The Unexpected CEO #11: A Different Kind of Leadership

Embracing Leadership by Letting Go: A Journey of Rediscovery and Balance

For my entire life, I’ve built momentum. Then my body reminded me that even the most determined hearts need a pause button.

I didn’t set out to become a CEO. I stepped into this role because of love, loss, and responsibility, without a roadmap or a clear sense of what came next. Along the journey, I discovered something about myself that surprised me: I can lead. I can build. I can help carry a company forward.

But somewhere in the middle of all that motion, my body started sending messages my calendar didn’t want to hear.

Beginning with Chris’s illness in June 2021, through his death in January 2023, then as the new owner beginning May 2023, I was on a 24/7 schedule. By October 2024, I was tired in a way that sleep couldn’t fix, the kind of tired that settles in quietly and stays. Focus felt harder. Joy felt less sweet. I kept telling myself I just needed to get through the next milestone, the next contract, the next trip, the next big push.

In March of 2025, the decision to bring on our COO, Jared Taylor, felt like a smart, strategic decision for growth and scale.

But by November 2025, my doctors had different plans for me. They told me, quite plainly, to slow down. They even put a structure around it that made me laugh and cringe at the same time: Limit your activities to two a day for two months.

Two. For two months. For someone who lives by a full calendar and a long to-do list, it felt almost rebellious.

So, with this edict, I spent time with friends and family on Zoom, FaceTime, and the phone. I read books that had nothing to do with leadership or strategy. I watched great movies in the middle of the afternoon. I took walks with the dogs when the air felt right. I rediscovered the simple, underrated joy of an unapologetic afternoon nap.

Sometimes, it’s about building something strong enough to stand when you step away.

I’m finding joy in imagining what this company can become, in protecting its values, in holding its story and its future with care, and in trusting others with the daily rhythms so I can stay focused on the why behind it all.

Here’s the part that shouldn’t have surprised me: while I was resting, the company kept moving forward. The team led. Decisions were made. Clients were served. The work continued.

For the first time since stepping into this role, I wasn’t carrying every outcome on my shoulders. And instead of feeling disconnected, I felt grateful. I realized a different kind of leadership: it isn’t always about being present in every moment. Sometimes, it’s about building something strong enough to stand when you step away.

I came back full-time recently, not just rested, but with a clearer head. Clearer about what kind of leader I want to be. Clearer about what I value. Clearer about the fact that growth doesn’t only show up in revenue charts and client lists. Sometimes, growth looks like learning when to stop.

These days, I find myself stepping more fully into a role I’ve quietly carried in my heart since the moment I took the reins at ScribeConcepts. I still care deeply about the work, the people, and the details, but I’m also learning to lift my eyes a little higher.

I’m finding joy in imagining what this company can become, in protecting its values, in holding its story and its future with care, and in trusting others with the daily rhythms so I can stay focused on the why behind it all.

It doesn’t feel like stepping away. It feels like stepping into myself.