In 2013, I took a leap. I left the predictable path and stepped fully into entrepreneurship.

The plan?
Offer consulting services. Maybe build toward government contracts.

But as every founder and leader knows –
Plans evolve. Especially when you’re willing to say yes before you feel 100% ready.

One meeting changed everything.

I was invited to speak with the COO of a midsize tech company.
Originally, I was there to automate some Excel reports—a clean, simple project.

But midway through our conversation, he asked me something that shifted the room:
“Would you be open to designing a workflow management system for the whole company?”

There wasn’t much time to think.
But in those seconds, I scanned the opportunity, the risk, the stretch, and I said yes.

That decision wasn’t just about a project.
It was about becoming the kind of leader who responds to vision over comfort.

Within four months, we delivered the system.
The project became a financial turning point for my company, but more than that, it became a strategic one.

As I began consulting other small and midsize businesses, a theme emerged:
They needed what we’d built, but couldn’t afford the one-time price tag.

That’s where the next “yes” came in.
The SaaS model wasn’t my original plan. But it met the moment.

We designed it, built it using agile methodologies, and launched it.
The response was overwhelming.

Eventually, I pitched the product at a regional innovation event in Northern Virginia, where it was named one of the top three innovative products of the year.

And I still remember the quote that carried me through those uncertain early steps:

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.” — Richard Branson

To the founders reading this: your big idea might not arrive with a business plan.

To the leaders: Your next transformation might not come with a title.

Sometimes all you need to do is recognize the door, say yes, and let the rest unfold.

I didn’t know I was stepping into product development. I just knew how to listen to the moment, to the need, and to my own growth.

That’s what leadership looks like when it’s shaped by intuition, not just instruction.
That’s what founding something is – saying yes to what doesn’t yet exist.