For me, 2020 started out with a sense of optimism and wonder. As I said goodbye to the memories of my past that had been stunting my growth, I found myself excited about the year in front of me and the next phase of my journey. The month of March came in like a lion and brought with it an uncertainty like I’ve never experienced. April soon followed and I found myself unemployed for the first time in over ten years as my employer was not removed from the economics of the day. But even during this time of uncertainty, I found myself blessed with the means to navigate the months ahead and an appreciation for the opportunities before me.
As spring turned into summer and summer into fall, I found myself at a crossroads in my career of what to do next. As I pondered my next step, I kept coming back to consulting. For many years I’ve been wanting to take my passion and years of experience in product, project and operations management and parlay my portfolio of accomplishments into consultancy. This passion has proudly led me to start Apodaca Consulting, a custom solutions consultancy, tailored to support the needs of start-ups as they navigate the next phase of their journey.
I might fail at this and I might succeed, only time will tell, but one thing I will not do is wonder “what if”. But I would be lying if I said this next phase doesn’t scare me, because it does, it scares the hell out of me; taking a risk and pursuing a dream and a passion during a global pandemic with no guarantees on the other side? What if I fail...but what if I succeed! The unknown and doubts run through my mind as my subconscious tells me that it's not too late to turn back. But I have my faith to guide me and I look forward to the day when I can look back on 2020 as the most memorable year of my life. A year when I took a chance on me during a time when uncertainty was the only certainty.
The encouragement and well wishes that I’ve received from my peers and loved ones has been a reminder that if we don’t take chances in life, we never truly understand our potential, our limits and we rob ourselves of the opportunity to fail and grow from our experience. I’ve always been a person of faith and I believe that the Good Lord has a plan for me, he always has, and his next plan will test my resolve and push me outside my comfort zone like never before.
‘To rob ourselves of our best self is not only an insult to God but to ourselves’ ~ Unknown
To all those entrepreneurial leaders and mentors that have helped me get to this point, I say thank you. Thank you for having the courage to take the risks you’ve taken and for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to learn from you and to be a part of your journey. And to the future leaders that I will one day work with...I thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to working with you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Jim Apodaca | Principal Consultant
Apodaca Consulting
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