Holding the Contradictions in Business, Branding & Leadership
March is Women’s History Month—a time to honor the resilience, power, and intuition that have shaped history. But resilience isn’t just about pushing forward—it’s about learning how to hold discomfort without losing yourself in it.
For years, I believed my job as a leader and a coach was to help people suffer less. If I couldn’t remove their struggles, I would take them on myself. But suffering isn’t meant to be erased—it’s meant to be understood, integrated, and transformed.
The same goes for identity shifts in business, branding, and leadership.
In our careers, we’re taught to measure success by external markers: titles, revenue, prestige, LinkedIn updates. But what happens when the role shifts? When the business evolves? Who are you when the external labels fall away?
This is where POLARIS comes in.
Pain as a Teacher: What Branding & Leadership Have in Common
One and a half years ago, just after I quit my executive role at Google, I jumped into the Mediterranean—and broke my heel. (Apparently, I took “break a leg” a little too literally.)
The pain still lingers. Some days, it’s a whisper; other days, a scream.
It’s the same with business and leadership transitions. Whether you’re pivoting careers, evolving your business, or redefining your leadership, the process is rarely pain-free. Change shakes your sense of control. It forces you to see who you are beyond the labels.
For years, I tied my success to external validation. I thrived in rooms where my expertise was recognized. I equated my worth with my ability to deliver, perform, and exceed expectations.
But what happens when the game changes?
Many high achievers unknowingly tie their self-worth to their job title.
🔹 The fear of losing a job isn’t always about money—it’s about losing the identity we’ve built around it.
🔹 The anxiety of pivoting careers isn’t just about skill gaps—it’s about wondering, Who am I if I’m not this?
🔹 The reluctance to rebrand isn’t about logos or messaging—it’s about grappling with, What do I stand for now?
But what if your next transition isn’t a loss—but an invitation?
An invitation to rediscover who you’ve been all along.
What I Learned from Pausing
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Blue Spirit in Nosara, Costa Rica, I finally attended a trauma-informed training with Dr. Dick Schwartz (the founder of Internal Family Systems). I had waited five years for this moment.
In a room full of warm hearts and broken healers, I was reminded:
Transformation doesn’t come from fixing—it comes from feeling.
We rush to “fix” things in business—pivot, rebrand, make the pain disappear. But true alignment comes from understanding before action.
So, let me ask you:
🔹 Who are you beyond your job title?
🔹 What parts of you remain constant, even in uncertainty?
🔹 How do you lead yourself—before leading others?
This is the foundation of resilient, intuitive leadership.