The Secret to Embracing Imperfection and Become Successful

Learn how to unlock your potential by embracing imperfection and taking risks. This post shares inspiring insights from Lillian Brienza's journey, perfect for anyone seeking motivation to make bold moves in their life.

In today's fast-paced world, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. Many of us struggle with self-doubt and the fear of stepping into the unknown. But what if embracing these fears could lead to extraordinary opportunities? In this post, we’ll explore the inspiring journey of Lillian Brionza, a remarkable woman who transformed her life by helping others and following her passion. By the end, you’ll discover how to take those brave steps toward your own dreams, even when the path seems uncertain.

The Power of Belonging  
Lillian often emphasized the importance of belonging. She walked into rooms filled with powerful executives, owning her presence and inspiring confidence in others. She believed that everyone has the right to be visible and to take space in discussions, regardless of their background.  

Belonging is essential for personal growth. When you feel that you belong, you are more likely to contribute authentically and make a significant impact.  

Start by affirming your presence in any space you enter. Remember that you have unique insights and experiences that are valuable.

• You belong in every room you enter. Own your space and share your voice.  
• Imperfection is a stepping stone to growth. Don’t wait for the perfect moment; take action now.  
• Build your community of support. Surround yourself with individuals who inspire you and can help you on your journey.

In conclusion, Lillian Brienza’s story is a powerful reminder that we all have the potential to make a difference. Whether you’re taking your first steps toward a new venture or navigating challenges, remember that you are worthy of belonging and your contributions matter.  

For your brave move today, embrace your imperfections, reach out for support, and take confident steps toward your dreams. If Lillian can inspire you to take action, imagine what you can achieve when you believe in yourself.  

Transcript

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What if what you thought was not possible can actually exceed your wildest dreams? And what if you decided that you can begin a new chapter by just trying to help others? In today's episode of Brave Moves, I want to share a little bit about someone that inspired me greatly in my life and continues to be one of the individuals who I really feel had a big influence in putting me on the road to the life that I'm living today. So if you stay till the end, I'm going to share one of the biggest surprises about my relationship with this woman that may be the lesson that you need to carry on into your brave moves daily. And of course, I want to encourage you, my friend, if this episode or if this podcast is continuing to support you in your journey to confidence and to making those brave moves daily that you subscribe. And if you have already done so, I would love it as well if you're able to give us a review. But now let's get into it. I first met our uh woman history highlighter, the person we're highlighting today. I first met her in 2004. And when I met her, I was sort of surprised because I remember her walking into this luncheon that was full of CEOs and high power executives in Washington, D.C. And she walked in, and she was probably the third female in the room, in addition to myself. And she walked in with such confidence, and she was wearing this long fur coat, and she sacheted her way into the front of the room and sat down and took up space. And I thought, who is this woman? And immediately um we began to talking after the luncheon was over. Why? Because she just had this way of attracting people to her. And the more that we got to talking, the more that I realized that I really liked her. And she said, Honey, you are gonna work for me. And I said, You just met me. How can you say that? And I thought, okay, well, this lady is great and super confident, but she's a little cuckoo. Um, but the more that I got to know her, the more that I realized that she was not necessarily cuckoo, but she was really a visionary. And I think that at times we don't give ourselves permission to be a visionary. Now, the person I'm talking about is my former boss, my mentor, my friend, Lillian Brienza. And she passed away in 2017. And every day I do think of her mainly because little Simba, her dog, is my dog now. And I adopted him after he passed away. But Lillian and I grew in this friendship and colleague camarari because we were part of a group where mostly male CEOs were present. And one of the things that I learned from Lillian is that she started her career as a teacher when she was 19 and taught for the majority of her life. She also got married, had two sons, was a great wife, involved in the community. But one of the things that she saw is that two things. Her son was struggling in school, and also the school that her son attended, a Catholic school in Brooklyn, New York, was struggling financially. So she decided to um help the school and help her son. And she said, Well, I'm a teacher. I can create some curriculum to help my son be able to get the tutoring he needs to be able to excel in school. And I'm not going to teach him, but I'm going to hire someone from the school and I'm going to rent space in the school. And I know that there's probably other kids out there that need to be helped. Lillian started this little tutoring program in the school and would pay rent to the school that was struggling. And then all of a sudden, the school was having some additional income coming while Lillian was also tutoring her son or getting the services for her son. The next thing you know, fast forward within the first two years, that little tutoring program expanded to several different schools and expanded to hundreds of students because there was a really big need. And at that point, Lillian thought, this is more than just a hobby that I'm running after school. I need to run this like a business. And she didn't know everything about being a businesswoman. She knew more about being a teacher and administrator in the school district. But she decided to take the leap. She decided to move forward and begin to run this as a real true business. Now, I'm not going to go into all of the story about Lillian's business growth and what happened, but fast forward when I met her, her business had been going for about six, seven years. And she came to a place that she knew she needed to be visible because the relationships that she connected with outside of her little area in Brooklyn were going to be influential in supporting her growth. The second thing is that she knew that she needed to showcase what she was doing, her business, the work that she did, so that people knew and can be advocates for what she did. And number three, she also knew that if you don't know how to do it, you better surround yourself with the people that can. Now, I didn't come to work for Lillian right away. It was probably about four years later that I finally made the decision to come to work for her. But one of the biggest things that I remember from that time that we were just colleagues, friends, and I was not working for her, is that she entered the room owning it. She was never afraid to speak up her mind. And she was never afraid to create the relationships that she could align with that would continue to be helpful in addition to supportive, but also the people who she can give back to because she had gifts that perhaps they did not have. But the one thing that I want you to know is that when you are in your life, there's going to be times in which it's going to be the opportunity to pivot, the opportunity to start something new. And it may be totally something that you did not envision. But if you decide to give yourself permission to serve others, to use your gifts, to use your talents, you will find that doors open for you. And when the doors open, it's going to be scary to enter those rooms where you might be the only female. It might be scary to go into the rooms where people look at you and, you know, they're giving you that stare. Maybe because you come in late wearing a fur coat. But my friend, you belong in these rooms. Not because you have the expertise, not because you have the know-how, but you belong in these rooms because you make yourself belong. So perhaps you're not ready to be a woman making history, but you are an individual who is ready to be visible. You are an individual who is ready to belong. And the first place that you have to belong is in your heart, in your mind, and in your spirit. So walk into the next room today, my friend, and remember that you too can belong, but you have to allow yourself to tell yourself, I can be here. I will make my place here, and I will extend my hand to make sure that others can come alongside for the ride. Now, here's the thing that I learned from Lillian that imperfection doesn't mean that you cannot make an impact on the lives of others. Do it imperfectly because in your imperfection, you learn the lessons that you need for moving forward. You also can teach the lessons that others need to see. So for your brave move today, my friend, go and be imperfect and go and shine and make sure that you give yourself credit for the gifts and talents that you already have that can help you in your next chapter. And until tomorrow, don't forget go confidently in the direction of your dreams and share this episode or subscribe. Thank you so much for being here. I love you so much.