When I was 18, I wanted to be a rock star. As a student at Berklee College of Music, I met an alumnus who owned an entertainment company and I had high hopes of being his next lead singer.  When we met, he told me more about his other business — a music education service.  Through stream of consciousness, he blurted out a business challenge: He didn’t have enough time to focus on the education side of things though it had higher margins than the entertainment company.

One week later, I showed up to meet him, notebook in hand, and ran through a list of innovative ideas for his music lesson business.  If he did these things, I said, his revenue would dramatically climb.  He stared at me, listening patiently, mouth agape as I outlined my 3 page manifesto for a business that wasn’t even mine.  When I finished, he said, “Great ideas. And I know exactly the person to do all this. YOU.”

I didn’t become a Director of Operations at 18 without taking some initiative.  What I’ve learned is that inspired moments happen when you least expect it.  I didn’t scribble down business ideas in a notebook 11 years ago because I wanted a job; I was just trying to help someone out.  The same happened with my first business, an event planning company — the demand came before the LLC.  Similarly, what once was a hobby helping my friends date online morphed into something that no one could have expected — my internationally recognized brand, eFlirt Expert. Ideas generated by circumstances can often become the most powerful ones in your life.  Being ambitious isn’t necessarily always about climbing the ladder; it’s about noticing opportunities and taking advantage of them.

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Laurie Davis is the Founder of eFlirt Expert and eFlirt Expert VIP.  She helps singles find love using technology, and gets just as excited about first dates and engagements as they do!