Encouraged by my husband, I took the leap as a calculated risk; not a choice between success or failure, but an empowered step toward building something aligned with my values and vision, believing that growth often begins where certainty ends.

To every immigrant woman navigating Corporate America, your courage to start again is your superpower. The unfamiliar doesn't diminish your worth but rather reveals your strength.

Change is never easy, but growth rarely happens in comfort. For years, I worked as a teacher just a mile from my home; a place that felt safe and familiar. But deep down, I knew that if I wanted to grow, I had to step out of my comfort zone. I started applying for positions that aligned with my passion and purpose, even though they meant leaving behind what was easy and known. Today, I'm a curriculum specialist working 45 minutes from home, and every mile is worth it. I get to support teachers, create meaningful lessons, and make an impact beyond my own classroom. Sometimes growth requires a leap of faith. It may feel uncertain at first, but the reward is finding yourself exactly where you're meant to be.

If your career no longer fuels your soul, have the courage to walk away. Job security alone won't build the life you were meant for.

I embraced my journey ahead with faith, vision, unwavering confidence, and focused determination to unapologetically forge a path that was uniquely mine. I want my life to reflect my heart and soul's desire that I lived this life "my way"!

I find myself in that situation and what comes to mind on making that decision is...It's never a risk when you're investing in yourself, so take the leap because the time is now! We do what's necessary to build towards the moment when we can do what we love.

I recognized that the greater risk wasn't in chasing a dream. It was in remaining in a place that no longer felt aligned with my values or purpose. Growth requires courage. Step beyond what is comfortable to discover what is possible!

Leaving the security of a stable role to build something from the ground up was one of the most challenging, and rewarding, decisions I've made. I was drawn to the opportunity to create impact on a larger scale, support global workforce solutions, and contribute to a vision I deeply believed in. What gave me the courage was trusting my skills, learning from mentors, and embracing calculated risk. I understood that growth often comes from stepping into uncertainty and being willing to fail forward. In those first steps, I focused on building strong relationships, listening closely to clients, and continuously learning from every interaction. Through persistence, resilience, and the support of an incredible team, I've seen how leaving a "safe job" can open doors to opportunities, leadership experiences, and personal growth that I could never have imagined. The leap was daunting, but it became the foundation for making meaningful impact and shaping a career I'm proud of.

Leaving security for uncertainty isn’t easy. But for me, it wasn’t a reckless leap it was a reverent one. I had spent years leading high-performing clinical research teams across Latin America and the U.S., mentoring professionals, and stewarding complex operations. On paper, I had stability. But in my spirit, I felt a divine nudge: it was time to build something that couldn’t be measured by metrics alone something rooted in restoration, legacy, and generational impact. What gave me the courage to leap? Clarity. I didn’t leave for chaos I left for calling. I saw the blueprint for INNATA Inc. through spiritual discernment and strategic conviction. Once I recognized the assignment, staying became the greater risk. How did I navigate those uncertain first steps? I anchored in stewardship, not scarcity. I clarified the mission before seeking funding, and built lender-ready plans that honored courage and integrity. I modeled elevated communication. Every outreach email, decline message, and partnership offer was crafted with gratitude and operational clarity. I released performance-driven leadership. I stopped trying to prove and started showing up to serve with joy, not pressure. I built coalitions, not just contacts. I partnered with women, families, and organizations that shared INNATA’s values because alignment is the true currency of legacy. Today, I mentor others to leap from clarity, not fear. Because when you leave security for purpose, you don’t fall you rise.

Leaving wasn't the scary part; staying would have been scarier. I watched two people I loved lose their tomorrows, and it made me ask myself: What am I doing with mine? Am I building something that matters? Am I using the gifts I've been given? The answer was no. So, I changed it. And that decision, made in the middle of heartbreak, became the beginning of everything I'm building now.

Obedience is better than comfort, Security doesn't come from a job; it comes from trusting the One who called me to build.

I left comfort for calling, familiarity for faith and in that leap, I found the courage to become the author, entrepreneur, and healer I was always meant to be.

Taking the leap to follow a dream or start a business can be daunting, but many women have found success by embracing their passion and taking risks. A deep conviction in the potential of their idea or vision fuels their determination and drives them to overcome challenges. Surrounding themselves with supportive friends, family, mentors, or fellow entrepreneurs provides encouragement, guidance, and resources during uncertain times. Having a financial safety net, such as savings or a part-time job, can provide a sense of security while pursuing their entrepreneurial goals. Believing in their abilities and skills enables women to face challenges with resilience and perseverance.

Leaving stability for uncertainty felt like standing at the edge of a cliff knowing the view might be breathtaking, but unsure if I was ready to jump. But I knew one thing for sure: staying where I was meant silencing the part of me that had something bigger to build. What gave me the courage wasn't a perfect plan; it was purpose. I wanted a life that allowed me to create, to be present with my son, and to design a future on my terms. That desire outweighed the fear. It gave me the strength to trust myself, even when the path ahead was unclear. The early days were filled with unknowns. I didn't have all the answers, but I had grit, vision, and a reason that kept me grounded. I took small, intentional steps: learning as I went, staying open, and building something meaningful even on the hard days. What I've learned is this: Security is important, but so is alignment. And sometimes, the most uncertain leap becomes the most defining part of your story.

I remember when I was being laid off from a good job many years ago and we were only given a couple of months to find other work. It wasn't until I was looking out the window at my job and saw a yellow school bus passing by. The kids were in the windows laughing, playing and looked happy. This was my idea and gave me the courage to take a leap in the childcare field where the only experience I had was raising my own six children. My coworkers laughed at me when I said that I knew what I was going to do, even finding a name for it due seeing those happy children on the bus. My daycare was open within a month, and I called it "Happy Campers Childcare". It was the best business I ever had, I was able to navigate those uncertain steps by seeking out the way to become licensed and received a little training then I was ready to go. and I don't beat myself up about my relapses because it shaped and changed me to be the best friend, mom and servant of Jehovah that I can be today. Would it again? Absolutely.

While I have not built a traditional business, I have learned from my previous jobs to be who I am today. Working with adults with disabilities, has helped me to learn patience, and how to adapt while on the job. I have also learned to be willing and able to adapt while supporting my husband in his military career.

The hardest part wasn't leaving stability; it was trusting that I had what it took to succeed. But I remembered the strength, sacrifice, and determination I witnessed in the women who raised me. If they could build businesses from the ground up, so could I. That legacy wasn't just inspiration; it was proof that it's possible, and permission to forge my own path.

For me, stepping away from a "safe" job wasn't about chasing a title. It was about trusting the foundation I had built through faith, education, and resilience. When my husband's coaching career began to grow and take us to new places, I knew I needed to be just as adaptable and courageous in my own path. That's what led me to earn my master's degrees in counseling and administration. I wanted to be prepare, not just to move with opportunity, but to thrive wherever life took us. Courage, for me, didn't look like a leap off a cliff; it looked like steady steps of preparation. I made myself marketable, needed, and confident in what I could offer, no matter where I was planted. The uncertain first steps were still scary, but I leaned on faith, determination, and the belief that growth often happens outside the comfort zone. Building my career and later expanding into writing and leadership wasn't just about proving I could. It was about showing other women that you can build something strong and meaningful on your own terms. When you know your purpose and prepare for it, uncertainty becomes less of a threat and more of an open door.

I didn't want to spend my life tied to a 9-to-5 schedule, earning by the hour instead of by the value I bring. I wanted the freedom to build something of my own, to be paid for my skills, creativity, and experience, not just my time. Starting my consultancy was about balance as much as ambition. I wanted to design a career that allows me to grow professionally while still being fully present with my family.

My decision to leave a stable corporate job didn't happen overnight. It was a vision quietly growing inside me for years. The idea of building my own business was rooted in childhood, watching my father spend weeks away from home for work. I saw how financial pressure can force people into roles they don't enjoy, and I promised myself I would build a life with more choice, freedom, and balance. Very early in my 14-year corporate career, I understood that relying on a single paycheck wasn't the path I wanted long-term. I started thinking differently: If I can create passive income while still working my day job, one day I won't need the day job at all. That mindset shaped every decision I made; slow, steady, strategic progress toward something bigger. So I planted seeds. I invested in real estate, built cash flow, learned the industry, and watched those early calculated risks start producing real results. When I saw my efforts turning into something sustainable, something that could outlive the safety of a corporate title, I knew it was time. The courage to leap came from clarity: the life I imagined was finally becoming tangible. I wasn't jumping into uncertainty; I was stepping into something I had been quietly building for over a decade. That realization gave me the confidence to walk away from security and follow my instinct. Navigating those first steps wasn't easy, but having a foundation of preparation, purpose, and long-term vision made the leap feel less like a risk and more like a homecoming to the life I was meant to create.

It isn't easy to step away from something known, especially when you've invested years building high-performing teams and delivering meaningful results. For most of my career, I followed the traditional executive path. I held stable leadership roles, sponsored major transformation efforts, and built organizations that could operate with clarity and consistency. From the outside, it looked secure. But stability can become limiting when you no longer see a path forward. For me, the signs were subtle at first. Opportunities for growth felt constrained. The impact I knew I could make wasn't fully accessible. And at times, the work I had delivered—work I was deeply proud of—felt diminished. Leaving was hard. When you've built something strong, the idea of letting go can feel almost disloyal. The best advice I received came from someone who knew how seriously I take my responsibility to develop leaders. They asked, "What would you tell one of your team members if they were in this exact situation?" That question cut through the noise. If I wouldn't want someone on my team to stay in a role that limited them, why was I allowing it for myself? That clarity gave me the courage to take the next step. Before jumping into entrepreneurship, I gave myself three months to completely step away—reset, heal, and close that chapter. Only then did I shift into building my firm. Launching a business after decades in corporate roles felt uncomfortable at first. Making that first pitch was intimidating. But I landed my first client immediately and walked away with exactly the kind of arrangement I had always hoped for. What I've learned is this: leaving a safe job isn't really about stepping into uncertainty. It's about choosing alignment. It's about recognizing when the environment around you no longer reflects your capability, your values, or your vision—and having the courage to act anyway. The result? Work that feels meaningful, clients who value the expertise I bring, and a business built on purpose rather than circumstance. It was the hardest decision I've made in my career, and the most rewarding.

Leaving a "safe job" took guts, careful planning, and a lot of trust in myself. I didn't jump into it without thinking. I created a safety net, made sure my idea was solid, and gradually moved toward the business even before I left. The big moment came when I understood that true security comes from doing what you love. The first few years were a bit chaotic and hard to predict, but they were also incredibly rewarding. Creating something from scratch taught me how to solve problems, adapt quickly, and believe in myself in ways I never had before. It was definitely one of the most important choices I've ever made in my career.

I was in a thriving career when we decided to move to this country, and instead of viewing it as a setback, I saw it as an opportunity to unlearn and relearn. That mindset gave me the courage to pivot from engineering to product management—a leap that allowed me to keep growing while shaping business strategy for AI-driven security products. Navigating those uncertain first steps meant embracing curiosity, staying adaptable, and focusing on impact rather than comfort. Each challenge became a chance to build resilience and create meaningful value in a new space.

When I left my "safe job," I didn't have a perfect vision of the future or even a fully defined plan. What I did have was a clear truth: I couldn't stay where I was. I felt blocked, and remaining in that block felt more dangerous than stepping into uncertainty. I had a general direction, but the path ahead was fog. And in that fog, I knew I had to move first and figure it out in motion. There's no perfect timing. It felt very much like The Fool card in tarot; a step into the unknown, not because you're fearless, but because something in you knows the only way forward is forward. You trust the instinct, take the leap, and let the next step reveal itself. That's how I began. Not with certainty, but with honesty, intuition, and the willingness to walk before I could see the road.