“I don’t even know who you are anymore,” he laughed into his phone. I could almost feel JD’s warm breath on my neck through my receiver. Admittedly, I was shocked too.
I didn’t even know who I was at the moment.
Whenever I travel for business trips, I’m up before sunrise, workout complete and coffee in hand. I’m what you call, planned-ready-type-a-go-get-em-planner. Few people love a good routine and system more than me.
You wanna change plans last minute? There’s a detour? You wanna surprise me? NO GRACIAS AMIGO.
I—hand-to-heaven—would never, ever expect for someone to challenge my plannery-planner-plan self.
That is, of course, until I found myself on a sunrise hike in Santa Fe, New Mexico a couple of weeks ago, and an 82-year-old cowboy/nature guru/man of the Pueblo people called me out.
We began our hike on a chilly morning and just before we began our ascent, Cowboy Lee took off his socks and boots and began walking barefoot.
I was in Santa Fe as part of a Leadership Accelerator…a BUSINESS Leadership Accelerator and I was not expecting campfires, sound baths, and sunrise hikes.
Mostly, I wasn’t expecting barefoot cowboys. But I was intrigued.
I stared at his toes in the red clay dirt and wondered what it would feel like to be so free.
THEN I SHRUGGED AND DOUBLED KNOTTED MY SHOE LACES BECAUSE PLANNERY-PLANNERS DO NOT DO DIRT. Amen.
Ten minutes into the walk, I heard Cowboy Lee holler my name from 30 feet behind me.
I turned around and waited until he repeated what he’d just yelled, “JASMINE TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES AND LET THE EARTH SPEAK TO YOU.”
This. Was. Not. Going. According. To. Plan.
I went to this retreat with the promise that I was going to commit to getting uncomfortable so that I could learn how to embrace uncomfortability in all aspects of my life. Including business.
Walking barefoot at 6 a.m. on a mountain trail in Santa Fe? THAT was uncomfortable. So I did it.
Picture yourself reading an entire encyclopedia while sprinting on a treadmill in stilettos trying to avoid Mario Kart prickly tortoise shells thrown in your path while calculating the amount of gasoline required to get to the moon. THAT is what a barefoot business hike feels like.
Joining 10 brilliant entrepreneurs in New Mexico as part of a Mastermind, we spent three days brainstorming ideas, charting our personal development, and creating fresh strategies toward professional development. While it sounds pleasant, it mostly felt like my brain was trying to get through an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course.
Or a barefoot cowboy walk at sunrise.
I’ve been committed to sharing my messy-middle business journey with you, so here’s my top 3 takeaways from the trip so–hopefully–it feels like you were there with us in spirit.
(No toe exposure needed!)
- Ask. Do. Think. I used to ask a question, think about the responses I received, then decide what to do. But when you’re around smart people you trust, DOING is the most important thing. It’s only when I do that I can think about my actions, and results.
- If you’re the smartest person in the room, find a new room. It’s not easy hearing everything you need to do to get better, or being surrounded by people who are wiser, richer, and/or more successful than you but I learn the MOST when I’m the dumbest person in the room and I’m willing to ask questions that betray my inexperience. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
- You’re responsible for the effort, not the outcome. It’s agonizing to not get the results I wanted, or hit the goals I projected, but that’s normal. It’s easy to think that I’m the only person who has a feature/project/promotion go sideways, but the strongest entrepreneurs understand it’s all part of the process. So get up, and keep moving forward.
Can you see how these lessons made the barefoot hike seem like the easiest part of the trip?!
Regardless of how I felt, what I know is that I’m truly thankful, and I hope we continue to grow together. And—oh, hey, LOOK—I turned into a cowgirl in the process!
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey, thank you for your replies, thank you for your messages on social media, thank you for allowing me to share in your journey as well.
To the (barefoot) entrepreneurial journey,
j*
