Usually around this time of year my life is MUCH more leisurely. Make Itwraps up at the end of April, so I’m able to take a breath in May and June. This spring I have decided to launch something new, so the pace of my life hasn’t slowed down much at all.
Although I’m super busy, it feels amazing to be putting my energy into something I really believe in and feel passionate about. There’s something really energizing about venturing into the unknown too. As much as I’m proud of Make It and can’t believe this will be our 10thyear, I’ve probably produced close to 65 shows at this point and know all the ins and outs of the biz. It’s still exciting, but there aren’t as many surprises as there were when I first started.
One of the things I’m most driven to do is create more community for creative entrepreneurs. I know when I first started my business Booty Beltz when I was 21 there wasn’t a lot of support around me. Sure, my family and friends were happy to hear about my business and buy my belts, but many of them just didn’t relate to what I was going through. This was no fault of their own, because if someone hasn’t started a business there’s no way of fully understand what I was experiencing.
There were many times I felt lonely and isolated as my business grew. This was especially true when I moved to Vancouver in 2007. I hardly had any friends to begin with and longed to have a community of likeminded people that I could share ideas and collaborate with.
Slowly over the years I’ve been able to cultivate a group of warm, kind, and generous friends. It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve experienced some pretty messed up situations when people I thought had my back actually didn’t. I’m a sensitive and open person, so it has been extremely painful at times, but the good definitely outweighs the bad.
If you’ve been following my story, you know that I opened a space in Gastown last fall called Conscious Lab. When I first walked in I immediately fell in love with the curved windows, rustic hardwood floors, and exposed brick. Now, almost 10 months later, I still get a fluttery feeling in my stomach as I step into my office. It has made me raise my standards significantly.
Launching Conscious Lab hasn’t exactly been easy. My rent is crazy high, it has been broken into, I’ve had some negative situations renting it out, BUT I’m still hopeful it was the right decision to take over the lease. There’s something magical about the space, and everyone who enters it echoes this sentiment. It has a special vibe that seems to grow as time goes on.
Now that Make It has wrapped for the season, and we don’t have another show until the end of November, I’ve been able to have the bandwidth to dream and create again. When it’s show time I work in the business, but when it’s not I can work on it. This is when the real magic happens for me as an entrepreneur.
One of the best things about running Make It are all of the amazing people that cross my path. Makies are a rare breed of creative badasses who are committed to earning a living doing what they love. When we all get together at the show the energy is electric because of the collective positive consciousness of the group. It’s super inspiring to witness, and I feel that’s a huge part of why the show continues to grow.
I’ve been really fortunately to have created beautiful friendships with some of the Makies. In the early days, it was easier to have personal relationships with many of them, but now as the show has grown I have chosen to go deeper with fewer. Although I would love to be able to hangout with everyone at the show, it’s just not possible anymore. This is why I have hired an incredible team of fierce ladies who can help Makies feel like the rockstars they are.
One of the Makies that I’ve had the privilege to get to know is Tien Neo Eamas. He’s been participating at Make It for a number of years, and I even had him as a guest on my web series called Make It TV. Tien is a self-proclaimed wizard who has an incredible story of overcoming significant obstacles, undeniable perseverance, and rising above societal limitation. Plus, he’s hilarious and has a delightful way of looking at the world.
My favourite part about Conscious Lab is all the amazing people it has attracted to the space. Some of the chats I’ve had have blown my mind, and Tien was no exception. When he visited the office last month we had an incredible conversation that my graphic designer Dianasaid sounded like a podcast!
Our dialog made me realize how much I love having elevated conversations about business and life. After a couple hours with Tien, we decided to join forces and launch a talk. There was such a great flow and I quickly knew that the world needs to hear more from this magical human being!
If you live in Vancouver, we would absolutely love for you to join us on June 13 at Conscious Labas Tien and I discuss how to choose joy in order to attract sales, customers, and more abundance into your life. This talk is designed for creative entrepreneurs of all types. Plus, you’ll get to hear more about the future of Conscious Lab and have the opportunity to connect with likeminded people who actually get it. Please use the coupon code jennasblog for a special discount 😉
It’s going to be super fun, and I guarantee you’ll leave feeling like you can fly! Trust me, Tien has the effect on people.
Buy tickets here: https://www.picatic.com/choosingjoy
Invite your friends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/249628472447618/
If you’re someone who would also like to give a talk at Conscious Lab or get involved, please get in touch. Basically I’m creating a community centre for creative entrepreneurs to connect and grow because I know it’s so needed. Right now I’m open to ideas because I know this will be a collective effort.
Thank you so much for reading and can’t wait to hear your thoughts and ideas. Vancouver, see you on June 13!
