In life, it’s essential to have camaraderie, support, and kinship. One of my fifty fun things is committing to making time for friends. In the past, I’ve shared my love and appreciation for the community of creators at The Ligonier Country Market. Both The Bibbed Wonder and I have made very good friends with wonderful people we would not have met if it weren’t for this lovely market. I continue to marvel at the workings of the universe and how the right people come into my life at the right time.
Two of these people are my dear friends, Trisha and Christina. Trisha is the mastermind behind Canine Confections, and Christina is the talent of Confections by Christina. Once a month, we meet at a restaurant midway between Greensburg and Indiana. We call these meetings “business meetings.” During these meetings, we discuss everything from business plans, expansions, sales, and marketing to growth, employees, and money management. Don’t let me fool you; there is a lot of laughter and joking around too. However, our primary goal is to enjoy each other’s company, share ideas, and get feedback from women in the small business world. Mainly, we just act as a sounding board and support system.
As with everything in life, there are no definitive boundaries. We find that our personal lives affect our businesses and vice versa. Not only do we share the latest issues with our companies, but we also discuss our personal lives. What we have found is that we get each other. Christina is the youngest of our triangle, and Trish and I are just a few years apart. Again, age does not factor into our friendship. It reinforces that friends are friends despite age differences. Friendship has more to do with shared experience than age.
Christina and I have amazingly similar backgrounds and experiences. It astounds me that we share similar names, family issues, and personality traits. It’s comforting to know there is someone I can talk to about my most profound problems, and she understands. What we all have in common is that we are women business owners trying to make a go of it. Trish has the most experience. Christina and I look to her as a mentor. She can put things in perspective and often give examples from her life experience. I trust Trisha and her opinions implicitly.
The friends I have made because of goats and soap enrich my life, keep me grounded and improve my world. I love my friends and our business meetings. Trish and Christina were strangers who became friends and friends who became family. This journey is made better by the people who make it worthwhile. Surround yourself with people who encourage you, make you grow, and make your world a better place.
On this rainy day in December, stay safe, be smart, build meaningful relationships, take time for friends, and keep washing your hands.