I'd been with the firm for twelve years. I'd come up through engineering, found my way into programming almost by accident, and then into management, where I discovered something I never expected to love: helping people grow. Then a downsizing came through, and I was let go.
I won't dramatize it. It was a hard season, and the early days of building something new were a real struggle. But looking back, that moment was the pivot my whole career was waiting for. It pointed me toward the work I was actually built for.
The lesson wasn't "be resilient"
People love to make these stories about grit. That's not the lesson I took. The lesson was quieter, and it's the one I bring into every coaching relationship: almost everyone is holding more potential than their current situation is letting them use. A layoff didn't make me capable — it just removed the container I'd been in long enough to forget there were other shapes my life could take.
We are all born with great potential. Unlocking it usually means stepping outside ourselves long enough to see ourselves the way others see us.
That's exactly what I watch happen with owners. You get so deep inside the daily grind of the business that you can't see it clearly anymore. You're not stuck because you lack ability. You're stuck because no one's standing beside you, looking at the whole picture with fresh eyes and saying, "here — this is what I see."
What this means for your business
When an owner comes to me feeling cornered — revenue flat, time gone, the dream faded — I don't see a failing business. I see someone who's been inside the container too long. And I've learned that the way out is rarely some dramatic overhaul. It's usually:
- An outside perspective, so you can finally see what's obvious to everyone but you.
- A few focused changes in the right order, instead of a hundred at once.
- Someone who genuinely believes in your potential — and won't let you shrink it.
Why I stay in your corner — even after
Getting let go also taught me what it means to have, or not have, someone in your corner when things shift. So I try to be that person, and not just while the invoice is active. If a client moves on and I hear something later that could help them, I reach out. That's not a strategy; it's just how I want to show up. Heart is one of my core values, and values that only apply when you're being paid aren't really values.
So if you're in a hard turn right now — a slow year, a loss, a moment where the path forward isn't obvious — I want you to hear this from someone who's been there: it can become the best thing that ever happened to your business. You just need to get out of your own way. And you don't have to do it alone.