Fear Moved In, And I Built Around It: Welcome to Operations House

Every Life-Changing Decision Starts at the Kitchen Counter

Have you ever noticed that every life-changing decision tends to start in the same place: the kitchen counter?

Not the couch. The couch is for pretending everything is fine while doom-scrolling through Zillow listings you’ll never afford.

Not the bed. That’s where you lie awake, whispering into the darkness, “What’s the point?”

But the kitchen counter - that’s where big decisions are made. It’s where you find yourself stuck, deciding whether to cry, pick yourself up, or just defrost some chicken.

And if you’re at the kitchen counter right now - feeling the weight of everything but uncertain of your next move - you’re not alone. I promise clarity comes from moments like these.

The Granite Slab That Held Me Up

The countertop is where you go when you’re on the edge of something big...or the edge of losing your mind.

And that’s exactly where I was.

The countertop was solid. Unlike my mental health, my trajectory in my then role, or the questionable decision to rely on Pinterest quotes to plan my future vision.

I wasn’t just about to click a button. I was making a declaration. I was building Operations House.

And, of course, I was overthinking everything. I sat there for hours, torn between “Operation” and “Operations.” Seriously, how many times can you say a word before it no longer sounds like a word?

But here’s what I’ve learned: overthinking doesn’t mean you’re stuck - it means you care deeply. Let it remind you that the decisions that feel impossible are often the ones that matter most.

Because it wasn’t really about the name. It never was. It was about everything I was leaving behind.

On Paper, My Life Was Perfect

I was a C-suite executive at 28. I had a six-figure salary. I worked remotely before it was cool.

I had the kind of career that makes people DM you saying, “Teach me your ways!”

But I couldn’t teach them my ways because my ways involved crying in my shower between Zoom calls.

You ever feel confused by your own LinkedIn profile? Like it’s screaming, “You’ve made it!” while you’re quietly whispering, “Have I?”

Because here’s what being remote without reasonable expectations really means: PTO that begins with, “Can you still hop on this sales call?”

And my team? Oh, my team. They were incredible. Talented. Deserved more than I could ever give them.

Where leadership saw numbers, I saw people. And I couldn’t change what they didn’t value.

A Leader Running on Empty

So there I was. A leader with nothing left to give and $12 away from throwing it all into a vision I couldn’t quite explain yet.

And that’s when I felt it.

Right in the center of my chest.

Not certainty. Not clarity. Just...a feeling.

I didn’t know how to explain it, but it whispered, “This is it.”

“I’m scared as shit, but I know this is it.”

Not because I’m guaranteed success. Not because I have all the answers. But because I know, deep down, I can do this.

The Click That Changed Everything

So, I clicked it.

And you know what happened? Absolutely nothing.

No confetti. No fireworks. No Oprah bursting out of my pantry shouting, “You get a business!” Just silence.

But that silence wasn’t empty.

It was full of possibility.

Every Revolution Starts with a Leap

Because here’s the reality: Every great revolution starts with a leap. A life-changing decision, summed up in a single click and a credit card charge barely worth noticing.

And now, like many great entrepreneurs I’ve read about, I have my own humble beginning: at my kitchen counter.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes.

One click. One moment. One leap into the unknown.

And $12.

So, if you’re sitting at your own kitchen counter, wondering if you’re ready to take the leap, let this be your sign: you don’t need all the answers figured out today. The courage to begin is enough to build something incredible.