I recently sat down with Elizabeth Montgomery for my podcast who had some very interesting things to say about purpose. Elizabeth started her entrepreneur journey in 2018 and since then has birthed not just one business, but two. If you’ve been on the fence about starting a business or living your purpose, you should really hear what Elizabeth has to say.
Elizabeth didn’t know exactly what she was going to do or how she was going to do it, she only knew that she needed to do something different. She knew she had been in the place she was in for far too long. Enough was enough and she was looking for a sign from God … any sign that would signal to her that it was time to move. And she found it!
Give Birth to What God Gives You
God put a vision in front of Elizabeth and she took the bait. From her leap of faith, Liz Kitchen was born. But Elizabeth didn’t stop there. As God was putting more in front of her, she continued to move. A short time later, Healthy Hair, Happy Life was birthed.
Elizabeth helps us to see that God will put a plan before us even when we don’t realize he’s giving us a way out. It’s important for us to listen and hear what God is trying to tell us and take the necessary steps to put the plan into action. Although she didn’t see what was in front of her, Elizabeth decided to take the leap with just the little bit of information God had given her. When she saw that, she went with it and because of those initial steps, her first business was born overnight.
Elizabeth reminds us that forming a business is a process. We don’t have to have everything figured out at once. We don’t have to know what tomorrow brings. Go with what God puts in front of you and enjoy the journey. One minute she had an idea; the next day she had a business.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
One thing Elizabeth assures us is that even when you move on what God has given you, there will be challenges. Elizabeth had many challenges, but she didn’t quit. She kept going. The devil is relentless, and she learned that she had to be also. Elizabeth was eager to share a few lessons she learned from her challenges with you:
Find time to rest: Don’t overextend yourself. We tend to work all the time, but it’s important to find a balance. Rest your body to be able to think clearly and have less frustration as you’re striving to build your business.
Don’t be discouraged by how things look: Whether it’s challenging to find the right suppliers or to find the budget to do what needs to be done, don’t give up. Keep going even when things look like they’re not working. Your consistency will pay off.
Don’t expect everyone you know to support you: Your most loyal customers will be people you may not even know, so don’t get offended when the people you know show little support for what you do.
Know your worth: There will be people who will complain about what you charge. But don’t short-change yourself because you’ll feel overworked and underpaid. Don’t try to appease people. The right customers will come.
Our Purpose Will Bless Others
“One of the most valuable life lessons I’ve learned is it’s not about me. We all have been given gifts, talents and a purpose for the sole purpose of glorifying God. He is glorified when we walk in His ordained purpose for our lives because it’s guaranteed that in doing so, others will be blessed.”– Elizabeth Montgomery
Beth assures us that her most important lesson has been that our purpose is not about us. Others will be blessed by us living our purpose.
“Check your heart posture. If your motivation is money, then you’ve already lost.”
Worst of all, you will never be fulfilled if you’re not in business for the right reasons. You will be miserable when your only focus is on what’s in it for you and how you can make more money. When your focus is on helping others to the best of your ability, through your purpose, that changes everything.
Final Thoughts
Finally, Elizabeth reminds us that society can put stipulations on us, and we end up someplace we were never intended to be. Don’t stay stuck in your day-to-day, if you’re not happy. God has the final say, seek Him and trust Him for what He’s trying to show you.
Listen to the full episode of my discussion with Elizabeth Montgomery. Don’t just listen and keep on with your life as usual but take the time to really listen to discern your next steps to fulfill your purpose in life.