There is much to be said about the power and value of girlfriends, and I have the best ones on the planet, but even your best friend might not understand the struggles of owning a business.

When I opened Milk Jar Cookies almost three years ago, I felt the need to seek out other female entrepreneurs and become part of the community, not only locally, but in the broader sense. I wanted to find women like myself; little did I know I would be building my “squad.”

A Note From The Editor: On page 82 of Darling Issue No. 12, we announced a call for submissions that tell your story and spark the creative process through word. Over the next month we plan to feature several of these submissions here online. Today we’re excited to reveal our second selection. We think that it’s a piece that’ll encourage you — wherever you work — while also calling you to stand tall in a wild world.

The conference was packed. Once everyone was seated we seemed to collectively reach into our gift bags. My eyebrows knit together as my head tipped to one side, “Why a lion?”

This small, hard plastic toy was meant to be a prompt. Its fierce teeth, menacing eyes, and ready stance were a reminder. It’s a jungle out there!