𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁. Men arrived in Colorado hoping to strike gold... Clara Brown earned money washing their clothes. That ordinary business helped her buy property, support other families, and 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿. Clara had lived much of her life enslaved. In 1835, the sale of her family separated her from her husband and children. After gaining her freedom in the 1850s, she headed west. She worked as a wagon-train cook in exchange for transportation. By the time she reached Colorado, she was well into midlife. In the mining community of Central City, she opened a laundry. Think about the work that meant. Hauling water. Heating it. Scrubbing clothes by hand. Serving customers who spent their days digging through dirt and rock. Clara did that work. She also cooked and cared for people. Then she put some of her earnings into 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀. You don’t need to romanticize the labor to recognize the business lesson. While prospectors searched for a lucky discovery, Clara served a need they brought with them. You may overlook an opportunity for the same reason someone might overlook a laundry. It sounds ordinary. You wonder whether it counts as a “real business” because it doesn’t involve an invention or a brilliant new idea. Back then most women were expected to do laundry. But the person who needs your help asks a much simpler question... Can you solve this problem for me? Clara’s story also reaches beyond what she earned. She helped formerly enslaved people relocate and find work. She supported churches and welcomed people who needed food, shelter, or care. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲. Her later life brought financial hardship. Fires destroyed properties, and her resources dwindled. People in the community she had helped stepped forward to help her.

Hello lifeboat owner. Today is an important call as we look ahead and protect our business and set them up to flourish. See you on the call. https://www.skool.com/live/TyssPkbwFVH