As we settle into the first few weeks of the new year, many of us are still carrying the clarity we found through our anchor words. While we often view our careers and businesses as direct routes, the most impactful growth often happens when we embrace the unexpected curves and new paths. This week, we are exploring how to look at the skills and services you already have and find the neighboring opportunities where they can truly shine. Finding these natural next steps is a simple way to expand your impact without losing sight of your core values.
Glimmer of Inspiration ✨
I read Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, last year and found her journey incredibly inspiring. I love reading biographies because they show how life is almost never a straight line. Her story is a series of pivots and new directions that allowed her to build a business that stayed true to her values and aspirations.
Ina found ways to do more based on the skills she had already learned. She started by finding solace in baking, which led her to buy a bakery. She then expanded that bakery into a food store and eventually turned those recipes into a cookbook. That cookbook then grew into a television show. It is fascinating to remember that she was not a trained chef. She simply took the knowledge she gained at each stage and brought it into a new way of being.
Whether you are running a business or navigating your own career, there is immense value in recognizing these curves. They are the moments where our existing talents meet a neighboring opportunity.
Lightbulb Moment 💡
Reflecting on Ina’s journey helped me see the pivots in my own career with more clarity. My path has taken me from an engineering degree to an MBA all in the world of tech leadership and consulting. On the surface, these might seem like distinct chapters, yet I realized they were actually natural next steps building upon one another.
The true lightbulb moment came when I looked closer at what I had actually built during my time as a leader and consultant. While I was focused on technical outcomes, I was also developing the ability to see people and their untapped potential. That skill was the quiet thread running through every role I held.
By recognizing this neighbouring opportunity, I was able to transition into executive coaching and entrepreneurship.
I didn't have to leave my previous experience behind; I simply found a new way to apply the core strength I had been honing for years.
When we stop looking for a straight line, we can see how our existing skills are already preparing us for our next evolution.
Shine Brighter: Your Growth Challenge 🌟
The challenge I bring this week is to uncover your own neighboring opportunity. Just as Ina Garten took the recipes she already had and moved from a bakery into a cookbook and television show, you likely have a wealth of ingredients already at your disposal.
Take a few minutes this week to look at your current skills, products, or activities. Instead of looking for something entirely new, ask yourself how you can take what you already have and bring it into a new way of being.
Why explore these natural next steps?
Your next big move might not be a cliff you have to jump off. It might simply be a neighboring path you haven't stepped onto yet.
I am delighted to introduce Amanda Rogers, the Founder and CEO of iPlume Writing Inc. Based in Nova Scotia, Amanda and her team have helped organizations secure over $40M in grants and funding since 2021. Amanda’s mission is to make the often-overwhelming world of funding accessible and practical through applied training and capacity-building.
When we talk about having the ingredients for success, grants are often a valuable, non-dilutive resource that leaders overlook or misjudge. Amanda believes that grants are most useful when approached with the right strategy and expectations.
Here are three ways tech leaders can use grants as a strategic ingredient:
If you want to stop chasing misaligned funding and start applying with confidence, Amanda has developed a clear path forward. You can explore her iPlume Funding Essentials to learn how to confidently identify and apply for opportunities that truly fit your stage and goals: iPlume Learning Program Overview.
The curves in our paths are often where the most interesting opportunities live. As you look at your own ingredients this week, remember that your existing skills are the foundation for whatever comes next.
What is one skill you already have that could lead you toward a new path?
I look forward to hearing about the new directions you are discovering.
Here’s to finding your spark, and letting it shine.
Coach Karen