to create opportunities, change communities, develop innovative solutions, and build careers that brought them long-term happiness. The woman learned that these people were called Entrepreneurs. 

With shaky courage, the woman decided that it was time she joined them. With every new experience, she grew more confident and focused. Her flame grew strong and healthy again. And although she wouldn’t realize it until years later, this decision changed her life forever.

The woman in this story is me and so many of my clients have shared a similar origin story. Sometimes the catalyst in the story isn’t a baby. Perhaps it’s the loss of a loved one, experiencing extreme burnout, getting chronically ill, going through mental health challenges, or being diagnosed as neurodivergent. If you haven’t already experienced a catalyst that has made you want to put the work into building a business of your own, then I hope this blog becomes that for you. It is time to explore who you are, what you want, and how to get it. 

These women are not only business owners—they’re leaders, partners, bosses, daughters, co-workers, mothers, students, speakers, researchers, friends, and citizens. When we make it possible for them to thrive in their own businesses, we create happier people who become more confident in themselves and their abilities. They positively influence the world around them simply by being who they truly are.

If your flame feels snuffed out, trust me: the embers are there, glowing, ready to spark and grow into that fire. Let’s light it up.