A Recipe For Success?

The other day I reluctantly got on a phone call with an accountant that manages one of my investments, an account I barely ever touch. He scheduled a call with me just to “get my updated facts into their system.” I put off actually getting on the call because I just didn’t think it was necessary. I thought, why can’t I just email them my updated information and let that be the end of it? Scheduling a phone call felt tedious, but his assistant kept pushing the idea of getting something on the calendar. After the 3rd email he sent (I ignored the first 2), I finally agreed to get on a call. (I’ve been using “I’m too busy” as an excuse for everything lately, which is lame). The truth was, I hadn’t spoken to this accountant in many years (which became hilariously clear when he asked if I was still dating my college boyfriend), so I guess it was about time.

It turned out to be one of the most inspiring business conversations I’ve had in a long time. In fact, it reinvigorated me to get back to my blog and stop using being “busy” as an excuse.

The last thing you’d really expect to get into with a financial analyst is a deep talk about life, but I mean, you never know, these days I find myself getting into it with everyone. So instead of just giving him my new address, I found myself telling him (mildly venting) about my Healthy Crush business, the work I’m doing with Dr. Lipman, and the challenge of juggling everything I care about and spending enough time nurturing it all.

I went on to tell him how much I was inspired by books like the 4 Hour Workweek that made me think about my time and money so much differently. I told him about how last year at Wanderlust, Kate Northrup told me her intention was to have her passive income exceed her expenses, and that I intended to do the same.

Then he said the following, and I found myself punching his words into my “notes” section on my iPhone as he was talking.

“You know, Jenny, what I’ve seen after working with a lot of different clients on their finances is this:

The people who generate the most financial wealth are typically the ones who are doing something they really believe in and can create passive income that compounds as time goes on.

Being who you are, being creative, and being a hard worker will take you where you want to go.”

Yes, I thought. Yes, this is what’s up.

I especially liked the “being who you are” part. Because that’s really the most important thing, right? And that’s also the thing that we can so easily throw to the wayside in exchange for money, which, at the end of the day, never ends up truly feeling good. Funny how that works.

An example – a couple of months ago, I was in California having dinner with a friend. I told him about a book I was working on that was paying me a decent amount of money and was a “good opportunity,” but I was finding it challenging to even get the motivation to get started. As I spoke, he could tell I wasn’t all that excited about it. All he said was, “the money will never be enough.” Those words stuck in my head. I knew it was true. After a few more tireless attempts, I ended up ditching the project. As a result, I felt so much lighter, so much more like me, and I created so much more space for things to come into my existence that are in perfect alignment with who I really am.

My point is this. You can do a lot with hard work alone. Of course. Many businesses are built that way. I’m not saying you should quit your job or just refuse money all willy nilly if you need the cash. What I am saying is that the being who you are part is what really takes things to the next level. It’s the thing that puts your own unique flair of passion into what you do. It’s that inspired creative genius inside each one of us. It’s where brilliant ideas and inventions spark from. It’s the thing that will make people feel deeply connected to what you do. Being who you are doesn’t mean doing things by the book. It means writing your own book. (The crazier, the better). Putting energy towards things that feel like they are coming from a place inside of you – yes, that feels worth it, no question.

It’s one of those things that I need a constant reminder about. And I’m so glad I got on the call. Go figure.

So what do you say? Do you think being who you truly are, adding a dash of creativity, and putting in some serious work is the recipe for success? Let me know. :)