When I answer the question ‘What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?’ at a speaking event, I share my honest answer, and people shutter (and then bust out laughing). ⠀
⠀
My answer to that always asked question comes from my granny Beaulah Grey (from whom I get my middle name), circa my middle school days.⠀
⠀
I wanted desperately to be good enough to sit at the cool kid’s table at lunch, and I told her that I needed a pair of Gap khaki cuffed shorts to fit in with the popular crowd (please laugh — we’ll file this one under hashtag the 90’s). ⠀
⠀
My granny looked me in the eyes and said ‘Emily Grey, everyone sh*ts just the same as you and me.’⠀
⠀
Now, I’m not sure if I was more shocked that my granny cussed (!), or that she was referring to the process of other people pooping, but I have never forgotten this sage piece of advice.⠀
⠀
*I have clung to this in my corporate days when giving a presentation for senior management in Switzerland while one of the managers sat with his arms crossed, shaking his head the entire time.⠀
⠀
*I have repeated this to myself as I needed to address a group of snobby women who walked into our store and were unkind to our sweet, servant-hearted staff.⠀
⠀
*And I have rattled this around in my brain before I’ve stepped onto any stage to speak to a large audience…⠀
⠀
…as I’ve found that the loudest critic, even more so than my external critics, is ME! ⠀
⠀
When I started The Flourish Market, I knew we never wanted to be a business that inferred you needed x, y, or z trend to earn your seat. ⠀
⠀
Because here’s the thing:⠀
⠀
It’s never the khaki shorts that are going to make you feel worthy of sitting at the table; it’s knowing that your worth is not dependent on what any critic says about you, not even your own inner one.⠀
⠀
I hope that when you wear your pieces from our shop that you feel the dignity + worth you are sending to the girls + women on the other end of your purchase.⠀
⠀
Their worth has been knocked down by society and in honor of them, let’s not let our own inner critic win today. ⠀
⠀
…because face it, you’re awesome, 90’s khaki cuffed shorts or not (wink).
Love,
comments +