Nearly a decade ago I sat down with a founder who asked me if I had ever participated in visioning. I hadn't. He then asked me to take out a piece of paper, a pen, and clear my mind and write what the next five years would look like. I had five minutes to write it all down. 

Just this week I sat down to clean up some files on my computer and stumbled upon a letter I wrote to my then-bosses. I shared my vision statement with them, made some suggestions for changes, and stated the direction I wanted my career and the firm to go in. It was that letter that would lead to the largest career decision I made up to that point--to leave the firm and join new firm that was just starting up.

To look back on this letter, the vision statement, and my own pros and cons list in a word document, it was evident how much I struggled with the decision at the time.  It was ultimately a mentor that gave me some keen advice:

"Go be uncomfortable. Go take risks. Go make mistakes. Go learn from those and grow."

And so I did. 

This past summer I sat down with Paul Greiner on the Smarter Business Podcast to talk about some of that advice, my own journey, and what growth looked like for me.

And as for the vision statement, I am happy to report that nearly a decade later that five minute aspirational goal scribbled down on a scrap piece of paper has come to fruition--albeit after taking some risks, making some mistakes, and finding growth.