Back in 2007, a family member gave birth to the first baby of our family’s next generation. The birth happened to coincide with a gathering where I had made some yummy lasagna. Naturally, I saved some and dropped it off after they returned from the hospital because it was too good to miss!
I remember dropping off the food and immediately wondering what new mother’s ate after birth and where they got their food from. I realized mothers needed food brought to them and not just any food but nutritious food! It prompted a trip down a long rabbit hole where I explored how to create a postpartum food delivery business. I looked into nutrition, holistic health, food handling, business models and much much more.
I held the idea very close to my chest. It felt too precious to share with just anyone. I only told a few of my closest friends in the 2 years I was exploring (i.e., stalling because of imposter syndrome).
Eventually it led me to sign up for a health coach certification. I felt so aligned when I heard about the program, and I was so excited to have joined the cohort and met some students who lived in the Boston area.
I met one student at a Starbucks not too far from me. I remember it was in the evening, after work. We sat down, and she asked what brought me to the program.
Without thinking about it, I shared the story about the lasagna and my idea that I wanted to start after receiving the certification. It was an out-of-body experience as I watched these precious words spill out of my mouth without any filter or hesitation.
I always had an underlying fear if I told anyone, they would take my idea and run with it.
That fear was not realized. Instead, I found myself calmer than when I started that conversation. I didn’t feel any fear or concern over her stealing my idea.
After that, I became more open with sharing stories and ideas. I realized that I could trust others. And I shifted more to an abundance mindset vs. a scarcity one. Something fundamentally changed in me during that conversation although I’m not quite sure what it was exactly.
I do know that I wouldn’t be here without that lasagna.
