Hi Reader,

At the end of last month, I graduated from not one, but two programs: The Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute’s Professional Leadership Program for Women and the CCBC Elite 10 Accelerator.

It’s kind of felt like being back in college, with extracurricular activities and professional development piled on top of regular assignments.

Mondays, I’d go from work to CCBC until 9 pm. Tuesdays, I’d be at Nancy Grasmick from 9-2. Meanwhile, regular business kept ticking along (not to mention all the other events Hazel and I have been involved in so far this year).

Finally, I hit the sweet relief of graduation season.

Don’t get me wrong, I have loved it all.

But when I was in the thick of things, sometimes the self-doubt thoughts would creep in. The constant push takes a toll.

Why am I doing this again? Do I have it in me?

Hazel kept reminding me, “You’ve got this. By May 31st, those two huge commitments will be off your plate and you’ll feel so accomplished.”

Now I’m there, and I get to pause.

I get to soak in that post-graduation buzz and look back on all the things I've accomplished and the conversations have lit me up. Some of those very conversations have inspired the newsletters I’ve written to you over the past few months.

A few highlights:

• Thanks to CCBC, I’ve been able to refine the plan and pitch for WholeSite, Drio’s AI-assisted website creation platform, as we prepare to bring it to market
• The Nancy Grasmick program gave me new bonds with amazing groups of women leaders while we all built our skills together
• I’ve found more confidence to step into my role as a leader in a way that suits me and my personality—and learned that leadership is already within me

That all makes the push feel worth it.

We definitely can’t push ourselves to our limit all year round. That’s a recipe for burnout.

But most of us will have seasons where we do need to toy with our limit. While the hardest things can feel exhausting, they’re often the most fulfilling.

When to push and when to pause is a fine line we all have to figure out as entrepreneurs.

I suggest you ask why you do or don’t want to push yourself with something. That can help clarify whether you’re after or avoiding something for the “right” reasons.

If you’ve been avoiding a “push” because you feel like you “don’t have it in you,” maybe rethink it.

I bet you do.

If you’re interested in learning more about either of these programs, please reach out! I’m happy to share more.

Talk soon,

Rachel McFadden the left brain 1014 W. 36TH ST BALTIMORE, MD 410.635.0229 Read our Customer Reviews

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