For the past three and a half years, the role of Program Director at Wasabi Ventures Academy was what filled the majority of my workweek. Now, I’ve rearranged my schedule and, as such, have made this role a smaller part of my day.

This role has been an interesting one for me. When I was first offered the position, I wasn’t sure that it was the right fit for me. What did I know about working with startup founders? Would I be good at getting entrepreneurs to a point where they’d deliver strong pitches as they competed for prize money? After discussions with a couple of the partners at Wasabi Ventures, I decided to give it a go.

Through the handful of cohorts that I coached, I developed more confidence and realized that a good number of the tools needed were actually in my back pocket. I had built a startup. I’ve dabbled in the periphery of the venture capital world. I used to teach. I am willing to learn. Combine all of those ingredients, and I think I was a pretty good fit for the role.

So, why now is this a small part of my day? It was time for me to do something new for my career. While I thoroughly enjoyed working with the teams and seeing all of their growth, I wanted to investigate other options that really speak to my passions.

That doesn’t mean this role has gone away completely. Not at all. I still work with founders but on a much smaller scale. I currently am not running a major program but work with founders on more of a one-on-one basis.

In the coming months, I’ll be focusing more on what’s next for me than what’s next for startups I’m coaching. However, as I do that, I’ll also be utilizing a number of the contacts, skills, and resources that I developed while holding this Program Director role. It’s definitely a full circle sort of experience.

To read about Role 1, click here.