I just celebrated six years of building the skill of bravery for women in tech!
In a special episode, I share how my own brave is continuing to grow and deepen as well, in some rather surprising directions. Take a listen here “6 Years of Bravery: Intentional Choices and Big Shifts to Build the Skill of Bravery.”
In my last Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech episode, I shared how 2024 was a year of loss for me. I also shared how I was approaching 2025 not with a traditional goal but rather an intention to “allow.”
Y’all if that hasn’t opened up a series of unexpected and currently rewarding doors.
Ready? Deeeep breath. Cause in January I accepted a full-time, company-internal role as an organizational change manager, responsible for building their internal practice of change as well as delivery on extremely ambitious and very necessary digital transformation efforts.
Listen to the episode for more details on that and how I leveraged my Build Your Brave Career framework, starting this time with accountability:
Accountability: “I choose who I want to become and do the work to become her.”
2024 was harsh and hard. In late 2024, I knew that I was not being who I have chosen to be. I was ready to shift my life as necessary and I was willing to do the work to become who I chose.
Clarity: I set clear, specific goals and share them with people around me.”
I needed to ease my nervous and health systems as well as get more structure and collaboration into my day. That understood, I told everyone and anyone that I was open to longer-term and even full-time consulting engagements.
Momentum: “I spend just as much time feeling my way to success as I do working towards it.”
I updated my consulting materials, my LinkedIn, and my resume. I told everyone and anyone. Leads started trickling and then swimming in from people from all over the world. Eventually, a friend of a friend forwarded me an open job req. I wasn’t super interested in full-time work BUT I do believe in knocking on intriguing doors.
I spent a lot of time talking to the recruiter, had multiple rounds of interviews with panels of leaders from this company. I was asked and asked a lot of probing questions. What shone through was the kindness. The genuine care that these people have for each other, and in many cases with each other. Additionally, the problem this company faces is deeply unique.
Summary: This brave choice aligns with who I want to be and is supporting my growth path. I also know that I am doing good by and with people who know a lot more than I do and who are also committed to doing the right things by the people who make the product.
That’s my sweet spot.
For the rest of my business:
I made a short mistake a few years into my business by exclusively coaching. Within a few months, I could feel how my clients were losing out: tech moves so fast and when a professional is out for more than a few months, it is challenging to know what is happening, why, and to support someone else through the industry.
Now, I know that my coaching and my clients are benefiting wildly from my lived experience of being employed and leading a team again. The results my clients are creating just in the last 6 months demonstrate it:
- a relocation to a new region
- a brand new role at her same company with 10% more income (in this market!)
- leaving a toxic situation of discrimination with a banging severance of three years of pay and benefits
- quietly choosing to work 5 and then 10 hours less each week.
For even more, check out the results of my 2025 client survey.
I will be welcoming one new client this year, most likely starting in September. I have a few people on the waiting list. If you want to get on the list – or do a three-hour intensive for a specific topics – send me an email at nicole@tricksteinbach.com