Vision Mapping 2023 Recap
On the 31st of January, Work Hard Smile Large hosted Vision Mapping 2023, a workshop centered around helping professionals achieve this year’s goals by creating personal vision maps that reflected our goals for the rest of this year. Held both in-person and virtually, it was WHSL’s biggest event to date!
Vision Mapping 2023 had gathered an amazing set of speakers to talk about topics to help attendees identify their long-term goals and aspirations and use them as a guide towards a path to their dreams and what action steps they took to make these goals happen. Making changes is crucial to achieving the objective because the speakers themselves were able to take steps towards their dreams.
Our founder, Nicole Christopherson herself started off by introducing Work Hard, Smile Large to everyone, and shared a bit of her personal story on what drew her into starting WHSL in the first place. She believes that setting visions with the purpose to hone in on who you truly are will give you the ability to help so many more in the future.
The first speaker was Britley Ann-Williams who helps people through somatic healing, shared that setting goals that are aligned with one’s values and passions is crucial to achieving a sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. Creating visions from the heart–rather than the analytical mind– is key when setting goals since the analytical mind can sometimes override our sense of power and sense of truth & desire. Britley continues off with breathwork exercises for the attendees to help clear their minds and focus on the brain and bodily connection.
Next to share her story was Actress and Producer Haylie Duff. As a former child actress, she found herself feeling frustrated with her current career despite being successful. So at the age of 20, she did something she’s never done before which turned into a hobby, and eventually, a newfound passion. Hailey found that her frustration with her previous career began to dissipate as she immersed herself in something that she enjoyed. She was able to publish her own cookbook called Real Girl’s Kitchen, and her own cooking show under the same name. Haylie's advice to others who may be feeling frustrated with their current career is to get their hands dirty and think about their hobbies as a way to find their own path. She encourages taking risks and trying something that scares you, as it can strengthen the family unit and lead to personal growth.
Josette is a mother of two boys, Connor and Bradley. Her eldest, Bradley, showcased his entrepreneurial spirit at the young age of six after coming across a post about a boy with leukemia. Bradley expressed his desire to help the child by raising funds for his treatment and decided to sell flowers to fundraise. Josette believes in teaching children empathy and instilling the desire to help others whenever the opportunity arises. She believes in putting out positive energy and allowing the universe to guide you towards your desired outcome. This mindset has been instrumental in Bradley's fundraising efforts and has taught him the importance of giving back to the community. This way, she has inspired him to make a positive impact. Josette encourages others to step out of their comfort zones and try new things, as it can lead to personal growth and new opportunities, and she herself has experienced this firsthand and credits it for allowing her to grow and learn as an individual. Her belief in putting out positive energy and allowing the universe to guide you is a reminder to always stay hopeful and open to new opportunities.
Elizabeth has been in the real estate industry for 18 years. She entered the real estate industry during the 2008 recession, which was a challenging time for the industry but nonetheless, she said “yes” to an opportunity that other people were saying “no” to. Perception and perspective are crucial for everything she does and focus on the positive impact that you can make. Elizabeth believes that family is everything–and they are the answer to all her “whys”. According to her, vision boards are helpful, but she also understands that visions can change. It's essential to re-evaluate these visions periodically and see how they can provide more opportunities to build up the family unit in the future.
The stories shared during the Vision Mapping 2023 event were a testament to how we can incorporate our values into our vision maps. In life, how we will deal with the struggles that we face are the hallmarks of who we are as people. It is by challenging ourselves and staying true to ourselves that we can map out a life with purpose, and we are able to give back to the things that matter to us.