By Shirley Lakpa (2025 Ambassador)

Hey ladies. Get in close.
Closer.
No, closer.
There you go.

Settle in, put your feet up, and grab a warm cup of chamomile tea. Get comfortable because what I’m about to say may be a little uncomfortable.

If you’re like me, you love comfort. You may even be built for it. But eventually, you’ll find yourself at a crossroads: the choice between comfort and growth; courage and caution. For some, that moment comes in your career. For others, it’s your family, your relationships, or a major life change. And it is terrifying.

I remember sitting in my apartment in Maryland, debating whether to move back to Minnesota. My body broke out in a cold sweat. My heart raced. I was still recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury after a car accident, and I could barely care for myself. The thought of starting over in a place I hadn’t called home in nearly ten years was overwhelming.

To be honest, it felt like my life, and career, were over. I moved back in with my parents. I was looking for a new job, friends, and some sense of normalcy. Everything felt like scaling an impossible mountain. Especially the job search. Recruiters gave me a laundry list of action items, each one hard to manage in the fog of recovery.

What I thought I needed was a low-stakes role that required minimal effort. But when I paused to reflect on the future I truly wanted, I knew I had to take a brave step forward into the unknown.

It’s a choice: betting on yourself, or sticking to what’s familiar.

The role I landed pushed me harder than any job I’ve ever had. It challenged me in ways I wasn’t ready for. Through the tears, the late nights, and the self-doubt, I kept asking: Why am I doing this to myself?

The answer? Because I was growing. I wasn’t stagnant anymore. I was inching closer to the life I’d imagined.

I thought back to a fortune cookie I cracked open seven years ago: “Keep going. Everyone is rooting for you.” In that moment, “everyone” was just me. And that was enough.

Betting on yourself means believing in your voice, your vision, your worth. Even if no one else affirms it. It means trusting that you’ll figure it out. That you’ll land on your feet. That the right people will surround and lift you up. 

Let’s be real: it’s not easy. It feels like being dropped into the middle of the ocean with anvils tied to your ankles and being told to swim to the surface. It’s heavy. It’s lonely. It’s vulnerable. And sometimes, I look around at my peers or industry leaders accomplishing big things seemingly effortlessly. I wonder if I’m the only one who feels this way. 

But here’s the hard truth: no one is going to hand you permission to chase your dream. You have to take it.

And once you do? You’ll realize you’re not alone. There are people who believe in you.

And the amount of, excuse my French, crap you tolerate along the way? From others and from yourself? That’s up to you.

Still, it will be worth it.

So if you’re on the fence about your next move,
Apply.
Pitch.
Show up.
Speak out.

Do it scared.
Do it unsure.
But do it anyway.

Because when you bet on yourself, you’re not just taking a chance, you’re building a future.

And I’m betting on you, too.