One of my clients sent me a gift. With it, a simple, thoughtful thank-you note:
“Indescribably thankful for your guidance, support, and wisdom. You encouraged me to be courageous in a time when I couldn’t muster it up for myself.”
I sat with those words for a while.
Because here’s the truth: we all hit moments—especially as high-achieving professionals—where we’re expected to have it all together, to lead with certainty, to keep moving forward.
But sometimes courage escapes us.
We overthink. We shrink. We second-guess what we know to be true. And that’s when borrowed courage becomes essential.
Borrowed courage happens when someone else sees something in you before you can fully see it yourself. It’s the quiet belief. The reminder. The space that gets held for you to remember your own strength.
It’s one of the greatest gifts of coaching, and one I don’t take lightly.
This particular client had made a career pivot. She chose to leave her industry and pursue a new one. There were moments of doubt, fear, and panic. But after five months of connections, interviews, coffee chats, and ‘hey, you should meet so-and-so’s,’ she found herself with three job offers. All in her desired industry, all above her previous comp, and all with an exhilarating outlook for what is to come.
This experience reminded me of the collaboration I’ve been working on with Tricia McCormack. Together, we’re creating something powerful for women who are ready to be seen through a different lens. One that highlights their brilliance, their presence, and their confidence.
Because sometimes it just takes a shift—an outside perspective, a bold nudge, a safe space—to step into the version of you that’s been there all along.
If you’re in a season where courage feels just a bit out of reach, maybe you don’t need to find it all on your own.
Maybe you just need someone to lend you a little until you remember it’s yours.
