Rule of Life Lesson #112: Be BOLD.

I’m 100% convinced that when you know you’ve reached your breaking point, you say “Enough is enough.”

It was the day after hosting Social Connect PHX’s one-year anniversary and feeling like a total rockstar. 8:30am and I was lethargically strolling back into my part-time day job at the city. I didn’t want to be there. My face wasn’t very good at hiding my emotion.

I started this part-time job as a compromise to my husband Sean to help with family finances while I worked hard to build my business on the side. (See Rule of Life #92 Sacrifices, Sacrifices). It was around the 11-month mark when I started there and to put it bluntly, I was ready to jump ship. Not that I didn’t learn a ton and meet some amazing individuals as there is always something to take away from your experiences, it’s not where I truly wanted to be and my mind made absolutely sure of that.

But was I really ready to give up my little piece of stability on the chance that I could DO this without the safety net? That’s always the million dollar question.

I was still facing some self-doubt issues until the vision of my dear friend Mario Bayne kept popping up in my head. We had met for lunch several times while I was working for the city and every single time, he ingrained this message into my head until I myself believed it.

Me and Mario Bayne

He enthusiastically said, “Tisha, when are you going to wake up and realize that you are the mother f*ckin’ brand? Girl, always BET ON YOU!” No joke. His exact words. Crowded restaurant? He didn’t care. He said it with such power, confidence and charisma like we were the only two people there. You couldn’t stop but stare.

I had experienced several bursts of success while still working my part-time gig and every single time I’d face a high point, whether speaking on a stage or throwing a massive party at Social Connect, where my mind immediately played mental games on me as if to say, “Tisha, YOU CAN have this, but THIS is where you are.” UGH.

And so, I made the decision to be BOLD.

I walked over to my supervisor’s office that day, asked if we could chat for a sec and said these exact words. “Yvette, it’s time for me to go.”

There, I did it. I quit my part-time job and was going to FOCUS on what I wanted for a change. No going back. Only looking forward.

My supervisor wasn’t surprised. In fact, she knew this was only a matter of time as I had expressed this was to be a short-term position for me to build my business without more stress. However, to my surprise, she shared that because of a funding shortage, she was going to have to let me go just a few weeks later. I had actually saved her the uncomfortable conversation of laying me off!

What are the odds of THAT? Timing is a funny thing, isn’t it? It always knows when.

My last day working for the city came on May 22, 2019 and I immediately and excitedly jumped back into building my business, having my freedom again and as Mario put it, started betting on me for a change. I didn’t have any regrets working there as it had its purpose – to help me breathe while I figured out my next move and kept building.

It don’t view it as a setback. I view it as a stepping stone.

As I mentor and work with more and more entrepreneurs, specifically in the startup space, this question of when will I know always seems to make its way to the surface. The only Tisha advice I can give is that when your mind and heart no longer align with where you are and you know something better awaits, then it’s your time to BE BOLD.

Let your motivation for something more fulfilling and better suited for you be your trusty guide, then continuously and consistently work hard for it. And don’t ever stop betting on you. ❤

Rule of Life Lesson #112: