A Year Since Glimmer: What I Would Tell the Woman I Was Then

A year ago, I stood on a hiking trail in Kogelberg, quietly analysing a short list of names for a business that didn’t even exist yet.

I’d taken a year off to recover, recalibrate, and hopefully reinvent. I didn’t know what would come next, but I knew I wanted to help people - even if it was just one person. That was my success metric at the time: one person whose life would be better because I dared to coach.

At the top of the name list was "Glimmer."

I tested it aloud with a friend who knows me deeply. We were mid-hike when I said it. She turned to me, her whole body responding: "That’s the one."

That moment anchored something in me.

The glimmer I had been following.

Finally had a name.

Still, the fear was there and shouting loudly.

I was about to go public with a decision that felt wildly vulnerable.

What if people thought I was naive?

What if I was a terrible coach?

What if I failed and everyone saw?

But that glimmer stayed.

It reminded me that impact isn’t always loud.

Sometimes it's just one person breathing a little easier after talking to you.

Fast-forward to this year.

I went back to Kogelberg, back to the trail where the idea of Glimmer first became real.

This time, I wasn’t carrying questions.

I was carrying gratitude.

Over the past year, I’ve settled into a new identity that fits so much better than the old one.

Coaching, speaking, facilitating, advising.

It all feels aligned.

I make decisions based on what brings joy, growth, or impact.

I’ve built a life I love, one that includes old friends, new communities, deep conversations, belly laughs, and joyful movement.

I used to wake up with a pit in my stomach.

Now, I wake up excited for what's ahead.

The fear hasn’t disappeared, but my relationship with it has.

I don’t avoid fear anymore.

I accept the challenge it presents.

I trust myself to navigate it.

When I think of my former self (the one who was still hiding behind PowerPoint decks and performance reviews), I just want to tell her:

"Stop being so afraid. Everything will work out exactly as it should. And what’s waiting for you is even better than you imagined."

If you're reading this in your own in-between season, wondering if the risk is worth it, please know:

You are safe.

You can trust yourself.

You made the decision for a reason.

And yes - the life you dream of is within reach.

Keep following the glimmer.