The SOAR! Scholarship is live! Help us spread the word to EVERYONE!
The countdown for submissions has begun.
Deadline is Monday, December 21st at midnight PST!
****CLICK the SOAR! tab or www.soarwithmera.com! ****
p.s. I can’t believe SOAR! is really happening! A big hug and thank you to all our SOAR! Partners! This couldn’t happen without their generosity! You’ll see what I mean! (and see their videos too on the SOAR! Partners and Prizes pages!)
Me Ra, Wow! I am so excited to watch this unfold. You do have an amazing team and a gift at teaching, sharing and knowing that others can join you in this journey. I will be watching and following, getting tips and inspiration for my own small business (that only started out as an idea…). Much love to this whole project, Pamela
I am blown away!!! WOW.
wow….what a day yesterday huh? wow….great stuff. gave some ‘soar’ blog love. have a great day!
We recieved the most amazing emails already. In less than 24 hours, hope and encouragement are going out, and I want to jump up and down and cry at the same time!
Thank you for spreading the word about SOAR! The Twitter feed conversation is also pretty great. Click on #SOAR! on Twitter to follow along! But be prepared, some tweets will bring tears to your eyes.
Now to catch up on three days of dishes! 🙂
This is FANTASTIC, I mean amazing!! I’m soo excited to see how this unfolds and all the women it will touch and inspire! Congrats and good luck!
Can I be *completely honest?* While I think this contest is out of this world amazing… I’m scared to enter. Why? Because while I’m a new photographer who is committed to growing my business to be successful… I am unsure if winning this contest would be “All Consuming” and would take away from my other roles as wife, mom & “balanced person.”
Would it be possible to win this contest and do everything that needs to be done in a way that also doesn’t burden my husband or children?
I know this sounds like a downer comment but it’s not. I’m ECSTATIC about what you are doing with this and can’t wait to see things progress… but I am just curious about those of us who like our lives outside of photography too. Do we still get to keep those? 😉
Thanks Mera! 🙂
Dear Michelle (and everyone else who shares Michelle’s feelings),
Number one, thank you for being honest. I love that you are. That tells me you feel safe here, with me, and that means the world.
I know that the Requirments may seem daunting to some, but that’s why we have my amazing, and I mean AMAZING, business coaches to help guide the way–to help provide structure. I first went to Karen and Fay b/c I felt overwhelmed with my business, felt like I couldn’t enjoy anything–family, life, business. And these two women have taught me so much about prioritizing my time, my desires, my dreams, and especially my family b/c they are the only reason anything I do feels worth it…they took all my fears and helped show me a way through it so that I could LOVE my family and enjoy them even more and still run after other dreams. There is no way that I would have believe homeschool and living in Thailand for two months out of the year, while growing our business, would ever be possible. Is that even possible? Brian can confirm that it is by the change that has happened in me over the last few years of working with Karen and Fay.
This is also why I asked Carey Schumacher to be on board. She is an amazing woman who has built a totally different business model. And I love what she’s done b/c she’s done it all around family being her priority. Her time with you will be amazing. Roxie is another woman that I specifically invited b/c she is a mom of twins and runs her own business. And yet, she has incredible strength and grace about her with an amazing story behind it all.
Here’s what I want to help women find through SOAR! I want them to find input from wise people who have gone before them, so that they can break the cycle of staying up until the wee hours of the morning…and in the end feeling discouraged, alone and tragically…giving up on their dreams..giving up on themselves.
I want women to feel inspired that there is another way. Yes, finding your dreams come true is hard work. But that doesn’t mean all has to be sacrificied. I remember telling Jeff Jochum, another key mentor of mine who is now the CMO of SmugMug, that I wanted to build these HUGE dreams with his help. But no matter what, I still needed and wanted to be homeschooling the kids. Could we pioneer another way for me? “Let’s find a way Me Ra, not just for you but for women b/c I know your not the only woman who desires that very thing,” he said. And together, we are forging a path, lots of bumps and scary cliffs, but to know that we are working toward something that is real for not only me but my family…this is good.
I hope that helps Michelle. Much love to you.
What you guys are doing is absolutely insanely amazing! I was in tears yesterday as I read everything and realized how three women’s lives will be completely changed!!!! You guys have such huge hearts and amaze me with the generosity that you offer to women. I want to be just like you guys when I grow up! =)
wow, I cannot wait to get started on my video entry! So many thoughts and ideas are running through my head! Now I just need to nail down the ones I want to use! (if thats even possible!)
Your response to Michelle is so encouraging and uplifting and something I want to be a part of! This title wave that is taking over is such an inspiration! 🙂
Wow! I’m speechless (and humbled) at your response to my question… and the Facebook conversation too! 🙂 Thanks for hearing my heart and realizing that need I have to feel like whatever I set my heart & hands to has to ultimately benefit my family or it isn’t worth doing. Your business coaches sound amazing. That would be a dream! Here me clearly (everybody)… I’m not opposed to putting in the work. I spend hours DAILY working on my business. I just needed some reassurance that the soar scholarship would be family friendly. 🙂 Mera, thank you for your kindness and for answering this question in such a perfectly beautiful way! I feel much more confident entering now and love you even more than I did before. ((hugs)) Thanks!
Me Ra — I am so excited for this and for the lucky women who will win! I would try to say something funny and witty, but I am just basically speechless. I will say more later, when I am done picking my jaw up off the floor and having good tingly feelings!
Love you!
Dear Michelle,
Fay and I understand your feelings so well. We each have two children, my girl is 22 and boy is 17. Fay’s boys are 22 and 24. While we are on the other end of mothering – no more diapers – we’ve certainly been in the stress and joy of building a business, running the business, AND being loving and attentive mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and friends. Whew!
It’s not always easy to know how to balance it all. Yet, when we accept our passion for mothering and our passion for business somehow it seems to work a little bit better. The more we feel a split in ourselves, the more we judge ourselves as not being enough in either arena – the worse it all gets. The more we love ourselves and trust that mothering and running a business are both expressions of our love, creativity, and deep care for the world – the better it all gets!
This year with SOAR! Fay and I will pay close attention to each of you so that you build a successful business and discover an even more amazing and fulfilling life outside of the business.
Bringing the love of our family into the workplace gives it meaning. And bringing the energy and creativity from business nourishes and enhances the family. You see – it is just one loop! When we are filled up from our love and life then our leadership can flourish – and as a small business owner you are a “leader” in your industry and community. We’ll talk more about what it means to be a wise feminine leader too!
Keep those great questions coming!
Ladies,
It’s wonderful to see all this exchange and compassion, and I love the support already being displayed. However, I’m not going to give you a warm fuzzie “attagirl” response here. Thats not what you really need, IMHO.
The simple fact that y’all are thinking about work/life balance, time management, personal/family sacrifices and how daunting this challenge seems means you are serious about your success. And, while I am a huge fan of working smarter than harder, I also know that building a successful small business requires barrels of both. Its hard. Really hard. Really really hard. Plus, it’s much easier to start than it is to complete.
Do NOT go gently into this good challenge. It will require a lot more than you fear – and your friends and family will need to support you in it – unconditionally – if you hope to succeed. So, TALK to them about it. Share your desires and dreams and fears with THEM. Get them on your team before you try to join this one. Lead them to your view of success.
It will be worth the effort, because the real rewards come slowly, and with great effort. I must admit that the team Me Ra has assembled to help you is nothing short of amazing, and I can’t imagine a better jump-start for anyone. But, it’s still going to be tough.
…
Now, if you are still reading this and didn’t let my little pep-talk scare you off (it maybe even confirmed your grit?) – then YOU have the RIGHT STUFF. Be strong and be focused. Don’t let fear of success get in your way…
Go Get Em.
jeff
I have no words. But what I feel inside is enough to make an inactive volcano erupt.
in a good way…if there is a good way. 🙂
Dera Mera,
Thank you so much for posting Michelle’s q & a! And thanks Michelle for asking the question. It’s exactly how I was feeling.
While every cell in my body, soul, heart and mind wants to SOAR like you can imagine – I am also frightened and scared. Scared I am being selfish for wanting this, and if soaring would mean I wouldn’t be the “present” mom I try everyday my best to be.
However when the doubts start creeping in, I remind myself that what better support system can I dream of, than Mera and her team, other moms who have been there done that! And how many precious hours have I already spent on trying to figure things out, editing, learning, if I am going to be doing those things anyway, might as well do them the most efficient way possible, and have my hands held a little along the way. 🙂
All I know is that I am finished with 5am processing, and nap-time/night-time working – I do want to break the cycle! I am ready to have my life and business back in a healthy way, without the stress of trying to do it all and feeling alone along the journey.
Much love,
Anita
Karen and Jeff posting their thoughts! The wisdom of those two combined is unbeatable!
I’ve been speechless. The enormity of what you and Brian have assembled in an amazingly short time is miraculous and speaks of the love and respect people have for you, for hope, for vision, joy and happiness showering the world.
To all the ladies thinking about doing this and may be writing themselves off in some way: Don’t reject yourself – give yourself a chance. Risk courage and faith. You may not get to stay on the island but you might…but only if you toss your hat and heart into the ring and let us see you. To just have the passion is a gift and a start! GO FOR IT!
And, in my humble opinion, of course you’re going to get out of balance! It’s learning ways how to find your way back that’s the key. Blessings to all of you! Bring those videos on!!
A friend passed the SOAR! link onto me hoping I’d get involved but alas, Canadians aren’t eligible. Maybe next year? 😀
Kudos to you for inspiring ladies though. 🙂
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