Since I was a young girl, I have always found power in helping others. As I advanced in my career, I wanted to see more people advancing too, but with increased confidence and support. I also wanted to see spaces becoming more equitable, inclusive, and diverse in our society. So, I decided to develop Grow By Three as a strategic tool to achieve these goals.

Becoming a business owner has not been easy, but the experience has been rewarding. I am using this month's letter to share three lessons I have learned since embarking on this journey!

1. Being patient is a talent worth developing.

Over the past year, I have developed more patience than I have ever had in my entire life. I have started learning how to be genuinely patient with myself, my plans, and others. Running a business can be busy at times, yet, some operations will demand that you be still and simply wait. Most of us do not like waiting, as fear and worry usually build with our anticipation. But as an entrepreneur, you can hone your ability to wait with confidence. That's how you know your patience is running at an all-time high!

2. Running a business will be as isolating as you allow it to be.

Planning a business can trim away at every available hour you have. This means that you may have less time to pour into yourself, your loved ones, and even strangers. But, you must maintain your relationships, and build new ones. Sometimes, support from your community is all you need to feel revitalized and ready to take on the world. The encouragement and love you give to others will be like a boomerang -- it will come back around when you need it most.

3. Try to be as fluid as possible, as often as possible.

Everything cannot happen exactly how and when you want it to. Sometimes you can stunt your own progress if you are too rigid about how everything “must be.” There will be times when you have to break away from your initial idea and pivot to something newer or better. The moral of the story is: have plans, but be ready to catch curveballs! Those curveballs can make you better in the long run.

Although it has been a full year officially "in business," Grow By Three began providing full services in December of 2019. Since then, we have obtained many milestones, such as:

- hosting a successful debut event;

- securing phenomenal clients who are making our society a better place;

- connecting "Growers" through virtual events and social media;

- finalizing our internship program; and

- building a robust mentorship program which launches this summer.

There is so much more to come, and I could not be more excited to have you on this journey. Thank you for your support, and Happy Birthday to Grow By Three!

If you are available on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 6:30 p.m., please consider joining Grow By Three's Virtual Birthday Party on Instagram Live! We are super excited to have a live DJ hosting the party with us. To support Grow By Three during this time, feel free to become a Birthday Sponsor! All Birthday Sponsors as of May 14, 2020 will be publicly recognized during the Virtual Birthday Party through a special tribute! In addition, Platinum and Emerald Birthday Sponsors will receive a limited edition wellness package from Grow By Three.