The Career Move That Looked Risky From the Outside
Why betting on herself ended up being the safest decision she ever made.
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Leaving an Athletics Director position to become an Associate AD looked like a step backward to some, but I traded certainty for purpose, a new community, and the opportunity to grow. Starting over in Virginia challenged me to lead with greater humility and perspective, reminding me that the greatest promotions aren't always in title, but they're in the leader you become.
The biggest risk I ever took was walking away from a leadership role without another job lined up. From the outside, it looked irresponsible but from the inside, it was the first time I chose my well-being over a paycheck. The environment had become so toxic that staying would've cost me more than leaving ever could, so I trusted that my experience, my work ethic, and my reputation would carry me forward, and they did.
That was the moment I realized that I am not stuck. I have simply OUTGROWN the old map I have been following.
In late 2019, I walked away from 13 years of stability to join a historic, 60-year-old firm in the middle of an acquisition, and a massive technological time capsule. It looked like an unnecessary risk to others, but spearheading that transformation taught me that true leadership means running toward the challenge, not staying where it's comfortable.
I've learned that reinvention isn't a sign you've failed; it's proof you're brave enough to keep growing. Every time I chose the unknown over staying where I had outgrown myself, it opened doors I never could have imagined and reminded me that the best chapters often begin after the hardest ones.
When my children started preschool, I was pursuing a paralegal degree and building a career in the court system when an optical family I had worked for years earlier asked me to take a chance on their startup lab. What felt like the riskiest decision of my career (and even sparked doubts about whether I still belonged in optical) became the greatest opportunity of my life, leading to the development of three departments, three promotions, and a reminder that growth begins where comfort ends.