This morning, I had a conversation with a past client, Viveka von Rosen, whose business is thriving. As we talked about what had created so much growth, she shared that her business really began to take off when she brought her technology expertise back into her work.
She had built her business helping women leave the corporate world and start businesses of their own. It was work she cared deeply about, and she understood those women because she had walked that path herself. Yet a valuable part of her experience had been left behind. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she had spent years working in technology.
When we were together at a conference last year, I suggested that technology might belong in the work she was creating now. It was part of her expertise, part of the way she saw the world, and part of what made her uniquely equipped to help the women she served.
She listened. She began bringing that part of herself forward, and the shift created powerful alignment in her business. Her offers became more distinctive. The value of her experience became clearer. Her business grew because more of who she is was included in the work – and in fact, she’s doing some really cool Tech in the Tropics retreats in Costa Rica, in addition to so many other powerful programs.
I see this happen often with women entrepreneurs. We leave a career, an industry, or an old identity because we know we are ready for something new. In the process, we sometimes leave behind wisdom that was never meant to be discarded.
Moving forward does not require us to separate ourselves from everything that came before. We get to choose what we carry with us. Years of leadership, technical expertise, creative work, community building, caregiving, advocacy, or lived experience may hold an important piece of the business we are building now.
I know this from my own journey. When I left the oil and gas software industry, I was ready for a very different way of being and working. Over time, I understood that the business strategy, leadership, marketing, and thought leadership work I had developed in the corporate world belonged alongside my intuition, spiritual awareness, and belief in the wisdom of women. Soul+Strategy™ emerged because all of those parts belonged together.
As our businesses grow, it is worth asking whether we have left an important part of ourselves behind. Maybe it is experience from a former career, a skill we take for granted, or an interest we have not yet connected to our work. Bringing that part forward may open up an entirely new direction for the business.
Sometimes our greatest business expansion comes from integration. When more of who we are is present, our work becomes richer. Our message becomes more specific. The people we are meant to serve can understand why our approach is different and why we are the right person to guide them.
Take a moment to look at the full landscape of your life and work. Consider the roles you have held, the worlds you have moved through, the challenges you have navigated, and the wisdom you have gathered. Then ask yourself:
- What part of my experience have I placed outside the boundaries of my current business?
- What gift or expertise feels so natural to me that I may have overlooked its value?
- What part of me wants to be brought forward and included now?
The answer may hold the idea, perspective, or expertise that brings your work into greater alignment and opens the way for what wants to grow next.
At Extraordinary Women Ignite, we are bringing all of you into the room: your wisdom, your experience, your vision, and the parts of you that are ready to come forward. Join us November 5–7 for three days of powerful conversations, meaningful connection, and new possibilities for your business and the impact you are here to create. Learn more and reserve your place at Ignite.
