I just would like to start by saying, thank you! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Why now, you may ask. Well, I want to share more than the characters allowed on Twitter and the visuals you see on Instagram (but feel free to follow @changecadet). Also, it’s a new year! But not, “new year, new me” more like “new year, same AWESOME me.”
Last year, I was awesome, and this year I do not plan on changing that!
2017 was the first year of being full-time in my own business. I’ve had Change Cadet for over three years, but I always maintained a full-time job; Change Cadet was my side hustle. Today, it’s a full on consulting firm. I started Change Cadet because I wanted to work in a space where I was not limited by constrains of a 9-5 job. I wanted to be able to creatively tackle organizational development issues as well as support women of color and underserved communities.
In my previous line of work, workforce development in health and public health, I worked with various consultants. What I commonly found while being internal staff, is that I would have to tweak the consultant’s content to fit the culture of whatever employer I was with at the time. As an administrator, I would see how much they were paid, and how money was more important than the actual people consultants worked with, served and trained. As a public health practitioner by trade, I learned to care about the community, ask for feedback, incorporate as much inclusion as possible to have the best outcome. If you don’t care - what's the point, right? One day, while finishing my doctoral research, I asked myself: “should I start consulting?” So, I did.
I kept working a full-time job but in January 2015, I put out into the universe that I was a consultant. I thought of a name, designed a logo and cards, built a website, and boom. Consultant! February 2015, I was contacted by someone who I did volunteer work with in 2008 after I was laid off (for the second time…it’s like a badge of honor in the public health world). His company needed an organizational development consultant. I felt Insta-famous with non-stop requests! I conducted a needs assessment, organizational structure, staff retreat, coaching, curriculum design, and a board retreat. It was working! I was working! The universe was wokring! This was soon followed by client two, a bar (bars need organizational love too) and then I graduated with my doctorate in Health Science in Leadership and Organizational Behavior. Yes, I clapped for myself.
In the following months, I was given an unexpected opportunity to grow Change Cadet (that’s another blog post). I had multiple clients and speaking opportunities. I was starting to make the world a bit of a better place. Now, I know what’re thinking, how is that possible, when we have President Twitter in office. Simple. I started doing what I loved. The way I presented myself was different. I naturally became aligned with opportunities that would fulfill my passion; professionally and financially. I put myself out there and now, I live in my truth while helping others live in theirs.
So last year was an amazing year! I loved every bit of growth that I had with myself and my business. Every single day, I look forward to what is to come. Hello 2018! New Year. Same. Awesome. Me.