Leaning into Tiny Acts of Bravery

About 3.5 months ago when Covid hit, I lost all of my non-profit consulting contracts. 

I had ventured out on my own as a consultant in September 2019 and for the first time in my 20 year career, I found myself out of work. I know many of you can identify with this story.

I spent the first couple of days in disbelief. 

There were lots of tears. Lots of breakdowns. Lots of fear. 

What was I going to do? How was I going to make money? Who without my career was I?

I remembered the words of my very wise coach I had worked with over the last few years, who cited Dr. Claire Zammit to me and said “Jen, act as if all the world is organizing around your success.” 

I knew I had to keep moving forward.

I turned inward and a question kept coming up that I knew I needed to listen to. "What is it you deeply want to create". The last time I heard that question was 2 years prior when I had taken a trip to Africa with charity, One Girl Can.

It seemed to me that every time I actually slowed down, connected inward and listened...this question arose.

So I took a big deep breath, called up on my courage, pushed through my fears and launched my coaching practice. 

I had been coaching individuals and teams for the last 15 years but the thought of doing it for a living scared the crap out of me. It also excited me beyond belief because if I looked through the common threads of what brought me joy in my 20-year career to date, it was working with people. 

• Making an impact on people.
• Supporting people.
• Challenging people.
• Connecting people.
• Coaching people. 

In fact, my longtime friend and Global Thought Leader, Dan Pontefract once leaned over to me while we were having coffee in TELUS Gardens and said, “Jen, you’re a People Philanthropist”. 

It deeply resonated with me.

It is a beautiful thing when you start to believe in a deeper potential for your life. I recognized all the things that were holding me back, which were really my own self-imposed inner glass ceilings. Now I am excited to continue to work with women to shatter theirs so they can align with their higher purpose. 

“Never waste a crisis”, I was once told. So after I picked myself up, I took one tiny brave step after another tiny brave step and 3.5 months later, those tiny brave steps have amounted to this:

• 30 hours of pro-bono coaching in May with women who want to create a meaningful impact in how they lead and live. 
• 10 new paid one-on-one clients signed up to work with me in the month of June (and I am talking to more every day). 
• 12 female leaders signed up within 5 days for the launch of my Brave Leadership for Women program in September (with a growing waitlist).
• 3 courses (both in progress and complete) including my Coach Training, an online launch Academy and an intensive course on Feminine Power.
• Launched a Brave Women’s Collective, a group of incredible female leaders supporting one another during the Covid pandemic.
• Read three books and re-dedicated myself to my work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Signed up for webinars, workshops, facebook live videos and more. I amd continuing to spend a great deal of time learning and listening to BIPOC leaders and being thoughtful about how to integrate this in my personal and professional work.
• Launched a Brave Women’s Book Club and over 100 women joined in and read Glennon Doyle’s ‘Untamed’ together. We connected and spoke about what it means to leave bravely and on our own terms.
• Put out into the universe 3 short videos on topics I was passionate about which have received over 5,000 views.
• Supported our kids through homeschooling and discovered many joyful moments with them (and some not so joyful ones). Realized even more how hard my kids teachers must work :) 
• Secured two new non-profit consulting clients. 
• Rode 75 times on my bike and lost 5 lbs - pushing myself beyond my comfort zone time and time again (thanks Peloton).

I could have just threw up my hands and believed the story I was telling myself that “no one was going to spend money on coaching right now”. But I questioned the validity of that story. I recognized the stories I was telling myself were just blocking my ability to create and they were hardwired in a fear, lack and scarcity mindset. 

I pinned my favourite quote above my desk and I am reminded ever day that “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” - Anais Nin.

Keep calling up on your courage. Keep questioning the validity of the stories that hold you back. Keep leaning into bravery. One tiny step at a time.

What act of bravery have you leaned into over the last 3 months?