You Can't Do That...reflection from a run

“You can’t do that."

I’ve heard it many times in my career—sometimes as a warning, sometimes as well-intended advice. Each time, I had a choice: accept the doubt or push forward.

• Marines: When selected for Marine Aviation “I don’t think you’ll be able to handle the math at those speeds.” ….I have 1500 hours in the F/A-18D.

• Leaving the Marines: “Are you sure you don’t want the retirement? How do you know you’ll make it?”….here I am.

• Transitioning from Operations to HR: “Are you sure you’re not just running from operations?”….I wasn’t.

• Working in HR: “You need to pick between learning & development and general HR, which direction are you going to go?”

Today, I’m the Head of HR for a publicly traded company and a certified leadership coach—because I made the choices that felt right for me, despite the doubts.

It’s important to have people who support you, but also those who challenge you. Sometimes, they’re the same people.

Ultimately, it’s your choice, your responsibility, and your effort that determine where you go.

What’s a moment when you pushed past doubt? Lets talk about it.