The Daring Story

My name is Francine Allaire, The Founder of The Daring Woman™ and The Daring Women’s Community. Some of you may know me, although most of you don’t. Let me tell you a little bit about me.

I’ve spent the last 20 years as an award-winning sales and marketing executive working for global industry leaders. I’ve played in the big leagues and I’ve had a long track record of professional achievements, plaques and trophies that for many years filled my walls and stroked my ego.

It felt good to be recognized in my field and to make the big bucks. Don’t get me wrong, I love having and making money. The problem was that my entire self worth (and indirectly net worth) was tied to my professional accomplishments. And you may know the drill - the more successful I felt and the more money I made the more difficult it became to get real and to admit to myself and others that I was not happy and fulfilled.

I knew that something big was missing from my life. Hint: I wasn’t living my dreams and passions. But I couldn’t talk openly to anyone about my feelings because I thought people would find me weak or ungrateful.

Everyone was so used to seeing me succeed and to rely on me for the solutions and results, including me. So what happened? I just sucked it up and worked even harder to prove myself. (Pearl of Wisdom: you will never turn something unfulfilling into something significant and meaningful by investing more of yourself and your time into it).

Then something happened that changed my life forever and took me on a different path. A few years ago, I found myself at a major crossroad, both professionally and personally, after a jolt to my career resulting from a cross-country move that didn’t pen out the way it was supposed to.

I had left a senior corporate position (and all my friends) to move from Washington DC to Southern California to establish a business with the second largest financial institution in the country along with some very prominent individuals from the political and business world.

Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, our partnering financial institution had to pull out of the deal due to a major reorganization that caused thousands of employees to be laid off. It left me in a precarious position: with no job, no business and no friends. I was in a place I could hardly call home since I did not know anyone in Southern California having landed here only a few months earlier.

A native of Quebec, I had spent the better part of my life and my career in the corporate world, working with companies in Canada, Western Europe and across the United States. Although I had successfully built my career (in executive sales and marketing) on the ability to adapt to new environments and diverse personalities, this was the first time I found myself with no clear direction.

That was the turning point in my life (and trust me there always is one) where, by force, I was confronted with having to reassess my life and my priorities. Was I going to give into my fears and frustrations or was I going to bust loose and go for what would make me happier… something that was going to be more in line with my dreams and passions. I saw it as an golden opportunity to ask myself some important questions and make some daring decisions.

My story, however, is all too common. How many times has a dream of yours or a major business deal fallen through? What counts is what you do with it. Do you roll over and give up or do you move forward with even more determination? Wouldn’t you agree that our defining moments are often the most challenging times in our lives? But when we dare to turn a setback into a comeback, or an obstacle into an opportunity, we allow for those defining moments to act as leverage points in our lives.

So the big question is: If you find yourself, as I did, at a crossroad or living a life that doesn’t thrill or excite you, what you are daring yourself to do about it?

As I looked for support to rebuild my life, I never found quite what I needed. Sure there are hundreds of professionals and social networking and internet groups. I went to their meetings and joined quite a few, even sitting on their boards.

I was looking for a group of women with strength and courage, goals and daring dreams, spirited souls and joie de vivre open to taking risks and bold daring actions to create the lifestyle of their dreams on their terms… no matter what?

I began to wonder …. How many women did I know who truly have the courage to live life on their terms, that are taking bold and daring actions in order to create the life they truly want for themselves?

While pondering on those thoughts and compelled by my own desire to living life more fully and abundantly, achieving financial independence, having more fun, aging brilliantly, and being surrounded by women who desire the same things, the vision for The Daring Woman^TM was born.

I became obsessed with the vision and the desire to create an international community for women, with an explicitly upbeat, can-do, courageous, spirited and fun-loving attitude. A place where women could speak their minds, share their dreams, make friends, negotiate deals, strut their stuff, empower and inspire one another to take bold actions and risks to live a more fulfilling, abundant and prosperous life…, in short to embrace a more Daring lifestyle.

In order to validate and gain acceptance for the concept of The Daring Woman^TM, I conducted several focus groups and countless interviews with successful women business owners, solo-entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who were very eager to share their thoughts and opinions with me.

Through my research and interviews, I gained immense clarity and understanding into what would constitute the ideal organization for daring women and aspiring ones. Most importantly, through my research and interviews, I’ve learned the most common traits exemplified by Daring Women. In a guidebook, I’ve compiled The 7 Daring Principles that are the Hallmarks of Successful Women along with some simple, yet empowering exercises that might assist you in forming new daring habits.

For me creating The Daring Woman^TM was my dream. What’s YOUR daring dream? What are YOU passionate about? What would a passion-filled life look like to YOU?

I built The Daring Woman™ and The Daring Women’s Community “on the side,” while holding a full-time position. It has been the most exhilarating, heart-warming, all-consuming, gut-wrenching and ultimately the most satisfying experience of my life.

I don’t regret it for a minute. I held firm through the emotional rollercoaster because I didn’t want to regret the unfulfilled dream. Deep in my soul, I knew I had to create a place for women to thrive and to live their dreams, passions and indulgences. I couldn’t live with myself and the regret I would have felt.

The worst feeling anyone can have is regret –regret of unfulfilled dreams and unmet goals. To live without regret means you have to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. You have to conquer your fear of rejection and failure and dare to pursue your dreams and passions with gusto.

You have to take the first step down an unfamiliar path. The bottom line is, you simply have to take action. Decide at this moment that you want and deserve to be more and have more in all aspects of your life.

You can have lights, you can have cameras, but nothing happens unless and until you take action. The truth is: if you are not in the driver seat purposely aiming your life toward a specific destination, then you are merely going along for the ride.

Dare to direct your own movie by taking charge of your life and see yourself soaring to new heights!

The roadmap to the life of your dreams is here, let The Daring guide you. Here is to being Daring - to living life with passion and gusto, not caution! The Daring is for Women Who DARE to Live their Dreams, Passions and Indulgences.

YOU Are an Original. DARE to create YOUR own Life Masterpiece with Authenticity, Confidence, Abundance and Style. No One Can Beat YOU at Being YOU!

“ Women Who Act In Spite of Any Fears, Challenges, Circumstances or Setbacks to Design their Ideal Lifestyle are Truly DARING!” Francine Allaire, Founder

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