You Can Be a Woman on the Rise

Just over a week ago, Audrey and I attended a women’s conference in LA called “Rise,” put on by Rachel Hollis. What does one do at a women’s conference you might ask? Well… it’s kind of like a pep rally for adults trying to do life better. Self help? You could call it that. Inspirational? That’s an understatement. Fun? O.M.G. Yes. There was laughter, there were tears, there was dancing…

Lots of dancing…

All. The. Dancing.

Audrey and I came home from Rise feeling all the feels and ready to climb all the mountains. Having a deeper belief in what we’re building and a stronger drive to bring it to life. And because we’re all about sharing here at Komae, we wanted to share with you what our biggest take-aways were from the weekend.

Audrey and I at the Rise VIP garden party!

You’re Not Alone

You guys. One of the most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced was on Day 1 of Rise. Each one of us was handed a paper with a long list of statements. Each statement was something you may or may not have identified with. For those that you did identify with, you were supposed to check the box next to it, and then fold up the paper. In the spirit of anonymity, we passed these papers around the room about 20 times, maybe more. At this point, no one knew who’s paper was in their own hands and in who’s hands their own paper had landed.

And then Rachel had us open the papers. She instructed us that she was going to read the list aloud and that if the box on the paper you were holding was checked, you were going to stand up for your sister. And we did. And it was powerful.

Statements such as… I have lost a child. I have been raped. I have controlled my food for appearance. I have tried to hurt myself. I have struggled with anxiety and depression. I have lost a parent. I have abused drugs or alcohol. I hate the way I look…

Friends. The list went on from there. And the amount of people that stood up in the room for those things was incredible. And it was eye opening. And it was humbling.

If you are going through something, please know this. You are not alone. Your secrets are someone else’s secrets too. And if you could have a window into the lives of those walking past you down the grocery aisle, you’d see that you’re really not that different.

Yes, we’re really that happy!

Live with Intention

If you know Audrey and I personally or follow Komae on social media, you might think we’re the hardest workers you know. And perhaps, in some regard, there is truth to that. We’ve got grit, passion and a hustle that keeps us rockin’ the business world day in and out. But even with the success we’ve had, we both came home realizing we could be putting more intention into our days. I’m not talking about adding more events to our calendar or putting in longer hours. We’re good there. What I’m talking about is getting our focus on point.

Here are some questions that might help you identify if you need to bring a little more intention to your day. And some solutions to get you there.

1. How often do you find yourself scrolling Instagram not knowing how you got there? Perhaps consider moving the app icon to a new place on your phone so as to break that routine of muscle memory.
2. How often do you find yourself sitting down to work, not knowing where to start, and day dreaming while you figure it out? I recommend starting a to-do list, either on paper or on an app. Then when you sit down to accomplish something, you have a reference to get you started fast.
3. How many TV shows have you binge watched lately? Consider taking a few of those off your queue and instead spend that time reading a book, working towards your dream, or getting a workout in.

I saw a quote today that really struck me on this topic. And I’d like to share it with you.

Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.

Photo op with Jen Hatmaker!

Be Brave

Doing life with any sort of flair requires bravery. I’ve already written countless blogs on how bringing Komae to life took bravery, so I won’t go there right now, but let me tell you… it took bravery to show up at Rise. To pitch Rachel Hollis. To pitch Jen Hatmaker. And to make ourselves known throughout the week. But we did it. And you can read more about that here on an interview we did with ‘This is Thirty Four.’

In whatever it is that you are doing and that you want to do well, whether that be parenting, business, marriage, or something else, I dare you to live large. Expect greatness and work for it. Don’t be scared of rejection. Don’t be scared of failure. Instead, be scared of what staying still looks like.

Get out there and be brave. And if you need a kick in the pants to get moving, pick up your own copy of Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. You won’t regret it. I promise.

Super fan-girls with Rachel Hollis!