Back in February I had the opportunity to attend the Business Chicks lunch with Kate Hudson, along with hundreds of other business women throughout Sydney. This was no Hollywood event- the purpose of the event was more focused on Kate’s Fabletics empire, but most importantly her journey, what she learnt along the way and what she believes the key attributes to a successful and happy life are.
Here are my 3 big takes I took from Kate’s tour;
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff
I think we are all guilty beating ourselves over decisions we made when we realised that decision was a mistake. We can reprimand ourselves for days and keep thinking about our mistakes for months to come, and that doesn’t achieve anything. Even when you’re doing the best you can, it’s ok to have slip ups, a little imperfection doesn’t signal the end of the world. The mistake has been made, learn from it and move on.
Speaking from personal experience, worrying and fretting over things you can’t change won’t serve you any good- mentally or physically. See each mistake as a lesson rather than a catastrophe. Making mistakes in business and in your personal life, doesn’t signify that you are an incompetent human being or that you don’t know what you’re doing. It signifies you are human and we are all fallible, we are going to make mistakes at some point in our lives and life will spring out changes that may make us feel uncomfortable. That’s the circle of life. You live, you learn, and you grow from it.
I think there is some pressure among women, where you feel that you have to have it together most of the time. It’s important not to allow outside voices influence your thinking that you cannot make mistakes. It just puts unnecessary pressure on yourself and you end up sweating the small things in life. Kate painted this picture very well- she was an actress first not a business woman. Her company made plenty of big mistakes as she started her business journey, and yes it can get to you, but you learn from it, do what you can to contain the situation and get on top of it. When these mistakes occurred, it was very easy for Kate to give up her dream, but she didn’t. She mentioned how important it is not to lose sight of what it is you want to achieve despite any obstacles you will encounter. Now Fabletics is a multimillion dollar business empire and it wouldn’t have made it this far if Kate sweated over the small things and the wrong decisions the company made. You need to find ways to keep your tenacity and drive high to achieve big things in life. This age-old idiom of not sweating the small stuff implores us to let go of the little things- Kate reminds us all that there are bigger things that are worth our energy.
2. Don’t worry about getting older
As the saying goes ‘old age is a gift denied to many’. Kate’s mother Goldie Hawn was always quick to remind her daughter that she can say she is old once she hits 70, and not a moment earlier! She encourages Kate to get out there and enjoy life. With Hollywood obsessed with youth, I think women, not only among the the actress’ and musicians, but most women subconsciously feel a level of dread about growing old and losing our looks. It boils down to vanity and I put my hand up here because I know I for one can be quite vain. Kate brought this all together and mentioned that what her mum taught her was not to lose perspective as there is a universe of other things to worry about than growing old. You will find you lose precious time by worrying about your wrinkles or the way your body looks, and it steals you away from the present moment and stops you from appreciating this wonderful life.
Stay busy, stay active, stay healthy and enjoy the ride. Getting older doesn’t suck as bad as some people say it does. Remember, how we look at life differs from one person to another, but the bottom line is our outlook on life is always determined by our attitude. Negative people will get more negative as they age, and positive people will continue looking at life with optimism and wonder. Let’s all think positive about getting older. It is really a privilege denied to many.
3. The importance of having a tribe
I think we all know how important it is having a tribe. We cannot stand alone, we need guidance, we need support, we need love. Women supporting women is now stronger than ever with the TimesUp movement happening in Hollywood and seeing communities such as Business Chicks helping and uniting women coming together is inspirational. Now more than ever it’s all about finding your tribe and getting rid of any toxic people within your inner circle who does not support you, or stops you from growing and reaching your full potential.
I am lucky to have a tribe behind me, there’s nothing like the formidable presence of your family and friends having your back. It makes you feel like you can achieve anything, and this is the kind of feeling your tribe should have on you. I am fortunate to have these magnificent souls that want to support me. The people that remain through the tears and challenges of life, the ones who never fail to tell you that they have your back.
Use your tribe. Embrace them. Relying on or needing them is not a sign of weakness, it shows that you want to be the best person you can be, and you are not afraid to admit that sometimes you need a helping hand to propel you and guide you through it all. It is important to take a moment every now and then and consider who your tribe is and the impact they have had on your life. They all play their part and they all add value to our life in one way or the other.
Conclusion
There is more to Kate Hudson then the successful Hollywood actress we’ve all come to admire, her personal and business journey is a testament to what the human spirit can achieve by having a strong foundation of supporters, and by embodying resilience and tenacity when things blow up in your face. If you have an idea of what you want to achieve, it is important not to lose sight of your vision and do what makes you happy. Life is too short for anything less.
“There’s this cliche of ‘live every day like it’s your last.’ Well, I go more realistic than that. I’m like ‘well we’re all going to die’, and we don’t know when that’s going to happen, but we are all going to die. And as you get older, the more your realise how fast life goes….I just want to do the thing that makes me feel like I’m living life to the fullest..”
– Kate Hudson