Hi BOLDie,
I shared this on LinkedIn today, and I felt it might resonate with you too..
In 2023 I got laid off from my dream job at Twitter (X is a stupid name, so no).
I hit the job market having spent 10+ years as a recruiter, with just 6 months as a PM.
At the time, there were zero jobs in either field.
It was also a time where there were thousands of people like me on the market (I'm talking 500/1 ratio of candidates to any half-decent TA role).
Having endured the new Twitter owner for 6+ months, I already hadn't slept in a longggg time, and was clinging on by a thread 😅
I allowed myself wallow for a little bit, and of course, I doom scrolled on LinkedIn a LOT.
And then one day, as I was sat in my parents home back in Ireland, while the rain pelted at the window- I felt myself slipping into a very dark place.
I had experienced this before, and as someone who works VERY hard to protect my mental health, I knew I needed to nip this in the bud.
I had a firm chat with myself, where I broke down my thoughts.
(This is a true story btw).
I really looked at what narrative I'd been telling myself, and I began the process of reframing.
When I told myself:
'There are no jobs out there'
I asked myself:
'Is that really true? Is there really not ONE single job available that would suit me?'
When I told myself:
'No-one will hire someone like me, my skill-set isn't needed in this market'
I asked myself:
'What proof do I have of that? Am I only destined to have one skillset, or can I not adapt and learn something new?'
And when I told myself:
'I'll never get the same salary I earned at Twitter, or experience that type of culture again'
I asked myself:
'What's stopping me from building my own thing, where my earnings are unlimited and I can dictate the culture?'
I'm now just over one year into BOLD, and I've worked with some amazing clients helping them share their stories, spoken at the coolest events, ran 8+ of MY OWN events, and soft-launched The BOLD Community with 18 founding members. This would never have happened if
A) I didn't get laid off
B) Didn't reframe my thinking
That mindset shift was EVERYTHING.
We are more than the story we tell ourselves, and we are DEFINITELY more than the story the corporate world puts on us.
We have one chance, if not you who? And if not now, when?
Indie: plz STFU with the mindset stuff and get me a snack
January was such a packed month, to be very honest with you - I definitely took on too much. BUT. I am definitely learning more and more to say ‘no’ before I say yes, and yesterday I turned down a partnership that old me would have jumped at.
Now that is growth.
Earlier this month, I launched the first iteration of The BOLD Community for founding members. So far, it’s been genuinely the most heart-warming experience. Founding members are those helping me build it to make it better for you guys, and the official launch is in April, we’re even hosting an event in London (with some epic speakers - announced soon) - so you better come! 🥳
I definitely feel that running this community is my life’s work, and even though it’s taken me a long time to get here, I get so many messages after each session about how seen people feel. I know there are loads of communities out there, but I do think ours is different. I want women (especially those with ADHD) to have a safe, supportive and BOLD place to thrive together towards a life they love and financial freedom. Is that too much to ask?
We’ve been having weekly calls, connecting and sharing tips - even naming our inner critic 😃 all on Heartbeat (which is proving to be a very ADHD friendly platform indeed).
I’ve been uploading a video module each week, last week it was on how to update your LI profile to cater to the algorithm, and this week, it was defining your MVP, and creating clarity around that in your messaging.
I base each module on what comes up on the call that week, so I can do my best to speak directly to the common problems people in the community are having.
My goal is to keep things light with content, because as an ADHD brain, the one thing I’ve felt with communities I’ve joined so far - was completely overwhelmed by too much content. The main focus is co-creating and connection. We also have workshops from some of the greatest minds. Our April kick-off will be with Alex Hipwell on training around your cycle and how a strong body leads to a confident mind (as we know everything lies in this).
I’m also offering 20% off your first sign-up (even the yearly option) until midnight tomorrow. I’ll be going through applications later today, so make sure you apply to join us here to not miss out on that snack.
One final thing to brighten your Friday, my favourite photo from Jan was one I took of a group of older ladies rowing down the river in Bristol - and when I say they were having the ABSOLUTE craic. They were roaring laughing, and honestly, they must have been late 60’s, early 70’s. This is what dreams are made of, and the exact direction I want my life to go in. Invest in those friendships guys.
(I hope you love the visual; my editing skills are really getting there)
Remember to be proud of how far you’ve come, it’s not easy out there.
Stay BOLD.
Amy xx
Building BOLD Brands and Curating Electric Experiences
Please let me know if you need any communication adjustments