Given we’re in the period of the ‘great recession’, this might not come as a shock, but I have resigned from the job I’ve been with for over eight years and for a company I have worked for twice in my career.
This decision wasn’t made lightly, in fact, it took over six months to make.
In the end, with a new opportunity in front of me, I knew it was time to take a risk. It was time for bold action. It was time to jump.
For the last year and a half, I’ve been crafting a women’s initiative within my job that has meant more to me than any other single aspect of the overall job description. I was interviewing successful women in finance at varying stages of their career to discuss everything that they face on any given day in the workplace AND at home.
From those meaningful conversations and a virtual event that I hosted, a very informal female empowerment book club emerged.
It was a no pressure sort of thing.
We all suggested different books, authors, speakers, podcasts, etc. that we found valuable and I created a list. I bought almost all of the books immediately on Amazon and made my way through quite a few (Namely: Think Like a Breadwinner, Fair Play, Digital Body Language and Dare to Lead.)
All of these books had different key themes and spoke about empowerment in many different ways. The thing that seemed like the connecting piece of the puzzle for me was simple: people who are courageous and successful take calculated risks. You can’t get to the next level without taking a leap at some point in your life and career.
Having made that connection, it was clear what I had to do. I needed to be true to myself and try something new in the hopes that the new work will be more aligned with my true passions. It is clear to me that it is now my turn to stand up and lead a team with grace and kindness. I am doing this for me AND my family—it isn’t mutually exclusive.
I want to be able to show my daughter that her mother was strong and brave and believed in herself enough to try something bold and daring.
Hey, it might not work out. There are no guarantees in life. But the surprising thing for me is that I’m really OK with that. I’m not afraid of things not working out anymore. If it doesn’t work out, my true path will reveal itself and hopefully I’ll be once again strong enough to say “Let’s give this a shot.”