Linda Erb

OhGoodyGoody.com

Tell us about your greatest challenge and how you overcame it:

My greatest challenge was starting a new business, that required 24/7 focus, while going through treatment and therapy related to a life changing accident. I overcame it by a complete change in attitude about what was meaningful and pertinent in my life and that didn't come easy. Gratitude for what I had and gratitude for the accident, fueled my determination and physical stamina to charge forward in my personal life and into my new professional entrepreneurial world. I could still think and learn no matter what was going on physically so the first thing I did was get myself to the WISE Symposium. Just putting myself out there brought an extreme amount of support from the local community and the business world. There is not time or paper here to explain the chain of events that that sprung out of my first WISE Symposium. I am where I am today by the power of gratitude fueling my first step into my new world.

What advice do you have for other women entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs?

Run with what you have! Even if your new reality is not what you once had, it is extremely valuable and just ENOUGH for what you were meant to become, but only if you are willing to look through YOUR new "gratitude" glasses.

Key take-aways from your experience with the WISE Center or Symposium:

Debbie Fields inspired me to "buy my chocolate from someone who believes in me!" Move into business relationships with business's you want to mimic and don't waste a nano-second thinking about those who don't have time for you.

Taryn Rose inspired me to not waiver from my mission. Taryn makes a pretty shoe that was stylish as well as good for your feet, but she had to stick to her guns and get out of a partnership that at one time seemed so right. Something about that partnership was right and she is further ahead today than if she had not entered into what looked like the "wrong" partnership.

In a breakout session, Julie Shimer taught me that networking is an essential form of mentorship that is absolutely necessary for me as a new entrepreneur. I followed her advice and have collected a mountain of gold nuggets from established entrepreneurs across the continent! She advised me, as part of the audience, to think outside the box and give these business owners MY ideas. Until that moment, I had hesitated to tell a successful business owner anything about any idea I had. Today I have formed partnerships with businesses that I never dreamed of partnering with because Julie encouraged me to value my ideas as worthy concepts in return for the gift of the gold nugget.

Any other information you want to share:

When you start a business these days, you cannot measure your success in dollars. Measure it on a scale of "pain relief" for your customers and clients. Dollars don't come until the value of your service is established. Celebrating these values fuels your mind and body to keep succeeding at relieving pain and burdens of your customers!