Sometimes "So Close" Is Just Enough
Strongies, we've done it again.We've officially hit goal thanks to an angel donor coming in this weekend after the close of the campaign!Guess who it was...Take one guess...
It was Pat Flynn again!!!
Click here to tweet a huge thank you to Pat for helping us reach goal!Since last year, Pat and his family have become very good friends of ours. We even mastermind together! :0Though I made it a point to reach out personally to each and every donor from last year's tour, I didn't with Pat. He was extremely generous to make up the difference when we fell short last year (read about that here), and I felt that to ask again would be taking advantage of our friendship.I treasure friends who make my world brighter for their support and positivity because I know what it's like to have all the wrong kinds of friends. Pat is one of the best people I've ever met. I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship in any way. So I hustled my butt off and at the end of the campaign, we reached 93% of our goal.So close! We ended the campaign grateful, exhausted and still positive. Because we didn't quite hit our goal, IndieGoGo takes 9% of the funds we raised instead of 4%. We knew the job was dangerous when we took it, but at least we did flexible funding instead of all-or-nothing! That means we get what we raised minus the hefty IndieGoGo fees, but at least we keep most of it!Sure, we'd have to cut back and maybe skip a few cities, but the movement would still happen. Hope finds a way. :)At 2 AM, I called it a night and went to bed with visions of budget workarounds in my head...Flash forward to Sunday morning: my husband got a text from Pat that said, "Have Amy call me."So I did. Nervous from the ominous tone of the text, I hesitantly dialed Pat's number.Pat picked up, and immediately congratulated me for coming so close to goal by the very end. I told him I was so happy with how close we came."I want to make up the remainder again this year," he said....aaaaaand I burst into tears.This man who has become such a dear friend gives so much just with his friendship. I felt guilty for taking more than just that.I tried to blabber through my tears that he didn't have to do that again..."Amy," he said. "Don't cry. You're helping so many people with this cause, and I want to make sure you get fully funded. You're helping me, too."...and so I cried more, and he insisted on giving and I'm so grateful that I think my heart might burst.Not only am I grateful for Pat, but I'm grateful for each and every one of you who donated and/or shared the campaign. I'm grateful for the silent out there who read this to feel more inspired or motivated to lead a healthier, stronger life. When you do, you inspire others as well.I'm grateful for every bit of my past that didn't make sense in the moment because it made me clear in this one: We are worth fighting for, and when we fight, we will win eventually.I know you might be reading this because your struggle feels overwhelming. I know you might think that it will never end. I know you might think that there's no way out.
There is a way out, but it isn't escape; it's to EMBRACE, to FIGHT, to REFUSE TO GIVE YOUR LIFE OVER TO THE PAIN.
You are stronger than you can comprehend in this moment, and it is our mission to help you realize it.Here's to the end of our campaign, to all of who donated, and to the beginning of a new stage in this movement.Before you go...
Are you in Northern California?! If so, you best get your hot crossed buns over to Dance Mission on Saturday at 3:45 PM for The Strong Inside Out Tour: San Francisco!We're going to have some awesome healthy food and beverages courtesy of House Kombucha and Awesome Bars. We'll close the event with a "fireside" wellness chat about how to get stronger and healthier from the inside out with nutrition, workout and mindset tips!
Click here for all the SF details and to buy tickets!
And now we'll sign off for the day. :)Looking forward to seeing a lot more of your faces thanks to Mr. Pat Flynn!Stay strong,AmyP.S. To see a full list of donors (including other angel donors that came in throughout the campaign), click here!