Taking the First Step
If you know me well, then you know how long I talked about starting a consulting business before I actually did it. I thought it might work but I was afraid to take a risk, afraid to fail, afraid to put something into the world that wasn’t perfect.
My friends and family encouraged me to go for it and lovingly reminded me that I had everything I needed to proceed—a master’s degree in counseling and 15 years’ of experience teaching, advising, and creating curricula and programs. But I just couldn’t convince myself to take the leap of faith required to start the business.
Then COVID happened and, after a period of deep distress and existential angst, I decided that I had nothing to lose. Life seemed shorter than it had before and I knew that if I was going to do it, I didn’t need to wait any longer. I set up an LLC, opened a bank account, created a website, and launched the business.
Only now do I understand the significance of those first steps, when I chose to push through my fear to pursue what I perceived to be my “calling.” My willingness to take those steps has created more opportunities than I could have ever imagined.
Over the past 14 months, I have…
Provided personal and professional development coaching to College Advisers serving in rural high schools across the state
Completed 100 hours of Enneagram teacher training
Led an anti-racism book club
Recorded a podcast
Facilitated Enneagram workshops for an insurance company in Atlanta and a consulting firm in New York City
Led a webinar on civic engagement for AmeriCorps members serving at non-profits across the state
Trained summer camp counselors
Led CliftonStrengths workshops for 2 dental office teams
Facilitated a “train-the-trainer” workshop for AmeriCorps directors in South Carolina
Facilitated a 2-part Enneagram workshop on Zoom
Started writing a book (more about that soon!)
Provided 1-on-1 coaching to women who live in Louisiana and New York
What if I had listened to perfectionism and fear rather than taking the step that I knew was mine to take? I would have missed out on so many opportunities, so many relationships, so much learning. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I try to remember that I don’t have to figure it all out at once. All I have to do is take the next right step and see where it leads!
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.