I'm not exactly a person who thrives in the great outdoors. More specifically, I'd identify as the indoorsy type.

You know the type: central heat, a pile of blankets, and a cracking fire that's broadcast on Apple TV. THAT is my version of roughing it.

So imagine my husband's surprise when I informed him we'd been invited to go fly-fishing in Sundance, Utah…and I agreed to go.

As we boarded the plane last week, JD asked what made me most excited about the trip and I replied, “Spending three days with brilliant people talking about business…”. He stared at me blankly then I quickly added, “Oh, and fishing! Totally. Totally excited to fish. Yup, absolutely.”

Like I said, INDOORSY.

We explored the orange and red Sundance mountains via a helicopter, we passed through waterfalls on horseback, and we sat by the fire to dream new dreams.

We talked about business and strategy, but we also spoke about the struggle of entrepreneurship and how our hardest moments shape us into who we need to be.

By the time we hiked down to the river for fly fishing (complete in waterproof boots and waders), my mind was ready to decompress.

Like most entrepreneurs, our group of friends is ultra competitive, so when our host Randy suggested a prize for the biggest caught fish, I yelled, GAME ON!

Unfortunately, after our three-hour endeavor, I ended up empty handed, but JD caught two of the biggest fish of the day. (I claimed one of the fish as my own because I AM A WINNER BY ASSOCIATION, DUH).

But allow me to get the main point of this note: 3 Lessons I Learned About Business From Fly Fishing

1. Cast your line without expectation that you'll catch – Cast your ideas, your first attempts, your tests and see what will catch interest. We mustn't expect to catch fish (or success) every time we cast, but we need the humility to keep trying
2. Mend your line – After you cast your line, you must mend it (the act of adjusting the line to float just slightly behind the bobber). This means we must fix our attempts to increase the odds of success, there's no such thing as perfection at every try.
3. Patience is your power – You can't rush when you'll get a bite. Your job is simply to get out on the water, cast your line—again and again—and wait for the right moment. It's just a matter of time.

I hope that as you dive into work this week you'll apply these lessons so you're ready to catch the biggest fish of your life.

Fisher of Dreams,

j*