I didn’t build The Atrium to make you comfortable.

I didn’t build this version of The Atrium to make people comfortable. I built it to push people. 

I took on a very public expansion, staked my flag on the main street, and put everything I had into building this. And I didn’t hide while I did it. I did it loudly. 

Trust me, this process was very uncomfortable!

There were several times in the last few months where I nearly threw up thinking about how much money was going out the door. Pay $140k in invoices? Sure, it's just an average Tuesday.

Trust the process? Absolutely brutal. I literally had to hand my vision and all my money over to the team that would actually execute it. As a girl who was used to doing it myself all the time, it was really hard to trust that they knew what I wanted, and that they could deliver it on budget and on time. It was new, and deeply uncomfortable. (But I think it's safe to say they nailed it!)

There were also some quieter uncomfortable moments. Like the ones where I had to fight every instinct to shrink, hide, or worry about what people would think. Or when I felt completely alone because I didn't know someone else who had done this before. 

I built this because I want people to see what’s possible here. For themselves. For our downtown. For our community. 

This town is not “too small” for big ideas.

I want more people to build boldly here. I want this space to become proof that you can take yourself seriously, create momentum, and build something that both changes your life and shapes the community around you.

And if I want others to do that, I knew I had to do it too. Isn't it funny how what we say is usually what we need to hear? Well, I listened to my own advice: I built something that is loud and bold and takes up space. I did it to show people it’s okay to be loud and bold and take up space in their businesses too. 

I’m not saying you’ll have my exact success. This is my story, and I’ve worked hard for it.

But what you can have is proximity to the energy, momentum, ambition, and belief that built this place. I don’t think this community needs more people playing small to stay safe. 

The truth is that if you want to grow, you have to be willing to get a little uncomfortable. And the world needs your magic, so do it.

Start the business.

Host the event.

Raise the price.

Make the move.

If you’re looking for momentum and a little push through the discomfort between where you are now and the next phase of what you are building, that is what we are all about. 

Yours in boldness,

Elle