Influence

This week’s Her Growth Collective topic is all about influence.  What does influence mean to you?    

According to the Oxford Dictionary, influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.  

When describing what I am doing with my podcast and video series, people have asked if I am an “influencer.” Initially, this made me laugh.  Me, an influencer? A minivan driving (and loving) mom who is building a business on the fact that she sh*t her pants (to help combat shame), an influencer?!?  

However, after peeling back the layers of “influencers,” I realized it really comes down to connection.  If someone wants to have an influence on someone, there must be some type of connection. 

I am passionate about building connections through authentic and vulnerable conversation.  Whether I am exploring hidden gems, interviewing someone on my podcast, storytelling, or writing, I am always looking for ways to connect.  

Everyone we meet and everywhere we go is an opportunity for us to learn and grow. I am influenced by so many people and so many things. My ultimate goal is to be influenced by God and shine His light through all I do.  

At the end of the day, I hope to be a “You-fluencer.”  I hope that by sharing the trivial sh*t, it helps open the door to talking about the real sh*t.  I hope that by exploring hidden gems and helping people to discover new places, they can discover new things about themselves along the way.  

So what does influence mean to you?  What kind of impact do you want to have on people in this world?  I’m still flushing it out and I genuinely appreciate all of you following along.  

This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.