I started this interview series because it was important to me to share what I know in my heart to be true: courage is not the opposite of fear. Courage is when we keep going, even when fear is present. It’s about showing up and letting our authentic selves be truly seen. Then, and only then, can we experience joy, love and all the other good stuff!I am blessed to know so many wonderfully courageous people who spend their days doing amazing things. To me, it’s inspiring to know what they experience around their own courage and authenticity, and I hope that you will find something in their words to connect with that inspires you as well!
Today, meet Chris Olson and Chelsea Keene of Seattle Cookie Counter!
But first...a little bit of the back-story!
A few months later, we partnered with Chris and Chelsea to do some very tasty Random Acts of Kindness. (Read about it here)
I loved their story about following their dream--despite their fears--and doing what was in their hearts to bring positive energy to the world. They are incredibly inspiring!
After a lot of hard work and the support of hundreds of Kickstarter backers, Chris and Chelsea made the leap to open their ice cream shop in Seattle's Greenwood/Phinney Ridge neighborhood.
This is where the story gets interesting.
With plans to open in early spring, they set to work fixing up their newly acquired shop. Suddenly, the contractor they had hired stopped showing up to the job site. But the work was nowhere close to done, and what was done was not completed to code. You can read the full story here.
A significant amount of the Kickstarter funds meant to get their shop open were now long gone.
Wanting to follow through on their commitment to Kickstarter backers, the couple maxed out all of their available credit. Employees they had hired for the shop had already quit their other jobs--Chris and Chelsea wanted to make sure they had jobs, even though the shop was delayed to open.
Finally, in mid-July, the shop opened to rave reviews!
Every time we visited, the line was out the door. But, despite this success, they had missed out on months of summer sales that they needed to keep the business going.
In November, Chris was involved in a car accident and received numerous injuries. It was the tipping point that made them realize they had no choice but to close the shop.
But, their fans weren't ready to let them go.
To help, I am donating 50% of all eCourse registrations to Chris and Chelsea's campaign between now and midnight, December 16th.
POST UPDATE: With the support of many dedicated fans, as well as a few silent investors, Chris and Chelsea were able to pull together the funding to reopen! The shop is set to open its doors in April 2017.
And now, the interview!
1. Courage is...
Chelsea: Putting yourself out there and letting go of the worry in what other people might think of you. Before starting our business, I worried SO MUCH about what other people thought about me. Now, in order to put ourselves and our business out there, I just have to go with it. Really, I can only be myself. We’re at the shop all the time, interacting with customers--it’s too exhausting to try to put on an act. Sometimes I worry, did that sound weird what I said to that customer, or did I sound hokey in that email? But, I have learned to let those thoughts go. There’s nothing I can do about it! Whether it’s a good day, a really challenging day, or one of those days when I just want to throw in the towel…I’ve learned that all I can do is be myself.
Chris: Courage is leaving the comfort of your day-to-day routine. It’s about trying something new and trusting in your own abilities. Being OK with relying on the support of others. Letting your ethics lead every decision, and hoping people get it.
Chelsea: When Chris and I started this business in 2014, we had moments where we thought…Oh my gosh, are we NUTS?! What will our family think? There were so many little moments of self-doubt. I think what got us through that was to have the courage to say that what we are doing is important. It’s important to us. It’s something that we're good at, something that make us happy, something that we want to put our energy into. And because of this, we knew other people would love what we were doing too.
Chris: The fact that Chelsea & I are both on the same page – we both have the same purpose for the business – to create something people enjoy, and to connect with others. I think both of us have had jobs that just weren’t as fulfilling as we wanted them to be. It feels good now to be able to put something positive out into the world.
3. What's your biggest challenge when it comes to standing in your authenticity?
Chris: Watching the success of others who run their businesses with a different set of motivations. Or who seem to put their own financial interests as their primary focus.
Chelsea: It’s challenging to be our authentic selves and hope that most people “get it.” For example, when people talk about “branding”, we just don’t see ourselves that way. We want our products and service to speak for themselves, we don’t want to, in a sense, shout at everyone that walks through our door, with our logo on every last thing. Some may see our lack of “branding” and think that we do not have a good business model. But it’s just not what we’re going for. We thought about what was missing from the community and what kind of place that we ourselves, as vegans and small business supporters, would love to go. And we created it.
Chris: There’s so many people that tell us that they appreciate what we’re doing. And we’re presenting something to people that we enjoy and hope they’re enjoying it too. I try to stay mindful of how we are a part of other people’s lives. Every person that comes in our shop, I want to go up to them and give them a hug and say thanks for coming in and thanks for trying it – you took time out of your day to come here, thank you. It’s that way of approaching everything that helps guide us.
5. What has been your greatest "a-ha" moment on your wholehearted journey?
Chelsea: After we had to close the shop, it took some time to work through the emotions. We definitely were going through the stages of grief. We had put so much into our shop. Every little element we pieced together, and every decision made was a thoughtful one.
On our last day of business, a real estate broker walked through our doors and explained that her clients, the owners of a new vegan ice cream shop in Seattle, had sent her out to inquire about taking over our space. We told her that, with the support of the community, we actually hoped to re-open, to keep doing what we love. She suggested that we just have her client make the ice cream so we wouldn’t have to. And she then went on to tell us how much revenue her client was on track to make in their first year.
THAT was my a-ha moment. A moment of clarity that made me more motivated than ever to keep our shop up and running...with heart and authenticity. Our motivating factor isn’t to get rich, it is what we can offer our community. What we are doing is different from many other businesses, and it is unique and special.
And a few fun questions!
6. What is a favorite song when you feel like dancing?
Chelsea: Keep It Movin’ by Missy Elliott – I love all of her songs and this one always does the trick! I’ve made a whole lot of cookies (after hours) while listening to Missy!
Chris: Curtis Mayfield, Can’t Say Nothin’.
Chelsea: The documentary film about Charles Bradley: Soul of America. Seeing someone so courageous work through heartache and pain, life’s struggles, and remain true to their beautiful self. Never gets old.
Chris: The Yes Men Fix the World. I admire those guys a lot. What they’re doing defines courage.
8. Where is a place you would like to travel to, but haven't yet?
Chelsea: In all honesty, I just want to go to Minnesota and spend time with my mom! I’d take that over international travel any day.
Chris: Right now, traveling stresses me out.
9. What's on your nightstand?
Chelsea: A lamp, my vintage dog eyeglasses holder, Cryptogram-a-Day book (word puzzles), chapstick, a Brain Machine, and The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Chris: A keyboard (electronic instrument), a big stack of Shambala Sun magazines, a book on java programing, a book on guitar playing techniques, and a lamp.
10. What do you wish you could go back and tell your younger self?
Chelsea: Worrying can distract you from living and loving and growing. Thinking about what could go wrong will keep you from moving forward and finding out what could go right. When you think to yourself, I don’t know if I can do this. Remember, you’re right, you don’t know.
Chris: So, it turns out the adults are just making it up as they go along. Life is what you believe and what you give your attention to.
Thank you, Chris and Chelsea, for sharing your inspiring story and for making the world a braver place!
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