​Yesterday the world celebrated International Womens Day - it was a day where women around the world openly shared their support for other women, and it was wonderful! The quote below by Harley Quinn and Co was just one of the incredible quotes being shared yesterday, and it sums exactly how we should be supporting one another, working together, not taking someone else ideas and hard work and calling it your own and simply being open and supportive enough to be there for other women. I also saw another quote which was “I’m a woman, what’s your superpower”, which made me smile - we truly are so much braver, stronger, resilient, smart, beautiful and powerful than we think.

One of the things that I always talk about whenever I’m working with a social media client or business mentoring, is the simple, yet incredibly powerful act of collaborating and working together - and without underlying motives to get something out of the partnership. A lot of people think that to work alongside someone, or share your ideas is bad for your own business, there has been a mindset over the past few years with people are so frightened to reach out to another incase that person succeeds faster. Or worse, not start something that you love because you’re forever comparing yourself to others - my lovely friend Belinda Love Lee shared a little about this too on her blog too. I totally understand where this mindset comes from and we all have it, but I have always found it really upsetting as it stops new relationships, friendships and projects. I can honestly say that Made From Scratch would never be what it is today without all of the amazing (and sometimes not) collaborations I have worked on over the years. When I started blogging almost 6 years ago I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but it was always a goal of mine to collaborate, not compete with women and actively avoid comparing my work or life to theirs. I’m the first to understand that you can truly never know what’s going on in someone else’s life and because of that have always been so happy that others are able to build a life that they love. And for me, my goal was always to be able to work for myself and create a life that makes me happy, something I’m having to work double time on at the moment - but it’s a goal I have been able to reach and I’m really so proud of what I have been able to achieve.

A lot of people have questioned why I openly support and share someone else work when I’m not going to gain anything from it. A few reasons; 1) why not of course comes to mind, 2) it’s beautiful work and I’d like to be able to share it with you, 3) not everything you work on or share has to have a product or monetary reward, 4) working for yourself can at times be really lonely. And simply emailing or commenting on someone who’s work you admire is a wonderful way to reach out, meet someone new, and who know work alongside them one day 5) and mostly I remember how overwhelming and daunting it is to start, and continue to run your own business so why shouldn’t I give someone a helping hand when possible.

Kindness, support and care is free. And learning the joy that comes with not comparing your live to others, working alongside each other and supporting them to build their own dreams is something that I talked about in my Planted with Light Podcast and will always be something that I will keep at the core of all of my work. A lot of people thing this mindset turns you into a ‘pushover’, it doesn’t - create and establish your own boundaries, trust your gut and judgment and learn the freeing power of saying no sometimes. We can all do something to better ourselves and others.

I will forever be grateful for the wonderful opportunities that I have had, and still have, with working alongside so many incredible and beautiful women over the years, and some who have become my closest friends. We have shared our ups and downs, been there to support on those overwhelming days, taught each other things we never knew about ourselves and loyally worked together on so many beautiful projects. And the truly lovely thing is that, even though we support each other we are all doing what we love and to the surprise of a lot of us through endless hard work are able to make a living from it. I have never (and I hope I stay this way) been interested in competing, I genuinely want everyone to succeed and have a happy life. And I think if there anything that can be taking from the messages shared during International Womens Day is that there truly is so much power in honestly collaborating and supporting each other. ​