A take on choosing conviction over fear

Sunday morning, I woke up feeling full-body dread after a terrible night of sleep. I’d made the questionable decision to fall asleep to a podcast about the state of the world. Just a little light bedtime collapse-of-democracy content.

Instead of drifting off, I was awake ruminating for hours. 

By morning, I’d hit my limit. No more doomscrolling news apps. No more emails with even a whiff of “politics” in the subject line. I even unsubscribed from a weather newsletter — same energy.

The quote that cut through the noise

And then, Monday night, I went to hear Gloria Steinem and Leymah Gbowee speak at 92NY. Two incredible women who’ve actually lived through — and led through — real, actual chaos. Not just “the Fed might not lower rates again” chaos. Not just “I saw something upsetting on Threads” chaos.

Among the many wisdom bombs they dropped, Leymah said something that shut my whole system up:

“You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.”

Oof. Fine.

When strategic caution is really just fear

Because that’s what I realized I’d been doing — for longer than I wanted to admit. 

I made a cautious reentry into strategy last fall. I had no idea how my return would be received after a five year absence to build Impostor Syndrome Institute. I made small moves. But told myself I was “watching what’s happening.” Reading the room.

But underneath all that strategic language, I was scared. Scared of the headlines. Scared of saying too much. Scared of stepping back into this space in a moment that felt so uncertain.

By November, I knew: that wouldn’t be my 2026. I didn’t want to move through the year watching and waiting. I didn’t want to call hesitation “thoughtfulness.” 

And when I got honest with myself, the deeper truth was this: I know my work delivers.

The proof was already there. When I made my return to strategy, it was my former clients who hired me back. Doesn’t hurt that their average ROI is 11x. I didn’t need more validation. I needed to stop pretending I was still waiting for permission.

So I started moving differently. Investing more in myself. Hiring women-led businesses. Building momentum again — not because the world suddenly felt safe, but because I was done asking it to feel that way.

And sitting in that room with Gloria and Leymah? That was the moment I saw it clearly.

These investments aren’t just business decisions. It’s a form of protest.

Why investing in yourself is a defiant move

When everything around you is chaotic, distracting, and designed to keep you reactive, choosing yourself is the most defiant thing you can do. 

Choosing to back women. Choosing to back yourself. Choosing to build. 

Choosing to make bold decisions when everything feels uncertain. That’s resistance. That’s what refusing to disappear actually looks like.

If you’re still tiptoeing, it might be worth asking — is that really how you want to move through this year?

What 2016 taught us about shrinking

I saw what happened in 2016. I watched founders spiral, stall out, and second-guess everything they were building. In 2024, we swore we wouldn’t let that happen again. And we mostly didn’t. At least not at first.

But external chaos seems to find a way in. It creeps in through the people we serve. When their confidence wobbles, ours does too. When they hit pause on everything, we start waiting. Tiptoeing.

And let’s be honest: we’ve been calling it strategy. We’ve been calling it responsible.

What I’m hearing from other founders right now

I’ve heard it from multiple active, successful founders lately: “People aren’t really investing right now.”

Sure, they’ll buy a micro-training. Something low-cost, low-stakes, easy to check off a list. But they’re not making the kinds of decisions that actually move the business. It’s like skipping rocks into a lake and calling it a wave.

They’re tweaking. Hovering. “Waiting to feel ready.”

And calling it strategy — but really, it’s fear disguised as a to-do list.

The data’s clear — and so is the contradiction

Nearly half of small business leaders say economic uncertainty has grown — and 44% think things are worse than a year ago. But 61% still expect their own business to do well. (Gusto)

That’s not delusional — that’s founder logic. Hope and hustle in the same breath.

But here’s the disconnect: they want the win — but they’re playing it safe. Holding back. Making moves so small they barely register.

Let 2026 be the break.

The refusal to keep deferring.
The end of using chaos as a reason to play small.

What momentum actually looks like

I’m hiring female founders right now — designers, strategists, creative partners. Not just to be supportive. Not to be nice. Because this is how I create momentum: with people I trust, in a direction I choose, at a pace that doesn’t wait for permission.

This is what investing in yourself looks like when things aren’t clear.
This is what leadership looks like when everything feels loud.

Momentum, in 2026, is internal.
It’s not coming from the market.
It’s coming from you.

So I’ll ask: where are you tiptoeing?

Where are you holding back, hoping the noise will quiet down before you make your move?

What would it look like to stop bracing — and start building anyway?

Because if you don’t like what’s going on in the world — or in your business — investing in yourself isn’t just strategy. It’s protest.