A short story: No Guts No Glory
***This is the abridged version to a much much much longer story***
In February 2019, I was granted the opportunity of a lifetime.
I moved to Amsterdam in January 2020 to take that opportunity. The idea was for me to grow our emerging markets territories, which meant lots of in-person customer meetings, traveling, and airplane time. Obviously, that all changed around the end of February [COVID, duh] and I had to pivot… hard.
2020 was raft with hardships, challenges, and many many beautiful moments both personally and professionally. I ended the year with a bang, however — closing the largest deal of my career and ensuring our team exceeded our sales number. [champagne poppp!]
But, nothing compared to what was next.
Our company was acquired and my role was announced as redundant. Which meant I was losing my job. The reason I had moved to the Netherlands in the first place, and they were also sponsoring my residence permit!!!
For the next 2 weeks, my brain was incessantly filled with a billion buzzing bees and my stomach in a constant knot. I had a million decisions in front of me, and whatever I chose would shape my entire future. No pressure, right?
After recovering from the shock of losing my job and having my entire life turned upside down… I gave my self space. I slowed down. And I listened, to my gut.
if your gut is telling you to do something, LISTEN TO IT!!!
I realized this was the opportunity I had been waiting for my entire life.
And I made the decision to become an entrepreneur.
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I am now working on two businesses, in parallel. My passion equally split between both. UppLevel & wellfnded
I have dreamt of being an entrepreneur since I can remember. Starting when I was 10, building a pet sitting business with my childhood best friend that dominated the neighborhood and a non profit, cleaning snow off of the elderlys’ driveways.
When I grew older and learned about the world — the struggles of people, the state of our planet — I knew what I was truly driven to do was change the world. To find a way to make the largest positive impact possible.
That ethos has been my North Star ever since.
I’ve somehow always known this was my purpose. I’ve never worried about what, when, or how I would do it. I knew I would figure it out. And I have intentionally designed my life so that that dream could become reality.
