I launched anyway
Friday morning, 6:45 AM CST. I'm logging into Zoom to set up for the first-ever Think Bigger Fridays—my new weekly online networking and business coaching group.
And I'm doing it alone.
My partner coach? Dealing with a family illness. Our original plan? Wait until January 9 to launch. The "smart" move? Postpone until everything is perfect.
But something in me said: move forward anyway.
Actually, it wasn't just me. One of my client's Calvin Ebert with Caleber Business Solutions gave me the nudge I needed: "I'll be there. Are you doing the Big Thinker meeting?"
That question changed everything. Someone was counting on me to show up—even when the plan wasn't perfect.
So I did. I called it a "soft launch" and leaned hard into my community—my business coach, my 10X community, BNI, Toastmasters. I reopened an old Facebook page with 50 people, invited connections, shared in business groups, and reached out personally.
Friday at 7 AM CST, 10 people showed up on Zoom.
Three 10X coaches. One BNI member. Three Toastmasters friends. My son. A connection from Florida. A business consultant. And my own 10X business coach, Tracy Curington with Curington Enterprises, volunteered to speak.
Tracy talked about something that hit me hard: the people who hold us back when our big dreams scare them. Family. Friends. People who love us but can't see what we see yet.
Here's what I learned: when you're building something bigger than yourself, there will be moments where you work alone. Where the plan falls apart. Where you have to trust your gut and move anyway.
But here's the twist: sometimes you're not as alone as you think.
One simple message from a client—"I'll be there. Are you doing the Big Thinker meeting?"—was all the accountability I needed to stop waiting.
And if you listen to that inner knowing—that quiet voice that says "go"—and you tell even ONE person about it, the people and resources you need will show up.
What This Means for You
If you're a business owner or leader, you know this feeling.
You have a vision for your team, your business, and your impact. But something's in the way:
Your leadership team isn't aligned yet
The "right time" keeps getting pushed back
A key person dropped out or let you down
People around you don't get why this matters so much
You're waiting for everything to be perfect before you move
Here's the truth most leaders don't talk about: building anything meaningful is lonely sometimes.
The strategic initiative you know your company needs? You might be the only one who sees it clearly right now.
The communication training your staff desperately needs? You'll have to champion it even when others don't understand.
The accountability system that will transform your team? You might have to build it yourself first.
And here's what I see happen: leaders wait. They postpone. They let the isolation talk them out of moving forward.
But the businesses that actually transform? They're led by people who move anyway. Who trust their instincts. Who lean into their community when the original plan falls apart.
Your team needs you to be that leader—the one who doesn't wait for perfect conditions to do the right thing.
Weekly Tool You Can Use Today: The "Move Anyway" Decision Framework
When you're facing a decision about whether to move forward or wait, use this framework:
Step 1: Check your gut. Ask yourself: "If I strip away all the logistics and other people's opinions, what does my instinct say?"
Not your fear. Not your perfectionism. Your gut.
That quiet inner knowing that tells you when something is right—that's your compass.
Step 2: Identify what you're actually waiting for. Write it down. Be honest.
Are you waiting for:
A real resource you need (budget approval, key hire, essential tool)
Perfect conditions that will never come
Someone else to validate your vision
Courage you're hoping will magically appear
The fear to go away on its own
If you're waiting for anything in the second category, you're not waiting strategically—you're stalling.
Step 3: Build your "wings" You don't need the whole plan figured out. You need:
1-5 people who believe in the vision (even if they're not who you expected)
One clear next step you can take this week
Permission from yourself to call it a "soft launch" or "pilot" or "test run"
I thought I needed my partner coach to launch. What I actually needed was my community—and they showed up in ways I didn't expect.
Step 4: Move with what you have. Take the step. Send the invite. Schedule the meeting. Launch the pilot.
Not because it's perfect. Because your gut says it's time, and you've got enough to start.
How to use this this week: Think of ONE initiative, conversation, or decision you've been postponing. Run it through this framework. Then ask yourself: "What's the smallest version of this I could move forward with right now?"
Try This Before Next Week
Identify one thing you've been waiting to do until "the time is right."
Ask yourself: What would a soft launch look like?
Then move on it. Even if it's imperfect. Even if you're doing it alone at first.
Your team is waiting for you to lead the way—not when it's perfect, but when it matters.
P.S. If you're a business owner or leader who knows you need accountability to think bigger and move faster, that's exactly why I created Think Bigger Fridays. Every Friday at 7 AM CST, we meet online to challenge each other, share tools, and hold each other accountable to the visions that scare us. Join our FB community, Big Thinkers. Big Doers.
DM me if you want in. It's not perfect yet—but it's already working.
Until next week,
Penny
