Inspiring Entrepreneurial Women: Lara Casey
(To clarify, I have not had the pleasure of meeting Lara. I found all this information and more from being an avid magazine and blog reader of her two sites laracasey.com or southernweddings.com. If you want to know more about Ms. Lara you can simply visit either of these blogs. She is a very open person, which is one of the things I find refreshing and admirable about her.)
What She Loves: Weddings, her family & friends, and her faith
What Kind of Entrepreneur She is: Lara is a media entrepreneur. Some, even her, may say she fell into media. She started a blog to keep her mind off her husband's deployment. A blog that seemingly turned small publication over night into something that has become so much more now. As she claims several times between her blogs, she has no journalism or publishing experience, but she encouraged brides to dream big. Now she also puts that "dream big" mentality into helping others start building their own brands and businesses from the ground. She didn't do a study and find an open space in a crowded market. She followed a passion and grew it into a career. With the response of an email she is continuing to help change people from the inside out as she did in New York with the Making Things Happen movement.
Why is She Inspiring: Lara is so open and so genuine on her blog. You can tell that she is a natural sweetheart with a true Southern kindness that is hard to come by. Her openness about her journey to get where she is today is very raw and truthful, but not in a poor-pitiful-me way but in a way that feels like you are talking to a friend. But beyond that she is passionate. She has turned her passion beyond something that serves herself but something that serves others. She knows the road to your dreams is hard, scary, and she recognizes that feeling alone on this journey is a likely emotion. She shows woman that have dreams bigger than Texas that it can all be achieved, though. She is encouraging and kind. And the fact that she is able to make you feel those emotions without ever even meeting her is a pretty powerful ability.
Where is She Now: Lara currently lives in Chapel Hill, NC. According to her blog she is currently writing a book until the end of April. Along with Emily, her trusted Making It Happen partner and a few other close friends and speakers, she will be hosting a 2-day Making Things Happen intensive March 31 through April 1 (sorry, they're already sold out.) I hope to one year be able to attend one of her conferences or even meet Lara, as I think she would make a wonderful mentor.
Good luck on your book Lara, should you ever read this. Thank you for being an Inspiring Entrepreneur. Way to make your passion work for you.
To learn more about Lara, the Making It Happen movement, or Southern Weddings Magazine please visit www.laracasey.com, SouthernWeddings.com, or www.makingthingshappen.com.