Welcome back to Unmasking the Heart for Change, the podcast where we dive into the real stories behind transformation, one heart to heart at a time. I'm your host, Tammy Winstead, and I'm so thankful you're here with me today. This episode feels a little different today. Normally, I'm the one sitting across from someone else unmasking their story, but recently I was one of the women honored with the NEA Women in Business Award, and honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
When I first heard the news, my immediate reaction was gratitude. But right behind it came a little voice that said, wait, me? Are you sure? Because truthfully, I don't feel like someone who has arrived. I still feel like I'm in the messy middle of it all, building, growing, stumbling, and getting back up again, just like many of you listening. And that's what I want to talk about today. Not the award itself, but what it represents.
Because success doesn't always look like the picture we had in our heads as a kid. It's not a shiny stage or a perfect resume. Most of the time, it looks like persistence.
It looks like choosing to show up after you've fallen or refusing to quit when quitting seems so much easier. So today, I want to do something different. I want to share my journey with you, the highs, the pivots, and yes, the failures. Not because I think my story is extraordinary, but because I believe there's a dream inside of you too. And maybe, just maybe,
hearing my story will nudge you to bet on yourself in your own unique way. A few years ago, I graduated from Arkansas State University with a double bachelor's degree. I was a non-traditional student, the first in my family to graduate from college, and even though it took me a long time to finish, I did manage to cross the stage before both of my kids, and for me, that's a win.
Every year I have established a habit of picking one word to guide me through that year. One word that I focus on no matter what comes my way. It's a topic I'll dive deeper into in a future episode. But at the end of 2019, I chose the word change for 2020. And well, we all know that year brought more change than any of us could have ever imagined or expected. For me, that year started with a dream.
I'd carried for a long time of owning my own business. I'd always been very creative. I love gift giving and being crafty just comes natural to me. So I combined all three and launched my business, True Love Designs in January of 2020. Well, three months later, the entire world shut down.
Now here's where the choice came in. Just like the choices you face every day, I could have said, well, you know, at least I tried and that's enough. Or I could choose to zoom out and ask myself, where's the opportunity in this moment? And friends, that's a question for you too.
When life throws the unexpected your way, do you shut down? Or do you look for the opening inside the obstacle? For me, the opportunity looked like shifting my focus. I started making personalized face masks. I created graduation gifts and signs for the class of 2020 when their ceremonies were canceled. And slowly, my little business began to grow.
But the truth is, growth brings hard decisions too. Eventually I had to choose between scaling back or going all in. And here's what I want to pause for a moment and discuss with you. Because I think this is where so many of us get stuck.
We go all in for many things. Our marriages, our kids, our jobs, our friends, our communities. But when it comes to betting on ourselves, we hesitate. We hold back. If you're shaking your head right now thinking, that sounds a lot like me. Well, friend, you're in right company because that was definitely me too. But eventually I realized if I didn't take that leap of faith in that moment,
I probably never would. So I quit my corporate job, even after just receiving a raise and a, you're doing so great speech from my boss a few days prior to that. Yes, it was awkward, but it was so necessary.
Now let me be real with you here. I really wish I could sit here and say, it's been all gumdrops and rainbows since then. But that would be an absolute lie. Far from it actually. This choice has been the hardest one I've ever made. And it continues to be hard for me to this day. Success for me hasn't looked like picture perfect milestones. It's looked like failing and learning to get back up.
even with no one around to help you. It looks like pivoting because once again, the market has decided to do something off the wall. It looks like swearing to myself that I'm quitting multiple times a week, only to get back up the next day and try it all again. And maybe you know that feeling too, because chasing a dream isn't glamorous, but friend, it is worth it.
Along the way, there have been many moments that reminded me of why I keep going. Like seeing one of my designs in the hand of country music singer Cody Johnson.
or realizing my artwork has made its way into homes in Israel, Dubai, and across the globe. Not because I'm special, but because I was willing to say yes, to bet on myself, and to keep showing up even when it was hard. Friend, I highly encourage you when you begin to start chasing your dream to know you're why's
and have them posted on many places around your home and your work area as possible. Because when life comes swinging those hard blows, you're gonna need your whys to help re-center you and help you regain your footing once again. So, back to my words. This year, my word is suddenly. And friend, I wasn't sure about that word at first. You see,
I'm a planner and I like to plan things out. So suddenly kind of wasn't my vibe, but that word kept tugging at me. So eventually I gave in And wouldn't you know it, not long after I settled on that word.
I applied to the Arkansas Delta Women's Leadership Academy at Arkansas State University and I was accepted.
That program is actually where the idea for this podcast came to life. We were given the task of developing a service project. And in thinking about all the nonprofits that I currently volunteer with, I realized every one of them had one thing in common. They all had a powerful story and those stories deserve to be told.
So I launched Unmasking the Heart for Change. And friends, let me be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about podcasting other than the fact that I love to listen to them. However, I was willing to learn, to listen, and to take the leap of faith into the unknown. And since then, this podcast has reached people across 10 countries.
and given voices to some incredible change makers across many communities.
But here's the truth I realized in both of these life changes I've unmasked with you today. I've discovered that the only thing that was ever really standing in my way was me. And friend, maybe that may very well be true for you too. So let me leave you with this reflection question. What dream is lying dormant inside of you and what's standing in your way? Friend.
Please don't let that obstacle be yourself. Don't wait. Don't overthink it. Get out of your way and give yourself permission to just see what happens. Thank you so much for spending this time with me today as I unmask the courage it took me to bet on myself. My hope is that the dream inside of you has been stirred up to and that you'll begin to lean in to what could be possible if you dare to bet on yourself.
Friends, please give yourself permission to go all in on yourself for a change and just see what happens when you do. If you or someone you know has a powerful story of change to share, I would love to hear about it. You can apply to be a guest by visiting our Facebook page or clicking the link in our show notes. Your journey just might be exactly what someone else needs to hear right now.
And if today's episode encouraged you, please don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review.
That's how more hearts find our space. Always remember, change begins with the end and it starts one heart to heart at a time. Thanks again for joining me today. I'll see you guys next time. Thanks so much. Bye.