What I Learned About Courage from Noonday Founder, Jessica Honegger

Written by the creator of Noonday, the world’s largest fair trade jewelry company, “Imperfect Courage” goes through the journey of one woman’s mission to follow what she felt God was leading her to do.

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclaimer for details.

FROM ADOPTION TO AMBASSADOR

I first heard of Jessica Honegger at a women’s conference my church hosted a few years ago. She spoke about her desire years earlier to adopt a child, but with the staggering adoption fees, and a tanking house-flipping business, she needed a way to raise money to make this possible.

Jessica and her husband had always shared a passion for helping those in poverty when they met through a relief organization. But between raising kids and trying to turn a profit on houses during a recession, any plans of adoption were taking a back seat.

On a trip to visit some friends working for a nonprofit in Uganda, they were introduced to Jalia and Daniel. They were a local artisan couple trying to support their family with handmade goods. While the products were unique and beautiful, there just wasn’t a big enough market in order to make ends meet.

When Jessica received a few signs of her own that she still needed to pursue adoption, she decided to have a sale in her home of her own things to raise money, and reached out to Jalia and Daniel to send the items for her to sell that night to help them out as well.

The items were a hit. 90% were sold in the first hour and she recognized the potential their products had in the U.S. market. She asked others to host their own trunk shows and found ways to send materials and organize shipping so that more items could be sold. Soon the operation was so big that Jalia and Daniel needed help too! They hired employees and expanded the operation.

Not only was Jessica’s dream of international adoption realized, but a company that provided income for hundreds of families in poverty was born as well.

THE NOONDAY COLLECTION

In five years, Noonday became the largest fair-trade jewelry company in the world, also earning Inc. Magazine’s 45th fastest growing business in the U.S.! Today, they have 4,000 Noonday business owners, and 4,500 artisan partners worldwide! The original artisans, Jalia and Daniel, now employ 300 locals and no longer worry about their next meal, living a middle-class lifestyle.

Noonday is the kind of company I love–one that directly benefits the artists and people in need. And Jessica’s story is one that empowers me as a mom, a woman, a Christian and a creative. It proves that together we can do big things. That we can make a difference and make real change in the world!

Jessica encourages us to believe bigger–to fight against our fears and go anyway–to simply go scared. Courage isn’t about having your stuff together, it’s about trusting in God and going anyway.

BUT THAT’S JUST THE INTRO…

The rest of “Imperfect Courage” is about relating her story to yours. To empower you to be brave and courageous. To fight for what you want, what is right and how to get there.

In Part 1, she goes over getting started and taking the first steps on your own. Part 2 is about the importance of community and collaboration. She ends with Part 3 where you broaden your view, your impact, and think beyond yourself and your bubble.

“There is a whole world out there begging for us to use the opportunity we have been given, to create opportunity for others, so that we–all of us–can flourish. So, while comfort may beckon us, choosing courage will always be the route to impact.” -Jessica Honegger

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL…

I remember reading about her internal struggle with needing a nanny and the mommy guilt she had over it. I had my own nanny at the time (because of health issues where I didn’t have the energy to do what I needed to do) and the massive guilt I was struggling with. She went on to talk about how you would think that having a nanny would make you feel so appreciative of the help, but it became a reminder of all the areas she was “failing” as a mom. I couldn’t have related more.

But the truth is, that needing help and asking for it, doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you clever. There is no one size fits all when it comes to parenting, and being a working mom isn’t a sin. I am a stay-at-home mom myself and still couldn’t do it alone! I love the part in the book when she texts a friend about all the guilt she is feeling, and her encouraging, loving friend replies, “Knock off that crazy thinking and go. Your kids will be better, not worse for having a mama who got on planes and flew around the world to serve. Way better than if you’d have never left your house every day of their lives to meet their every first-world need.”

That woman spoke truth into a friend that desperately needed it. And in doing so, I had a reminder that a nanny taking care of my kids so that I could get healthy and be the mom I needed to be for those kids was a good thing, not something to feel guilty about.

Jessica has a gift of wisdom, vision and passion. I hope you are encouraged as much by her as I was in these pages.

BUY THE BOOK!

Want to pick up a copy of “Imperfect Courage” for yourself? Click the image to order:

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

Are you struggling with fear and anxiety? I’ve got some more encouragement for you today friend. See what the Bible has to say about it in this printable study and take the first steps toward your own imperfect courage today!