Celebrating The New Year with You

Working with my coach this past year, I've learned that identity is not fixed. Sometimes we evolve slowly, other times we go through rapid shifts. Just over a year ago, I moved myself and my teen across the country to live in an 1890 Farmhouse in rural Maine, ironically near Highway 2. U.S. Route 2 spans 2,571 miles across the northern United States, from Everett, Washington, to Houlton, Maine. I grew up in a semi-rural town just off of Highway 2 on the Washington side that eventually became urban. My first job was in a small-town pharmacy where I knew most everyone, and my boss was like a second father to me.

Moving to Maine felt like both a homecoming and a new chapter. I recognized that my decades-long chapter in the Tech industry, characterized by specific leadership and management skills, was yearning for an end. I longed to slow down and connect more directly with people and communities the way I once had in my childhood hometown. In Maine, I found the creative balance to complete and publish a book I'd been working on for over 15 years (INSPIRE! Go Big Without a Corner Office). I also joined the University of Maine, Farmington Choir and started singing publicly again for the first time in over a decade. Most importantly, I found a place that feels like home down to my bones.

My coach Ann-Marie Archer recently shared an insightful article on the balance of light and dark that the Northern winter solstice embodies. Embrace the Balance of Light and Dark: Reflecting on the Year with a Completion Ritual | Archer & Associates. In my own journey, I see this balance mirrored in the evolution of our identities. Just as the seasons pull us inward and outward, so too do we return to core values and desires from our past, even as we move forward in new endeavors. Embracing both allows us to grow with greater clarity, purpose, and resilience. I especially love Ann-Marie's completion ritual.

My two favorite questions from her completion reflection are:

1. What would it take for you to feel more confident?

2. What is in the way of expressing your true self?

For me, completion is not merely about ticking off tasks or achieving goals; it's about truly understanding and integrating the experiences I've had. It’s a sorting process. Some ideas, relationships, and activities had to end for me to step into my next version of myself. By being intentional about honoring this balance, we can move forward into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. We can grow into the most authentic expressions of ourselves. This is why I am so passionate about the work I do. Personal branding is not about having 'the right' look or resume. It's about connecting deeply with our unique story, having the confidence to step fully into that story, and then telling it to the world in all that we are and do.

I'd love to have a cup of tea with you in January and reconnect on where you are with your own beautiful story. Connect with me here>