04/19/2026
Last week I got invited to an exclusive dinner for business owners in Chattanooga. It’s only for businesses doing over $1 million a year, and you can only attend if you’re invited.
I flip-flopped hard on whether I should even go. The ticket was pricy, and my business didn’t technically meet the requirement yet. But someone in my network had an extra ticket and couldn’t make it, so I agreed to take their spot and pay for it so it wouldn’t go to waste.
The day of the event, one of my techs called in sick and I wasn’t feeling great either. I still had to work because the jobs couldn’t be moved. By the time I needed to get ready, I was exhausted, my throat hurt, and I was straight-up grumpy. I DID NOT WANT TO GO. But I had already agreed to take the ticket.
So I dragged myself to the country club on Lookout Mountain. When I walked in and saw all these sharp, successful-looking people chatting and networking, I immediately felt like a total imposter. I wasn’t bubbly or talkative at all. So I turned around, went back to my car, and just sat there hiding.
I sat there angry — mad I agreed to the ticket, mad I felt sick, mad I was feeling insecure. The event was about to start and I was still spiraling in my car.
Finally I prayed. I asked God to help me get through the night and not let it be a total waste. Then I tucked in my shirt, fixed my tie, took a deep breath, and walked back inside.
To my surprise, I ended up having an amazing dinner. I learned so much. Each table sat six people and one of them was a mentor running a $10 million+ business. Ours was Troy Kemp, CEO of a private boarding school doing over $15 million a year. He was a fountain of wisdom, and so were the others at the table. My throat was killing me so I mostly listened and soaked it all in. The guest speaker was an actual billionaire — Mitch Patel!
I left that night feeling encouraged, overflowing with new ideas, and honestly kind of silly about my sour attitude at the beginning. I’m so grateful I went. I needed that night more than I realized. By the end I didn’t feel like an imposter anymore — I felt like I belonged in the room with the other entrepreneurs in my community.
Super thankful to Jesus for turning the whole thing around for me and all of the wonderful people I met that night. Plus the next day I woke up feeling better with a new mission and vision for the future.
I am glad I got to be apart of the Chattanooga Owners Club.
