I'm an ENFJ according to Myer's Briggs MBTI.

But I haven't always embraced these qualities...

In fact, I even trained myself to operate in the opposite spectrums so that when I took the test a few years later, I tested as something totally different.

Wild.

The two letters that I held at arms length are my N and F (intuition and feeling).

Let me explain...

I grew up with a STRONG intuition. Like hella strong.

I just always seemed to "know" what to do next.

I'd get a funny feeling inside if things weren't quite right. That was enough for me to change course. 98% of the time, I was right.

But try convincing others to change their actions with an "I just feel like this isn't right" explanation.

It was tough.

So, in high school I started to believe that if I actually wanted to convince others of my perspective, I needed to abandon my intuition and adopt the opposite qualities of sensing.

People with a sensing preference work well with details and they communicate information in a step-by-step manner, appreciating the value of realism and common sense.

So what did I do?

I studied business.

I went into management consulting.

I steeped myself in the details.

It was tough, but eventually I got good at it.

I even landed promotions because of this quality I'd honed.

But, if I was honest, something felt a little off.

I knew deep down I wasn't embracing all of "me".

After my MBA, I really wasn't sure what to do next.

I was good at consulting, I liked the work and so I decided to continue down that path.

I landed interviews at all the top firms like McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) etc.

But I didn't get any offers.

I was devasted.

After all, I'd worked so hard to be "good" at this job.

But then, something surprising happened.

I got an offer to join a startup called Prosper as Co-Founder.

My newly established analytical brain fought my intuition for awhile, but eventually (thanks to my very supportive and insightful husband) I said yes.

That role, was the start of me fully embracing my intuition again.

As I reflect on the journey, a few things stand out to me:

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1️⃣ We live in a culture that values data and information.

A natural part of growing up is learning how to process and express learnings from information. Business school and consulting were not the drivers of me holding intuition at arms length. That was my own misguided choice at the time.

However, we do need to pay attention to the focus and value that society puts on specific areas and it's okay if we don't fit. But we also need to do the important work to determine where we do fit. Because life is too short to spend it in ways that don't align to our true purpose.

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2️⃣ Rounding out your natural strengths isn't a bad thing...

... despite what the gurus say.

Recently, I was speaking with a fellow coach. She was sharing about something happening in her personal life and after making two data-driven points in response, she called me out. She was grateful for the new perspective she gained as a result of the data I'd shared (see, data is our friend!).

I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to round out my strong intuition with data-driven skillsets. In the end, this makes my insights more valuable.

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3️⃣ Pay attention when things feel "off".

While it may seem like an external force moved my career path towards entrepreneurship, if I'd stopped to really consider what was happening inside, I would have been forced to acknowledge that consulting wasn't the career path long-term for me.

But, I didn't really know how to admit that.

Or how to find something new.

All I can say is that I'm so grateful for the people (mentors, coaches, close friends and family) who supported me through that transition and helped me realize why a career change was going to be helpful.

I didn't know what was around the corner, and that time, it felt scary.

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Where are you at?

Do you feel aligned in your current role? Or is something "off" right now?

Trust me, it takes courage to make a big career change. But big changes start with small actions.

Why not jump on a one-on-one coaching call with me so we can talk about what your next steps could look like?

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