Today, out of the blue, I felt a particular nudging.... "do it, launch today." I was in my car, driving alone at 7:57 a.m. and there it was, almost to the point of an annoying pull saying... "do it, launch today." This new venture of mine is my baby, so there was no way I wanted to jump off a building without my wings inspected, inspected again, verified and secure and yes, inspected yet a third time. I had spent the previous 6 months doing market research, discussing the concept with consultants, creating the social media strategy, forming my team and slowly developing a brand and marketing materials. You know, all the things responsible entrepreneurs do before they leap off buildings. However, that pull this morning would not relent. Because the business has been created in honor of my late Grandmother and Brother, I had to stop and listen, if only for a few seconds in my garage to see if this voice might be one of them or both.
I sat there listening to a Bruno Mars favorite: "Talking to the Moon" a song which reminds me of my brother for some reason. I am not a tearful person, but there I sat, now 8:00 a.m. quietly crying over the song, the nudging, fear, mourning or an interesting cocktail of all four. What in the hell was wrong with me? I knew from my extensive research that I was onto a good idea and everything really was falling into place. But still, I couldn't LAUNCH yet for fear of what my facebook, twitter and personal friends might say or think. Yet, my grandmother, who was in many respects my number-one-fan, kept popping into my head, followed by my little brother, still age 28 as if suspended in some sort of post-mortem time capsule. "Do it, launch today" they repeated until I reached for my phone without even knowing it and began typing a status which looked like this....
Most of you do not know that for the last six months, I have been working on a cathartic project to keep the legacy of my grandmother Shirley aka Noni alive. She was an impeccable cook and hostess; she passed these traits on to my brother, Clifton and I and my son, Nano has gotten it as well. So we have decided to launch an event planning and catering company in memory of Noni and Clifton. For those who have wanted to sample Nano's cuisine, your chance is coming. Soon, you will have a chance to like our page, Shirley's Diner. Please do!!! We have been having huge parties at the Woo house for 10 years... It's time to venture out. Ahhhhh wings don't fail us now.
And with that, I hit the SEND button knowing that I could not pull it back from the vast abyss known as cyberspace. I peaked over the fence of my future with both hands securely affixed over my eyes, parting my fingers only for a second just to look at the results of what I had done..... 38 people had "liked" the facebook page I had created within an hour and a half with comments such as "Great concept!!!!" and "Looking forward for more to come." WHAT????? Another 40 people had become "friends" with the second page I created.
Much like waiting for the perfect time to have baby, if you wait too long, the time might pass you by because there is no perfect time. Metaphorically I had the baby today, launched the business, listened to the voice, jumped off the building, scratched a wing and gained a few followers and I did this ALL by 10:46 a.m. Not bad with only two cups of coffee. Thank you for joining me on this journey. It's sure to be an amazing ride.
~Corecia J. Davis-Woo
Founder and Creator of Shirley's Diner
