‘Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.’
– Julia Child –
A few months ago I wrote a blog post entitled ‘Do what you love (Part 1). Today I feel inspired to write a follow up to it, because intuitively, that is the feeling I had for the subject of my blog post when I woke up this morning.
As I mentioned yesterday, I haven’t written blog posts for the last couple of weeks. I’m not entirely sure why and can’t explain this, but yesterday was the first time in a little while that I felt to write.
I must say, the Universe responded in the most beautiful and perfect way, to reinforce how important it is for me to be writing and sharing. My post had 30 likes, 7 comments, I picked up quite a few new followers and I had the best stat day I have had in the last month or so.
And furthermore, I wrote the post, without any expectation or agenda. I just wrote it from my heart, put it out into the Universe openly and honestly, and most importantly, I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed writing the post, and I enjoyed sharing my thoughts and feelings.
It just reminded me of how important it is to a) follow the feeling and your intuition (the feeling that I had to write yesterday) b) be present in the moment without expectation or agenda and c) do what I love. I love to write, I love to share and I love to help.
Secondly I ran a workshop last night at our local Meet Up Group ‘Manly Entrepreneurs‘ on Conscious Branding. I was so humbled to be talking to a room of 40+ people about branding and we worked collaboratively to define the values of the ‘Manly Entrepreneurs‘ brand.
Initially I was a little nervous about speaking to a group of people about what I do as it is the first time I have done this since starting my company a year or so ago, but I’m so glad I did. Everyone appreciated the talk, enjoyed the content that I shared and most importantly they loved contributing to creating the brand together.
Holding this event made me feel alive, connected, happy, joyful and present. I was so happy to share my knowledge and apply it to something that I like so much.
So, the thought for the day is this. Are you filling your life with things that you love, and if not, how can you start to? In Part 1, I talk about a ‘Do what you love’ that I have on my fridge which is a constant reminder for me to fill my life with things that I love and that make me happy. Why not write one and stick it on your fridge?
“When you live with an open heart, anything is possible”
– Unknown –
Last year on 8th June, I left the Corporate World forever, and exactly one week later I registered my business (Thought Cloud Collective) on 15th June. I started it with zero investment, and a cup brimming with positivity, ambition, ideas, excitement and certainty.
I was setting out on a journey into the unknown, the Captain Cook of entrepreneurial exploration. My voyage was going to take me into unchartered territories. My mission, to become one of the first Brits in history to come to Australia, start their own business and sponsor themselves for a 457 visa through that business.
There were a lot of hoops that I needed to jump through. The waters were, at times, very choppy. I encountered shark infested waters on several occasions. I had to make some stops at islands I had never been to before, and I needed to take diversions and turns when I least expected it. It was by no means plain sailing. However, it was the most wonderful, magical mystery tour into the unknown.
My immigration lawyer didn’t know anyone who had done anything like it before me, but he also knew it was entirely possible. Despite the odds being stacked quite significantly against me (I was very new to Australia, I didn’t know many people, didn’t have any family close to me for support, I had zero investment in my business and I was on a Working Holiday Visa that was due to expire in 6 months when I set up my business), I still managed to achieve the seemingly impossible, by following my dream to become an entrepreneur.
On 12.12.12. I was granted sponsorship status for Thought Cloud, sponsorship for myself through Thought Cloud and a 457 visa to be able to work and stay in Australia for 4 years. I was ecstatic and elated.
And now is another big milestone in my journey. I have just launched the brand new website for Thought Cloud and I wanted to share this piece of news with you all in the hope of inspiring you.
It took me a long time to build up the courage and make the decision to follow my intuition and niche in the area that I have decided to niche into.
Thought Cloudcreates conscious brands for conscious companies. We want to help people who have a product or service that will benefit people or the planet in an ethical, sustainable and conscious way.
We believe that your brand is at the heart of your business and we exist to help people create a brand that is true for them and one that will attract other people who think and feel the same way.
I have developed a unique and special methodology to help people create a Brand Blueprint for their business. It is a methodology that I have not only spent the last 12 months crafting and perfecting, but that also takes into account the 11 years experience I have had working with some of the biggest brands in the world, including 4 years at Virgin Mobile in the UK.
Everything that I know and understand to be true about brands I have learnt from Richard Branson, and mixing it with my own knowledge and understanding of the importance of creating conscious brands that will change the world for good, I have created a product and service that is truly unique.
I believe that positive change in the world won’t necessarily come from big businesses, big governments or the UN. Instead I believe it will come from the individual. I also believe that small businesses and social and conscious entrepreneurs have a huge role to play in raising the consciousness of people across the globe and helping to change the world for good. This is why I believe that every conscious small business should have a Brand Blueprint to act as a solid foundation upon which to build their business and to act as a guiding light to help them stay true to their mission and their values, be clear about what they do, how they do it and most importantly why they do it and have a hymn sheet from which they can sing from.
I’m so happy and proud at what I have achieved over the last 12 months and I am so grateful for all of the help, support, love, kindness and advice that I have received from so many amazing people across the globe. I am certain that I wouldn’t be where I am today, nor would Thought Cloud exist if it wasn’t for the loving kindness of so many other beautiful people.
I am living the dream. I am so very lucky to be able to do what I love and help people with branding their businesses. I love where I live and I love the people who I work with on a daily basis. I honestly and genuinely would fill my days doing what I do, if money was no object and if I won the lottery tomorrow I would still continue on to spread the Thought Cloud love.
It is my mission for there to be a Thought Cloudin every major city in the world, so we can help millions of conscious businesses create Brand Blueprints and be able to spread their message and connect with other like-minded people who think and feel the same way as they do. People who will want to work for them, partner with them, supply to them or buy from them.
I’m living breathing proof that anything is indeed possible if you put your heart and mind to it and believe. I’m proof that you should follow your dreams. And I’m proof that you really can live the life that you thought you might only be able to imagine.
Kat Kinnie's Blog 