My heart’s journey to finding my purpose through Grow with a Pro
My story, told from the inside out, with personal and professional layers I haven’t previously shared….
By Shanti Joy Gold
I began my relationship with my now-wife at a Wild-West-esque company. I quickly learned what unsafe feels like. One memory of our early days includes periodically having this discussion: “We could lose our jobs because of this relationship. Do you still want to keep going?”
When I started my next job, I remember sneaking around the break room and looking at the HR posters for any fine print indicating that I’d chosen a safer environment (thankfully, I had).
I also decided I was DONE hiding. The bobbing and weaving was exhausting. The first two coming-out-at-work conversations were the stuff of sitcoms:
Scene I:
My assistant sat in front of me, like a deer in headlights, as the words I’d intended to say fell out of my mouth in a ramble of epic proportions. As my words continued to spiral and it became clear I was not going to gracefully land the discussion, I finally took mercy on the sweet woman and abruptly said something poetic, like “you can go now.”
Scene II:
I decided that my wife’s upcoming planned surgery, and my time off request, would be the moment to come out to my boss. Armed now with my Scene I learnings, I planned my words and took deep, centering breaths. I called my boss’ cell, unaware that she had the day off. As if I were jumping off a cliff, I uttered the first words. I then continued all the way through, ramble-free.
Next, I heard the words I’ll never forget: “I’m sorry. I’m at the mall. Could you please repeat that and speak up?” 😳 I then had a semi-out-of-body experience during which I repeated the story while screaming at the top of my lungs. I’m fairly sure I inadvertently came out to the whole office that day. Phew!
I’ve also come to believe that my underrepresented-ness offered me unique experiences and a worldview that ultimately guided my path and fueled my strengths.
I have so much that I’m grateful for in my career, including the fact that my boss – and everyone else at the company – didn’t skip a beat.
AND, looking back, I realize that as a gay woman navigating the business world, I had some legitimately “not normal” and challenging moments.
I’ve also come to believe that my underrepresented-ness offered me unique experiences and a worldview that ultimately guided my path and fueled my strengths.
I had my biggest career successes following Scene II. As I led teams, I was able to look people in the eye as I put authenticity first, using it as the glue to bind us and a tool to draw out each person’s unique brilliance. I was called to professional coaching, which reinforced my understanding that no matter what comes our way, we control how we choose to respond when life inevitably throws us curve balls.
Simply, when I’ve lived my truth and used my unmuted inner compass as my guide, success has followed.
And now, as Founder of Grow with a Pro, I’m proud to help LGBTQ+ and underrepresented people confidently thrive in their careers by being fully themselves.