Your recovery speed is directly proportionate to the speed in which you grow.

You probably remember the piece I wrote about “You don’t belong here” (published on my featured items on Linkedin ) and how my entrepreneurial journey started. I thought I’d write a part 2 because a lot has changed since then. Motherhood is challenging for everyone, but when you are a single mom and your little angel is a genius, you need to find creative coping mechanisms. I have now spent 3 years away from my son, only seeing him on weekends. I am FINALLY getting back to him. Moving to Zurich in 1 month. Yeah!

I kept myself busy and built a solid business while securing my permanent residency in Switzerland. I officially live solely of the business I built, I am an expat who has localized, and I have a son who is thriving in the public Swiss-German school system, even though he has autism and started off in private international schools. AND I receive NO alimony from my ex-husband.

You know I come from nothing, so achieving means a lot to people like me. Growth is not a choice, it’s an obligation when plan A is the only option. I fought hard to remain rebellious and build grit. I credit my stubborn mind for getting me to where I am today. As my business has doubled in size over-reaching the CHF 200k mark that I had anticipated in total revenues, I take pride in the fact that I have only started Talent Factory 2 years ago, with no initial capital.

I now have a powerful team of 3 badass ladies who are killers in their own field of work. I never took NO as the final. As I see it, this is a blessing. When I fractured my neck in 2020 after diving in a pool headfirst, I learned to not listen to the “specialists” who have a list of reasons as to why I might never walk again, let alone run!

I ran my first marathon in 2023 with 2 screws in my neck and I can’t wait to do it again! I did not complete the race though, but leaving at KM 27 is not weak, it’svulnerable. Vulnerability is sexy, according to Brene Brown. I firmly intend to complete the bloody race, this year! 2024 is promising in many ways.

I have 2 years of late tax payments to pay down and that lights up the fire in me. Nothing does it like taxes. Force yourself to deliver, and you shall! How else do I force myself? By taking on a bigger lease, by attracting more premium clients, by accepting projects that challenge me intellectually, by consuming content obsessively, by being a faithful disciple of the 5 am club, and by cutting alcohol out totally. And God knows I like to party! I am Brazilian after all. My fridge is full of fake liquor as I trick my brain into believing I am still cool. I did not drink for about 1 year now. It’s an all time record!

I also credit sports. Because you can’t excel in business and slack at the gym. Excellence is cross-functional. It spills over. It carries over into different buckets of our lives. When you rise, you inevitably change the energy of people in your community, as they get encouraged and excited to follow along. I started to run, then I got my entourage excited about it too.

By the way, family only matters if they are your cheerleaders. Frankly speaking, don’t let anyone slow me down. It’s radical, I know. But are you slowing people down? Are you holding anyone back? NO. Right?! So why allow anyone to impose their rhythm and fears unto you? Not a chance!

If you think it’s bold, read on to see what’s truly bold: to have wants. It’s bold to have wants and it’s even bolder to make them known to others. I noticed in my coaching practice that people are super clear about what they don’t want, about what they deserve, what they won’t tolerate, but if I ask them: “Ok, I get it. You want more. What is it that you want?”. They inevitably go blank…

To me, this is simply a lack of self-trust. If I say out loud that I want to run a full marathon, I need to trust that I have the power and mental endurance to do it. If I say, I want to be a CEO, I need to trust that I have what it takes to run a company. Most people are so worried about whom to trust that they forget that the only trust that matters is SELF-TRUST.

Alright, how do I increase my self-trust then? You can also call it: confidence. That will only raise by pushing your limits. Discovering your fears and doing exactly what you have been avoiding. Think about the very thing that scares you and let it excite you. Once you convert fear into excitement, you are one step closer to pushing your limits, raising your energy level, and automatically creating your 2.0 or even 3.0 version. Replace yoga by boxing, biking by rock climbing, walking by running, swimming by diving, etc.

Replace your cozy job, by entering the startup scene, even if only as a mentor, replace your scrolling, by posting your content, replace Netflixing by creating your own videos and replace music streaming, by podcast streaming. You get the picture. It sounds awful. What about enjoying life? I get it. This whole thing isn’t fun. Well… define “fun”.

I think it’s fun to run in order to meet my badass self after KM 20. The version of me that lies ahead, that I don’t get to meet in bed. I think it’s fun to become smarter as I lay down the wine. I never knew I could think this fast and be this sharp. I think it’s fun to shape who I am and look back to myself last year and go: “OMG, I look so much hotter today!”.

One more thing, stay cool. Make it all look effortless and be gorgeous at all times. Beauty is an invitation. Beautiful people get hired more and sell more. Don’t argue with that, it’s hopeless. Just get into your best shape and tell me you are not getting the ROI. I bet you are!

Lastly, know that the pace of recovery truly defines the magnitude of your growth. In order to recover faster, you must be lighter. Drop the stuff that holds you back! It’s not about doing more, it’s about dropping the nonsense.

Growth is about the audacity to claim our desires, the courage to confront our fears, and the resilience to run relentlessly toward a newer version of ourselves. You are only defined by what and who you love.