Welcome to This Is Me Thursdays! To read other posts in this series, click here. If you want to be involved, please email me for more details! Today, learn more about Christy Dauer, someone I connected with a few months ago who’s helped me so much with networking and focusing on my business.
Christy is such a bubbly, positive person who’s such a powerful cheerleader for so many people! She’s a tireless advocate when it comes to helping people and connecting them with the information or people they need to succeed. I don’t know how she does it because it seems like she’s at so many different cool events and she always has a smile on her face, even if it’s super early in the morning. She’s been such a big inspiration to me, and I know many other people feel the same. Her infectious energy hits you the second you see her in person, and I know you’ll be able to pick up on that with her photo and her words below. Visit her personal Facebook page and Snapchat account, as well as her business’ website and Facebook page, and let her know you saw her post here!
This Is Me: Christy Dauer
Share a little about yourself and what you’re up to these days.
My name is Christy Dauer, a serial volunteer and a fierce lover of our community. I work for the ND Women’s Business Center, and as an SBA resource partner we support, coach, and develop entrepreneurs along their journey. I am currently starting week three of quarantine ( not sure when you will publish, feel free to change) and I miss the energy of people connecting in a room. Between virtual client meetings or virtual board meetings, I am also trying to connect my two boys into their virtual learning platforms. My abs and legs hurt from “gym” class. No joke, I found out just how out of shape I am. As I type this they are playing hot lava in the living room and have so many little dinosaurs across the floor. For the moment, our living room is filled with laughter and they are not fighting. We get outside at least once every day, which is incredible to connect with nature and outside. I am trying to hang on to the outside world, but so much guilt about letting them watch YouTube and not fill their time with education while I try to work! Our new normal has been quite the adjustment.
What does life purpose mean to you? Does it really exist for you/all of us, or is it just some pipe dream?
In 2018, I lost both my grandparents and my husband’s uncle just weeks apart. Our family missed a trip to Disney while we were in the hospital with family. Reflecting on their last words has me living with a different mindset, focusing on that “dash between” on my own headstone. I do not want to be remembered as being “busy,” I want to lead a purpose driven life. In 2019, I made the conscious effort to pull away from activities or board positions that didn’t align with my core values. I also left my job of 12 years at the end of 2018. While there are many great causes, I know I can’t stop all the evils in the world, but I do believe I can make a difference along the way.
What motivates and inspires you in your life?
I have many motivators and inspirations in my life, if you don’t have one, please reach out, I’d love to connect you. Someone very wise told me, when we connect with someone who doesn’t look like us, talk like us, same socio-economic class as us…we grow as an individual. I continue to be inspired by those I choose to have in my life. It is by their experience that I have grown personally and professionally. I am inspired by the successes and the failures shared with me, daily.
Is what you do now what you always imagined doing? Why or why not, and what have you learned because of that?
No, in fact, I always had ambitions throughout childhood be in the medical field. My boss at the fairgrounds encouraged me to make the switch from Pre-Pharmacy to Business. I appreciate the switch because helping small businesses presents the opportunity to help others realize their own passion project. My parents instilled at the age of six the importance of giving back to the community, which still rings true today. I have learned so much from many of the non-profits and community programs I work with, especially empathy. My husband sometimes tells me I can too more about the programs/events than anyone else.
What’s something you desperately want other people to know or realize that may help them in their lives?
First and foremost, I am often recognized or praised for accomplishments in the community, I couldn’t do this without a supportive family and both our families located in Fargo. In addition, I love the saying, “All Ships Rise Together”, when we build and lift one another, it is my belief we all benefit. I love the opportunity to help others and it brings me happiness to do small acts of kindness that leave ripple effects on the lives of others. I don’t deserve or often want recognition, in fact, it makes me uncomfortable… I deep down, just want to be someone that can provide a little value in another person’s life.
How do you define belonging and connection, and how have your definitions changed over time?
Well, amidst Covid 19, this has changed considerably for myself. I feel blessed to have a faith community to connect during this pandemic. I am grateful for health of myself and my family, the opportunity to work from home, while my five and a half and seven year old destroy our basement 😊 Seriously, you guys it’s like the hunger games over here… there is permanent marker on our walls and before the hearts movement we had poop emojis pasted to the windows and walls.
What’s something you make sure to do every day/week/month that helps you practice self-care and self-love?
Spending time with my grandma while she was at the end of life, I found out she never had her nails done. My cousins and I made an appointment for her to get her nails and toes done professionally. I spent the afternoon with her on my birthday and made plans Now, that she is gone, I can be found with my phone turned off in a brief moment of reflection and a dose of pampering.
Also, I have every episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 on my DVR, so I like to shut off my brain once in a while.
How do you define success in your life and/or business?
I love this image because it’s real. Success is never a straight path, there are many twists and turns along they way. How we handle each turn is how success is defined in my opinion. After technology failed me on the first “virtual” edition of Strong Women, Strong Coffee, I wanted desperately to delete the whole page…. I didn’t and I would call that a success because later in the day it worked without any issues.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
My heart weighs heavy on the pandemic crisis we are in. I pray for the families directly affected as well as the healthcare workers (including my mom) taking care of them. My heart is also on the small businesses, I was recently told during a brainstorming session that I may care more than the entrepreneur does. I wake up in the middle of the night with great ideas for non-profits or small businesses and have a notepad full to share of opportunities and ideas we CAN do right now amidst the outside world. My heart goes out to the F5 entrepreneur class, we changed curriculums and now have had to postpone graduation and their pitches; this will truly equip them for the art of pivoting in business. The teachers who have gone above and beyond to take their elementary students online. Our world will not look the same, but I smile everyday knowing there is a lot to be positive about…including my sore ab muscles and funny snap chats.
Photos courtesy of Christy Dauer
