Q3 International, LLC: WOOP!

OK, Inspiring Girls and Guys, here we go!

Q3 International is official!  Check out our website at www.q3international.com, share it with your friends, colleagues, and anyone else you think might benefit from knowing that we are open for business. And don't forget to download our brochure (located on the About Us page).  

We know from experience that word of mouth and referrals from those we respect is the most powerful marketing tool, and I believe deeply in your personal power to help us share our message and build our business. Here's a heartfelt thank you for everything you have already done, and appreciation in advance for what each of you will do to support our efforts going forward.

News to Date

Our soft launch in July brought us an inspiring new client and my work line-up for September includes speaking at the Cities of Culture in Nature seminar and China International Friendship Cities conference in Chengdu, China.  

Exciting...check.  A little intimidating...yes.  An adventure to savor...absolutely! 

How IGE Fits In  

I'm going to keep this blog as my forum for personal and professional thoughts and inspiration. That is how it was originally intended, and while I admit that in the past I've used it far more to share personal perspectives than professional insights, for me it's all interconnected and it would feel insincere to create a new blog for professional thoughts only. In addition, our amazing group of Inspiring Girls (and Guys) continues to grow - thank you! - so I feel like we're onto something here. No reason to mess up a good thing, huh? Let's keep the momentum going! (You can do this simply by encouraging your friends and colleagues to follow IGE!)  

IGE Blog will no doubt evolve and the path it will forge remains to be seen, but for now it just feels right to keep it intact and really boost activity. So I'm going with it.   

On a Personal Note

For us to officially be embarking on this journey - one where my professional passions, experience, and expertise are melted together into an entrepreneurial endeavor, feels so right. Q3 International reaches across the world and provides a tangible way to include my family in my goals for giving back in a meaningful way. It feels, dare I say...intensely satisfying!  

It's true that remembering to enjoy every moment while still looking ahead with enthusiastic anticipation is challenging, but staying true to myself means embracing it all with a smile in my heart. It's simply the only way I know to forge ahead. And I'm up for it!

So, as my summer of thinking, and creating, and building, transitions to an autumn of hard work, adventure, and promise, it brings me sincere pleasure to share our exciting news with you and ask for your ongoing support and help in spreading it. 

Thank you for being a part of our adventure!

Kindergarten

Luji started Kindergarten yesterday. The Big K.  

Over the years, I've listened with awe as my friends and colleagues talked about the intense feelings they experienced on their kids first day of kindergarten. In fact, I remember distinctly the deep emotion expressed by one of my childhood friends on her son's first day of school. Yes, I have always listened and hugged and empathized, taking comfort in knowing that I would not react that way when it was time for my kid to go to school. Not me.

Ahem. 

Turns out I didn't even make it to the first day of school. I was a wreck the day before school started. I of course had no idea why I was so off balance all that day. No idea why nothing felt quite settled - except time with Luji which somehow always  seems to bring me back towards center. It wasn't until yesterday morning rolled around that I felt myself let go. Relax. Breathe. 

And then yesterday came and went. Happily. Without a hitch. I didn't even cry. Luji certainly didn't cry, and of course her daddy just beamed with pride. We all smiled. Big. We were too happy and excited for the start of this new chapter to cry. Too happy. Just like that day in China, four and a half years ago, when Luji's nannies placed a perfect 9 month old bright-eyed child in our arms.  We didn't cry then either (which is saying a lot for me!).

Ahhhh.

Thank goodness I got it all out of my system early! It left me free to enjoy the moment and relish the joy of my little uniformed daughter holding my hand and bouncing down the hall to her classroom. That bouncy little body is home to a wise-souled little girl who has an uncanny ability to take everything in stride with her innate, unabated enthusiasm and exuberance.  

The first day of kindergarten turned a page in our lives, just as it has for millions of families through the years. And I think I finally understand how it feels to experience that intense emotion, watching my child take steps into the unknown of school life, smiling as she walks in, takes her seat, and trusts the universe to take care of the rest. I'm proud to be a part of that trust, and nothing means more to me than being a part of her universe.

I understand that it's not about losing that little kid you love or pining for the sweetness of those toddler moments that will never return. For me, it was (and is) about embracing the moment, sharing hugs and smiles, and celebrating the awesome power of one child's hold on my heart. 

We were all smiles yesterday. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world.