Have you had moments of fear in your business? Moments that scare you or keep you up at night? Or maybe sometimes you find yourself frozen and unable to make decisions? Or plagued with doubts? If you have felt any of these things, you are not alone! I have been there. And so many other entrepreneurs I have met have too! I learned so much out on the road in my custom van.
In many ways, my first summer living the van life was similar to starting a business.
I spent time, research, effort, and money creating my van. I found a builder, watched videos for ideas, and designed it just the way I wanted it. It was unique. It was full of possibility. It was completely ME. But right before I left, I started having nightmares, fears, and doubts.
I was about to drive into the mountains completely alone. All the preparation I had done suddenly didn’t seem like enough. I was terrified.
Somehow, I pushed through the fear. I told myself it was now or never, and I took off in my van toward the Rockies.
The more I kept going, the more confident I felt. I was wandering. I was working remotely while connecting with nature and seeing beautiful views. This was what I always wanted to do.
One day, I stopped in to talk to a park ranger for advice. I wanted to know which route to take. He looked at my van and told me, “Hey, I know this great back road with spectacular views! You’ll be fine in your van!”
I took his word for it and started crawling my way through the winding back roads—up the side of a mountain with no guardrail. There were narrow dirt roads, twists and turns, and nobody around to help. If another car came in the other direction, I was toast! I could feel my van sliding as I went up the hills, loose gravel slipping underneath.
It was terrifying. I wanted to stop. I wanted to give up. But there was no turning back at that point. I pushed ahead, one mile at a time, until I finally made it out of what felt like impending doom.
I took a deep breath, regrouped, and kept heading toward the Grand Canyon.
I searched for hours for a campsite, finally finding one in a remote area, with no running water. I thought the hardest part was behind me—until I threw my back out! I was in so much pain, I couldn’t even walk.
It felt like everything was going wrong. I started to wonder if I was even cut out for the van life. Finally, the pain in my back became tolerable enough to sit up.
I considered skipping the Grand Canyon altogether, but I’d come so far. I’d gone through so much. I couldn’t just NOT see the Grand Canyon.
So I drove the last 30 minute stretch. I got out of my van. And I hobbled up to the edge. It was a short distance, but it took me 20 minutes.
And as I peered over the edge, down at one of the most amazing sights I had ever seen, I realized it had all been worth it.
Business is like that.
You start out diving in, with research and excitement and the best laid plans. When you prepare to launch, it’s terrifying. You have to lean on the right people (NOT the ones who are going to send you on a treacherous drive up a mountain side). And you’re going to have some bumps, some struggles, and some pain along the way.
But what a business really is…is freedom.
Freedom to be who you want to be. Freedom to do what you want to do. Freedom to reach the sights you’ve only ever dreamed of.
My wanderlust brought me van life. And it also brought me my business. But, most importantly, it brought me here, ready to help you on your own journey.
I want to be the one that offers you a safe campsite. I want to be the one that sends you on the right path. I want to be the one that pushes you to achieve your goals and bring your dreams to life!
The truth is, I could have given up a hundred times. I could have made different decisions, walked down other paths, chased other dreams. But this was what was calling to me—my real passion—the one I couldn’t ignore.
And that’s what your business is for you.
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Lauren Casgren-Tindall has been creating powerful, innovative designs over the past 24 years for companies including Avon, Victoria’s Secret, Bliss, and Benihana, as well as for celebrities such as Fergie. She has also served as an international design consultant, collaborating with clients in Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Lauren launched the company Crème de Mint design agency to specialize in her passion of designing unique logos and innovative product packaging to create memorable brands.