‘Success’ is a word that comes up often in my conversations with Beauty Guides. It’s tempting to ask about the keys to success or the steps to becoming successful. But I make sure to always add another idea into the mix: significance. John Maxwell says that many people feel they are successful because they have everything they want; they’ve added value to themselves. But true success doesn’t come without significance, and being significant means adding value to others.
As a business founder, I’m a bit of an anomaly because I didn’t have a business goal when we launched LimeLife. I’ve never been driven to be a corporate guru, and I was completely fulfilled by my life as a science teacher and mom.
Our foundation for success at LimeLife was never about Madison or me – which allowed it to be entirely about the people whose lives this business has touched. Our definition of success is, wholly and solely, to be significant.
Every decision we make is in service not just to one vision, but to the tens of thousands of visions that our Beauty Guides and greater community have for their lives. One of the reasons our Beauty Guides work so well together is that many of them share a similar vision and definition of success. They’re driven by love for the mission and for making women feel empowered. They strive to be significant. However, anyone who has ever experienced burnout knows that it’s equally important to spend time thinking about what you want. So, we also like to remind these service-minded women that being of service is not a one-way street.
In short, you can’t breathe out without taking a beat to breathe in. Many Beauty Guides, and many people in general, constantly breathe out to help others. LimeLifealso gives them permission to breathe in and be a little selfish – audacious, even. To be both successful and significant, you have to find your own balance.
Now, several years after founding LimeLife, my only business goal is to sustain this company for generations so that more and more women can find their intersection of success and significance.
What are your inhales and exhales? How do you find both success and significance? Let me know in the comments.
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