The Ripple Effect of One Yes

It’s hard to imagine that saying Yes to one little thing could create a ripple as big as tsunami waves. But here’s the thing: it can. One Yes—just one—has the power to change the entire course of your life. And not just in the Hollywood-montage kind of way. In the real, messy, surprising, deeply human way that alters who you meet, what doors open, and how you begin to see yourself.

Think back for a moment. What are the Yeses in your own life? Not the obvious ones, like “Yes, I’ll take the job with a steady paycheck.” I’m talking about the Yeses that felt risky. The ones that made your stomach do flips. The ones you said almost before you could talk yourself out of it. Where did those small decisions to say Yes lead you? What unfolded because of them? Did they create big changes in your life?

For me, one Yes set off a chain reaction that still ripples through my life almost twenty years later.

When I decided to start a business as a personal stylist, I was introduced to the woman running Dress for Success. She asked me if I’d like to volunteer for a committee planning a free women’s conference. The idea was to help women build workplace skills and confidence, and I could share tips on making a great first impression—how to dress for the job they wanted, not just the one they had. It sounded...manageable. So I said Yes.

That Yes introduced me to another volunteer who became a friend. She invited me to a fashion show hosted by the local fashion magazine. At the after-party, I found myself chatting with the editor. Casual conversation, right? Until I mentioned that I was considering opening a boutique. His eyes lit up and he immediately connected me with a young developer revitalizing part of the city.

The next day, that developer called. He asked me to come see the space he was working on. One conversation led to another, and before long I had rented a storefront, opened my boutique, and even created my own line of accessories.

And the ripples kept spreading.

A producer from Great Day St. Louis wandered into my shop, loved what she saw, and booked me for a morning show segment. That “one-time” appearance turned into a regular spot, where I shared fashion and style advice on live television. That visibility gave the boutique a reputation strong enough that, years later, when we moved, I was able to sell it instead of closing it down.

But it didn’t stop there. The developer became one of my closest friends; he and his partner still visit me often. I’m still connected to clients from the store. One of those clients, brimming with creative energy, was writing beautiful pieces for her own website. I invited her to join a women’s writing group I belonged to—one that included award-winning and best-selling authors. That client? She went on to become a published author herself.

And all of it—the friendships, the business, the television appearances, the new opportunities for others—came from one little Yes to a Dress for Success committee meeting.

That’s the power of Yes. It multiplies. It doesn’t just impact you; it spills over into the lives of others. It builds bridges, sparks collaborations, and creates possibilities you never could have planned.

So here’s the takeaway: Yes is one of the most powerful tools you’ll ever carry. Use it wisely. Use it often. And never underestimate the ripple it might set in motion.