March 2020 was a vibe. And by “vibe,” I mean a total dumpster fire.

I’d spent over 25 years in the meetings and events industry. I had the network. I had the reputation. I had the “badge.”  My story isn’t unique (swap in your own name and your own industry, and then hit “play” on that March 2020 day….)

And then, in a single afternoon, the world hit the giant red ‘Pause’ button. My role didn’t just change; it evaporated. Overnight. Gone.  Like a fart in the wind. 💨

Initially? It felt like a massive throat punch. I was a type-A, high-achieving go-getter suddenly curled up in the fetal position because the “empire” I’d helped build didn’t belong to me.

But that loss of sanity didn’t last long.  That file was still sitting on my desk.  COVID didn’t wipe that out.

It was a framework. A messy, handwritten set of notes on how I’d built a consistent 6-figure business by being… well, me. A raging introvert who loathed cold calls and loathed “networking mamma” energy even more.

I’d built that business through being visible on social media, namely LinkedIn. I had the steps, just didn’t formalize it.

That dumpster fire was the push I needed to stop building someone else’s empire and start architecting my own.

Most senior professionals, like me, think our value is tied to the logo on our business card.

It’s not.

Your 20+ years of mastery belongs to you, not the company. When you rely solely on a corporate badge for your identity, you’re essentially living in a rented house. Personal branding is how you buy the deed to your own expertise.

Building a Second Act isn’t about being loud or performative. It’s about creating a portable, resilient asset that stays with you, no matter what the world (or the industry) decides to do next.

My “scratch to my itch” was a worldwide pandemic, perhaps yours looks different.
But its there.
Its niggling away at you.
For one reason or another.

Recently on LinkedIn, I posted this poll – wanna cast your vote?  I’d love to see what is driving you to consider your Second Act!

To dreaming big,
Leanne