When I first became aware that I was an “entrepreneur” fear and excitement hit me all at once. I didn’t know where to begin or what to do, so one of the very first things I ever did was pray. I prayed in gratitude, for help, for direction, for mentors… and I don’t think I’ve ever stopped, if I did it was because I let my pride take over and I became too confident for a moment. But really, if I let fear take over, I’m still overwhelmed by being an entrepreneur, still trying to figure it out and how to make it work while raising a family.
I am very aware of my dependence on God, especially in entrepreneurship and I can honestly say that every good thing that has happened to Startup Princess is because of the blessings I’ve received along the way. Startup Princess would not be without inspiration from above–from the start I was given the name, the vision and plan and felt my role was to bring it forth. Remembering where Startup Princess came from, what we’ve accomplished and that I’m not alone on the journey gives me daily strength and keeps me moving ahead.
This week I have the honor and opportunity of being a guest speaker at an Entrepreneurship conference at a Christian University, Brigham Young University-Idaho. I selected the topic, Ask and Ye Shall Receive: Faith & Entrepreneurship. As I continue to prepare this week, I’d love to receive your feedback on the subject and with your permission, I’d like to use some of your comments in my presentation and to understand this topic better. If you are too shy to leave your name, feel free to write anonymous or a first name in the comment box.
Here are some questions I’d love feedback on, please comment and share your thoughts:
At what stage of entrepreneurship did you begin including God as an advisor/mentor?
Has your confidence increased in business because of your faith?
Do you pray formally about business or do you “talk/discuss” about your specific needs?
Was there a specific moment when you realized that if you included God in the process you would be more successful?
Do you regularly pray for direction about your business and if so, what do you expect from your efforts?
Do you read scripture or other inspired text for specific help with your business? How have you benefited from this practice?
Have you ever faced a crisis in your business when you realized that if you stopped trying to figure it out on your own and “Let Go and Let God” it would work out? And did you? What happened?
How does your faith help you to balance business with other areas of your life?
Thank you for sharing, you’ll be blessed for commenting!
This post was written by Startup Princess Founder, Kelly King Anderson.
Hi, First of all I want to say thank you for this webpage.I am highly unorganized and it has helped me immensely.I have included God in every step that I am taking now.Even though my Jewellery Business has not started I know it was God who inspiried me with the ideas in the first place.Yes, my confidence has increased becuase of my faith.Through struggle and pain you always know that God’s love,mercy,and grace will walk with you.It might sound funny but I have discussions with God aloud in my apartment.When I have no understanding of a situation I can feel His hand leading and directing me where I should go or should not go.I have realized in my life if it was not for God there would be no entrepreneuers in this world.All creativity I believe is inspired by Him.Right now I am learning to let go and let God!It is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.It seems like I am fighting to get this business off the ground but all things are in God’s hands.My faith does help me to balance business and other areas of my life becuase I do not start thinking that ambition and money are the only important things in life.That people are what God focuses on like we all should.To inspire,create,motivate, stand for what is right in the face of adversity.To be what God has created all of to be…ourselves.If you are to be a entrepreneuer …thats great and if it is to be something else it is equally as important.To know yourself and know that you are loved by the God of the universe is the greatest peace you and I can ever find.I pray that God helps us all on each of our journeys.To reinvent a world through the hand’s of God and to establish His kingdom here on earth.God Bless you for standing up for your convictions and this website.Sincerely,Dawn…A Entrepreneur
Every day I say a prayer that I can accomplish what I need to do in a day. My business and my family life intertwine each moment. I work from home juggling children coming home from school, homework, business appointments, and somehow laundry and house hold duties. I am an independent health insurance agent building my business one contract at a time. Each night I thank god and the universe for everything I was blessed with. I am a spiritual person and a true believer in the law of attraction. Each night I visualize the emails of questions and clients that I will receive each day. Some times it is an act of god to get out of bed. I am a single mother and suffer from Fibroymyalgia. Everyday is a blessing to me.
I was going to share a favorite quote, but to get it right I “googled it”, and came found an incredible gem from Music and the Spoken Word.
Here’s the quote, but please, please check out the full text, read by Lloyd D. Newell on The Joys of Creation:
http://www.musicandthespokenword.com/messages/display.php?message=461
I found this, thanks to LDS Esther
*Unfortunately, I can find references of this quote being attributed to several people including Thomas S. Monson, George MacDonald, and Alan Stockdale.
Wow, I really felt compelled to answer your questions today:). I am a frequent visitor to your site. I’ve always wanted to comment but have not taken the time until today. Today I knew the time was right:). I can say with a resounding YES that faith is a humongous part of my business drive. Faith is what has kept me going and learning to rely totally and completely on God (I usually refer to God as the Universe) has truly changed my life and brought me to where I can see success happening for me.
I’ve always had an entrepreneur’s spirit and thousand of ideas and a slightly scatterbrain, full-blast approach to making my entrepreneurial dreams a reality. But then I’ve also had an unhealthy dose of subconscious self-doubt and so self-sabotage. So it’s been a really difficult road. I would speak to God all the time, asking questions, pining for solutions, etc. and even though I was listening, I was still worrying myself crazy and so jumping around frantically trying to make this happen and that happen. When I finally burnt out from all of that, I finally understood that if I went with the flow and DIDN’T worry, God would take care of all the hows. Really and truly. And so that’s what’s been happening. Whenever I have a vision for my business (or my life), I pray about it, thank God for it a thousand times, get all super excited and giddy about having it and then move on with whatever is presently in front of me. Whenever I’m down, I remind myself that I’ve taken on too much of the burden because “aha, I’m worrying again!” and I remember that “God has got my back!”. God just needs me to get my thoughts out of the way, lol. Goodness, I hope you can imagine how much peace that gives me. Just remembering that little thing. Just remembering that I don’t have to figure it all out. That I’m not alone in all this. And that someone (God) who knows everything and is totally in control, calm, cool, and collected is right there with me:).
I guess I realized that “letting God do all the hard work” was the way to go, lol when I hit my emotional bottom back in 2006. I moved from Chicago down south to stay with my mom for almost a whole year to get my head together. That was THE hardest thing I’ve done to date. I was suicidal and depressed but I also knew that this was the make it or break it. I had to figure out how to be successful at life or just let life go all together. Being a successful entrepreneur was a major part of that because I’ve always known that I was meant to create new-ness, not further someone else’s creation. Through a LOT of personal work (reading/meditating/visualizing) God led me to the right things that finally led me out of that space.
I slowly was able to see the tangible results of letting go and expecting God. Increasingly I had more and more examples of how it would work every time.
The current manifestation of my business even is a purely beautiful example. I’m an aesthetician (skincare specialist) as well and I knew that eventually I would love to have my own place to perform all my esthetic services as well as my makeup services and even to teach classes again. I thought having a partner though would be a great good change for me – someone to share the triumphs and challenges with. I thought it was way off in the future however. I visualized and held happy thoughts about it though with no expectations. Well within 2 months, a partner appeared, the space appeared (beautiful with nothing to compromise), and I see my first clients there tomorrow. Just amazing! Truly
amazing. and truly an example of how God carries me so far when I let him:).
Thanks for this post! It’s helped me to verbalize a lot of good feelings and affirmations. Best blessings to you!
I constantly pray over our family business, and even this past week God has molded my thoughts to be more consistent with where He wants it to go and what He wants it to be.
One of the biggest things He has taught me this past year is the importance of being willing to sacrifice everything for Him. Everything. If we can honestly say that we would give all of it up if He wanted us to, then we know that He is first and that our businesses are a response to His vision for our lives.
Thank you, thank you everyone!! I really appreciate the openness and love expressed here. Great comments!!!
I speak on Thursday and would love some input about how the scriptures have helped you find answers to business questions, anyone?
Faith, of course, means different things to different people. But in my own lexicon, faith in what I believe to be true is a very big deal. I have faith that: everything happens for a reason and that everything — even the seeming setbacks — is the universe’s way of moving towards harmony. I have faith that Life wants me to succeed and that it’s throwing me clues and opportunities every hour to fulfill my purpose.
And yes, I pray. Carrie and I pray before speaking gigs. We pray when we send off a manuscript, a FedEx to Oprah, and before a new web project launches. We pray to shine and in doing so, “may we inspire other people to shine.” And we always say thank you — that usually feels like enough.
Faith and balance? My life rarely feels balanced. It’s typically intense and full. And if faith is at the center of all of that, everything feels right. It requires some mastery of trust, some grit and some deep breathing some days — but I can always manage to get back to what I know and experience to be true.
It was a year ago that I became an auctioneer and almost a year ago that I wrote Startupprincess for the opportunity to have my wish granted. My wish was granted and with great advice and my prayers lifted up high, I began, my auctioneering journey.
I prayed daily for God to lead me to where I could use my new talents for him and I prayed specifically that God place me where I could help him in everyway. I chose to wait and I just knew with confidence that God would bring me the right opportunity. Five opportunities later and each one dedicated to his work, I can say ” Trust with all your heart.” Prayer works! I have been on the block for three Christian Schools (benefit auctions), and two Christian non-for-profits(benefit auctions). Now, the word is spreading and I have gained the experience I needed to build my business and confidence.
I am so very thankful I could let go and wait. It is very easy at the beginning to panic and want to run in every direction, except the right one. That is when silence, being still, visualizing, and praying can pull all your efforts in alignment with the direction to take.
Now, I am praying over my website and my future. I look forward to the wonderful opportunities and surprises ahead!
In faith,
Sway Hodges
I just returned from BYU-Idaho last night and wanted to share how much I appreciated the depth of sharing here…I enjoyed quoting these comments and demonstrating to the students how faith DOES build businesses and you’re proof!
I valued your boost of support in my assignment and felt overwhelming gratitude that we really DO have a thriving and beautiful community of women here!!