Adult Disneyland.

That’s what I’m calling Magnolia Market at the Silos. Not because I was a giddy 5-year-old taking in everything Magnolia had to offer, but because, like Disney, Chip and Joanna Gaines have turned the Silos into a feeling. A whole mood, if you will. You can feel their heart, their passion, and their magic as soon as you step foot onto their grounds.

Maybe it was just the excitement to shop in their stores or the fact that I was standing in places I’ve seen filmed on Fixer Upper, or maybe it was the amazing taste of THE best oatmeal cream pie I’ve ever eaten, but honestly, I think it was more than that.

I can’t help but be in awe of all that Chip and Joanna have built. I mean, do you think they truly could have known that their love for design and building would ever become what the Magnolia brand is today? Do they ever see what they’ve created as the mega empire that we see it as? My guess is a little bit yes and no.

It’s obvious that they have a deep love for what they do. It’s in everything they create. I’m sure when they were first starting, they carried over that deep love into everything they did. Every part of what they created held a tiny piece of them, and it still shows today. Their love for what they do and the heart behind it is what made Magnolia what it is. They started with a passion and they didn’t compromise on values or quality, because that would be compromising themselves. But, did they know that doing something they loved could actually become a worldwide brand? Did they know that their passions would change an entire community? I’m guessing that they didn’t see today’s reality taking place, but they had to have believed that they were going to make a mark in this world in some capacity. You don’t just build a brand as big as Magnolia without having some kind of “Big Dream” vision.

Every part of the Magnolia brand has been thought of and carefully curated. All the way down to the bathroom soap dispensers for goodness sake. It was purposeful and carefully planned because purpose has always been their passion.

Their love for their work even spills over into their employees and it shows. I mean who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by such beauty every day? Every single employee I interacted with was truly excited to be there and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a waiting list of people wanting to work for them. How many people can say that?

Chip and Joanna simply got it right. Knowing who you are and what you want your brand to represent is one of the biggest things you should be focusing on when running your business.
Just like Chip and Joanna, you have to have a passion for something. You have to know how you want people to feel when they interact with you. You have to make that feeling come out of whatever it is you are offering. And even if you haven’t really taken the time to think about those things in detail, I know you know what they are. Because it’s part of who you are and what you’re all about.

Being a business owner takes the courage to understand that you have a passion for something. And I want to encourage you to take ownership of those passions and be brave enough to speak them into existence.

If you aren’t sure yet what that looks like for you, I have a few steps to point you in that direction.

• First off, what are you passionate about? Write those passions down.
• Once you have that figured out, have you spoken them out loud? To your friends? Your family? Your followers on social media? Get your message out there.
• Now that the word is out, you need to think about how you want people to feel when they interact with your brand. This is probably one of the biggest things that people miss when they start a business. It can be any interaction. All the way from an email to a package showing up in the mail. How do you want to make your audience feel? Figure that out and get really comfortable with it.

These three steps alone will help you move in a direction that allows you to create what you love for the world to enjoy. It can’t just be about money, that will never work long term. It must be about something so much bigger than yourself. Your passion for what you do is something that makes you smile, even when it’s hard. It’s something you would continue to do even if you never got paid. It’s something that gets you out of bed each morning.

Chip and Joanna have a love for what they do. They have created an incredible brand that makes people feel happy, grateful and creative all in one moment. And it all started with a passion. Or in their case, a lot of passions.

And I know I said it felt a lot like Disneyland, but they really aren’t magic. They don’t have anything you don’t have. I 100% believe that you have that same love for what you do and I want to encourage you to take that next step and tell the world about what you love doing. This is your business. This is your time to make your mark on the world. All it takes is an idea, a whole lot of heart, and an incredible amount of drive. I know you have that.

I’m rooting for you!