Yesterday, I met with my advisory board to give them an update on how this past summer went. We had an amazing conversation and I am thankful to have them help me with my entrepreneurial journey with Dancing Panda. And I’m glad I took a hot second (or two) to pause and reflect on how the summer went - and to celebrate what went well. I am genuinely excited for what I’m working on with #DanPan and eager to roll up my sleeves and get going.

Well, this morning, Nicole and I chatted for a few minutes to debrief the meeting. I also shared with her some of the challenges I encountered these past few weeks. The summer was a huge success, but there was a lot of stress, anxiety and fear that I was working through. I’m proud of myself for pushing through and working on tasks and projects that are *not* in my comfort zone. Marketing and selling do not come naturally for me. It’s been a long journey - really something that I’ve been working on for over a year now. As a Chinese-American woman, society tells us to be humble, kind, giving, and not to brag. But I did it. I put myself out there, talked about #DanPan, and we got families signed up and using our free product this summer.

Anyway, during our chat, Nicole shared some thoughts with me on how things are going. She told me,

“You are closer to what you want to achieve than you think. It's right around the corner and maybe you can't see it - but you are right there, Deb.”

Her words stayed with me, and inspired me to pause and write this blog post. I am reminded of perspectives, and how you see the world. Each of us sees the world from a different place. I’m in it, living, breathing, and dreaming of Dancing Panda. It’s hard hard work being an entrepreneur, especially the stage that we are in. But Nicole, she’s “on the balcony” - as is the rest of my advisory board - and she sees things differently. She can see the forest through the trees (haha how many analogies can I throw into one blog post?!) - whereas I’m in it. And I know myself - I need to remind myself to “go to the balcony” - and make a habit of it.

And well, her comment surprised me. It doesn’t feel like things are right around the corner. It feels like I have a never-ending to do list, and I need to figure out what are the most important things to do. I am prioritizing left and right and it’s crucial that I have laser focus too.

But I am reassured by Nicole’s words. I trust her. She’s a friend, and a darn smart one too. And I’m inspired by her words. There’s so much that I want to accomplish. For myself. For my girls. For families across the country. And perhaps, if I dare dream it, for families around the world.

A few weeks ago, my family and I made the trip to the Pacific Northwest. We visited my parents and we went on this incredible hike to a place called Beacon Rock. It’s right outside of Portland, Oregon, and in about a mile, you climb up about 900 ft. There are these switch backs all alongside the huge rock. You zig zag up this crazy trail. Like this:

Nicole’s comment reminded me so much of that hike. My journey with #DanPan has been this steep incline - of learning and doing. You walk a little, turn the corner, then BAM! There’s another bit of trail to climb up.

And then suddenly, after all these twists and turns, you see this crazy view. And it’s all become so worthwhile.

Next time I’m having a rough time, or feeling frustrated, or stressed, I’ll need to come back to the post and remind myself that all the hard work will be worth it in the end.

And so I think if there’s one message I leave with you all today, it’s Nicole’s words:

Success is Right Around the Corner

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