Last week, I had a brief conversation with S, my riding instructor/ranch owner, about his ideas for growing the business. Earlier this month, he had expressed interest in having me help with some marketing and business development, so this was our first discussion. We were in a truck full of other people, and I wanted to mull it all over a bit, so I agreed to give it some thought and get back to him.

The following week, I was continuing with my Coursera Intro to Marketing class, and it’s kinda uncanny but the class got my juices flowing, and I started brainstorming all kinds of ideas. I emailed S a rather lengthy list of considerations unsure if it would be too intense this early on, but heck, I decided to be unabashed. This whole notion of envisioning my future and of dreaming big has got me hooked. I mean, when S first mentioned the possibility of working together, I was really taken aback. Despite what my Lean In group had been telling me, I still wasn’t expecting anything. And thinking back, I see now that, if I were my former hesitant self, I probably would have just shot down the suggestion immediately without giving it any consideration. Thankfully, this time, I’m trying to be open. I’m getting better at being comfortable with being uncomfortable, and so I’m trying hard to really believe in my heart of hearts that anything is possible.

So anyhow, the class got my brain churning, and I sent S the email. What do you know? A few days later, he replied that he was thrilled with my points. I had really impressed him (and surprised myself). Pretty damn cool. So again, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about living this “unconventional” life… by that, I guess I just mean a life kinda different from what I, my family, and my close friends currently live. Sure, I read blogs all the time about people who left their lucrative corporate jobs to start a business or to become a professional blogger… But I don’t really know people like that personally. It’s not that the stories I read aren’t truthful or credible, it’s just hard to see that situation apply to me, you know?

A few days ago, I read a tweet asserting that people who know entrepreneurs are more likely to become entrepreneurs themselves. Hmm, so this idea of exposure and of witnessing real-life examples is a powerful force. It also reminds me of another tweet I saw recently from the CEO of Evernote: Don’t bother making friends with people you can’t start a company with… It’s sounds harsh, but I think it’s so true. Being around positive, motivated, high-caliber people has a way of encouraging you to push and challenge yourself. Enthusiasm and momentum kinda stack and amplify in these surprising ways… I am feeling pretty darn optimistic and energized these days. Let’s hope this wave lasts a long while!