It all started with a weekend getaway with my husband. Heading to a mountain cabin after work one Friday night, we stopped off at a 5 Guys Burgers and Fries to grab a quick dinner. While the getaway was much-needed and relaxing, the meal selections didn’t get much better over the next two days (trending towards fried and greasy and processed). I have always prided myself on being a healthy eater and so despite the awesome scenery and even better company I wasn’t in a great place physically or mentally. That weekend was a tipping point: I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!
As always in life, when the student is ready the teacher appears. In this case the teacher was Hayley Hobson. I first encountered Hayley when she followed my blog (thank you!) and was intrigued by her three-day cleanse. I had always been skeptical of the “cleanse”, imagining deprivation, starvation and all sorts of scary things. But Hayley’s plan actually included eating food and I was ready. I approached my husband about doing the cleanse and, feeling much like myself about the previous weekend, he was enthusiastically on board. At the end of the three days we both felt amazing and wanted to incorporate more plant-based meals into our diet. It was through Hayley, that I discovered Kris Carr’s Crazy, Sexy Kitchen which I have been working my way through and enjoying all the plant-based goodness contained within (and to think it all started with a hamburger).
I was a Crazy, Sexy convert and immediately signed up for Kris Carr’s weekly newsletter, which is where I first heard about Marie Forleo. Marie’s passion for helping women succeed in business is infectious. The free videos posted on her site really opened my eyes to the fact that my writing wasn’t just a hobby, but an actual business! Even after all I went through to publish my book, Neverending Beginnings, I had never really considered myself a businesswoman. She asked probing questions which made me reevaluate what I wanted from my writing and how to get it. I know my second novel, and my approach to marketing my writing will be a better as a result of the insights I gained.
Even though we have never met, I feel a connection with these women. They have helped me on my journey. So on this lovely St. Valentine’s day I offer a heartfelt thanks to these ladies and a commitment to keep the goodness and connections going! And to the 5 Guys that started it all . . . well, here’s to inspiration in the oddest of places.
