What is a "business shower" and why I'm having one

This coming weekend, I’m throwing myself a?business shower. And I couldn’t be more excited.

Today, I want to tell you a little bit about why this event is so meaningful to me.

For the past five years, Copper + Rise has been my baby. I’ve nurtured it, stayed up late with it, cried over it, coddled it, and made wishes for it. It’s been the thing I’ve devoted myself to.

I?adore?celebrating my friends’ milestones, at events like baby showers and bridal showers. I am so blessed to have a circle of friends that I treasure so deeply who have so much to celebrate.

But, because I’m not married and don’t plan on having kids, my life’s milestones look different from those of my friends. And…I believe my milestones are just as worthy of celebration. And I want women who, like me, don’t necessarily follow a typical life path, to believe that too.

In some ways, this business shower is like a book launch or a movie premiere, where you celebrate the fruits of someone’s labor after several (often?many) years of hard work.

I’m proud to say that I’ve been working hard on this business for five years now, and there’s nothing more I want to do than celebrate this business birthday alongside people that love me.

I am so, so proud of the fact that I built this business from the ground up, over the course of several years, and that it’s a business that is profitable and can be my sole focus. Yes, it’s been hard at times—it’s been hard a LOT of the time—which is all the more reason to celebrate.

Ultimately, I really and truly believe it’s worth celebrating the things that fall outside our traditional idea of “success.”

Marriages and babies and new homes are SO worthy of breaking out the confetti and streamers and gifts for…but so are so many other things.

• I celebrate the people who have built small businesses with determination, sweat, and tears.
• I celebrate the people who have left toxic jobs or situations.
• I celebrate the people who have left relationships that weren’t right for them.

Because I know how much work it takes to do something hard. No matter what your thing is, doing all that hard work to get yourself to a better place is a HUGE accomplishment.

No matter what, life is worthy of celebration—even if, especially if, our life looks a little different than most people we know.

That’s why this business shower means a lot to me.

This shower is a fundraiser, so if you feel called, please feel free to check out my?registry.

I’ll tell you a little bit about why I’m asking for contributions and where the money will go.

Any contribution you make, of any size, will help me grow and expand my business in ways that I’ve envisioned and dreamed of.

• I plan on traveling a lot more for conferences and speaking engagements.
• I’m considering writing a book.
• I’d like to do more high-production videos.
• And maybe, just maybe, someday I’ll hire someone full-time. Hey…a girl can dream, right?

(While I’m dreaming, I’ve always wanted to launch a fashion line. That’s part of the five-year plan!)

You’ll also see that my registry includes support towards specific operational expenses, as well as the ability to contribute your time. I’m so, so deeply grateful for any and all support.

Now…you might ask, why should I contribute to something that already makes you money—your business? It’s a completely fair question, and I’ve been asked it. I realize this idea is unusual to a lot of people. So I’m always happy to talk about it.

And I keep coming back to the idea of celebrating non-traditional milestones?just?as significantly as we celebrate marriages and babies. Because they are worthy. The people who achieve these milestones are worthy. It’s not about the money, it’s about the acknowledgement.

I am so deeply grateful to all of you who are celebrating with me and honoring Copper + Rise’s fifth birthday, in whatever way feels right to you.

I’m also so grateful to all of you for being my supporters, in so many different ways, over the course of the past five years. You are such an important part of this business—you’re why it exists!

Thank you for everything. I can’t wait to share more with you next week. You all know I love a good party (thanks, Mom). Happy birthday, Copper + Rise!