Brainchild Studios: Wisconsin's 2018 Women-Owned Business Rising Star

On December 13, 2018, we were awarded the 2018 Wisconsin Marketplace Governor's Rising Star Award for a Women-Owned Business. It was bonkers. And so amazing. And humbling. And all of the things.

So let's backtrack for a hot second.

I found out a few months prior that Brainchild Studios was nominated as a Rising Star for the Wisconsin Marketplace Governor's Awards as a women-owned business.

I wasn't quite sure what this meant nor did I have any idea how we were nominated, but I was down to give it our best to be an official Rising Star! So Maddy and I worked to confirm our paperwork was in place, gather all pieces for our submission and make sure we submitted everything.

A few weeks later, in the middle of November, I found out we were a finalist.

The day before the event I found out that there were 300 nominations and 24 finalists selected from the state of Wisconsin. 9 were awarded as winners of minority-owned, women-owned and disabled veteran-owned businesses in large, small and rising companies. 3 were finalists for the women-owned business Rising Star award. We were one of them.

We had less than a .33% chance of winning this award given the number of nominations.

But somehow, someone believed in us enough to nominate us (I still have no idea who) and then a committee of folks believed enough in our work and submission and somehow, they decided to award Brainchild Studios as the 2018 Wisconsin Marketplace Governor's Award Women-Owned Business Rising Star Recipient.

Small business owners don't start businesses to receive awards. We start businesses because we love the work we do and then, somewhere along the way, we evolve from people who love the work we do to people who manage other people who love the work they do. It's hard. Somedays you question why you're on this path. But days like December 13, 2018, confirm that we're doing something right. That just maybe, we're doing what we're meant to be doing.

To be acknowledged by a state we just expanded to this year and that I am so wholeheartedly thrilled to call home again for the hard work, dedication, and difference we're making as this badass female-founded, female-operated, inkling-of-an-idea-turned-into-a-reality-business that I started just over two years ago is so incredibly humbling and appreciated.

A huge thank you to the Wisconsin Marketplace Governor's Award committee, whoever nominated us, our badass team and all our of supporters (because there are so many) for believing in us.

You are the reason we were acknowledged in such an incredible way.

We are so extremely grateful.

Now let's see what we stir up in 2019!