It’s officially a year since I took my leap and launched my business and what a year it’s been!

Going on this business adventure has been incredible and it truly is a rollercoaster ride, so this article is for all of you considering stepping out of your comfort zone and starting your own business. 

It is a daunting experience and definitely not for everyone, but if you’ve made up your mind and you’re committed to doing it then here are some of the key lessons from my journey that may help you on yours.

Lesson 1: Do the things that scare you

Starting a business is scary and there are thousands of firsts in your first year, some scarier than others, but you are constantly faced with new and unknown situations which means that fear is a constant companion. This can be debilitating if you let it guide your decisions. But if you acknowledge it and embrace the fact that it’s just part of the journey because you’re crafting your own path it becomes easier to make the decisions you need to make.

And sometimes the things that scare you the most are the ones that will actually pay off the most as well. For me that was signing up to do my elevator pitch at a live networking event – full transparency I almost chickened out – but it was an incredible event. I met other supportive business owners, had an opportunity to get feedback on how my pitch resonated with people, and even built relationships that led to paying clients.

That is just one of the ‘scary’ things that I didn’t feel ready for that I forced myself to do. Sometimes all it takes is 5 seconds of bravery to say yes to an opportunity and then focus on making it happen despite the doubts. 99% of the time all the things you were worried about never actually come true and it works out a lot better than you expected. 

In addition to bravely saying yes when you really want to say no, is shifting the focus to be more on the intention of stretching yourself and learning from the experience instead of seeing it in binary terms of succeeding or failing at whatever you’re trying out.

When your goal is to learn then it doesn’t matter if the experience is positive or negative – either way you succeed.

Fear is one of the most common ways we hold ourselves back, so next time you have an opportunity that could be great for your business (see Lesson 4) and that thought of ‘I could never do that.’ pops up, challenge yourself, be brave for 5 seconds, and say ‘yes’ instead!

Lesson 2: Find networks that work for you

No matter what business you are in you are ultimately selling to people and growing your network is a key part of building your business. This is easier said than done, especially if you’re more introverted and shy, and the thought of meeting a group of strangers to talk about your business fills you with absolute dread.

However, the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring networking spaces to find the ones that work for you greatly outweigh the short-term discomfort. It also becomes easier the more you do it, so you just have to push yourself the first few times (see Lesson 1) before you find people and groups you resonate with.

Take some time to reframe how you see networking and figure out what type of events work for you as it will have a tremendous impact on your growth journey. 

For me big in-person events or groups that are too structured don’t work, but I’m really happy I tried them out, because it allowed me to learn from the experiences and see what other people are doing. I eventually found two groups (Future Females and Explore Protech) that really resonated with me and that’s where I consistently focus the majority of my networking energy. However, I don’t close myself off to other events because you never know who you’re going to meet and what one conversation may spark.

Finding the right network provides you with support, advice, information, collaboration opportunities, referrals, and even direct sales. It can be such a lonely journey when you’re working for yourself, but it doesn’t have to be.

Lesson 3: Have an improvement mindset

When you start your business you start it with preconceived ideas and assumptions and a certain skillset and then you expose yourself and your business to more people, ideas, and information and some of those original ideas, assumptions and skills will be challenged, because we don’t know everything!

What you start out with will absolutely change as you grow your business, if you are open to improving yourself and your business, and that is a great thing. From your brand, your website, your offering, and your elevator pitch, to even your types of clients – nothing except the vision you have for your business is off limits to change.

You are absorbing so much new information in those first few months and you’re testing assumptions, talking to people, refining your understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve and improving your skillset throughout, so it’s only natural that your business evolves a lot with you.

When you know better, you can do better.

However, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to face feedback that challenges key assumptions you’ve made. That’s why it’s so important to learn to separate your own self-worth and identify from your business, so that you can be open to feedback and not feel personally attacked or judged when an assumption is is questioned. Being open to new information and not doubling down on your own beliefs when faced with feedback that invalidates assumptions allows you to objectively evaluate it and make a conscious decision to either pivot or disregard it instead of defaulting to ignoring it.

You have the freedom to adapt and grow your business every step of the way, so taking on that adventure with an improvement mindset will make a huge difference in your success journey.

Lesson 4: Check your compass regularly

When the only constant is change, how do you make sure you evolve in the right direction and that you’re not just jumping at each and every opportunity that comes your way? That’s where your compass, your north star, your vision comes in. When you are clear about why you started your business, what your goal is and what problem you want to address then it gives you the guidelines to be able to make decisions that will keep you aligned.

I’ve had incredible opportunities that I had to say no to as it wasn’t the right time or the right direction for me and my business currently and as hard as that was, knowing what I want to achieve and what my current limits are gave me peace about those decisions. 

Be clear about your vision and your why as it will help guide your decisions.

You are going to be faced with unexpected opportunities and collaborations, but you need to know what is going to be in your best interest, so calibrate that compass and check it regularly so you have the guiding light you need to map out your own journey. This will allow you to make decisions more objectively and not allow you to hold yourself back just because of fear or jump in when you’re feeling hyped up.

Lesson 5: Get to know yourself well

When you’re running your own business, especially as a solopreneur, you are your business, so your strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs come with you and shape your business. By going in with your eyes open it allows you to acknowledge what works for you and your business and what doesn’t. From productivity techniques to recharging activities, by knowing what makes you tick it allows you to work around it.

The perk of running your own business is that you have the freedom to shape the business to work for you.

For me that means that I create meeting-free space in my calendar after big networking events because I know they drain me, so I give myself the space to recharge or I know that I’m generally more creative in the morning, so I block off time to create your content or strategize. 

You have the freedom to create a space that works for you, to shape it around your commitments and schedules, your ebbs and flows, your strengths and weaknesses, so get to know yourself, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t, and use that freedom to shape your business to your advantage.

So much goes into starting a business (check out the throwback to Turning a Leap into a Hop) and so much goes into creating a business that not only lasts but also thrives, so take some time to reflect on your journey, and save and share the lessons, so that we can all learn together and help each other build a world that benefits us all. 

Here’s to the next year and the exciting new challenges that await!

The Overwhelm

How often do you find yourself overwhelmed by the constant demands of life, thinking there’s never enough time? 

We’re bombarded with advice on eating healthy, exercising, maintaining work-life balance, and self-care, all in the name of avoiding burnout. Deep down, you know it’s true, but it often feels impossible to achieve amidst your existing responsibilities and obligations. It’s frustrating, and constantly missing the mark can lead to a sense of failure and self-doubt.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

You start each week with the best intentions, crafting the perfect plan: healthy eating, regular exercise, personal time, work projects, socializing, and time for chores. But then life throws a curveball – a change in deadlines, an unexpected sickness, power outages, traffic jams, or some other unforeseen challenges. Suddenly, that ideal plan vanishes, and you feel like once again you’ve fallen short of achieving that balance you crave and need.

When this happens repeatedly, it’s easy to start believing that balance is an elusive fairytale, or something reserved for the super-wealthy with endless resources and assistance.

But what if we’ve been approaching balance all wrong?

Perhaps it’s time to redefine our perspective. What if balance isn’t about rigid routines, but rather treating it as a fluid and ever-changing state?

That’s precisely what Leap focuses on. Shifting the focus to intentional decision-making instead of just another thing to add to your never-ending to-do list.

Life is dynamic, and work is ever-evolving, so it only makes sense to adapt our approach to balance accordingly. Each of us is unique, with different needs and preferences.

So it’s okay if the 5AM club isn’t your style!

Let’s explore the 7 steps to unlock your personalized approach to balance:

1. Step back and assess your plate

Give yourself space to gain a clear view of all the physical, mental, and emotional responsibilities you carry. Awareness of what all is on your plate is the first step towards making necessary adjustments. Because you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

2. Reflect on what drives and drains you

Identify your core values, strengths, and intrinsic motivators. This knowledge empowers you to make intentional decisions about tasks. Find the tasks you can delegate or postpone, or create space to recharge when tackling those draining activities you can’t move off your plate.

3. Recognize your available resources

Consider the physical tools, apps, and support people in your life and then make an effort to ask for help. Acknowledge that asking for help is not a weakness but a strength and embrace the fact that we all need support to navigate challenges and achieve our goals.

7. Craft a customized and flexible balance guide

Balance is not a fixed routine but a series of intentional decisions. Creating a guide allows you to proactively step out of ‘default mode’, so you can check in with yourself, adapt to your needs and align your workload and priorities accordingly. Embracing the fact that balance requires adaptability and intentional choices gives you the freedom to accommodate the ebb and flow of life.

Remember, work-life balance is not a destination but a journey.

It’s about making incremental, positive changes in your daily decisions to foster that sustainable balance. By breaking free from autopilot mode, you can take steps to avoid burnout and the endless cycles of busyness.

So, why not try something new? Embark on the journey to create a sustainable approach to balance. What have you got to lose?

Here’s to embracing the balance journey!

The Drive to Perform

Improving performance is often focused on time management and productivity tools. From the Pomodoro technique to the Getting Things Done (GTD) method to the Eisenhower Matrix, they all have their merits and are very useful, but none of them focus on the validity of the actions in the first place.

Taking a step back and stopping to reflect and critically evaluate the overall goal allows you to be sure that you’re heading in the right direction, not just in the most apparent direction. In this culture of busyness, it’s hard to stop, contemplate and give yourself the space and time to interrogate your actions because you have to keep ‘doing’ to be productive.

This is a fallacy.

Taking the time to allow yourself to be clear on what you want to achieve and then only tackling the how allows you to truly be productive. To really increase your chances of success you’ll have to take it even further and give yourself the space to learn how to get out of your own way as well. When you have a clear path and you’re actively removing obstacles, achieving your goals becomes so much easier.

Clarity underpins true performance and allows you to make a significant impact.

Here are 6 ways clarity helps you improve your performance:

1. Improved Focus

When you know exactly what you’re working towards and what you need to do it’s easier to avoid distractions and stay on track, because you’re not getting sidetracked by other tasks and irrelevant information. 

It also allows you to achieve flow states more easily because clarity is a key component of being able to get in those productivity zones.

2. Improved Prioritization

Being clear allows you to classify and prioritize tasks more effectively because you know what will bring you closer to your goal. This helps you make those crucial decisions when everything seems important.

And even on a broader scale, when you’re clear about what is most important to you and what you value, you’re able to make those hard decisions and compromises more easily when you’re faced with competing seemingly equally important priorities.

3. Improved Delegation

Delegation can be daunting because there’s uncertainty about whether the other person will be able to meet your expectations and often we default to ‘it’s easier if I just do it myself’. This is a performance trap. 

When you’re clear about what needs to be done it becomes easier to communicate that clearly along with your expectations. Reducing the miscommunication risk and building in feedback processes allows you to leverage your time better, build trust and empower others.

4. Improved Boundary Setting

Knowing what to say ‘no’ to is challenging, but it becomes significantly easier when you know what you’re working towards. Being clear about what your challenges are, where you’re overextended, and where you’re saying ‘yes’ when deep down you know you should be saying ‘no’ allows you to reevaluate your boundaries. 

Giving yourself permission to set better boundaries is a key driver of performance, but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, so taking the time to get clear on what’s serving you and what isn’t is a great step in your journey.

5. Improved Balance

We often get sucked into the ‘busyness’ and see self-care as a luxury or something you’ll squeeze in when you have a gap. A gap that often doesn’t exist or gets filled with other tasks. When you’re clear about your path and what you need to achieve it, it becomes easier to make time for yourself. Because you know what you need to bring to the journey and it’s not an empty tank.

Making time to focus on renewing your energy on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level becomes a key part of achieving success instead of an afterthought.

6. Improved Confidence

Then finally, confidence. Confidence is a result of action. The more you do something, the better you get at it, the more confident you become in your ability to do it. That’s the same with going after your goals. Setting a goal and taking on change is an intimidating process, but when you’re clear about what you need to do and you know how to utilize your support system to get through challenges, you build confidence every step of the way.

But a key part of building that confidence is in reflecting. When we rush from task to task it’s easy to diminish the success we achieve, but taking time to reflect on the successes, learn from the challenges, and acknowledge how far we’ve come allows us to build reference points that grow our confidence.

Clarity is a Journey

Gaining it is a lot easier said than done and it’s not a once-off exercise. However it is possible to achieve if you stay clear of the busyness trap and give yourself the time and space to explore it. This becomes even easier when you have someone walking that path with you to challenge you, motivate you, identify blind spots, give you the opportunity to brainstorm freely and hold you accountable to your own progress.

So what are you doing to give yourself the time and space to regain clarity?

The Fresh Start

The beginning of a new year brings with it the allure of a fresh start – a new beginning – another chance to make this the year you start living the life you truly want.

But resolutions often fail before hitting Easter, or sometimes even Valentine’s Day. So what happens in those first few weeks of the year that takes all the wind out of our sails?

The answer is simple – we get swept up in the excitement about the prospect of change, set big goals for ourselves, but don’t necessarily have a plan about HOW we are going to achieve this. That excitement fuels our motivation initially, but it’s not enough to truly make the changes we envisioned long term.

For real change to take place YOU need to change.

Whether it is your habits, your views, your approach or a combination of it all, but for lasting change YOU need to be willing to change and build a clear plan to really go after that resolution you were so excited about at the beginning of the year.

So how do we make resolutions stick?

Here are some concrete tips to help you turn those resolutions into reality this year.

1. Find the Real Why

Start with understanding the real motivation behind your goal. Take the time to really articulate what is driving you, because when the initial excitement wears off and only the hard graft is left you’ll need to know WHY you wanted this in the first place.

2. Make it Specific & Measurable

The more specific you can be the better, because it allows you to know when you’re on track and when you’re not. And giving yourself the option to be able to measure your progress makes all the difference. ‘I’m going to exercise 150 minutes a week.’ is a lot more specific and measurable than saying ‘I’m going to exercise more.’. So set yourself up for success by being clear.

3. Keep it Realistic & Achievable

Setting incredibly lofty goals is not a bad thing, but you need to keep an eye on what is realistic in the timeframe you choose, because there is nothing more demotivating than knowing that you’re going to fail before you even really started. Break down those lofty goals into achievable milestones and give yourself a fighting chance.

4. Pick a Timeframe

There’s nothing like a looming deadline to inspire action and a common problem with resolutions and goals is that most of the time they are not time dependent. There is no urgency to change if you just want to achieve something ‘this year’, but there is one when you say ‘I’m going to run 5km by 1 June.’. Creating that sense of urgency helps break that initial inertia and helps you get the change process started.

5. Make Sure it’s in Your Control

You can only control your own actions, thoughts and feelings. You can’t control anyone else’s. So make sure to phrase your resolutions, so that they are in your control. ‘I’m going to get investment funding.’ is setting yourself up for potential disappointment, but ‘I’m going to improve my business performance by doing x, y and z in order to be a more lucrative investment.’ is something you can control and will put you in a much better position to succeed.

6. Have an Accountability Partner

Having a trusted friend, partner, or a professional coach can really help you stay on track, especially when the excuses start rolling in and the motivation wanes. Having someone be on the journey with you, supporting you, is one of the biggest tools to success, because they won’t allow you to let yourself down and grinning and bearing it alone is a really tough road to take.

7. Keep it Positive

Phrase resolutions in the positive because you want to keep the focus on what you want to achieve and have in your life instead of what you want to remove, stop doing or cut out. Our minds are weird and wonderful places and by keeping the focus on the positive, we align our subconscious to focus on the positives of what you want instead of on the self-critical negatives.

8. Be Kind to Yourself

Making a significant change in your life is hard and having setbacks is part of the whole journey. So don’t aim to be perfect, be prepared for setbacks, but stay committed to trying. Change doesn’t happen overnight or in 21 days likes some popular beliefs go – it is a constant new path that you’re forging that gets more and more well-travelled as you build the life you want. So be kind to yourself when you experience setbacks, but stay committed to the life you want.

So if this year you are serious about the resolutions or goals you have set for yourself, then give yourself the best chance to truly achieve it!

And remember that setting a new goal or resolution is not limited to the beginning of a new year – you can start your change process any day – all you need is to be ready to do so.

Here’s to making this year the one where we truly go after the lives we want!

All the Doubts

Embarking on an adventure, like starting a business, is daunting and before launching Leap I was plagued with self-doubt. And those doubts didn’t magically go away after I launched.

There was (and is) a constant string of questions that pop up:

What if no one is interested in my offering?

What if I’m making a mistake?

What will people say if I fail?

What if I’m not good enough to do this?

Sound familiar?

BUT the key was to not let these doubts stop me. I believe that what I’m drawn to doing can make a difference and that is what I’m truly passionate about. That drives me to put in the work to make my dream a reality.

This meant I had to learn how to deal with all those nagging questions and doubts in order to get out of my own way because we are often our own biggest critics and our own biggest blockers.

Learning how to deal with self-doubt is key to getting out of your own way, not only for business owners and leaders but for anyone tackling something daunting.

So how do you deal with it?

There are many ways to deal with it, but I found these to be effective:

1. Acknowledge your doubts

2. Check your tone

3. Reflect on your past achievements

4. Reach out to your support squad

5. Give your doubts space

6. Harness the power of your doubts

7. Charge your doubts ‘rent’

1. Acknowledge your Doubts

Doubts can be useful indicators on your adventure, but you have to know which are valid and which are unfounded. Ignoring them is a very short-term fix and most of the time ineffectual as they tend to just come back stronger. Acknowledging the doubts and understanding where they are coming from allows you to tackle them more broadly. 

That requires knowing yourself as it is key to building confidence and tackling them head-on. For instance, I know that I’m extremely critical of myself (#workinprogress), so my fear of failure is intense. This makes my brain a glorious playground for self-doubt to flourish. However, I also know that my brain is just trying to ‘protect’ me from the ‘scary’ things I’m making it do which is launch and run a business. This understanding of myself and my doubts allows me to work through them more easily.

When the doubts come creeping in, take a moment to acknowledge what they are and why they’re coming, so that you can move forward and address them.

2. Check your Tone

That voice inside your head can be downright mean, so checking how you’re talking to yourself when those doubts pop up is important. We are often our own harshest critics, so it’s important to be more compassionate with ourselves. This allows you to take the ‘sting’ out of those doubts without ignoring them.

Ask yourself the following question – ‘What would I say to a friend who was in this same situation?’. Because it’s often easier to be compassionate to those around you than to yourself.

3. Reflect on your Past Achievements

Ever noticed how easy it is to recall failures, like that embarrassing thing you said to a colleague that one time? And have you noticed how achievements become fuzzy a lot quicker? It’s really useful to spend some time reflecting on your past achievements as you’ll be able to refute those doubts a lot easier. It allows you to shine a light on those dark thoughts. This can be especially hard when you’re already feeling very critical of yourself, but it’s important to have access to your own highlights reel.

Give yourself a few minutes to go down memory lane and bask in the glory of your past achievements. Shifting gears to focus on the positive can really help turn the tide on those doubts.

4. Reach out to your Support Squad

However, sometimes the doubts can be too overwhelming and you hit a wall trying to reflect on your past achievements. This is where a great support squad comes in. Those special people in your life that know you, motivate you, and root for you. Reaching out to your support squad is key to battling doubts, especially when you’re doing something alone, like starting a business. They are the people who can often recall your successes a lot better than you and can provide you with amazing support when it all feels too much. Think about how easily you can recall your best friend’s highlights reel.

Reach out to your support squad to help you get through those dark thoughts and see how they can help you shine a light straight through your doubts.

5. Give your Doubts Space

Sometimes, despite your best efforts and the support from your squad the doubts persist and you just can’t shake them. And that’s okay. Lean into it and play out those worst-case scenarios, but give yourself a fixed time limit. Explore those doubts fully, because by doing so you take away their power and you have the opportunity to scrutinize them and challenge them.

Give yourself 15 minutes to play out whichever doubt is plaguing you and explore how you’d handle the ‘what ifs’. Most of the time you’ll realize that the worst-case scenario is actually not as bad as you imagined and you’ll be able to handle it or have a plan to avoid it.

6. Harness the Power of your Doubts

As mentioned before, doubts can be useful too. Because they allow you to stop and think about your path. For better or worse, they carry power. They impact your decision-making and can be a key driving force behind whether or not you succeed in your goals. However, you can harness that power for good and have it help you achieve your goals. Doubts can help motivate you to take on the change needed to succeed as long as they are kept in check.

I use my fear of failure to drive me to deliver the best quality work I can for my clients and my business. However, it is tempered with self-care, so that I can continue delivering great work for a long time and not hit that burnout wall.

Use those doubts for good, by allowing them to motivate you and drive you, but make sure to keep them in check.

7. Charge your Doubts ‘Rent’

Then finally, doubts should not be allowed to live in your head ‘rent-free’. Make it hard for your doubts to get a permanent space in your head because this can lead them to become permanent blockers. Write down your past achievements, have your support squad on speed dial and take whatever steps you can to deal with the doubts swiftly so that they don’t get in your way.

Know yourself, create a list of go-to achievements, and write down the things your support squad has said to you so you have ways to deal with those familiar doubts when they pop up. This allows you to get back to doing great things much faster.

Moving Forward

Having doubts is something that everyone has to contend with, but it doesn’t mean that you’re not confident or successful, it just means that you’re human. The most successful people in the world still have doubts from time to time, but they don’t allow them to stop them in their tracks. 

In the end, it’s your choice how you deal with the self-doubt pit. You can choose to let it swallow you up and cut your adventure short or use the tools you have to climb out and adventure on.

I choose to use my tools and I aim to help those around me learn how to use their tools too.

So here’s to adventuring on despite the doubts!

The Leap Prequel

The business adventure doesn’t start when you launch your website, open your store or land your first client, although those are incredible milestones. 

There’s a whole chapter of the adventure that takes place behind the scenes before you even get to that point, this is what I call the Business Prequel.

As they say, it takes a lot of hard work to become an overnight success and even though starting the business doesn’t guarantee it’ll succeed – starting it is a personal victory worth celebrating.

Starting out…

The road from the first spark of an idea to making that idea a reality is filled with a myriad of ups and downs, self-doubt spirals, elated happy dances, long hours, numerous idea iterations, research, research, and more research, and that indescribable feeling of joy when you start seeing this idea come to life.

The beautiful thing about a business prequel is that it is unique to every business – whether it is starting in your parents’ garage, growing your side hustle, throwing yourself into the deep end by rage-quitting your job, or being forced into it due to retrenchment. No matter how it starts, that prequel is unique, because YOU are a part of that journey.

My prequel…

My prequel started about 3 years ago while I was sitting in my lounge plagued by the idea of wanting to help people help themselves for quite a while. That in itself can mean anything and it took me three years and about 6 business idea iterations before landing on Leap.

The one constant throughout it all was the desire to help people be in a better position to help themselves. To build that positive ripple. 

Each idea had its merits and I was excited about all of them, but they didn’t quite hit all the marks. So I went back to the drawing board time and time again.

 I did a lot of introspection and looked back to see what the common thread has been throughout my life. What I (re-)discovered was that I’ve always had an interest in business and psychology.

I find business to be a fascinating ever-changing beast. It is complex with so many aspects working together and this is then all underpinned by people, who are fascinating, unique, and complex in themselves and that is where Leap was born.

Setting up my Leap…

Leap focuses on people in business, allowing me to combine the two aspects I find most fascinating and challenging. I focus on finding a way to help them to navigate the complexities of business and the complexities of balancing life as a business owner and business leader through coaching. 

 But that idea still took many many months to come to life.

From the outside, I had every ‘tool’ I needed to start the business:

• a business education
• experience in managing multiple businesses
• a business idea that didn’t require a lot of capital
• start-up funds
• access to high-speed internet
• a network of people with finance, design, web development, and legal expertise &
• a passion for what I want to do.

But still, it took me over a year to get to the point of actually taking that leap. Granted, major life events, work events, and a pandemic also played their part in that timeline.

The biggest challenge…

My biggest challenge was not external at all. I had to work on making my ‘leap’ as small as possible because the challenges I faced (and continue to face) were internal. And these challenges are not unique to me.

I was plagued with self-doubt, fear of failure, anxiety, risk aversion, perfectionism, and the ever-present threat of burnout and depressive periods. 

I had to build the confidence and clarity to take that leap. I had to understand my struggles and then learn how to work through them (and with them) and I feel that holds for everyone. We all have our own personal struggles that can hold us back if we let them. And that is what I want to help business owners and leaders overcome. 

Turning my leap into a hop…

I had to turn my ‘leap’ into a ‘hop’ because that is what I needed and I want to help business owners and business leaders turn their ‘leaps’ into manageable ‘hops’ as well.

Because with enough manageable ‘hops’ that once daunting idea becomes a reality.

Is my way of starting a business the best way? By no means, BUT it is the best way for me. 

I needed to take my time to get to where I am now. It is my adventure and looking back I’m excited about every peak and valley that I’ve been through. And now, standing on the precipice of the next chapter of my business adventure, I can’t wait to see what is in store. 

Here’s to taking that next ‘hop’ and helping you take yours!