“Life’s adventures never promised a straight path, and that’s often what stops us. But we must dream. All we have, even in the worst moments, are the dreams of better things to come.”

Luvvie Ajayi

When I started FIREUP Coaching in 1998, my mind was filled with dreams of the lives I would change and the impact I could make. I was naïve enough to not think too much on the realities of business such as cashflow, the need for a solid budget, a business plan, and a strong strategy around sales and marketing.

Overcoming Challenges in Pursuit of Dreams

I was fortunate to attend a Managers Conference while working for Flight Centres, where the tagline “lowest airfares guaranteed” was coined. Believing a compelling tagline was crucial, I tested several options with friends. The first attempt, “changing mindsets globally,” was met with confusion. It’s amusing now to think that such a common concept was initially challenging for people to grasp.

The tagline “living change” was deemed too vague, but when I suggested “igniting the potential within,” it finally resonated. With my name and tagline in hand, I established my training business, renting an office and offering NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) courses. Despite skepticism from many who doubted its success in Australia or urged me to return to nursing, I persevered. Being young, female, and single was seen as a disadvantage by some, but I remained determined to pursue my dream and find a path to success.

Surrounding Yourself with Dream Champions

I chose the quote above from the book “Professional Troublemaker – the Fear Fighter Manual” because it resonates with my journey. It has not been what I thought. There have been many very challenging and difficult times emotionally and financially; however, in the moments when someone thanks me for changing their life or coaching them to a life that was what they dreamed of, it is all worthwhile.

Becoming a Master Certified Coach was a dream in 2004. I still have my piece of paper from being visually coached by an artist and having to draw my vision. My internal critic was harsh. My drawing was not good enough. I would never be good enough. How do you get enough clients and make a living? I had so many questions, but my beautiful coach kept supporting me to keep my vision alive and dream of the possibilities.

We all need to dream. We need to be careful of people who want to jump on our dreams and squash them with logic. Avoid the naysayers who have lost the courage to dream because life didn’t go the way they planned. Surround yourself with people who champion you to dream big!

Why should we follow our dreams?

I sit here now writing, looking out my window and reflecting on the joy I get from living my dream. I love where I live. I love my husband and the life we have created together. I love having built a business that now helps thousands of other people to fulfil their dream of becoming coaches and helping other people to dream. I love the ripple effect.