Celebrating 3 Years of Growth & Connection
I know I don’t need to tell you that time flies, but when was the last time you took just a moment to reflect on how far you’ve come? The journey you've travelled and the ebbs and flows that have led to this moment? We all go through challenges and transformative experiences that shape our lives and who we are becoming. Who are you becoming? Who do you want to become? If you could use support in answering these questions, reply to this email!
This month marks THREE YEARS (!!!) since I decided to start a business, and boy has it been a journey! I started back in January of 2021 inspired by the thought of creating my own business, with absolutely NO idea what I was doing or where to start.
I dabbled in L&D Consulting in 2021, and in 2022 decided to launch Thrive Mind Collaborative, but felt that something was missing in my business. While I was receiving great feedback for my work, it wasn't fulfilling. A few months into 2022, I decided to really focus my energy on building out my executive and leadership coaching offerings. In the last two years, I’ve developed my leadership coaching practice into a financially sustainable business that I absolutely love and am so proud of!
Before I go into all the grisly details, I want to share a quick 2 minute video of gratitude:
Thrive Mind Collaborative’s Beginning
Let me take you back to the origins of this adventure and highlight the transformative experiences that have shaped my business (& me personally).
Rewind to two years ago, when a moment of clarity amidst the building of my L&D business marked a new beginning. While immersed in the rigors of consulting, I faced the realization that most of my time was spent project managing. While I’m trained in PMO and was getting great results, I was starting to reflect on the day-to-day grind that I wasn’t enjoying in my business. It wasn't burnout, but a period of deep reflection and introspection.
Reflecting on the initial days, it was a time of stress, yes, but more importantly, a time of profound self-discovery. The demands of consulting were intense, but they led me to a significant realization. The real turning point came not from my struggles, but from the moments I spent helping others in my network and circle. The support and encouragement I received from those who benefited from my coaching approach were the true catalysts for my transition from consultant to coach.
In January of 2022, my coaching practice was conceived - not merely as a consultancy, but as a nurturing safe space for leaders seeking guidance. We all have heard the words “it’s lonely at the top” and I wanted to provide something more: a non-judgemental environment where leaders could share what’s keeping them up at night and help them create an intentional plan of action.
Thus, Thrive Mind Collaborative really came into being as a symbol of transformation and support. The move from consultant to coach wasn't just a career shift; it was a heartfelt response to the needs of those around me and my own intuition and fulfillment. It was about creating a space where vulnerability, empathy, support, guidance, and shared growth take a front seat!
Key Learnings from the Journey
There have been SO.MANY.LEARNINGS throughout this journey and I wanted to share a few with you in the event that they are helpful on YOUR journey:
Importance of Self-Reflection & Listening to My Heart: This journey taught me the importance of trusting my intuition. In the midst of varied opinions and expectations, my inner voice became my most trusted guide, leading me through uncertainty towards impactful decisions. I wouldn’t have been able to hear it through the noise without dedicated reflection time, whether that was my bi-weekly coaching sessions or personal reflection time.
Focus on Delivering Genuine Value: Thrive Mind Collaborative has blossomed into more than a business; it became a vessel of real value. My focus on addressing the needs of my clients rekindled my passion and laid the foundation of our mutual success. With everything I do, I ask myself: What is the value? To be honest, so many of the initial services and resources I delivered, I questioned the value. It wasn’t until I started to gain feedback from clients that I realized I was creating the value I wish I had when I was in a leadership role in an organization and value that continues to inspire me to take intentional action in my own life! .
Envision the Destination & Break it Down: One crucial lesson has been to begin with the end in mind. By taking the time to visualize the ultimate goal or outcome, and THEN charting my path towards it, I was able to take intentional action with more clarity, purpose, and a refreshed sense of direction. Breaking down the bigger vision allowed me to consistently make progress towards that big picture vision.
An associated learning: if you’re going to spend time worrying about all the concerning “what ifs,” make sure to also spend time envisioning the positive “what ifs” - like Mel Robbins says “what if it all works out?” ← This is just as important as spending time thinking about the risk mitigation aspect.
ABL - Always Be Learning: Building a business is kind of like the leadership journey. It’s like you’re climbing a mountain that continues to grow in front of you. There will always be new experiences, challenges, and mistakes along the way and I’ve learned to see these as opportunities to continue my own growth. Every so often, I stop to ask myself: What can I learn or take away from this experience? And, what do I need to add or remove from my backpack on my trek up this next part of the mountain? Sometimes it’s a mindset or limiting belief, sometimes it’s more tangible like specific skills or strategies.
Speaking of ABL, I have a quick story to share that likely involves YOU:
I recently was invited to a new-to-me tool called Alignable. As far as I could tell it is like a LinkedIn for small business owners so I thought, what the heck, I’ll create a profile. As I was poking around the tool to see if it was worth my time, I inadvertently invited my ENTIRE network to it. Facepalm.
This mistake triggered my critical internal dialogue that is so unhelpful and amidst my death spiral, I started to receive such beautiful recommendations (which apparently were asked for when I invited every client, every community member, every single contact.) What a beautiful silver lining to an otherwise embarrassing mistake.
The point is, we all make mistakes and the important thing is owning them so we can learn from them! With all of that said, if you received one of these Alignable invites, feel free to disregard it and unsubscribe! No feelings will be hurt here! :) And to those of you that jumped right in and shared your glowing recommendations and positive feedback - thank you for reminding me that mistakes can also be a gift.
