You Have the Courage to Dream

A guest blog post written by Jody Laird.

It takes a lot of courage to dream that your life could be different. I needed my life to change but I didn't really know how possible that was until February 22 & 23, 2020. All our lives were about to become different with the launch of a pandemic but for me, the real virus had been spreading for the 10 months before that and if I’m honest, probably even longer.

I'm a relationship person. I lead with my heart and I love deeply. I also forgive way too easily at times when people have treated me with disrespect and never quite understood the concept “it's just business”. I knew my core values didn't align at work anymore because the true colours of my “upline” really started to shine when a convicted pedophile was hired because he was a good recruiter. And because I stood up very loudly against it, I was made an outcast.

Samantha Laycock and I had been friends for a while at this point and she sent me a BeYOUtiful Box from her subscription box business as a self-care tool. This woman knows how to love on people. And she started to drip belief in me and kept inviting me to be part of something - a Blogging Intensive Weekend. After I was wowed by her in-person event, Blogging for Business in January of 2020.

At work, I was hearing terms like,

“You can't fail if you don't quit.”

“Stumble forward. Be a leader. If you quit now you are failing your family”

And that famous pile of poop story - if they only knew how close they were to the promised land, why would they dig out to the beginning instead of digging to the end.

Sound familiar?

But with Samantha (and some other people I knew from my workplace), I was hearing, you can make an impact! People need to hear what you have to say! Let’s have some fun! And because I believed in Samantha SO much (man, you just have to meet her to know her heart) I said…

Let's do this and I skipped Saturday training and spent a weekend for myself.

Now, this is where I want you to lean in. A little closer. Scooch just a bit more.

And? My world opened up. And the tears fell.

Are you ready to start your own blog?

Weekend intensives are for those who want a moment to:

Tell their story, launch an idea, start a business, vent with others - whatever you want to create a space for - it’s yours. For two days you have this woman who is an expert in her field (so you are in good hands) who gets to get to know you.

When was the last time someone focused on you for that long? Asked you a question longer than, Mom - can you make me lunch now? Honey, is the garbage out yet?

The Blogging Intensive is like a mini-retreat. That for nerds like me - you get to learn something. So unlike Netflix or social media that essentially feeds our insecurities and by the end, our credit card statements are a little higher - this space… she feeds you, challenges you, validates you, sets goals with you, dreams with you.

In a space of “new normal” (which is BS, by the way, tune into my future blog idea for that one)... don't we all need a space like this? A space to actually dream that doesn't come with a “Sweet, now just pay me another million dollars per month to stay happy” but instead at the end of the 2 days ends with “Here is my website!!!!!!!”

For a voice to voice experience of what that is like - check out what I had to say right after those 2 days on this video:

But Jody… what am I really going to get out of this?? Well? Launching and using my voice that was no longer welcome in my workspace… gave me back the courage to dream that my life could look different… and I…. Grew.

I now have my own, flexible business. I coach business owners, build people without an agenda, am developing a kid’s coaching program, have spoken both online and in mini-conferences. I’ve made more money in August than I did in the last 2 months at my old business. A business that was never mine because after building a solid book of business I had to give it to my upline. But somehow I was still a business owner? And I can laugh at that and be grateful. I am here because I lived through there.

The best part of the blogging intensive and this weekend that Samantha Laycock is offering in my opinion? Is that you will get to spend a weekend with one of the coolest people on this planet. And you will learn tons too! But maybe, just maybe… You’ll discover just how amazing you are too.

There is no risk to join the waitlist. You will get an 18-page workbook as well as 50% off of the blogging intensive if you decide to sign up. If you are thinking of starting a blog, this is your chance to do it with an expert right by your side. The Digital Blogging Intensive will change your life and help you bring your vision to life.