After I wrote today’s blog post on the importance of being prepared, I read an interesting post over at Lip-Sticking (a blog devoted to marketing to women online) that got me thinking.
In almost every interview I’ve done, I credit luck, a great team and being in the right place at the right time for Bramble Berry’s business success.
Yes, it was hard work (and by golly, still is!). Yes, I gave up a lot (and still do) to ensure that Bramble Berry is a business of substance and integrity. And like my post earlier today says, “Luck is being available to take the opportunity.”
But on the flip side, I showed up on the crafting scene when the internet was in its infancy (back in the day when a Word document hastily thrown up on a URL was enough to get customers). And, when Martha was still all about soap (Martha, if you’re listening, can you consider bringing back that heyday of soaping creativity again?). I’ve always chalked that up to synchronicity up to pure luck.
But this article, by Lena West, purports that it’s not luck at all – it’s all about being available to take opportunities as they come at you. She says, “I’m not lucky. I’m on purpose.”
From the article:
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in being prepared.Even scientists who’ve studied luck say that it all boils down to your state of mind. That’s not luck. That’s something we each can control – our thoughts, responses and reactions.
Click here to continue reading. It’s a fast, thought-provoking post.
And, if you feel strongly about, please comment. I am very curious what you think about luck, synchronicity and business.
I believe that everything happens for a reason and also that we need to be open to ALLOW good things to come to us…. Which boils down to the law of attraction and focusing on what you desire and wish to see in your life.
You are an inspiration to every soapmaker I know and I admire your business smarts π And I want to also thank you for the wonderful recipes you post which help so many people make great soap!
I love your name, BTW. =)
Thank you for the kind words – I’m so delighted that you find this site useful. Yay!
There was this really interesting study on luck that basically showed that it was being open and available to take opportunities that come your way – and not being closed off. I really liked that perspective.
Why thank you π I like your name too!
I have this little charm thing hanging on my rearview mirror that says “Let miracles find you” and I must say my life truly changed once I took the saying “Be the change you wish to see in the world” to heart…. For once I looked for peace and smiling faces, sure enough they appeared!
The hardest thing was figuring out my purpose/passion…. But once I realized that I could make soap in small batches in my kitchen? Well, my life changed with that knowledge! And you have been an integral part of that by having all the great how-to videos and recipes that actually work! (i.e. shea butter soap cupcakes and my absolute favorite, the avocado sea clay facial bar!!!)
Those 2 recipes working as well as they did basically propelled my business forward π Never sure I would be able to say thank you enough!
i was researching what products lucky company makes and found these comments; i do believe in luck, in definite feelings about when something good is going to happen, and, also, in being acceptance-ready, and always prepared. what is this site for? comments?
This site is SoapQueen.com and it’s about soapmaking, business, and personal musings. I have 4+ years of posting and I hope you get a chance to read some of the other comments and articles that have been posted over the years.
There are no coincidences only a definite plan that only God has setup for us. I would say it was luck that I won the Brambleberry contest. π We need to continue to work hard and acknowledge God for every opportunity we encounter. Just my two cents.
These are all really thought provoking comments; thank you for your insights. I especially like Scrapsmith’s flow from Good Luck to God’s Blessings – while it is more than an easy case of semantics, it’s interesting to see the comparison.
I don’t believe in luck either. It’s all God’s doing. We just need to have our eyes and hearts to him and be open to the His path and plan. From there everything will fall into place. Lisa Bearnson, Creating Keepsakes, posted a smiliar “Luck?” blog months ago, it was interesting to see the answers. That being said, Good luck to you – no, no, no… May God’s blessings continue to flow!
How crazy. I just posted about luck the other day. I don’t believe in luck. I believe that God’s may align circumstances to meet his purpose. He is the only one who can see the true motive of your heart, and grant you favor to see your desires realized. He knows what you are going to accomplish through the business, and the people you are going to influence. How cool that he chose you, Anne-Marie, to make it happen.
Guess I’m going to buck the trend and say that I do believe in luck. Somebody’s got to win the lottery, after all. π
While the romantic side of me would like to believe in “luck” -the karmic, cosmic smiling-upon-me type of luck, the scientific side of me completely agrees with Lena West. There is no “luck” if you’re not prepared to tackle/handle the happy circumstance that may show up in your path.
I took a class based on Julia Cameron’s The Vein of Gold where the instructor talked a lot about synchronicity, but she also emphasized that you have to be prepared for good things that come your way.
So, my feeling is that whether you believe in luck or not, it pays to always be prepared, like a good boy scout.
If you really love what you are doing there’s a good chance your business will flourish. Excitement is contagious; as is something new and exciting in the market.
Being prepared can be as simple as keeping business cards handy and knowing your “audience”.
Last year I visited the Martha Stewart Community website and chatted about the goodness of handmade soap…At a very last minute I decided to attach a very small picture of a box of my handmade soaps I had taken under my Willow tree…Months later I received an email from a company that had seen my soaps featured on the Martha Stewart website…I thought, “Say what? It must be a mistake”. When I checked it out—there was the small picture (I had attached by my signature), blown up-cropped and ended up being featured for over 3 months…Say it was luck? Nah… I say it was more chatting in the right area to capture the right audience…
Soaping is really like the theatre business for every minute you see on stage–there are hours of rehearsing behind each line, and people, you may never see working to make it happen–just like any business.
The bottom line is we are all looking for that “standing ovation”. And it can happen when you get it just right–Because if it does-we found our audience.
Luck? Nah—just plain hard work, and believing in your vision–It can be contagious.
All my “lucky” large orders came to be because I was in the right place (or maybe it was because I was prepared and got my paperwork in first and got a good spot at the craft show), or they liked my product (could not have anything to do with the amount of time I put into it to make it look appealing).
I remember telling my dad long ago that every time I had extra money some emergency would come up and I would have to spend it, he told me “no, honey, every time some emergency came up you had extra money to take care of it.” I now try to live life looking at the half full side, go with the flow and be as prepared as possible.
Michelle in NV who is so happy her dh got the snow shovels out last night.
Luck is only a form of manifestation and alignment (meaning action), we could not have luck without being at the right place at the right time, if we didnt think about being there. With no action there is no luck.
Springbrook Soap Co
Personally, I don’t believe in luck, or coincidence. I DO believe that God has a plan for each of us, even those who don’t acknowledge Him. He IS our maker, after all. I believe that He purposes to bring things our way at specific times. Luck? No way. I call it providence.