Ideas that Stick: Gifts and Grit

“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal” (Pope St. John Paul II, World Youth Day 2000).

Have you heard Cecilia Pappas and Meg Wells’ new podcast, “What in the Dang Heck?” It’s so fun! During an episode called “Social Media & Stress Sweat. Microwave Trust & Mom Haters,” Meg Wells shared a Venn diagram she saw that read, “Your gifts + your service + your passions = your purpose.”

I love this quote, because it displays how there is so much to coming into ourselves than meets the eye. In another part of the episode, Cecilia shared, “Freedom is being yourself and being exactly who God made you to be and knowing some people aren’t going to dig it. … Freedom is living fully.”

In many ways, I think our ideas are who we are and what we spend our time doing. Many of us have spent days wondering how to make a dream a reality when it seems to be so far away. After the excitement of having an idea about broadening your professional spheres, that next step to pursuing something you love may be constantly lingering in the back of your mind: a hobby you would like to take the next level, a book you would like to finally write, or more marketing for your blooming business.

The reality is that some of our ideas take time and focus, and we may not even know where to start. We may see the vision, but it isn’t tangible, or it’s a big challenge to reach the next step. To help us start down our path to realizing our dreams, I interviewed a few women who created their businesses out of ideas that they fell in love with. They shared not only their spiritual inspiration for their businesses but also how they sustain and energize them now.

Grit

Elise Crawford Gallagher, founder of RINGLET and co-founder of Catholic Women in Business, understands what it takes to run not just one organization but two. A one-of-a-kind leader, she is honest about her path to success and does not sell it as a walk in the park.

“When asked if owning a business gets easier as the years progress, Rachel Hollis answered, ‘New levels, new devils!’ I so relate to this sentiment! There were 1273810 times in the first few years in business when I thought about quitting but decided to keep going. Having incredible mentors have helped me focus on my ‘why’ and learn how to scale,” she says.

Melissa Grace Tablada folded several integrated services (therapy, coaching, fertility care, and SoulCore) into one business. She said that methodology is an important foundation: “Creating a support team, scheduling regular meetings to check in and discuss progress, asking for help, and taking action. We also cannot be afraid of failure. We have to expect it. It's part of the process, and it’s how we learn better ways of doing business.”

Sarah Grace Warnez, creator of Little Flower Fitness, is still understanding what it means to develop her business and to share it: “I had no clear goals outlined, no methodical approach; I just wanted to integrate spiritual and physical health and wellness better in my life. I started with an Instagram and in-person fitness classes, because that’s what I knew how to do. I’ve launched a few online programs over the past year, which didn't feel ‘successful’ yet still allowed me great opportunity for growth,” she said.

Finding Your Niche

Often, finding a gap in services or a need for a specific type of ministry is an opportunity to develop a plan to fill the gap or meet the need. Crawford Gallagher shared, “I realized that they [small businesses and creatives] all deserved amazing marketing but didn’t have the means to hire large marketing or PR [public relations] agencies. I wanted to create an agency that provided excellent work but that was affordable and approachable for small businesses. And RINGLET was born! Now, we are an integrated marketing agency that works with women-owned businesses in the D.C. area.”

Our niche could also stem from our own experiences. “I wanted to learn how to integrate my Catholic faith into my passion for fitness,” said Warnez. “For me, fitness culture, working out, and gym environments have been an area of pain, woundedness, and suffering. I wanted to learn how to do this thing that I love — working out — to glorify God. I wanted to start on a journey of health, healing, and holiness with other women.”

Finally, a niche, can grow and develop over time: “The only service I set out to do, went to school for, planned years in advance, was to become a licensed marriage and family therapist,” said Tablada. “Over time, I felt God calling me to serve women and couples in other ways, too. First came SoulCore, and God really led me to teach these Scripture-based fitness classes in a way that completely surprised me. I never saw it coming, but it has changed my life! Later, God made it really clear that He was calling me to become a fertility care practitioner. This was a desire on my heart for a few years, but I had no idea how to make it happen. The opportunity was so clearly from Him that I jumped at the chance and became a practitioner.”

The Leap of Faith

Starting a business can be scary, and the self-doubt can pour in so easily. It can be hard to press the “start” button, because then your idea is real, tangible, and open for vetting by the public. If you feel hesitant and second-guess yourself, you aren’t alone. Even if you are confident in your path and have been for years, businesses often take years to build.

“The work of the Lord is slow. If we pay attention to our heart's desires and listen for God's direction, we will be led to the place He has prepared for us,” Tablada said. “Because I believe so wholeheartedly in the services I provide, I want to work hard every day getting the word out, serving my clients, and growing my business to find new ways to help others.”

Crawford Gallagher shared, “Of course, with both companies, there was a leap of belief, an instance where I had to say, ‘Yes!’ to actually beginning. Now, four years into being an entrepreneur, I find that every step of building a company requires a quieting of my heart in order to hear where the Lord is calling me to next.”

Warnez shared a similar sentiment: “Right now, I am praying about how to make strength training accessible, uplifting, and spiritually invigorating for women — with limited equipment at home!”

Making Time to Rejuvenate

We all need time to dedicate to ourselves in order to rest and to reset as we continue to work toward our goals and passions. These Catholic women in business have different ways of relaxing into their most genuine selves to prepare for diving into a job, idea, or project. As Tablada eloquently put it, “When we start with rest, prayer, [and] discernment and then propel ourselves into hard work, dedication, and action, we can create world-changing businesses!”

Mindful rest has been helpful to Warnez: “I take serious breaks from Instagram and also from ‘creating’ ideas for my website and fitness programs,” she said. “I bring it prayer, and although it feels like I’m wasting time by taking time off ... I come back to it with greater inspiration and energy. … I also have a mantra I read to myself before I start work on [a] project, reminding myself I am a gift to the world and I am on mission for the Lord.”

Time with the people we love can also do the trick! “To sustain myself, I have boundaries in place that help me relax and rejuvenate on the weekends. Spending time with my husband, going on coffee dates or exploring D.C. together, always fills my cup!” said Crawford Gallagher.

Turning to Prayer

As women of faith, we know to invite our Lord into conversations about the next steps in our professional lives. But, how do we make a habit out of it and understand that we are walking on the path where He is leading us? For my interviewees, the answer was making a habit of prayer and surrender.

Warnez stated, “I had a very hard time abandoning Little Flower Fitness to God, because I held onto it as mine. Slowly, the Lord has allowed me to abandon it. That has only come with learning how to abandon my whole self to him, all of my dreams, ambitions, ideas, and goals. The name ‘Little Flower Fitness’ comes from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who has been an inspiration and spiritual teacher for me on my journey to knowing myself as beloved by God.”

Similarly, Crawford Gallagher lifts up her day to God purposefully in her daily routine. “Taking time in the mornings for a rosary walk or praying over the daily readings gives me energy,” she said. “I try to pray for each of my employees and team members each day and pray over meetings that are happening that day.”

Tablada looks to her prayer time as her compass: “I continually check in with my passions, noticing how I can love God and serve His people through these passions, and then just see which doors He opens for me. He has made it very clear where He wants me and where He does not. When doors close, it can initially feel like a blow to the ego or as if something went wrong, but as we see the bigger picture unfolding, everything is intentional, and He will guide us every step of the way.”

When Crawford Gallagher and Emma Moran came together to build Catholic Women in Business, they hoped to help women grow in their vocations and create a community to connect entrepreneurs and business women: “CWIB acts as a catalyst for Catholic women to support and encourage one another through excellence.” As we are thankful for their “yes” today in this CWIB community, we invite you into prayer to continue to discern and grow in virtue as you work to achieve your dreams by praying the The Fiat (Yes) Prayer:

Holy Mary,

Obtain for me the help that I need,

to do my very best

using all the powers within me

and all the talents and skills I posses,

according to my possibilities,

to fulfill God’s plan

in every circumstance of my life.

Amen

Our ultimate challenge will always be our full call to practice our faith in this world. As Warnez said, “I trust that when I abandon myself to his will, he will do marvelous things — more than I could ever do on my own.”

Molly Franzonello is a new wife and health care systems innovator in Washington, D.C. When not driving all over the metropolitan area to see “her people,” you can find her reading, writing, podcasting, or staycationing at her favorite spots in the District.