coaching Archives | Page 2 of 3 | Tanya Cross Consulting

I’ve been really sad post partnership exit

Studio1 Design on March 5, 2025

Life is a series of transformations.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

It calls us to honour what’s true, evolve with integrity, and embrace the changes that come with living in alignment.

Recently, my business partner Justin and I made the decision to part ways—not through conflict, but through clarity. This decision comes from a deep respect for each other’s path and a commitment to what is most authentic for us both.

Justin’s journey is leading him toward more time with family, and I fully honour that. Sometimes, growth means letting go—not because it failed, but because it fulfilled what it came to do.

Not all partnerships are meant to last forever. Some are meant to teach us, shape us, and then release us. And that’s okay.

This shift has reminded me that real growth often asks us to surrender what once fit, but no longer feels right. If we cling too tightly to the familiar, we risk stagnation.

Some people walk beside us for a season. Others for a lifetime. The wisdom is knowing when to hold on—and when to let go.

For me, this has been a deeply personal process. A shedding. A returning.

It’s taken me inward—past the expectations, the structure, the shared plans—and back into myself. It’s asked me to let go of what I thought it had to be, and trust the unfolding of what’s meant to come next.

There have been tears. Long walks. Quiet moments. Sadness for the dream we once shared.

But also stillness.

Because when something falls away and it’s still right, you know it’s truth calling you forward.

Through this, one thing has become clearer than ever:

I love mindset work. I love the Demartini Method. I love coaching.

That fire still burns.

My focus has been on business but my love is the mind behind it all. The personal insights. The deep shifts. The moments that ripple into everything else.

That’s what lights me up.

So, while the form of business may shift, the mission remains clear:

To serve. To coach. To walk with others as they rediscover their fire and realign with who they truly are.

We honour bold decisions. Justin’s choice to step away is just that, a decision that aligns with him, one I deeply respect.

Justin, thank you for being part of this chapter. For challenging, creating, and dreaming alongside me. For the impact you’ve made on this business and this journey.

With love and oodles of gratitude,

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches’ Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)

The Coaches’ Coach (TCC)

Maximum Growth

Your Voids Are Driving You

Studio1 Design on February 19, 2025

What Feels Missing Might Be What Matters Most

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

In the pursuit of building, scaling, and eventually exiting a business, many founders overlook one of the most powerful forces shaping their life and leadership: their voids.

A void is a perceived lack—something that feels like it’s missing. Not in theory, but in your real, lived experience.

And while most people try to hide or ignore these gaps, your voids are actually pointing you toward what you value most.

Why This Matters During Exit

When you’re leading a company, your purpose is often clear. You’re creating. You’re solving. You’re serving.

But in the silence that follows an exit—or even in the lead-up—you may feel something stirring:
A subtle emptiness. A restlessness. A question like:

“What now?”

That feeling?
It’s often a void rising to the surface—asking to be acknowledged.

Your Voids Shape Your Values

Voids are not weaknesses. They are the birthplace of your highest values and most meaningful vision.

A void of stability might lead you to value financial independence.

A void of support might lead you to value leadership and mentorship.

A void of belonging might fuel your desire to build community.

A void of meaning might lead you to seek purpose beyond success.

This is why two founders can exit the same type of business, and go in completely different directions.
Because their voids—and therefore their values—are unique.

What’s Your Void Whispering Now?

As you prepare to exit or reflect on what’s next you may notice a rising desire for:

Freedom (perhaps driven by a past sense of restriction)

Recognition (from a past lack of being seen)

Rest (from years of pressure and chaos)

Legacy (from a fear of being forgotten)

The key is not to judge it. But to listen.

Because your voids aren’t pointing to what you lack—they’re pointing to what you’re here to fulfill.

Vision, Values & the Next Chapter

Your vision post-exit isn’t just about building the next thing.
It’s about honouring who you’ve become and what you’re still being called toward.

When you know the voids that drive your values, you don’t create just for productivity’s sake.
You create from alignment, clarity, and inner authority.

That’s where real purpose lives.

So, Founder…

If you’ve made the decision to exit but feel an internal tension you can’t quite name—
If you’re wondering what you’re supposed to do next, or why you’re not feeling how you thought you would—

It might be time to get curious about your voids.

Because the very thing you feel is missing… might be exactly where your next chapter begins.

With grounded inspiration,

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches’ Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)

The Coaches’ Coach (TCC)

Maximum Growth

Holding the Vision

Studio1 Design on February 11, 2025

Lately in my one-on-one sessions, a quiet theme has been surfacing — founders seeking alignment with their next vision.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

They’re asking important questions:

Am I building forward in a way that still feels like me?

Am I acting from clarity — or clinging to what used to feel like success?

It got me thinking…

There’s a rare kind of leader — a founder with vision.

Not just a strategic vision for the business, but a deeper one.

One that comes from a place of alignment, not ego.

One that reflects who they’re becoming, not just what they’re building.

This kind of vision isn’t a checklist.

It’s not about chasing one more win.

It’s about truth.

It’s about congruence.

But even the clearest vision can stall when the founder gets stuck on when it needs to happen — and what it must look like.

The Identity Behind the Vision

Seneca once wrote:

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.”

Many founders I work with aren’t struggling because their vision is too big — but because they’re still trying to shape it from their old identity.

They want certainty. A fixed timeline. Proof that it’s working.

But the truth is, this season isn’t about control.
It’s about trust.

It’s about letting the new vision reflect back to you who you are now — not who you were when you first started this business.

What If Vision Is a Mirror?

The most powerful visions don’t come from pressure. They come from presence.

They ask us to get honest about what’s truly within our control:

• Our values

• Our clarity

• Our actions

Not the timeline.

Not the outcome.

What trips up many visionary founders is the belief that things should happen faster. That they should already be “there.”

But letting go of the timeline often creates space for something more authentic — and more aligned — to unfold.

The Paradox of Vision

To lead through transition, you have to live in the paradox:

• Hold the vision tightly, but release the need to control it.

• Care deeply, but don’t grip it out of fear.

The most grounded founders I know are the ones who trust the work that’s unseen just as much as what’s visible.

Like a tree with deep roots, they know the season may shift, but growth still happens.

From Force to Power

Force burns out even the most brilliant leaders.

Power sustains.

Founders who trust the process move with intention, not urgency.

They understand that time compounds. That clarity deepens. That purpose unfolds.

They don’t need to prove their vision — they just need to keep walking toward it with integrity.

Legacy Isn’t Rushed

If you’re in a season of redefining success, questioning your role, or wondering what’s next — you’re not behind. You’re on the edge of something new.

Your job isn’t to force the outcome.

It’s to keep aligning with who you are becoming, and let that lead what you create next.

Hold the vision.

Let go of the timeline.

And know that you’re building something that will last — because it started with who you really are.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches’ Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)

The Coaches’ Coach (TCC)

Maximum Growth

Your future depends on this

Studio1 Design on February 5, 2025

As a founder, the decisions you make don’t just shape your business — they shape who you’re becoming.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

Every choice, from what you commit to next, to what you walk away from, becomes part of your personal legacy.

It’s not just about business strategy — it’s about identity.

And yet, in transitional seasons — after an exit, during a restructure, or while redefining direction — decision-making can feel heavier than usual.

You’re no stranger to making bold moves. But now, with more visibility, more responsibility, or more at stake, hesitation creeps in.

Why It Feels So Hard Right Now

The truth is, founders often carry a weight that isn’t visible to others.

There’s pressure to choose the right next move — as if one wrong decision might unravel everything that’s been built.

But indecision is a decision. And it carries its own cost — delayed growth, diluted energy, and a slow erosion of confidence.

It’s not that you don’t know what you want.

It’s that success has changed the game.

The impact is bigger.

So is the fear of getting it wrong.

And when you’ve spent years building based on feedback, results, and outcomes, it’s easy to start outsourcing your clarity — letting trends, mentors, or outside voices speak louder than your own.

But your greatest leadership comes when you return to your own alignment.

You Already Know What to Do

Clarity isn’t found in more input. It’s found in quieting the noise long enough to hear what’s already true for you.

The strongest decisions aren’t perfect.

They’re authentic.

They’re made by leaders who know who they are — and are willing to keep choosing what aligns with that, even when it’s hard.

Sometimes, it’s not the fear of failure that holds us back.

It’s the fear of success.

Of being seen.

Of carrying more.

Of owning the next level of leadership you’ve actually already grown into.

Every Decision Builds the Future

As you move through this next chapter, big or small — every decision is a vote for the future you’re choosing to create.

Each one refines your vision.

Each one builds trust in yourself.

Each one tells your team, your clients, and your future self:

I’m here. I’m clear. And I’m leading forward.

No decision is final.

No outcome is absolute.

They’re all just steps on the path.

So, what decision are you ready to make today?

The future of what you build next doesn’t depend on perfection.

It depends on your willingness to move from clarity.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches’ Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)

The Coaches’ Coach (TCC)

Maximum Growth

The Invisible Habit: How People Pleasing Becomes Second Nature

Studio1 Design on January 28, 2025

It doesn’t start with a crisis.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

It starts with something small.

A quiet “yes” when you really meant no.

A polite nod when your instincts said to push back.

And just like that, the pattern begins.

People-Pleasing in a Founder’s World

For many founders, people-pleasing isn’t loud or obvious — it’s woven into the way they lead.
It’s being the one who makes things work. Who smooths over tension. Who takes on a little extra because it feels easier than saying no.

And in the early days, it may have helped. It built trust. It kept relationships strong.
But over time, it becomes something else:
A quiet erosion of self.
A slow disconnection from what you actually want — and what your leadership really needs.

Where This Pattern Begins

This tendency to over-give or over-accommodate often isn’t about weakness.
It’s about survival.
It’s a strategy we learned early — reading the room, softening our truth, keeping others comfortable.

And while that kept us safe back then… it keeps us stuck now.

You find yourself:
• Taking on more than you want to carry
• Avoiding hard conversations because you don’t want to disappoint
• Being known as the “easy one,” the “reliable one,” even when it’s wearing you thin

It gets praised.
You get told you’re a great leader, a team player, someone who’s calm and dependable.

But underneath? There’s often resentment. Frustration. A deep fatigue that no time off seems to solve.

When Your Leadership Needs Boundaries

The truth is: your leadership doesn’t need you to say yes to everything.
It needs you to be honest. To be aligned. To be full — not depleted.

The more you disconnect from what’s true for you, the more your decisions — and your energy — become about managing others instead of leading forward.

Reclaiming your voice in leadership starts with one shift:
Noticing when you’re saying yes out of habit, instead of intention.

It’s Not a Flaw — It’s a Learned Response

People-pleasing isn’t a character flaw. It’s a coping strategy.
One that likely helped you succeed — until now.

But leadership, especially in the later chapters of building or exiting a business, asks for something deeper.
It asks for truth.

It asks you to come back to your own values, your own energy, your own yes.

And say no — clearly and without guilt — when something doesn’t serve you anymore.

Unlearning Takes Practice

This next season isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what’s yours to do.

What’s aligned.
What restores you.
What reflects who you are now — not just who you had to be in order to succeed.

If you’ve felt like your leadership has drifted away from your centre, this is your moment to return.

Not with force.
But with clarity.

Life — and business — is about unlearning and relearning.
And you get to lead in a way that feels like you.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

The Fine Line Between Helping and Taking on Too Much

Studio1 Design on January 24, 2025

For many founders, responsibility becomes more than a trait — it becomes an identity.

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

It starts with a strong sense of care. A desire to lead well. A commitment to doing right by your team, your clients, your community.

And over time, that responsibility grows.

But at a certain point, it can quietly shift from holding to over-carrying.
From leading with clarity to leading from pressure.
From empowered to exhausted.

The Unseen Cost of Carrying Too Much

I recently worked with a founder whose sense of responsibility stretched across every part of their life — from family to business to team dynamics.

They were the one people relied on.
The one who made things okay.
The one who never dropped the ball.

But underneath the capable, calm exterior was a constant hum of pressure:
“If I let go, everything could fall apart.”
“If someone else stumbles, I should’ve caught it.”
“If I set a boundary, what will they think of me?”

Sound familiar?

Where This Pattern Begins

This kind of over-functioning doesn’t come out of nowhere.

Often, it starts early — when we learned that being helpful, responsible, or “easy to count on” earned love, safety, or stability.

And those patterns? They come with us into leadership.

Suddenly you’re not just responsible for your role — you feel responsible for your team’s emotional state, your client’s success, your company’s every outcome.

Even things that aren’t yours to carry.

It’s not weakness.
It’s survival strategy.
One that may have helped you build… but is now holding you back.

What Are You Really Carrying?

Responsibility isn’t the problem.
It’s the attachment to it.

When responsibility becomes a measure of your worth, it creates a relentless cycle of doing, fixing, rescuing, managing.

You give more.
You do more.
You carry more.

But you also begin to disappear — even from yourself.

The voice inside starts to whisper:
“I’m tired.”
“I can’t keep holding all of this.”
“I just want to be enough, even when I stop.”

Reclaiming Space in Your Leadership

This work isn’t about dropping everything. It’s about asking:
• What’s truly mine to hold?
• Where am I over-functioning out of fear or habit?
• Who am I when I lead from presence, not pressure?

Setting boundaries doesn’t make you less capable.
Letting go doesn’t mean you don’t care.
Delegating outcomes doesn’t make you irresponsible.

It makes you a clear, centered leader — one who leads with trust instead of tension.

This Isn’t About Doing Less — It’s About Being Whole

Responsibility, when rooted in self-worth, becomes clarity.
When tied to proving your value, it becomes weight.

You don’t need to earn your place by carrying more than is yours.

You’re already enough — even when you rest.
Even when you pause.
Even when you say, “This part isn’t mine.”

Let this season be about unhooking from what you no longer need to carry.
And learning to lead — with strength, yes, but also with space.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

What Will Your Next Quarter Of A Century Story Be?

Studio1 Design on January 15, 2025

Last night, I saw Hamilton with a friend.
(It’s no secret I love a good stage show.)

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

But this one landed differently.

There’s a line that stayed with me long after the curtain closed:

“How do you want others to tell your story when you’re gone?”

It’s the kind of question that doesn’t just linger.
It moves you.

Not because it’s dramatic — but because it’s honest.
Because whether we say it out loud or not, many of us are asking the same thing:
What am I really creating with the life I’ve been given?

For the Founder at a Crossroads

As we step into a new year — and not just any year, but the start of a new quarter-century — it’s worth pausing.

Twenty-five years is a long time to build.
And if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve spent much of that time in motion.
Growing something. Leading something. Becoming someone.

But maybe now, the question isn’t what have I built?
It’s what story do I want to shape from here?

What story will your next 25 years tell — and will it reflect who you really are now?

Looking Back, Then Forward

Twenty-five years ago, I was standing at a crossroads.
Stay where it’s safe, or follow the pull of something unknown.

I chose the leap.

That choice didn’t come with a clear plan or guarantee.
But it came from something deeper — a knowing.
And every part of my journey since, including building MG, has come from that one decision:
To live in alignment.

Not with someone else’s idea of success.
But with my own truth.

What About You?

Maybe you’re standing in a similar space now.
You’ve built well. You’ve led well.
But you’re feeling the edge of something new.

And while it’s easy to get swept up in goals and plans — this isn’t about resolutions.

This is about revelation.
About slowing down enough to hear the questions that matter.

What truly moves the needle in your life and leadership?
What can you release to create space for what actually matters now?
What decisions are calling you to lead from clarity instead of habit?

Legacy Isn’t Someday. It’s Now.

Legacy isn’t something you leave behind.
It’s something you shape as you go.

With every choice.
Every conversation.
Every time you decide to return to what’s real for you.

This season — this year — is an opening.

To plant something aligned.
To act from your values.
To lead in a way that feels like home.

So ask yourself honestly:
What story do you want this next season to tell?

And what decision would a founder aligned with that story make today?

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

How can I help you?

Studio1 Design on December 18, 2024

Where Are You Holding Back? (And What Could Happen If You Stopped?)

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

Let me ask you something — and I’d love your honest answer:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your business right now?

It’s a deceptively simple question.
But the response often holds more than just a number — it holds a story.
A story of growth… and sometimes of hesitation.

And if you’re a founder reading this, I want you to know:
I see the weight that comes with building something meaningful.
I also see how easy it is to stall — not because you don’t care,
but because you care so much that it all has to be just right before you move.

The Real Reasons You Might Feel Stuck

There was a time when I found myself doing exactly that.
• Delaying launches because they weren’t “perfect”
• Staying quiet out of fear of being misunderstood
• Hiding behind over-editing, tweaking, and second-guessing
• Waiting to invest until I felt more “ready”
• Holding myself to impossible standards because success had to look a certain way

The business was there.
But my belief in it — and in myself — hadn’t caught up.

And that’s often where founders stall:
Not in lack of skill or vision…
But in the quiet tension between wanting more and fearing what it will ask of you.

Perfection is a Distraction

Founders are natural visionaries.
We see what’s possible.
But that same gift can turn into pressure — pressure to execute perfectly, to scale quickly, to lead flawlessly.

And so we delay.
We overwork.
We stay in motion but don’t really move.

But here’s the truth:
Clarity comes from action, not the other way around.
You don’t need to feel confident before you show up.
You build confidence by showing up.

What Shifted Everything for Me

It wasn’t a funnel.
Or a big launch.
Or a rebrand.

It was the decision to treat my work like it mattered.
To act as though I believed in myself, even before I fully did.
To choose movement over perfection.

And it changed everything.
Because when you lead from belief, you become magnetic.
You stop performing and start building something sustainable, something real, something truly aligned.

Your Business Isn’t a Hobby, It’s a Reflection of You

If you treat your business like a side project, it will behave like one.
But when you treat it as the platform for your legacy — it begins to grow roots.

And not just financially.
But in how it gives you back your time, your energy, your freedom.

Things like:
• Making your own schedule
• Saying yes to therapy, rest, and actual joy
• Creating from a place of integrity, not pressure
• Spending time with people you love because you’ve built the space to

This is the real reward of alignment.
Not just the income.
But the inner space to live the way you’ve always wanted to.

So, Founder… What’s Your Number?

Where are you feeling stretched?
Where are you still waiting for things to be “ready”?
What would happen if you took the next step before everything was perfect?

This isn’t about pushing.
It’s about choosing.

The life and business you want aren’t built all at once, they’re shaped moment by moment, choice by choice.

Let’s talk about what’s next for you.
Not from pressure.
From purpose.

You’ve come this far.
Let’s go further, with intention, clarity, and the space to grow into your next season.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

Put these in place now

Studio1 Design on December 11, 2024

Founder, It’s Time to Put Your Boundaries in Place

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

We’re coming up to the end of the year.
And maybe, just maybe, you’re feeling it.

The pull to pause.
The longing to exhale.
The need to step back from the weight of decisions, expectations, and everyone else’s urgency.

But here’s what tends to happen:
A client wants something last minute.
A team member needs you.
There’s one more deal to close.
One more fire to put out.

And because you care deeply, you say yes.
Again.

But just because you can carry it doesn’t mean you should.

Your Leadership Doesn’t Have to Come at the Cost of Yourself

As founders, we often confuse being available with being effective.
We equate service with self-sacrifice.
We think boundaries are for when things are calmer, when we’ve earned the right to rest.

But here’s the truth:
If you don’t define your boundaries, your business will define them for you.
And the more successful you become, the more people will need from you.

It’s not wrong to be needed.
But if you don’t set the edges, it becomes too easy to overextend, and too hard to find yourself inside your own life.

Where Is It Time to Draw the Line?

Boundaries aren’t walls.
They’re the agreements you make with yourself about what protects your energy, your values, and your vision.

They look like:
• Being clear about when you’re on and when you’re not
• Saying no to requests that don’t honour your capacity
• Protecting your calendar without guilt
• Letting your team or clients know in advance when you’re offline
• Trusting that the business can breathe without your constant presence

Boundaries aren’t a sign of weakness.
They’re a mark of leadership.

You’re Not Wrong for Wanting a Break

This isn’t about checking out.
It’s about checking in, with yourself.

It’s asking:

What do I need to recover, reflect, and return clear?
What agreements do I want to make with my time and energy this season?
Where am I saying yes to keep the peace, even when I’m quietly falling apart?

When you honour your needs, you show others how to do the same.
When you rest, you lead from fullness, not fumes.

And when that “urgent” call comes on December 28th, you’ll know what to say.

Clarity Creates Confidence

So here’s what I want you to know:
• It’s okay to take a break.
• It’s okay to set limits.
• It’s okay to let people know ahead of time.
• And it’s more than okay to not explain yourself when the time comes.

Your business doesn’t thrive because you’re constantly available.
It thrives because you’re aligned.

Boundaries make that possible.

Not someday.

Now.

Tanya Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth

Stop using pain to push you

Studio1 Design on December 4, 2024

Do You Really Need a Breakdown to Have a Breakthrough?

let’s level up:

Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Smash through growth ceilings,
again and again to new heights
in business, leadership and life.

Let me ask you something real:
Are you tired of needing a problem to finally get moving?

It’s a pattern I know well.
And if you’re a founder who’s built your business by pushing through crisis, chances are, you know it too.

The moment something breaks down…
The money dips.
The relationship strains.
The system fails.
That’s when you take action.

You rise.
You rebuild.
You solve.

And sure, it works.
Until it doesn’t.

The Fire Isn’t the Only Way to Grow

There was a time I believed I had to be in the thick of the fire to lead.
Like my story wouldn’t be valid unless it came with scars.

Financial pressure.
Family breakdowns.
Health crises.

I used to think these were necessary parts of the journey, the fuel I needed to show up.

And in some ways, they did shape me.
But at some point, I had to ask:

Am I growing because I want to, or only when I have to?
Do I know how to expand from vision, not just from survival?

Because waiting for pain to push you is a high-cost strategy.

From Reactive Growth to Vision-Driven Leadership

Most founders are conditioned to move through stress.
It’s why we’re good in a crisis.
But staying in that reactive mode constantly solving, fixing, pushing eventually wears you out.

It creates an internal culture where nothing shifts unless it breaks.
Where you associate progress with pressure.
And growth becomes a response to discomfort, not a commitment to purpose.

But there’s another way.
A quieter, more powerful way.

One that doesn’t wait for pain to call the shots.

What If Growth Didn’t Come From Suffering?

Real expansion doesn’t need a disaster to justify it.

You can:
• Launch because you desire to, not because you’re desperate
• Delegate because you value your energy, not because you’re drowning
• Evolve because it’s time, not because something failed

This isn’t about bypassing pain.
It’s about not needing it to be your only driver.

Growth through purpose lasts longer.
It feels better.
And it keeps you in the seat of your own leadership.

The Shift: Pain-Inspired vs. Purpose-Aligned

Pain will move you, no question.
It’s the wake-up call that forces us to act.

But if you only grow through crisis, life will keep serving you one.

What if instead, you learned to create from alignment?

That’s what I call self-concordant growth.
Where your goals reflect who you truly are.
Where action comes from clarity, not chaos.
Where the “why” behind your work is bigger than just fixing a problem.

You Don’t Have to Earn the Next Level Through Struggle

The founder you’re becoming doesn’t need breakdowns to breakthrough.

They need:
• A clear relationship with what they value
• A vision bigger than whatever fire is burning
• The courage to grow without a push from pain

You can evolve without falling apart first.
You can create without crisis.
You can lead without burning out.

So Ask Yourself…

Right now, am I acting from vision or reacting to pain?

And if it’s the latter, what would it look like to shift?

You don’t have to throw out the past.
You’ve built strength through fire.
But your next level may not require flames — just presence, clarity, and the willingness to choose growth without needing permission from pain.

You’re allowed to move forward even when everything’s fine.

That’s what visionaries do.

Tanya “Do The Work” Cross

Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach

Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator

BAppSoSc (Counselling)

Maximum Growth