Isla’s Intuition

Isla had always been the kind of woman who liked to be prepared. She made lists for everything... groceries, goals, life. Numbers calmed her. Facts grounded her. And risks? Well, those were for people who didn’t mind falling flat on their faces.

So when the opportunity came to invest in a small eco-sustainable skincare start-up, her immediate reaction was: “Absolutely not.” It was too risky. Too unpredictable. Too… uncertain.

She had worked hard for her savings. Isla wasn’t born into wealth. She came from a modest family in a quiet town where money wasn’t talked about, except when there wasn’t enough of it.

Her parents had taught her to work hard, stay out of debt, and never, ever bet on something she couldn’t see the outcome of.

But still… something about this business caught her attention.

The company wasn’t flashy. In fact, it was run by a single founder, a woman named Mira, who handcrafted every product herself using plant-based ingredients sourced from local farmers.

Isla had stumbled on the brand through a friend and had started using the products without even knowing much about the company. The results had been undeniable. Her skin looked better than it had in years. And more than that, she felt good supporting it.

One evening, while browsing social media, she came across a short post from Mira announcing a call for small investors. The business was growing, and Mira was opening up early investment opportunities to a select group of users before seeking larger funding. “If you’ve believed in us from the start,” the post read, “maybe this is your moment to help shape the future with us.”

Isla read the post again. And again.

Her brain immediately launched into logic mode: “You don’t invest in businesses. You don’t know the market. What if you lose your money? What if it fails in a year?”

But then her gut whispered: What if it doesn’t?

She tried to brush it off, but the thought followed her into the next day. It sat with her while she worked, lingered during her lunch break, and nagged at her in the quiet of the evening. She started researching everything she could about small business investments, product trends, and the clean beauty industry.

Still, no matter how much she read, no article could give her a guarantee. The logical side of her still wasn’t convinced. But something deeper... that quiet inner voice... was.

That week, she made the call.

Isla emailed Mira with her interest and after a few conversations and signing the paperwork, she officially became a small investor. It wasn’t a huge sum... just $6,000... but to Isla, it was a leap of faith. Her first real risk. Her first time letting go of complete control.

At first, not much changed. The products kept selling, and Mira sent monthly updates about business growth. Then, about nine months in, things started to accelerate.

A few micro-influencers picked up the product. One of them posted a review that unexpectedly went viral. Orders skyrocketed overnight. The once-small operation suddenly needed more hands, more production, more everything.

By the end of the year, Mira had grown her team, upgraded her production space, and been featured in a major health and beauty magazine. Investors started knocking. Big ones. And the small group of early believers... Isla among them... were now looking at returns they’d never expected so soon.

Within two years, Isla’s modest $6,000 investment had multiplied. Her initial stake had grown in value by more than 600%. But it wasn’t just the money that changed her life... it was what the experience taught her.

She had trusted herself.

Not the loud, rational voice in her head that demanded certainty. But the other voice. The quiet one. The one that lives in the space between heartbeats and data points. The one that knows things before logic catches up.

That single decision awakened something in Isla.

She started paying closer attention to her instincts... not just in money, but in conversations, friendships, decisions. She didn’t throw logic away... no, she still did her research... but she began giving equal weight to her internal compass. Her confidence grew.

She took more steps out of her comfort zone, started attending local business groups, and even launched a digital course teaching financial confidence for women who were once just like her... smart, capable, but scared of taking that first leap.

People started asking her how she “knew” the investment would pay off.

She always answered the same way: “I didn’t know. But I listened to something deeper. I trusted that part of me that’s not afraid to grow.”

Isla’s success didn’t come from a moment of genius. It wasn’t luck, or a perfect business plan, or knowing all the right people. It came from courage. The kind that whispers rather than shouts. The kind that feels more like a question than a certainty... but asks you to listen anyway.

Moral of the story

Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do isn’t found in spreadsheets or statistics. It’s in learning to trust the voice inside you... the one that knows when something just feels right. Because intuition, when respected, can open doors no logic ever dared to knock on.