This next post was going to be all about my lil dream. The giant, quirky chunk of me called UberDork Café.

But, that is going to have to wait until the next post. By the end of this, you’ll understand why.

This one is about what I learned today. (Well, Friday which is when this is being written. Ok, being started. Jinkies I’m behind!)

A big chunk of the joy that is UberDork Café has been a dream of mine for quite some time. A dream that I have shared with very few people. There are a couple of reasons for this. What it all boils down to though is this- although I’m very much a “this is me and I’m pretty darn proud of me” kind of gal, this is SO important to me, I have been scared. Scared to share it. Scared to hear what others have to say. Scared to have to actually be the one in the front of the project, rather than hiding in the background. Scared to take that leap of faith- in myself. I walk into walls, so leapin, yeah could have disastrous results.

But I did. Arg. Alright #truthbat. I had only taken the running start toward the leap. You know what though, the more people I told, the faster I ran. The more of a reality I made it by setting up the Twitter and Facebook accounts for it, the faster I ran.

Then last week @NakedHobo (who really has been a huge support to me and UberDork Café) told me about kickstarter.com. I spent Memorial Day combing through the site. Mesmerized by all the great projects on there. Kickstarter is a platform for people to use to raise funds to kickstart their projects. Books, artwork, band’s first CD’s, independent films, a bicycle operated butter churner, a mobile gluten-free bakery, all sorts of ridonkilously kick ass stuff. All sorts of people dreaming big, audacious dreams right along with me. All sorts of people seeking to make changes in the world in their own small way. It’s so beautiful.

The gist of Kickstarter is this- you submit your project idea to them (after making sure it fits their guidelines). Once they approve/accept it, you pick a goal amount (i.e. $5,000) and a time frame (i.e. 60 days). You then set your project profile up and work it. It’s up to YOU to get the word out and get people to visit and back (i.e. pledge/donate/show you some monetary love) it.

Here’s the twitst- they get fun stuffs, set up by you, as a reward for baking your project. So maybe, just maybe if someone were to choose to back UberDork Café at the $10.00 level, should I be accepted per my proposal to them, you’d get a pocket protector with the UberDork Café logo on it. Just maybe. Now, if you make your goal amount by the goal date- you keep it. If you raise more, yuppers you keep that too. But, if you don’t – you don’t get anything. That’s right. But, the backers don’t get charged either then so they are not out any money. Which means YOU have to put in the effort to reach your goal

So, Memorial Day evening, I hunkered down, crossed my toes and hit “submit” with my project information. Then I took a ginormously deep breath and waited. Wednesday night I got a response. Again…deeeeep breath. I clicked on my message and read it.

I read a giant “yeah, thanks but no so much.” I was crushed. Then, as I read it for the 123rd time, I was pissed at their reasoning. There were many projects up that fit the reason for “might not be a good fit” they had given me. I moped. I stewed. I freaked. I pouted. I cried.

I then refused to take no for an answer.

Around half past midnight, I sent my retort. I swallowed hard and fought the urge to come at them with both guns blazing. After all, this was my dream, my child in some ways and I get full on mama bear over my kids. Instead though, I chose to reclarify my project addressing their points of concern. And I stuck to my case. I boiled it down to its essence even more. I told them, I know this seems quirky, I know this is a big, audacious dream, but I believe in it. I believe in me.

Holy shit, lemme say that one more time- I believe in me.

While I waited to uncross my toes again, I revisited an old friend of sorts. A man that changed my life in a lot of ways. A man by the name of Kevin Carroll. If you know me really well, you know who Kevin is because I share him and his message with those that I love. Because I believe in them. If you’ve met me, you’ve seen the dream band I wear to remind myself of his message. A message so amazing that you have to hear from him. I cannot do it justice here. I simply can’t. But, here’s a lil bit of it to get you started and PLEASE, if you want to hear more, know more, get a dream band to remind yourself of your red rubber ball (Kevin sent me a bunch of them) let me know.

And Friday around 12:30, I heard back.

“Congratulations! Welcome to Kickstarter!!”

HELLS YEAH!!!

Turns out they believe in my red rubber ball too.

So, the lesson I learned is to believe in my self, my big, audacious dream, my red rubber ball that is UberDork Café.

And my dorky ass has definitely leaped.

Stay tuned for my next blog, my kickstarter project page and all that is UberDork Café. Because, I believe in me, in it and in all us crazy big, audacious dream dreamers out there.