Who doesn’t love a room filled with great food, family and friends for a day of celebration? Times that come so infrequently in real life, spending an entire day savoring one another’s company. Eating more food than any one human should be allowed, yet loving every bite.

My second full time job out of school was at a major law firm in a large Indiana town. My job as the firm’s receptionist made me the first impression for 14 lawyers, 10 legal secretaries, six paralegals and one office manager. I was a 19-year-old who painted my nails colors they didn’t understand and wore my hippie wardrobe that I had to find a way to subdue. I had to improvise with some somewhat-lawyer-appropriate attire.

Election Day is over, so what does a woman of grit and grace look like today, on this incredibly historic day in our seemingly divided country?

Among our friends are tendered-hearted individuals who voted for every one of the candidates. Friends who made their decision based upon life experience with heartfelt pondering and a good conscience. We will not presume to judge any one person’s motives behind their vote when we can honestly say the whole of who they are speaks to their compassion, their hope for the future.

I am single. I am widowed. I am married. I am divorced. I am a mom. I have no children. I am a career woman. I stay at home. I am an artist. I am a cancer survivor. I have a doctorate. I finished high school.

Are these really who we are? Or are they simply part of our journey, a title or life experience that will demonstrate what we are made of? I, my friend, will passionately argue for the latter.

You want to own your own business, become the boss with a goal of finding success and independence from another’s day-to-day expectations. From Shark Tank to house flipping, from launching your Etsy product line to joining a multi-level marketing company, there seem to be a million ways to gain that independence. I have heard the phrase often and excitedly stated: “I’m going to land a business.”