I Do Not Want to "Keep Up."

?I have not shared a newsletter post in a few months now, given a mixed bag of circumstances.

?Recently, I have been working on the rebranding of my now, 3-and-a-half-year-old business. I am certainly excited to say that I am a business owner, entrepreneur, solopreneur and whatever tag that comes along with such an adventure. However, there are so many other aspects of business ownership and wanting to provide quality services to others. Particularly those who I witness and have been told about, going through encounters I have also gone through. And I do not mean “Encounters of the Third Kind” … (corny joke for you 70’s and 80’s babies out there) I mean the juggle of ?experiences such as being a full time employee, ?caregiver to an aging family member, grieving the loss of another family member, full time graduate student, managing health concerns, and o, how could I forget being a naturalized citizen in a country’s social framework that significantly exacerbates these experiences in some truly depleting ways.

?Over the past year and a half, since being laid off, there have been many points of transition that have provided me with unique opportunities to reflect. One such transition has been the move back to the Caribbean. I have long intended on returning to my home region, as I believe service to my native community is part of my career purpose. After all, this is the community and culture that has fostered and supported my ambitions and competencies.

?As I straddle this so called “expat” life and my naturalized life in the U.S., there are several revelations, if you may, that have been made clear to me, the least of which is the fact that…. I do not want to keep up. Does this mean I will fail? Am I being ridiculous or naive? Isn't it easier to just do it like everyone else says? Maybe. However, what will make me feel most fulfilled has been the more silent and consistent inner voice I have been hearing lately.

?I do not want to keep moving at the pace that life in the U.S. has conditioned me to believe, under the pressures of fear mongering and false sense of urgency. Do not get me wrong, I am not a lackadaisical individual by any means, however, there is certainly a more healthy and productive way to live and still be successful. I have truly been reminded of this, given my return home.

Logging on to various social media platforms and seeing how many times fellow entrepreneurs “have to post” and how often “new content” must be developed and launched, is seriously overwhelming. And I can speak on this from both the perspective of being coached that this is how the solo-preneur life is…”it is what it is” and you have to keep up if you want to actually get out there and become competitive enough to attract the clients you seek.

?I absolutely applause my colleagues who are doing these daily posts and keeping up with the pace of things and getting the attraction they are seeking. I am even an occasional client of my colleagues as well and I am proud to say that. It is great when we can support each other through this process. However, I have noticed my resistance and really aversion to this level of grind. Part of this aversion I know is due to PTSD of several professional experiences already had. In my mind, there must be another way. Some of the entrepreneurs I have spoken to have told me, it is a serious grind mentality for about seven or so years and some keep that going all the way throughout their business. Others tell me there are many stops and starts before things find their rhythm and efforts just flow and attract naturally. And then there are some who say, it is not for them as a full-time pursuit for their career. All fair points and all have some very personal and impactful stories behind these Clifton Notes of the entrepreneurial experience.

?So, if I did not move into entrepreneurship to continue grinding until I “make it big”, then what am I doing? I honestly moved into this direction to serve. To serve those who are either in situations I once sat in and to those who I wish to serve on a systematic level, by shifting the experience of the systems they navigate daily. This applies to the work I do under my international development hat as a public health practitioner, as well as the work I do as an international psychologist. I have crafted a career that I am passionate about, and was very intentional that at the core, I wish to serve with positive and sustained impact. That goes for the clients I coach one on one or in groups, to the population level work being done in the Caribbean region or abroad. The intersection of consulting and coaching for me, has been a natural one and given the work I have done over these 20+ years, is one I now wish to have evolve into a more curated path that serves me as a professional but also as a passionate individual.

?It will not show up like my fellow entrepreneurs in the coaching and consulting world, and guess what…that is just fine. We each have our rightful spark and attract our destined clients. I am excited about this period of rebranding, as there have been so many lessons over the past year and a half alone. I will be taking my pace to put them together and serving you or someone you know, as it suits.

?Here's to excitedly and intentionally moving forward and being buoyant as I go!

?Be Well.

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