Snapshot by Natalie Franke

Does fearless look like getting on a plane alone and leaving your 6 month old baby overnight for the very first time? Maybe it looks like standing in front of a room of 100 people you've never met before with the expectation that you'll provide them some sort of access to valuable content. 

About a month or so ago, I received an award at work (called a HoneyAward) for being an example of one of our 5 core values: we go the extra mile, people come first, we love what we do, we are fearless, and we are family. Every quarter, employees are encouraged to submit nominations based around those 5 core values to celebrate the heart of what we do and the work of others.

Want to know what mine was? Being fearless. 

This award came not long after I wrote a blog post about postpartum anxiety and seeking help for crippling fears that kept me from even leaving the house with my daughter. If you're curious, you can read it here. I share that to say I felt like I was probably the last person HoneyBook should be celebrating for fearlessness when some days it feels like every thought that runs through my head is rooted in fear. 

I don't think fearless means living without fear or anxiety or self-doubt. It means making choices in the face of fear that allow us to move forward, step aside, get help, or get honest. 

I was fearless when I showed up at my neuromuscular clinic in February and said, "I have so much anxiety about my current infusion schedule, I need another option and want to explore self-infusion subcutaneously". I was fearless when I hit publish on that blog post. 

Having that acknowledged in a public way meant more to me than I could have imagined.

20 On the Rise (aka 20OTR) is a project I've been super grateful to be involved in both in 2018 and this year in 2019! It's a curated list of individuals in the creative community who are trailblazers, wave-makers, and innovators committed to hard work and creativity.

We are looking to celebrate the people who go the extra mile, who put others first, who love what they do, who are fearless, who are family. 

I'm nominating friends because I want others to feel they way I did when I saw my picture come up for the HoneyAwards. Seen, heard, valued.

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