I Stopped Pitching and Started Serving…

It was a moment.

I sat there writing intensely in my journal in the middle of church – a habit I had picked up a few years ago.

I was writing down what was on my heart after our prayer time in that morning’s service. The pages, now tear stained, were filled with words about a vision for the future that was different from what I was currently doing. God, in a whisper said, “Kim, I have a bigger vision for you. If you trust me with your dreams, I will take them further than you ever imagined.”

Different? I mean, I had felt a tug on my heart for a long time that I was supposed to reach more. Help more. Do more. But now? Now, when the agency was crushing it? Now, as I was supposed to come out with my first book all about social media that was published by a real, actual publisher?

And then, the video came on.

Before starting his sermon, Pastor Jason Tucker of Tower Hill Church in Red Bank, NJ, played a video featuring Joanna Gaines, star of “Fixer Upper,” telling her story of how God had shared a message with her. She felt called to shut down her store before there was ever a show or books or retail destinations. And what happened when she listened:

“I heard that gentle whisper. ‘Joanna, if you trust Me with your dreams, I’ll take them further than you could have ever imagined.’

It is no easy thing to trust in God, to walk away from a career, to give it all up not knowing if you can ever get it back or even come close. But I did it. I heeded His voice, and somehow I found peace about it.”

She didn’t know then what God had in store, but she followed… with just her faith to lean on.

Scary? Yes. Incredible? Yes. Worth it? Oh. Yes.

Since it first aired, their popular home improvement show Fixer Upper has garnered more than 24 million viewers, making it one of the highest-rated shows of its kind. They’ve written four books, have a magazine, spin-off shows, a destination retail center…

Chip and Joanna Gaines have been able to reach millions with their story on a platform so much bigger than they would have had if they had just “kept it safe” and kept going with their first small business.

A leap of faith…

So there I was in church with THE EXACT WORDS I had written in my journal being spoken aloud from the video. THE EXACT WORDS.

Now it wasn’t just a feeling that I was supposed to change what I was doing. (Which I had felt for a while if I was to be truthful with myself.) Now it had been placed in front of me in neon letters blinking loudly, inches from my eyes so I could not ignore it.

It was like God had taken me by the shoulders and put his face inches from mine and said, “Kim, listen to me here. Right now. This isn’t just a feeling. This is my plan for you. Stop being a chicken and start doing something about it.”

And while you might think that would have made me excited, or joyful, I was neither of those things.

I was FREAKED OUT.

After service, I shared with the Tall One, aka my husband Ian, what I wrote in my journal… hoping he’d help me get myself off the hook. Because after all, what God was asking me to do was risky and wouldn’t Ian help confirm my desire to keep things comfortable for us?

Nope.

He said, “Makes sense. I always told you that’s what I thought His plan was for you, too.”

Dang it.

So neither God nor my husband was going to let me let this one go. What choice did I have?

Well, what I chose was to find another way to avoid the discomfort of “putting myself out there.”

I filled my time with so much “stuff” that I didn’t give myself space to focus on the calling. I kept pushing it off for another season of life that might make more sense for a radical change.

(Of course, there would never be a better time. Like, when was I ever going to “not be busy”?)

What I was doing was avoiding my calling because I was scared. I was freaked out. I was terrified.

And I avoided the risk.

For more than two years after that day in service I kept on doing what I was doing.

Sure, I would make little attempts to fulfill the calling in the midst of my comfort, writing a blog or two, including a greater message in some of my speeches, sales talks, etc. And frankly each time I did, I saw people respond to this message.

People asked to “pick my brain” about their purpose and path. I was asked out to lunch in exchange for my expertise…

My calling was being confirmed over, and over, and over again.

And last week I finally (FINALLY) did something about it.

I spoke the message on my heart for years as I presented our livecast, “G.U.R.U. Academy Live.” I told the story of my calling to do things different from the herd and to reach thousands, serve many, and to get paid doing what I loved.

And I told the story of many others as well.

Like our Powerhouse member Jill Frillman who built a bookkeeping firm while working part-time in the business and launched a coaching business for other bookkeepers to show them how too… and Todd Tramonte, a Realtor who created a different way of doing business that allowed him to spend more time with his family and still produce more profit, who now coaches other Realtors… and Jenni-Lyn Williams, a tea retailer who created a community of women who depend upon her messages for strength in their chaotic lives… all who took the path less traveled and have served thousands because of it.

I shared that when you feel a tug on your heart that there is something greater, this isn’t an accident. This is your calling.

And something amazing happened.

In spite of major technical issues (I didn’t show slides for the first 15 minutes, I literally got completely kicked off GoToWebinar), the audience stayed on throughout. And engaged.

And when I was done presenting the offer to continue on with us in the new opportunity I had created just for them so that they too could reach thousands, serve many, and get paid to do what they love, they not only bought more than any other sales day we’ve had online so far this year, but they THANKED me. Yup, thanked me for a WEBINAR, y’all.

Because that is what happens when you stop pitching and start serving.

And the ironic thing about “being too busy right now to do this” is…

…There has never been a busier time in my life. I am literally moving this week to another state because of a promotion the Tall One received in his job. He’s been traveling for weeks on end because of his promotion.

This time in my life would have given the perfect excuses to delay yet again putting this message out there.

But the thing is, when we lean into that calling, when we act on the pull of our heart, amazing things happen. Like somehow what seems impossible becomes possible.

And you can do this, too. Yup, you.

You’ve been called for something greater. That’s been on your heart for a while and you’ve been waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder and tell you, “Friend, it’s time.”

This is that time.

You were meant to reach thousands, serve many, and get paid to do what you love.

I’m not saying you jump off the cliff immediately. I’m saying you take one step forward right now… one step forward toward your destination of magnificent that is waiting for you to get there. One step.

Start with me this week.

If you want to reach thousands, serve many, and get paid to do what you love, join me for the live webcast this week.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

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