We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine Clark a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christine , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Taking risks has always started with a feeling of conviction for me. It’s a feeling that keeps me up at night thinking about my dreams until I have more fear of NOT trying than the fear of failure.
One thing I’ve learned about dreams is that if we don’t take action when we hear our dreams calling for us, they will begin to scream until we do.
Growing up as a second generation Mexican-American, I saw the struggles my parents faced, first hand. I learned from a very young age that if I wanted anything from this life, I was going to have to fight for it; nothing was going to be handed to me.
My first BIG leap of faith was in 2018, when I launched “The KC Influence, LLC.” It was the first business risk I took where I fully trusted my calling. I started by facilitating Mastermind groups and eventually hosting local events for other young entrepreneurial women looking to connect. I look back now and know it had to be a RISK, because I started this business with zero business background and almost zero capital. I was driven by connections that I made in the local community and began to recognize ways to be resourceful.
It was important to surround myself with other dreamers that understood my struggles. There is a quote by Jim Rohn that says, “ You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” My advice for new entrepreneurs is to start networking with people who are doing what you want to do! Learn as much as possible, and try to surround yourself with positive people who give you life, not drain it!
When the pandemic started in 2020, I wasn’t able to host events anymore so I pivoted my business to brand strategy & design. It felt like a risk, at the time, to change what I from what I knew, but I trusted my intuition and love for helping women bring their brand & business to life!
During this time, my marriage was struggling. I knew that it was no longer serving my best self. I remember asking myself, “Are you ready to walk away from all the “things” in order to live a life of purpose and be free from the toxicity?” The relationship was breaking my spirit and affecting my mental health. I took the RISK and walked away. We were homeless for a few days, without a car, and I was so blessed to have a community of women who were there for us. I remember praying and telling God that if I ever make it out, I want to give back to the women shelters because they were FULL! I couldn’t believe that so many women were going through domestic violence! It’s an experience that truly humbled me and opened my eyes.
The year 2022 has been a year of survival mode and isolation for me, but God used that isolation time for me to reflect and heal from the trauma. Moving back to Texas with my family wasn’t something I ever planned in my vision, but God’s plans for me were different. I can look back and laugh about it now. I moved here with just a few personal items and focused on getting settled and establishing myself here.
I dealt with betrayals and lies being told about me, but chose to focus on moving forward and learned the importance of forgiveness. It was a pruning season for me. I learned that not everyone is supposed to come with us to the NEXT LEVEL. It was hard to let go of the past, but I realized how important setting healthy boundaries is, and knowing that YOU ARE WORTHY of the life and love you deserve.
Expanding feels uncomfortable but so does the pain of being stuck. We can fight for our excuses, or we fight for our purpose.
My favorite quote:
“Growth only exists at the edge of our comfort zones. As humans, we often let our fear of failure keep us attached to old but comfortable habits, environments, and patterns. But with that “RISK” of failure lies the opportunity to build character, compassion, creativity, and a life that you can fully enjoy. If you don’t reach for those new heights and challenges, then you can’t evolve — and that means you’ve accepted the confines of failure instead of the liberation of adventure.” Neale Donald Walsch.
As we come towards the end of 2022, I can proudly say that my kids and I have come a long way! When I get really present with myself, I realize that I’m finally in the place that I prayed to be in a year ago! God has provided for us in every single way.
Starting my new beginning is beyond exciting! New season, new me, new business, same mission! The mission for my business will always be for entrepreneurial women to feel confident in putting their businesses out there and creating a brand that is timeless. We also want to create events for creative entrepreneurs to have a community to support, connect and collaborate!
I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us!
My next risk involves getting out of my own way and being BOLD about my dreams, letting go of things that no longer serve my highest self.
Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.”
I’m big on reflecting so here are some questions to ask yourself:
What would YOU do if you knew you could not fail? How big would you dream?
Christine , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My love for branding comes from a deep desire to help entrepreneurial women live a life of purpose and be their biggest cheerleader. I believe it’s my purpose to remind others that they already have everything they need within to build a business they love and make an impact on the world.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn this year is that I don’t have to control everything. Growth can feel like death sometimes, death to old habits, old mindsets, and old beliefs. It was important for me to heal from the past few years and do the inner work of letting go of things that no longer serve my highest self.
It isn’t always easy to be honest with ourselves and be vulnerable about where we really are but I found true strength comes from those things.
Some practical ways that I healed was through journaling, meditation, prayer even if it’s for 15 min. a day, going out for a run in nature, surrounding myself with people who pour life into me and practicing lots of self love.
We can be so hard on ourselves sometimes, especially as someone who is a dreamer with big goals! Don’t forget to give yourself grace for the journey and if you need to cry, let it out.
Once I decided to completely let go and stopped trying to control things, I felt free to fully step into the next level of who God is calling me to be.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
A lot of the books I read have Bible based principles that you can practically use in life and business.
Here are a few that I highly recommend:
1. How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie
2. Building a story brand by Donald Miller
3. Everything is figuroutable by Marie Forleo
4. You are a badass at making money by Jen Sincero
5. Leadershift by John Maxwell
Currently Reading:
Breaking the habits of being yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza & Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Podcasts I listen to:
1. Lewis Howes- The School Of Greatness
2. The Boss Babe
3. Goal Digger- Jenna Kutcher
4. The Ed Mylett Show
5. The Mind Your Business Podcast- James Wedmore
Youtube:
1. Gary Vaynerchuk – to me he’s king of marketing!
2. The Future by Chris Do – Great resources here for brand designers & strategists
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theKcInfluence
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Christineclark
Image Credits
Jackie Grace Beth Grimm Photography Jefferson May Photography