Conclusion

Putting Your Bold Move Mindset to the Test

I’m so proud of you.

You made it to this point.

You kept showing up for yourself.

You’re committed to learning.

You’re serving others.

You’re finding joy.

Celebrate this progress.

It’s time to put your Bold Move Mindset to the test.

You’ve been practicing with each chapter in your Bold Moves to Make Now. Now you decide what your Bold Moves will be.

As you’re out there advancing your career, growing as a person, and developing as a leader, keep in mind the four mindsets (Gratitude Mindset, Happiness Mindset, And Mindset, Progress Mindset) to guide you while you put yourself out there and follow through. Bold Moves are a choice you make each day, though they look different for everyone and even differ day to day. You’ll know them when you feel them, the ones that make your heart start to beat a bit faster, and a little voice in your head may tell you to be cautious—and you’ll do it anyway. Through the fears. Through the uncertainty. Because you believe in possibility. And you believe in yourself.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself making Bold Moves even more than you expected!

I’m not surprised, though. I believed in you from the start.

• • •

As I reflect on this book, it came from a series of Bold Moves. After spending the early part of 2020 querying agents for a book I had started drafting about women’s leadership and being rejected from every single one, I had to accept that my book dream might not happen. That this coincided with the biggest crisis of our lifetimes, the Covid-19 pandemic, wasn’t lost on me. After mourning the loss of the book dream for a while, I realized I wasn’t going to let other people decide how I could serve women who wanted to level up in their careers and leadership.

One day as I scrolled through Instagram, I saw a call to action from Molly Beck, Founder of Messy.fm and author of Reach Out, that said, “Who is a leader that should have their own podcast? Hint: It might be you.” I stared at the post for a minute, reflecting on all the times I had considered this before and put it to the side, and commented, “Molly, I’m raising my own hand.” Talking with Molly a few weeks later, it was easy to get wrapped up in her enthusiasm for the medium, but as I spoke about my ideas, I realized they were far clearer than I had even realized. As excited as I was to launch the podcast, I had no experience recording or editing. After five weeks of overthinking, rerecording, and some tears, I launched One Bold Move a Day, a (then) daily six-minute podcast to help women achieve their goals and advance their careers.

Looking back, I could’ve raised my hand and then changed my mind. I could’ve had the initial call and then given up. (Believe me, there were some days where I thought about it.) What kept me going was helping women at a time they needed it most. Day by day, I figured out the podcasting process. I still recorded some episodes multiple times, but I didn’t feel as overwhelmed. I felt vulnerable sharing stories I’d never told anyone and hoped the sharing would decrease the stigma for everyone. Though I felt incredibly fulfilled in supporting women through the podcast, the book dream was still on my heart.

So, I pursued it again—and it led me to you.

As I spent time writing this book about what it means to make Bold Moves to advance your career, grow as a person, and develop as a leader, I started to think even more deeply than ever before about what this meant for me personally.

During the pandemic, my identity changed. Perhaps yours did, too. I started to reconsider what was most important to me and, for the first time, truly realized I was more than my work, job, or title.

It was in creating this guide for you that I also found clarity in my own calling. I made the boldest move to leave a career I loved to start my own company full-time. I knew it would allow me to help more organizations and leaders to fulfill their potential.

And yes, I ran toward something. With joy.

As I was considering this move, I mentioned to my friend Ali that I thought the universe was sending me a message, and perhaps I would wait to have everything figured out before I made a full-time career as an entrepreneur. She asked me, “What makes you think the universe is going to make it completely clear for you if you haven’t yet fully dedicated yourself to making this choice?” That resonated with me. Bold Moves are more than the act itself—it’s the follow-through, too, that will differentiate you.

Friends and colleagues who knew me worried that I would leave behind a career I have been so good at. Here’s the thing about what you are very good at, whatever that means for you: when we stop learning, we stop growing.

You can love something with your whole heart and still walk away from it in order to grow. This is who I am meant to become. I couldn’t have known it then, but I listened to my heart. (I even walked through the four questions I shared in Chapter 4 about what to consider before taking a new job!)

Through my work, I’m able to partner with more companies and nonprofit organizations to build stronger workplace cultures, develop leaders to reach their potential, and support women to thrive at work. And on most days, I’ve been able to pick up my son from school, too.

I’m confident the Bold Move Mindset has sustained me through everything up to this point, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the world when you apply this for yourself.

In the quiet moments when you feel unsure about which direction you should go or your Bold Move Mindset is being tested, come back to this book as a resource. Picture having coffee with me if it helps!

Just as I created this roadmap for your success, I know you’ll now create the pathways for other women. You’re their leader, their sponsor, their mentor, their friend, their sister, and their cheerleader. You’re a role model for how to achieve more than you ever thought possible.

May this be just the beginning of your journey. I am always, always cheering you on.