My dad was definitely an ideas guy. Whether it was a new business or how duct tape could hold our entire universe together, he was a creative. He was also an incredibly hard worker. In my 40 years, I've never seen anyone work as hard as my dad did, and I'm not sure I ever will. Much of that was due to circumstance. My dad was a farmer, which is a job that you never really clock in or out of. 

One thing I truly admired about my dad was that he wasn't afraid to take risks. He changed careers later in life -- at 58 -- and a few times after that, too. In every job he had, he gave it his all. By the time he died in 2011, he had been a farmer, a banker, an owner of a hardware store, and a grain mill. He even worked at a pharmacy. He was a jack of all trades. He wore so many hats. 

I admired his creative spirit and drive but I also watched with concern how hard he worked as it came with such personal expense. When I entered the professional world full time, and even long before that, I think I had resigned to the idea that I would always work for someone else. I was OK with that. In my mind, it meant security. It meant stability. I liked knowing when that check was coming.

Now I am ready to follow my dad's lead. I want to take my ideas and my creativity and pursue those new paths like my dad did. In one of my recent morning meditations, I pictured myself in a small, gorgeous and rustic valley near the Idaho-Montana border, not too far from where I grew up. Wedged between two small mountains, there weren't tall trees, just bushes and tall sagebrush. You could see everything no matter where you were standing. A creek snaked through the center. As you climbed the sloping mountains, you were greeted with the sturdiest of Bitterroot flowers dotting the path upward.

In my meditation, I realized I had been in this place before, but only once. I went camping there with my dad when I was probably no more than 11 or 12. I immediately knew why I imagined this particular place. I felt a calmness wash over me. There was my dad, he and I side by side, in the center of the valley, with nothing obstructing our view, ready to go forward. 

I'm excited for what is ahead of me as I grow my business full time. Will it be tough? Yes. Will it be rewarding? Absolutely. Will it be worth it? One-hundred percent. I invite you to take this journey with me.