Secrets of Success: Rule #8

Its not always easy to start a business, build a blog readership, or quit your desk job to pursue your hand sewn line of womens clothing full-time. In fact, its almost always quite challenging at times. So, I started a series that tells it like it is”¦the good, the bad, and the completely “˜Girl, I cant believe you went there.” Secrets to success that have been learned along the way. Today, Tiffany will pick up where we left off last time”¦

This contributor post was written by Tiffany Han.

Kenny Rogers said it best “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em.”

In 2009, I was an aspiring artist and coach who had grand ideas. I had a vision for a space – a space where I could create beautiful work, run my creative business, but also where I could bring people together under a common goal – the goal of doing soul work, the work that makes you come alive. The work that we all seek out at conferences, retreats, classes, and on blogs.

I had a vision and 2 friends had the same vision. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had a space that could contain not only our creative businesses, but also bring women together for the sake of creativity. We could all work together. OMG it would be brilliant.”

Thus, Teahouse Studio was born.

We opened our doors in March 2011, and last month, we announced that we are closing our doors in March 2013.

Cue Success (and card-playing) Secret #8:

You’ve got to know the difference between what’s a good idea and what you really want for your life. You’ve got to know when to keep trying, keep moving forward, keep voraciously never-giving-up on what you want and when to say “I did my best” and move along.

Knowing the difference isn’t always easy. You might go through a pushing phase before you get to the “I did my best” part. You might let something go and walk away only to come back to the idea a few months, years even, with a renewed interest and different perspective.

For me, with Teahouse, I realized that, while I am so proud of what we’d built and whose lives we’d touched, I also realized that I wanted more for my life and my business. Running this workshop space was holding me back from moving into bigger, grander plans (Hi, Oprah! Wanna chat?). I knew that I was destined for greater things.

Has it been scary to let go? Yes.
Do I have doubts all the time about moving forward, into the unknown? Absolutely.

Yet, despite the fears and the doubts and the omg-what-is-going-to-happens, I also know that letting go is going to create space for me, my empty shelf, for new and exciting goodness to rush in. Stay tuned, y’all, cause it might just be epic.

Your turn: what are YOU hanging on to that you could walk away. What burdens could you let go of to make space for bigger, brighter things in your life? (It is possible to do this, I promise.)

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image above found here via Ez (original source unknown)

Tiffany Han, CPCC is a life & business coach for highly-creative people who arent living the highly-creative lives they want. Just yet. With provocative questions & hard-edged encouragement, Tiffany helps skittish someday-ers become fiercely focused creators “” and proves that dreams do come true. But only when you demand it.