Welcome to Sentivia

Okay, let me break down who I am and what I'm all about, based on that talk I just gave. I'm someone who has experienced the pressure, just like many of you, to follow this traditional, linear path - what I call "the stairs." You know, the idea that you go to college, pick a major that leads to your first job, and then you keep getting promoted, always moving upwards. It’s an appealing idea, because it makes it seem like there is a clear path. But I’ve realized that that path is often a limiting one.

I used to believe in this idea of the stairs myself. I started out in Human Resources at Facebook, and I was doing well. I was "climbing the stairs," as they say. I was feeling comfortable and competent. But then I was offered this crazy opportunity - a new, long-term project in a completely different department. This new project was uncharted territory for me, and many people advised me against it, warning me that it was too risky and that it would fail. However, I couldn't shake a sense of curiosity and wonder, the “what if I can” voice in my head.

So, I took the leap – I jumped off that “cliff,” as I like to call it. And what happened next? Well, it wasn't pretty. I didn’t immediately excel. It was actually a very steep learning curve. For the first nine months, I felt completely out of my depth, like an "absolute idiot." I was constantly asking dumb questions in meetings, and I even received the worst performance review of my career. I wanted to run back to the security of the stairs. But I didn't. I pushed through and eventually something clicked. I had to lead a complicated meeting, and I did well. I realized that I was actually capable of succeeding in this new field. After that experience I continued on this project for several more years. What I experienced there, led to job offers I never would have been considered for had I stayed on the stairs in HR. That's the weird elevator effect of jumping off cliffs; it takes you to whole new places.

I learned that true growth, and really discovering what you are capable of, doesn’t come from just playing it safe and following a pre-determined path. It comes from taking risks, even when they are scary. It comes from being willing to jump off those "cliffs."

So, who am I? I'm someone who learned the value of risk-taking by living through the experience. I’ve realized it is often the leaps into the unknown that teach you the most about yourself. I'm someone who is passionate about encouraging others to embrace that same mindset. It’s why I believe that one of the most important skills that anyone can develop is the ability to take calculated risks.

I've boiled down the art of "cliff-jumping" into three main skills:

First, you have to be able to take the leap. You need to differentiate between the kind of fear that’s telling you something is a genuine financial risk, and the fear that’s just your brain saying it’s too hard. If it’s the latter, the feeling that you might fail, then you should take it as a flashing green light to jump.

Second, you have to be able to handle the "fall." You have to expect the emotional roller coaster of going back to feeling like a beginner. You have to be able to be okay with the fact that you'll be going back and forth between “maybe I’m good at this” and “what was I even thinking.” You must also learn to ignore the emotional roller coaster to a certain degree. I've found the "give it two weeks" rule to be really valuable.

Finally, you have to learn to become a "professional idiot." I've mastered being comfortable with sounding like a moron and asking what seems like stupid questions. This is a strength. Because when I ask the questions that everyone else is afraid to, I learn so much, and the important questions that aren’t always asked, get asked.

What I have realized is that true success isn’t the same for everyone. It's not defined by climbing a particular set of stairs. It is about finding the right path for *you* that allows you to live an authentic and fulfilling life. It is about trying new things, taking risks and knowing yourself.

So, I guess you could say, in short, I'm someone who believes that the most rewarding journeys often start with a leap of faith. And I am someone who is committed to helping other people take those leaps. I hope you will join me in that journey.