I often get asked, “How did you get here? You’ve done some cool projects, Discovery Education, Royal Bank of Scotland. Head of Strategy over at Capital One. And now you’re running your own business starting? What the heck! We know you’re a boss at planning, but how did you navigate your way through all of this? You’ve built incredible careers in three very different major global markets NYC, Lagos and London–all without any connections at the start. How did you do this?”
The truth is, I didn’t mastermind those transitions. I wish I could take credit for that. I think one thing that’s always been helpful for me is just really following my interests. And exploring them fully. I love to learn, I love to problem solve. So I kind of dive deep into things. That’s really what has been the overarching trend for me.
I moved to Lagos, three degrees above the equator, because I wanted to explore that side of my cultural identity. And I lived and worked out there for several years. And then I moved out to London, because my new husband lived out there. And I thought, why not? It’s one of the best cities in the world. And then when we decided to start our family, we moved out to the Washington DC area, which is where I’m based now.
So I’ve really just been going with the flow and seeing where things take me. But when I look back, there are three things that really helped me to navigate those transitions successfully:
1. You have to visualize:
– Where do you want to get to?
– Why do you want to go there?
– Who do you want to be?
– How do you want to feel?
2. Another thing that’s been really helpful is honestly just having a bit of faith. I call it effortless manifestation–that belief that good things can happen. And leave a little bit of room for magic. See what happens. And I find that if I’m behaving and speaking from a place of sincerity, the universe pays it back tenfold.
3. Finally, don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying something new.
My hope is that these guidelines help you as much as they have served me.
Share your experience with me! What helps you visualize when the next steps are unclear? And how do you balance dreaming and planning for the future with being present and enjoying today?
