103: Choosing Purpose over Perfect

The most radical thing is walking on your own unique path - “Choose purpose over perfect” In this episode, Lara shares that her personal faith in God grew while starting a garden and building her business, “Southern Weddings.” Her personal passion for growing things – both plants and a business – taught her to exchange her fears for faith.  She founded ‘Cultivate What Matters’ that helps women set cultivated goals, cultivate faith and grow their marriages. Lara and I talk about the trappings of chasing success and about saying ‘no’ to some areas of life so that we can go ‘all in’ to other areas of your life that God has called you to.  Lara coaches her fellow businesswomen to “choose purpose over perfect.” She wants women to build faith-filled and purpose-driven businesses, all while walking the unique path that God has created for you.  As Lara says, “Our purpose is not tied to our title.  Our worth is really about WHOSE we are.”   Episode Quotes "My faith allowed me to have this insatiable desire for growing and tending things." "Passion is sacrifice... it is the thing that you're so fired up about that you are willing to sacrifice for it." "There is a FEAR that is about respecting something that tends to take control over us." "It is a neat thing to take a risk and do a leap of faith." "Sometimes success is actually the thing that distracts us most from making us successful." "When we focus too much on the success and not on the efforts and the WHY then we lose sight of success." "If you are not refueling yourself at the well then you can't fill anybody else." "The most radical thing we can do is to walk our own unique path." "I started to grow an authentic relationship with the Lord and gave up the identity that I'm stuck in." "Your work is something that you do, not your purpose. Your purpose doesn't go to work; it goes to love." "Our purpose is not tied to our title. Our worth is really about Whose we are." "Doing business as ministry is not about sharing Bible verses all the time." "Helping people is worth far more than your doubts."   Listen to Learn 00:01   Episode Intro 04:30   Getting to know Lara Casey - faith, works and business 11:32   Exchanging FEAR for FAITH, Lara's pumpkin story 19:10   The trappings of chasing success 24:17   Avoiding burn out - importance of creating boundaries 28:05   What does "choose purpose over perfect" mean? 34:07   Lara's success story - relationship and business 36:05   Your work is not your purpose 48:16   Lara's Cultivate What Matters - goals and core values 47:13   "Helping people is worth far more than your doubts"          50:00   Lara's books and website links 50:30   End notes