Unless you were a child with an innate sense of who you were going to be when you grew up, finding your passion didn’t come easily.  In the book, “In The Company of Women” by Grace Bonney, she asks most of the women she interviewed how they define success.  It was no surprise to me how many of the women said that success to them meant they were passionate about their purpose.

About ten years ago I bought a book called, “Strengths Finder” by Tom Rath.  I was struggling to figure out what I was going to be when I grew up.  I was convinced that this book was going to be a way for me to identify what I was good at and which profession I should pursue.  I was certain that by discovering my strengths, I’d find the key to my future.  I had no idea that it would take ten years for my five identified strengths to lead me to my passion and my purpose.

My five strengths, in order are:  Communication, WOO (winning others over), Input, Activator and Connectedness.  Basically, it means that I like to talk to people that I can convince to like me.  I remember details about them, I then use those details to introduce them to someone else, who I’ve convinced to like me.  It was all becoming crystal clear!  I am best suited to be a professional party guest!

Of course in Minnesota there are no job postings for “Professional Party Guest” so I did the next best thing and got a job in an insurance agency.  I disregarded everything the book was trying to tell me and took the safe route.

Fast forward ten years.  I had been running a business in the hospitality industry, (insurance was not for me), volunteering my time on a couple of local board of directors, helping my partner with his business, and all the while feeling unfulfilled and uninspired.  I still hadn’t discovered my purpose.

Oh I know, being fulfilled and inspired aren’t things that we should expect in life.  After all, this is Minnesota.  Only the really lucky people find their purpose and are able to make a living at it… or are they?  Time to do some soul searching.

Three short months, (seems like a lifetime), ago I started working with a life coach to find my purpose. Along the way, I have had so many wonderful women impact my life.  Women that I’ve known for a long time, and some that I’ve just met.  These women have supported me, listened to me, laughed with me and dreamed with me.

I found my purpose in a business I call HEIDI’S CLUBHOUSE.  I created a business where I get to talk to women, convince them to like me, find out and remember details about them, and use those details to introduce them to other women I’ve convinced to like me.  Ta Da! My Purpose! I’ve created my own Professional Party!

I never said I was a quick study.

My mission for HEIDI’s CLUBHOUSE is to create an organization where women prioritize women and support each other in identifying and achieving their purpose.  It’s organic networking at its best.  It’s women connecting, listening, encouraging, laughing and crying with one another.  It is women really understanding another woman’s business and truly supporting her in it.

I finally get it.  I have found my passion and my purpose.