Trenee’ Zweigle is a Corvallis, Oregan-based registered nurse. She worked in hopsitals for years but saw that there was a real need for counseling services for women who were desperately searching for something to help improve their lives. Zweigle decided to start Awesome Women Today to do just that. Her organization provides access to counseling services, webinars and motivational literature to help lift women up; because for her, success is helping others succeed.
Zweigle’s story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
There are thousands of hurting women with an empty void in their lives. They are desperately searching for something to improve their life, but don’t know where to start. I am a registered nurse who has worked with thousands of patients over the years and saw a need for resources for women so I created Awesome Women Today which provides counseling tools for women. I provide webinars, uplifting counseling and motivational books of encouragement that I have written like Never Give Up. My greatest reward is the blessing of seeing others improve their lives and move forward in a positive creative manner, especially many of the students I have mentored who have also become registered nurses.
To me success means helping others succeed as much as yourself. I think the greatest joy we can get in life is the feeling of truly helping someone else and watching them break out of a cocoon or lift their wings and fly. Of course having success in a business means being able to continue in it with positive results.
It is difficult to say which is considered the biggest success because it’s such a victory to help even one person get ahead or to have a happier life. But many years ago while working at a hospital, I was transferred to Children’s Oncology. I wanted to do something special for the children (they are such little troupers) so I made a Huggy Hospital Buddy stuffed doll and a Chemo Buddy (www.Buddys4Kids.com). The kids just loved them, and they could take them along to any treatments. It just melted my heart to see the joy they had and how happy they were that they got to keep their “Best Friend and Buddy!” He stayed right by their side no matter what, and gave constant encouragement with his giant happy smile.
My second biggest success is mentoring women and students, and to see them move forward positively with confidence in their lives. Some have become nurses and some are entrepreneurs themselves.
My main challenge has been funding to continue my outreach program. Most entrepreneurs are clueless about financial situations or how to obtain funding, I was one of them. It takes a lot of research and attending seminars, talking to other business owners or SBDC counselors. But even then it doesn’t always work out the way you hope it will. Everyone wants some kind person to take them by the hand and lead them down a golden pathway, but it doesn’t happen that way. For my own situation I have had to continue working in other areas as well, to enable support for my own goals for my business advancement.
It seems that everyone has a different idea of how you should run your company, or what products you should have. If you already have products then others want to change them. If you listen to all the criticism I don’t think anyone would move forward in their business! Of course there will be changes, modifications and improvements–but the key is to get out there and do what your heart tells you to. Another problem everyone faces is that when you start out you are so excited, and out of necessity you are putting in 16 or more hours a day. Sooner or later you feel burned out and exhausted, so you have to find a way to live healthier, get enough rest, and get some help. My goals are to branch out and expand exponentially, increased brand awareness, increased sales and to see this go worldwide. My main goal is to bring as much joy and happiness to others as I possibly can in many different and various ways.
There is more than just one important role model for me as I believe there is for everyone. The most uplifting people in my life have been those who set positive examples for others such as Zig Ziglar and his son who carries on with the business, Norman Vincent Peale, Holley Gerth, Jack Canfield, Lisa Terkeurst and many others. All of these have spent their lives encouraging others and lifting them up to new heights– helping them to reach for higher goals while improving the lives of others along the way. My most impressive role model when I was young was my grandmother who had awesome mottos: 1. You can never learn too much. 2. You can never have too many friends. 3. Pretty or handsome is on the INSIDE. 4. Change every negative into a positive and you will live a better life.
Website www.AwesomeWomenToday.com
Twitter @AwesomeWomenTo1
Facebook www.facebook.com/Awesome-Women-Today
Instagram @awesomewomentoday/
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/awesomewomentoday/