I have a dream. Or two. Or three.

If you had access to all the resources you needed, what would you (happily) do, without being paid to do it? Ever get asked this?

I've never been super ambitious or competitive. The energy around those two words/ways of being has always felt hostile and tribal to me. I was raised to believe as human beings, and even moreso as women, we have intrinsic value; no matter what we do to make society, family, or friends, see us as "successful". Success means different things to different people. And although I have general goals, I only feel successful when my life is peaceful.

In my opinion, your health and peace of mind are priceless; everything else will be a bonus or a barricade to keeping those intact. The hope is to be a fountain of a person, not a drain (or be drained).

“Had I not created my whole world, I would certainly have died in other people's .” - Anais Nin

So with this in mind, if I had to imagine what thing to do if I had access to necessary resources, opportunity, & it fit within my guidelines of success....there are a few things that come to mind. I feel these would put me in a position to enjoy the work, be invested in it, and maybe even leave things better than they were in some small way (which should be a standard accomplishment of someone's existence - no?).

Daydreaming or #goals?

There's something about the number three I've always been drawn to. Whenever I'm making a decision about something or looking for solutions, I try to give myself 3 options to choose from (max 5, but always always 3). Below are three daydreams I have, but some might call them goals. I've acted on 2 of the 3 without much luck, so that's why the word dream seems more fitting.

Dream #1: I have an event-planning background so the idea of running a space and holding a variety of different vendor-type, table-top handmade product selling, open market or clothing swaps has always appealed to me. But opening a one-stop-natural shop conglomerate that offers holistic therapy treatments and esthetic services using strictly organic products would be next level in my mind. I imagine it to be a three story building, and each floor will have a different “department”; 1st floor organic hair & nail services, 2nd floor organic facials & holistic therapies like acupuncture/lymphatic contouring, and the 3rd floor dedicated to consultations with a holistic functional medicine doctor (as well as an in-house herbal supplement store).

In 2019, I pitched a version of this idea (I made a Powerpoint deck & everything) to a functional medicine doctor, a dermatologist, an esthetician, & even a current full fledged brand .......but the timing wasn't right for most of them.

Dream #2: To become a franchise, affiliate, or creator of a place like Crossroads Trading Co, Greene Street, & Plato's Closet. I've been an advocate of the recycled fashion movement since discovering it when I first moved to Los Angeles a few years back. There's so many reasons why this business model needs to dominate our culture; being a major climate change solution, minimizing our carbon footprint, getting rid of fast fashion, changing the seasonal model that brands hold retail departments hostage to, etc. And the FINDS are amazing.

Dream #3: Last but not least...to run an online business (or just work at one) that specializes in giving people gift ideas. And as some of you know, I tried starting one back in 2016 but couldn't develop the business model I had in mind (update: a different version of my original idea is in the works!). Either way, I eventually ended up doing the next best thing which was opening an Etsy shop, a Poshmark shop, a Society6 shop, and...starting this blog!

After awhile I also connected the dots; the simple fact is I don't want to be a CEO. I don't want to have all the responsibility, pressures that come with owning an actual business. I prefer being a worker bee behind the scenes. Facilitating, but not leading per se. Just my preference.

I know there are some people that think the dreams/goals I listed are totally attainable. To those people I say, it's really easy to judge from the sidelines. But hey, every day is a second chance. In the meantime - let a girl dream, damnit!

:)