Confession: Getting this All Up in It out to you had been a heavy lift.
Lots of stuff feels like a heavier-than-usual lift right now.
And yet, to one of the points of what Angela Fontaine is all up in, working independently means sometimes having to navigate which is better: pushing through to do a task as a way of taking care of future me, or letting it hang a little longer to take care of current me.
There are a lot of fantastic business books out there but I have yet to find the one that speaks well to what Angela touches on in this conversation – the vacuum of team, the vulnerability, and also the self-discovery and growth that can accompany those challenges.
That said, I did have some help this time: my nephew Ezra was back in action, writing the show notes and his own reflection. He’s also been playing with adding an intro to the videos. With his help, AUII might just get a tiny bit fancier!
So! Please find Ezra’s reflection below. I hope you’ll also take a little time to listen in, especially if you, too, are navigating business ownership as an individual. It sure isn’t for the faint of heart!
From Ezra:
Who do I want to be? A question we ask ourselves through every stage of our lives, even as we reach an age many consider “old” (Angela’s word) – for Angela, at 41, she even realizes she’s not a whole person yet. Starting a business is no easy task, nor is maintaining identity within that business.
When we examine ourselves piece by piece, we decide what pieces are most important to us, and what we’re willing to sacrifice for each environment. Angela gives us perspective as someone newly into corporate spaces about what she’s willing to sacrifice: little to nothing!
Our experiences with people’s identities shape our perspective on what is professional and if we unravel our unconscious biases within different work environments (both corporate and non-corporate), we find a new identity within ourselves, as well as a comfortability for all that is distinct and new.
Do what Angela does, and give yourself grace. Release yourself from your expectations and the ones you have for others, and you’ll add another nesting doll to yourself!
Key moments in the conversation include…
…how Angela describes herself as a human:
- Angela is eight-and-a-half pieces of a Russian nesting doll, viewing herself as individual pieces she can pick apart – not quite whole yet, but still growing!
- Life is finite, and because Angela realizes this, she lives her life full of courage
- Angela is a coach herself, and describes how her inner truth has to radiate out so she can help her clients learn to grow!
…what Angela is all up in:
- Angela is learning how to be an independent business owner – no team! Branding and marketing have been surprisingly uncomfortable for her, but with the help of advisors, it’s becoming authentic work she’s proud of
- Because Angela doesn’t come from a corporate background, she wants to go into every space as a human first. Individuality is important in the workplace!
- Angela will use her genuine experiences in a place where she was judged to help her clients become more comfortable with themselves and unfold unconscious biases
- As a millennial, Angela has to relearn social media to project her business. The online world is intimidating – especially because it can often lack personability
- Angela defines grace as releasing expectations from herself, and as she enters this new world, she’s trying to give herself more grace
…her tools include:
- Advisors who are helping her build a brand!
- Her courage from living by her inner truth
- A newly blossoming social media presence
…the non-profit she chose to highlight was:
Southside ReLeaf aims to educate the community on environmental justice and increase green spaces in the area and the state!