Picture from Laura Evans Photography. http://levansphotography.zenfolio.com/
Really quick, just cuz you’re from the North — or out West, or even one of my “rogue” followers from Russia, Japan, or Australia– doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read this. You should. We all should. Because that GOLD you’re looking for… is here.
Before I begin something I’m sure will be an ongoing — but not daily — blog series, let me tell you where it comes from. You already know I grew up on a “farmette” in rural Virginia. My Grandad was a sharecropper — seriously. I was part of 4-H (If you don’t know what it is, google it.) and had horses, a mean-as-heck rooster, hunting dogs, and more. There’s a certain mindset I was BORN into. For this, I — daily — remain grateful.
I remember being in a fraternity house at Virginia Tech watching people slur through some karaoke. Shania Twain was popular at the time. (She “passed” as a country girl…. not to girls that knew better, but for most of America.) My peers could sing all of her songs. Not well, of course… but they knew the words, and girated as a group on stage. Next up, one of the guys wanted to sing “the Gambler” by Kenny Rogers with his new found posse of girl toys. Not one of them knew the words. Posers. I was country WAY before country was cool.
A couple of years ago, I spoke at an event in Atlanta, Georgia about why my Daddy called me the raccoon hunter. I made instant friends with other southerners in the room who “got it.” I realized: this is a small group indeed. =) (Small but powerful!! I love you gals!)
Some time ago, I was confronted with a situation in which I had a tough decision to make. As I pondered the options in my office, one set of song lyrics came to mind: “You can’t starve us out and you can’t make us run.” Normal? For me, yes….. So I mapped out my course of action to the sounds of Hank Williams Jr. He did not lead me astray.
My best friend– from Texas, no less — recently worked on a logo for herself. She had steer horns as part of it, and I mentioned raising steers for 4-H for the meat market. (Um… if there’s another use for a steer, I don’t know it.) She thought steers were for riding. She must be from some big city in Texas. =)
There are more stories like these, but here’s the real instigator for this blog series: Lately, I’ve been helping my kids study for their history tests. And, it’s all about American history. How we BEGAN. How we EXPANDED. How we CREATED an empire on distant shores. How we CONQUERED new land, pursued — and defended — expanding borders, and more. I’m a history nerd. And of course, not all of our history is pretty… or even noble. Some of it is downright heart-wrenching. None of this do I want to deny or gloss over, even though my focus will be elsewhere.
But those who helped made our country great — regardless of where they were from — had a VERY characteristically southern mentality. They were the cowboys… the adventurers…. the farmers… the hunters…. the fighters…. the entrepreneurs… the creators (little c)…. the builders….
They were black, white and brown. They had less focus on perception or reputation than reality and honor. They did what had to be done. (Again, this is not to ignore the atrocities we as Americans imposed on others that we used, exploited, degraded and worse. No excuse for that.) My focus IS on the most noble and just among them… And, as a group, those that helped America begin and BECOME had a mindset that couldn’t be bought or taught or easily replicated.
A strong sense of self — first and foremost.
A willingness to fight and defend.
A belief system that penetrated their core.
A propensity for risk.
A rebellious streak.
A disdain for being tamed.
A dawn to dark work ethic.
A knack — and determination — for making something out of nothing.
A spirit that welcomed not only the prize, but also the fight.
A pride in collecting not only the spoils of their acheivements, but also the scars and bruises that preceded it.
A deeply ingrained knowledge that to survive, they’d have to put up fences, and defend them.
An almost inherent recognition of opportunity, and a willingness to pounce.
I’m talking about the settlers at Jamestown, the male and female slaves who stood up and said, NO MORE!, the gold rushers, the pioneers, the farmers and ranchers and soldiers.
And I’m talking about your business — and mine. Because these are the VERY SAME “southern style success” foundations I’ll be covering in this series. It’s time we come back to them, embraced them as OUR heritage and leveraged them for unprecedented, wild, success. I hope you’ll stay with me.
I’m gonna be having fun with this series…. scanning in old photos… poking some fun at my northern neighbors… and making jokes. But, in all of it, I hope you don’t lose sight of the principles we may have lost…
Southern Style Success. Yes, even for YOU. =) I can’t wait to dig in.
If you’re still here, here are some of my FAVORITE quotes about being a southern girl:
A southern girl is a girl who knows full and well that she can open a door for herself but prefers for the
gentleman to do it because it demonstrates a sense of respect. After all, every girl wants to be treated
like a princess. We know how to make sweet tea and grits while telling you everything about any football
team in the SEC. We pick our battles and fight with the heart of a pit bull while still maintaining grace
and elegance. Our mystique is that of a soft-spoken, mild-mannered southern bell who could direct an
army, loves her momma and will always be daddy’s little girl.The biggest myth about Southern women is that we are frail types–fainting on our sofas…nobody where
I grew up every acted like that. We were about as fragile as coal trucks.Southerners have a genius for psychological alchemy…If something intolerable simply cannot be
changed, driven away or shot they will not only tolerate it but take pride in it as well.
I LOVE this. As a Southern girl whose family was all grown in the sticks of Alabama and Mississippi – I can relate to how “Southern Girls Do It.” I actually LOL’d at “Posers” – we have so much military here that get up there and try to sing Hank and Kenny on Karaoke… I will always think of you now when I see it! hahahaha Can’t wait to read all of these posts!
I literally read this in a southern accent!! Love it! Especially the little southern girl add-on the end. My man is a Yankee and the other day he told me he found out what Grits stand for (of course he won’t touch em and I LOVE them, if they are made right of course) Grits: Girl Raised In the South….simple….and it made me smile : ) As did your article, I think your mama may have raised you right ; )
LOVE that! Thanks for being here, Meg! I can’t wait to visit your site!
Love it! I’ve always felt that Southerners just loved life and appreciated it more than anyone else. I think that kind of enthusiasm would serve any business well.
Thanks Jackie! Appreciate you being here!
I enjoyed reading your post, I’m from England and we don’t have the same passion for where we’re from, so it’s refreshing to read a blog by someone who clearly loves where they come from. I really liked the list of traits, is it a quote or something you put together? I think it really covers all you need to be successful at anything in life. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Claire! That list is actually something I put together…. and can’t wait to blog about some of them in more detail! thanks for commenting!
I also grew up in rural Virginia (and still have some family there), so I got a real kick out of this post! This sounds like a great foundation for your series, and I look forward to seeing what you do with this.
Thanks so much Kenetha! So glad to have you here! oh — and where did you grow up?
Great story, thank you for sharing!! I too find solice and wisdom thru music, so I can relate to that aspect!!
From one southern girl to another … Howdy … or Hey there!
Looking forward to reading more. There certainly is a distinctive southern attitude and mindset. Love to see it applied to success!
Howdy! Thanks so much for commenting! It’s great to have you here!
Yeehaw sister! I could not agree more. Hailing from Texas myself and having grown up on 10 acres I can attest first hand to the power of the can-do, southern-style, pioneer spirit! Beautiful!
Well then… you’re welcome here any time! =) =)
Michelle, I was a 4H girl!!! I sheepishly admit that it was more in the cooking and sewing vein as I was a “town kid” (read: not from the farm…and certainly not from the city!) in Central Manitoba. I’ve always felt an affinity to Southern babes and I think that’s because we small town girls from the wilds of the Canadian tundra have the same soft sides and tough drive. Thanks for your highly entertaining post….love it!
A Northern girl who appreciates your Southern style, thank you!
I grew up in a small Virginia listening to real country music and getting things done. I don’t really claim my southern heritage these days (I lived in the DC metro area for a few years and fell in love with the hustle and bustle), but I know that much of my drive for success was cultivated in that little country town. It shaped me, no doubt. And I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that place and it’s people. Thank you for reminding me of that this morning. <3
A southern girl in love with DC, huh??? I’m a little suspicious! lol…. So glad to have you here!
Well, I’ve known you well enough and long enough to know you ain’t no faintin-on-the-sofa-type..my friend. Love this post..you’ve always known who you are and what you stand for and as such are able to take powerful positions and help your clients do the same.. And be careful about making fun of us Northern neighbors, missy..
Love to you,
Lisa
http://www.Intuitivebody.com
Simple Sacred Solutions to Living Beautifully In Your Body
You rock, Lisa… xox
The older I get, the prouder I become about being a southerner. We are a special group indeed!
INDEED!!! Thanks for commenting Stephanie! So glad to have you here!
As a Maryland girl (transplanted north to Boston) and coming from a family that’s been here since 1652, I can say that I get the spirit of the ideas that you’re putting forward. And I live them daily. We Northerners are a sturdy lot too. It’s cold up here and we have to weather the storms that rock us on a moment’s notice. While we may not do it in the same style as the South, we have our own charm and sharp wit to keep us going. Here’s to the scrappers! Sisters unite!
NO doubt you northerners are a sturdy bunch! =) =) I’m glad to have you here!
I’m a Northern girl through and through but I can appreciate the style and flair of my Southern Sisters!
Going back to our roots to learn where we’ve come from is a powerful practice. I love how you’ve expanded that into a bigger picture for us and taken the vastness of history and honed it down to me, the reader. *Smile*
Oh my goodness — as a Southern business woman, I absolutely relate to this, and I’m proud that you’ve included others as well. (I think it’s a common misconception about Southerners that we exclude any who aren’t.) And for the record, my 5 year old son started opening doors for ladies when he was 3 — and each time, I tell him, “Thank you! What a gentleman!” 🙂 Excellent post — so glad to find you here, and I know I’ll be back.
Well, I’m so glad to hear we’ll have at least TWO southern gentlemen in the world… =) My youngest is 9, and he’s learning the fine art of loving his southern mama! =) GREAT to have you here, Jessica!
ONE of the many things I admire about you is your fearless authenticity. After all, you might as well be you, everyone eles is taken, right? And i gotta say as a southern girl and an army brat, you sure nailed the culture!
Thanks Melanie! xoxo
A person is like a puzzle. Every piece of that puzzle makes us who we are, and for me, our origin is a piece of that puzzle, in most individuals, a larger piece of that puzzle. I am delighted to hear how proud you are of your roots as I feel the same way. Thanks for sharing this very inspirational blog to everyone, looking back made me smile and remember how we were raised, and looking at my present explains it all. xoxo
Great to have you here, Sammi!