Today’s post features an extraordinary woman whom I met a few months ago. You may remember Dr. Nadia Brown’s advice to those of us dealing with uncertainty in the post, Uncertainty is Actually Certain So Embrace It.  I’m excited about having her as a guest blogger this week because

Not only is she dropping knowledge, but she’s reassuring us that there’s nothing crazy about making our ideas blossom!

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. When I started my corporate career nearly 20 years ago, I just knew that was where I would remain.

And yet somewhere along the way, I realized there was this small whisper in my ear encouraging me to do something bold, something daring, something courageous and that was to take the leap and start my own business.

I thought I was crazy!

Why on earth would anyone do something like that when I have this great paying job? While I admired those who took the leap from employee to entrepreneur, I didn’t think I had what it took.

How on earth will I even make such a leap? What if I fail? What if I look like a fool? What if I exhaust all of my family’s resources? Would my husband Toby stay or would he go?

These were just a few of the questions running through my head. I tried to convince myself to just focus on my job and work harder to get promoted, but that voice would not leave me alone.

Can you relate?

Maybe you too hear a small whisper or maybe you have this knowing in your belly that what you’re doing now simply isn’t working. Even if things look well on the outside, you know all too well that you are dying a slow death on the inside. And no matter how many times you try to convince yourself that the idea stirring on the inside is crazy, maybe even insane, it simply won’t go away.

I’m here to tell you… sometimes crazy isn’t crazy at all.

Oftentimes that small whisper is your soul encouraging you to go for it and live out your big dreams. I am talking about those secret dreams you’ve dared not to even speak out loud for fear of disappointment or even ridicule.

What if I told you that you aren’t crazy and no matter how unlikely it seems, there is a way to make that dream a reality?

Would you go for it? Would you take the leap?

There’s one thing that I know for sure. It may not be easy, but it is oh so worth it.

So where do I begin Dr. Nadia? I’m so glad you asked. Below I share 3 quick tips to help you get started.

1. Make the decision. Everything begins with a decision. It doesn’t mean that you are going to do anything drastic, but it does mean that you’ve made a decision to do something. Take a small step.
2. Give yourself permission to dream big. This is a big one. We make the decision and then we start cutting our dream down to a “realistic” size. No go for it girl! DREAM BIG! Throw caution to the wind. Don’t censor your dream.
3. Write out your vision. This is one of my favorite parts, writing it out. I write out my visions or create my dream book because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. For the more artistic in nature, go for what you know. No matter what method you choose, start to put words and pictures to your vision. It’s a lot more powerful than you may think.

The steps above actually start to set things into motion without much more action required from you. While they don’t in and of themselves get you to the goal, they will definitely help build forward momentum.

If you know you are ready to take decisive action and put together your action plan (a.k.a. your exit strategy) then I personally invite you to join me in Dallas, Texas on October 14-15th for Take the Leap™.

This 2-day event is designed for women who are ready to answer the call and take the leap from corporate into their own business. Now is your time! Will you answer the call? Visit Take the Leap Event for more information and to get registered.

Have questions? Feel free to send me an email at drnadia@doyenneleadership.com. I’ll see you there.

Dr. Nadia Brown is the founder of Doyenne Leadership Institute and the creator of the Take the Leap™ Event. She helps women go from employee to entrepreneur without breaking the bank. For more information, visit www.doyenneleadership.com.

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I’ll be joining Dr. Nadia in Dallas and I sure hope that you can make it too! Let me know so we can plan a GoneGirlGo meet up! I’d love to see you in person. ~Zoe