Uplifting U and The People Around U

The most important lesson I’ve learned from starting a company is to cultivate gratitude and uplift those around me. Before taking the leap to start Underclub, I was scared to share my ideas and challenges for fear of someone thinking it (or I) was stupid. Spoiler alert: people are much more supportive and helpful than you think, and the people who go above and beyond to uplift you make a world of difference.

Working with motivating, gracious, and uplifting people has been the most valued part of this journey. The first sales rep who was excited to have us feature their brand on our site, friends who put aside weekend plans to help me pack countless pairs of underwear, my first customers who took a bet on signing up for a company whose website was built in power point... None of what I’ve created would exist without the people who uplifted me along the way, and inspired the gratitude I put back into the world. 

3 reasons to uplift others today:

UPLIFTING OTHERS UPLIFTS YOU

• Success begets success, positivity begets positivity, and so it goes that uplifting others will uplift you. In extreme examples, the times I gifted a friend underwear ‘just because’ and it somehow put Underclub on a celebrity’s radar or created a viral post have been MAGICAL. And in more everyday scenarios, customer service is one of my favorite parts about my job because knowing I’m able to help someone out feels really good.

• Pro tip: In the worst case scenario, if your goal is to make someone in the world happy today, doing something for someone because it will make you feel happy has achieved the goal! You made yourself that somebody who is now happy in the world today- and more often than not, that other person is happy too.

IT INSPIRES SUPERHUMAN MOTIVATION

• When you are excited and optimistic while helping someone out (i.e., uplifting), anything feels and becomes possible. There’s a challenge? You have a million ideas for potential solutions- and the fuel needed to take the risk or next step. Asking a friend for a favor, figuring out how to build the website, finding a connection to a supplier you need- all these things feel easy when you are sharing confident, uplifting energy with someone. Some of my most productive meetings are with other founders when we’re so jazzed about each other’s progress that it inspires a playbook for a moonshot idea or a game changing introduction.

• Pro tip: while you’re on this high, reach out to someone you’ve wanted a meeting / coffee with. 

PEOPLE (AND THE UNIVERSE) LIKE TO PAY THIS FORWARD

• Have you noticed that oftentimes good days only get better, and bad days only get worse? Two of my favorite quotes from Eckhart Tolle’s ‘A New Earth:

“The more you include others, the more smoothly things flow and the more easily things come to you.”

And conversely, “When you give little or no help to others or put obstacles in their path, the universe- in the form of people and circumstances- gives little or no help to you because you have cut yourself off from the whole.”

• A highlight of my work is partnering with groups like Dress for Success, The Pride Foundation, Austin Pets Alive and more. Beyond feeling good about supporting initiatives I care about, the combined communities build even more excitement and awareness around our campaigns.

• Pro tip: When you experience success, find ways to uplift others into your journey and watch the success amplify.

In short summary, there is only upside in uplifting others, and it can all start with U.