For years, I had one idea sitting quietly in the background.
Create a Board of Advice for women in business and leadership.
It lived on my vision board. It followed me through seasons of work, change, and growth. And every time I looked at it, I told myself the same thing.
I need to get this started.
But I didn’t.
There was always a sensible reason.
The timing wasn’t quite right.
I wasn’t sure who I’d ask.
I questioned whether the women I wanted would even say yes.
Underneath all of that was the real hesitation.
Am I actually good enough to pull this off?
About two years ago, I started giving the idea some air. I spoke about it out loud. Let it exist beyond my own head. I told myself that meant I was moving closer.
In truth, I still wasn’t ready.
I was circling the idea, not choosing it.
Late last year, I caught myself doing what capable people do best. Waiting for confidence to arrive before acting. Waiting for a feeling that never actually comes.
So I stopped negotiating.
I locked in dates.
I approached the women I wanted in the room.
It was invite only.
And they said yes.
We start in February.
Do I feel ready? Yes. And no.
I have clarity now, but I don’t have everything mapped. I can’t script every session or predict every conversation. And that’s the point.
Leadership, at its core, isn’t about having every answer. It’s about creating the conditions for meaningful thinking to happen.
What I can control is the space.
The standard in the room.
The integrity.
The energy.
The depth of conversation.
A space where smart women don’t have to perform.
Where they can think out loud without being polished.
Where the conversation goes deeper than tactics and into how we actually lead.
That is leadership too.
Not being ready.
Being willing.
Deciding before certainty shows up.
Choosing to move without waiting for permission.
If you’re building something that matters, stop waiting for the moment when it all feels comfortable. That moment rarely arrives.
Decide first.
Then move.