Well…..in short – because they really DO go together!
I’ve gotten more than a few messages since the beginning of 2020 asking why I do both. Both as in Reckless Grace Boutique + this. Her Confident Life. And some have even wondered if I’m giving one up to move forward with the other. And THAT answer is a giant, definite NO! So I thought I’d take a few minutes and give you the answer…..you know, in case YOU were wondering too?
Back several years ago when my “business” Facebook page began, it really wasn’t a business. Nope. Back then, the page was Cowgirl Dreams Co. and it was purely inspirational + motivational. And if I’m honest, I don’t know if it was those things more for me or for the people that were joining the page!
It was mostly an extension of my blog. And when I didn’t have time to write in my blog, it became where I made short posts usually accompanied by an image of either my horse, me, or both of us together. It was a page + blog about entering the horse world later in life. And as I became more open and honest with myself, I became more open and honest with the people on the page. I began talking about my anxiety, bouts of depression, 5 years of domestic violence (not from my husband – he’s pretty much a saint!), growing up in a pretty small town and not being one of those “cool kids” (translate = bullying), plus the subject I used to hate to admit to – getting older and trying my best to do it gracefully. And graciously.
During those years, I would get so many messages on a daily basis from women all over the world telling me “THANK YOU” and “me too”. And that was such an eye opener for me!
Ya know…..sometimes when we struggle with some of the hard stuff, it’s so easy to get down on ourselves and feel like nobody could possibly understand and we’re out here alone. Not gonna lie…..I’ve felt like that plenty of times.
But the messages – and I can’t even tell you how many but there have been hundreds – let me know that I wasn’t alone in my personal struggles and that there were women out there feeling just like me.
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Not feeling good enough + smart enough + pretty enough
- Wanting so much to step out of their comfort zone but scared to death to move even one step
- Feeling like they don’t fit in
- Feeling like they want to try THIS but everyone keeps telling them it’s too late. They waited too long. They’re too old.
- Wanting so bad to try a new style but afraid their too old and people will laugh.
- Wondering what kind of make-up I love + skin care I use + how to style the new piece they just bought.
- Literally #allthethings
I could keep going but I think you get it.
You probably already know that I never really had intentions of turning any of this into a business. Not only that, I never had any intentions of leaving a really good career in my early 50’s to begin something totally new and totally different and work my ass off to build it! If you would have told me that was gonna happen? I would have told you I’d be all kinds of stupid to walk away from a really good – on all levels good – career at an age when most people had retirement in their sites! No way!
Ya know that Thomas Rhett song? Life Changes? Omgosh….the line “you make your plans and you hear God laughing”. HELLO!
So let’s fast forward through all the transitions + growing pains the business went through, okay? If you’ve been around here for any time at all, you already know the story.
While Cowgirl Dreams Co. was growing into Reckless Grace Boutique, all those private messages were still coming. (And they STILL are – daily!) And I LOVE getting them! I love when women reach out to share a piece of their story with me. It’s such an honor when someone trusts you with such a personal part of themselves and I don’t take any of it lightly.
And although I love the conversations to help you get to a good place in your mind + soul, I love the fun stuff just as much! For instance, the time not too long ago that someone sent me a private message and asked me to make a quick video of how I use my straight iron to get the beachy wave look. (Funny story there…..if you knew HOW LONG it took me to master that you would laugh.) And I did. I made a quick video for her and now she’s rocking those beachy waves in all the pictures I see on Facebook!
#truthbomb……girl, we ALL want to live our best damn life, amiright??? From conquering all the shit going on inside of us to feeling fabulous about how we look…….and you might think that sounds vain but I promise you, it’s the truth. We all want to FEEL good and we all want to LOOK good while we feel good.
Part of it is learning to love our glorious, chaotic, messy, quirky, sometime-bad-eating-habits, perfectly flawed + beautiful selves. And I’m not gonna lie, the older I get, the more wrinkles that come, the more gravity takes hold, well……some days it ain’t so easy! But I keep going and I want you to keep going with me.
And this is why I do both.
This is why I have a boutique that speaks to the gal that maybe isn’t rocking a crop top and booty shorts anymore but also isn’t ready to give up looking amazing. And stylish. And this is why I have Her Confident Life……because although I’ve reached a “certain age” (good laaaaawd I hate that term!) I definitely want to keep on learning, keep on growing, keep on getting better in my mind and look the best I can while I do it!
And please….keep sending those messages! Let me know what you’re working on. Need to hash out something? Talk through it? I’m yo girl!
