THE FAST LANE
Written by Carol Carpenter
Some people know from the very beginning what they want to be, others fall into their purpose as time unfolds. I am the latter. It can be said that my life was planned for me to step into a certain role from the day I was born. My fortune read, destiny determined, career and life partner predicted as often done within my culture. Being female in my culture did not lend to having many choices. In fact, I had become accustomed to accepting what I was offered knowing it was my fate. I am a strange hybrid of Taiwanese and American, not fitting into one or the other entirely. I knew I didn’t fit into any box, effectively allowing me to hover just outside, in the gray. It’s an area with no barriers, an area full of opportunities. A place of many perspectives and it is why I believe I’ve been able to navigate through my life with a greater and deeper understanding for my fellow man. What I once viewed as a hindrance in not fitting in, was in reality a benefit, one that I would soon discover as I became an entrepreneur. MotoVixens, LLC came about during a divorce. My husband and I had been married and together for 21 years and had two teenage sons on the verge of leaving the nest. My husband and I had reached a point in our marriage where the differences seemed to outweigh the commonalities and it was clear things were
coming to an end. What I realized was that I didn’t know who I was, maybe I never knew, and that terrified me. I was in my early 40’s, 20+ years after my mother’s passing and I started to think about what I wanted to do, who I really wanted to be. Most people do this in their 20’s, however, I was getting married and having children during that time. When you are in your 40’s and start doing things outside your character, people think you are having a midlife crisis, you’ll eventually get it out of your system, and settle down. Strongly discouraged by my friends and family, with my ex-husband telling my children I had a death wish and was going to kill myself, I found the lack of support staggering and surprising. However, I remained undeterred, used to going against the grain, understanding that the only limitations are what we place on ourselves. It turns out that doing something completely out of the norm, going down my bucket list, I found something I love, am passionate about and made a business out of it. Not many people get to do that, and I am grateful for the opportunity. It is also a clear indicator that when you are open to opportunities, they present and not always in ways we would expect. I found my purpose in an industry I had never imagined would be a part of my life, enriching me with people and experiences
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