A few years ago, I went through a major life transition that led me to shut down my design studio of four years and go in-house at a Fortune 50. That decision to step back and go in a new direction didn’t come lightly. It involved laying off my team and eventually telling my favorite clients I wasn’t available for new projects. It also involved emotionally letting go of all that I had built over the course of years, and stepping aside from my carefully-crafted reputation as an entrepreneur to help build someone else’s business from a position that was relatively behind-the-scenes.
As I look back, I know that stepping away from my company was one of the hardest decisions I ever made, but it was also one of the best. I needed that change to ‘feel’ the needs and cultural challenges of clients that were easily-avoidable as a consultant. I also needed that change to develop an outside-in perspective around what I actually wanted to build, rather than what i’d simply fallen into. And finally, I needed that change to find margin for my personal life: dating, cooking, decorating, you know normal people stuff.
Stepping away from my company was one of the hardest decisions I ever made, but it was also one of the best
Sometimes the best decision we can make is to give ourselves permission to pivot without having all the answers. There’s a quote I found some time ago that has really spoken to this notion in my journey as a creative: “old ways won’t open new doors.” The point here is that continuing down a path that feels unyielding isn’t always the right answer, and it’s okay to let go of old dreams and allow ourselves to find new ones. Sometimes when things aren’t working, or we’re not growing anymore, it is perfectly okay to say “enough.”
It’s okay to let go of old dreams and allow ourselves to find new ones
When I made my career pivot into in-house design, I had no idea where it would lead. I gave myself permission to pivot because I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted that to be enough of an answer for a while. And it was.
Today, i’m living proof that new ways will open new doors. I took a leap and closed the door on a consulting practice that I loved but that was no longer working for me. I’m now back out there as an entrepreneur, focusing on a startup with a bold vision to reinvent the way retailers build relationships with customers and a coaching practice that energizes me. I’m doing entrepreneurship again, but doing it very differently than I was before. And closing an old door was all I had to do to start the journey to a slew of new ones.
What’s the lesson here? Don’t be afraid to say no to a professional venture or career path that once felt good but doesn’t anymore. And when you have an inkling that it’s time to make a change, give that inkling permission to “breathe” for a while so you can give it a fair hearing. You may be surprised at where it takes you.
Want to give yourself permission to pivot with a little outside help? Learn more here.