💡 Paying It Forward – The Heart Work That Changes Everything

I have always been a creature of habit. I always start every morning the same way. I check the scripture of the day on my Bible app and both of my calendars and stop 🛑 to reflect. How interesting that today, both calendar entries focused on roughly the same themes. Hard work, luck 🍀, chance, opportunities...Now that I am retired, I am beyond grateful my days no longer begin at 0400 for PT. I also love that I now have time not just to reflect but to write  ✍️ while I enjoy my morning cafecito ☕️.

When I mentored at the FBI, I began every session the same way. I told them I had one ask and one expectation: that they pay it forward. Mentoring wasn’t just about their individual growth—it was about creating a ripple effect. The knowledge, support, and encouragement they received wasn't meant to stop with them. It was meant to be shared.

💪 Hard work, grit, a great attitude, resilience, and determination—these are some of the traits that helped me blaze trails in my career. I put in the effort, earned my seat at the table, and pushed forward. But along the way, I realized something even more important: my greatest success wasn't just in achieving my own goals—it’s in helping others achieve theirs.

📖 This quote from Adam Grant is a powerful reminder that while we work hard for what we achieve, chance and opportunity also play a role. Many talented, hardworking individuals don’t get the same breaks. That’s why paying it forward isn’t just a choice; it’s a responsibility.

When I started mentoring Agents, paying it forward became even more important. Not being an agent myself, I knew that to help others, there would be times when I would need an Agent’s perspective. That meant building trust, listening intently, and knowing when to step back and connect who I was helping with someone who shared not only their background and experience, but that I knew could work with them on how to overcome obstacles in that line of work because I had been walking alongside them when they overcame the same obstacle. Time and again, I watched as those I mentored turned around and did the same for others. When I recognized an area where only an Agent could provide the right guidance, those I had mentored stepped in—ensuring their peers had the support, insight, and experience necessary to grow. It wasn’t just about individual success; it was about creating a culture where everyone had someone looking out for them.

And this isn’t just true for different work roles—it’s true for everyone. The power of paying it forward in my mentoring practice was multiplied and together, we built a mentoring ARMY 🪖 of diverse perspectives.

Shared experiences matter. I connected parents with other parents to help navigate work-life equilibrium (repeat after me- balance is a LIE), leaders temporarily geographically separated from their families with other leaders in the same boat to navigate how to get it all back in alignment (work and home life). Everyone is different and brings unique perspectives that can bridge gaps in understanding and open doors 🚪 for others like them. The more we empower people to reach back and lift up those with shared experiences, the stronger our teams, organizations, and communities become. That’s not just mentorship—that’s movement.

❤️ It became my heart’s work to hold the door open for others, to lift as I climb, and to make sure the next generation of leaders has an easier path than I did.

Stop 🛑 for a second...

Imagine 💡  if we all did the same—how much better, more inclusive, and more hopeful the world would be?

✨ So today, I challenge you: who can you uplift? Who can you mentor, encourage, or simply advocate for?

The impact of your generosity could change a life. Last week, someone I did not even know showed me a generosity that I know will change my life, All because someone connected to me, connected me to her.

I will continue to pay it forward.

🚀 Let’s not just succeed—let’s make sure others do too.

#PayItForward 🤝 #Leadership 🌟 #Mentorship 🎯 #LiftAsYouClimb ⏫ #CareerGrowth 🚀