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Starting over wasn’t something I had planned for but here I am. For years, I was fully committed to my C-suite role, treating the business like my own and imagining I’d stay there until I retired early (to Mallorca in 2027). It seemed like the end of the road—a career well lived, a job well done.
But as life has been teaching me since I was a child, nothing stays the same for long. Change, whether welcome or unwelcome, has always forced me to rethink, adapt, and grow. So, when I decided to leave the role I had worked so hard for, I knew this wasn’t just another career move.
SAYA wasn’t born out of a need for a new job; it came from a need to create something that mattered, both to me and to the people we would serve. We wanted to build opportunities that reflect who we are and what we believe in.
So, the day after I resigned, I started SAYA. Ha. Not quite.
Building SAYA
Curveballs arrive unannounced, often at the most inconvenient times. They force us to reconsider our paths and sometimes push us in directions we never imagined. But the beauty of a curveball is that it presents a choice: How will you deal with it? Will you let it throw you off, or will you find a way to evolve and move forward?
Starting SAYA wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch. It took navigating uncertainties and figuring things out step by step. Here’s how I got to launch day:
- Get your foundation right
Like a stool needs strong legs to stay upright, I need the right support in place to keep me grounded. Those "legs" are my health, my resources, and my relationship with my family. It’s important to know what keeps you steady before tackling the uncertainties of starting something new. - Know thyself
Knowing myself—what I’m good at, what I’m not, where things went wrong with that last job, and my non-negotiables—was essential. This clarity allowed me to build a company that aligns with who I am instead of one that stretches me thin in areas that don’t matter. I did a lot of journaling in the early days. - Trust your inner circle
Before diving in, I turned to my inner circle—trusted advisors and friends who know me, my values, and the industry. Some were experts, others were just brutally honest; both types were crucial. Their feedback helped refine my vision and convinced me that I wasn’t diving headfirst without a safety net. - Find your people
I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on SAYA if I hadn’t found co-founders who shared my vision and principles. We are not peas in a pod but we make each other better. It doesn’t hurt that Michelle, Quark, and I laugh a lot together. - Leap before you’re ready
You can plan and strategize all you want but, at some point, you just have to execute. I dove into SAYA, knowing it wouldn’t be perfect from day one. The messiness of entrepreneurship is real, and I’ve had to embrace that things will go wrong. Acting swiftly to course correct is key.
SAYA is still very new, and we’re learning and optimizing as we go. My hope with this column, Curveballs, is to create a space where we can share what we have learned from those unexpected moments—the ones that throw us off balance and force us to work through the messy middle, discovering who we want to be in the process.
I’d love to hear your stories. What moments made you stop and rethink everything? Share them with the SAYA community, and let’s explore where real growth happens—right between the windup and the swing.