J002 Gift in the Shift
The Gift is in the Shift
““We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
— Max Depree
Posted February 09, 2026
The GIFT is in the SHIFT: Three areas where small adjustments can change everything
In a conversation with a great friend, colleague, and fellow entrepreneur the other day, she shared a phrase that had me pausing my next thought—and quietly rethinking my next thesis:
The gift is in the shift.
That simple statement reflected the past few years of my life (yes—years 😳), because I’ve been shifting, transitioning, recalibrating, assessing, and re-designing for quite some time now.
But it also reminded me of something deeper.
Sometimes the most meaningful clarity comes from down-shifting, even briefly—long enough to notice the grace, gratitude, and guidance that only reveal themselves when we choose to do things differently.
Most entrepreneurs know the feeling well: an underlying current of urgency to get things done so you can move on to the next task—because it won’t get done by itself.
And yet, if you are deeply passionate about your work, slowing down long enough to truly recognize and resonate with what you are creating may be one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
For me, that shift looked like moving from:
“It all has to be done now.”
to
“This matters—but I want to ensure it’s relevant, aligned, and right before I move on.”
That shift didn’t just open new doors.
It changed how I do everything—and how I see the world.
Over time, I’ve learned that alignment rarely comes from massive upheaval.
More often, it comes from small, intentional shifts.
Here are three that changed everything for me.
Shifting the Pace
We live in a culture that rewards speed.
Fast results.
Fast responses.
Fast growth.
But alignment doesn’t operate on urgency—it operates on truth—and accuracy.
When I slowed my pace—not stopped, just slowed—I started making decisions from clarity instead of pressure. I noticed what felt sustainable. What felt meaningful. What felt like mine.
Sometimes the most powerful move isn’t pushing harder—it’s changing lanes, shifting gears, and choosing a pace that actually supports the life and work you are truly meant to provide – not the work you thought you were meant to do.
I shifted from an industry which I still love – but needed to find a different lane to serve it. Being the owner and lead interior designer with 5 employees, over 15 active clients and more than 25 concurrent projects – each involving architects, contractors, trades and vendors – the pace I was cruising at became unsustainable.
In 2022 I made the shift to step back, and in 2024 I shifted again and sold the business.
This shift didn’t make me less committed or less passionate about the industry.
It made me more precise.
The shift from “being IN the industry” to being able to “serve the industry” was huge for me. The precision I gained through intentional change was the gift I never saw coming.
Shifting the Reason Behind the Work
At some point, I realized what I was doing wasn’t just a job.
Not just a great idea.
Not just a career move.
And definitely not just “work.”
The shift came when I stopped asking, “What should I do next?”
and started asking, “Why does this matter to me?”
That question changed everything.
It reframed my experience—not as walking away from something successful, but as moving toward something more honest. I wasn’t losing momentum. I was refining direction.
That’s when my work stopped feeling transactional and started feeling intentional.
Becoming a coach, consultant, designer of intention, and coordinator of truth isn’t something I do.
It’s my life’s work—simply disguised as opportunity.
When your reason becomes clear, your decisions get lighter.
And when your ‘work’ becomes your ‘mission’ – you no longer work – you serve.
Your direction gets steadier. And the pathway you travel on isn’t more challenging, it’s more rewarding – regardless of the twists and turns you meander around…
Shifting Your Energy (Evaluate Energy)
One of the most overlooked shifts you can make – is with your energy.
Not what you say—but what you bring to the table, into the room, through your expressions.
At some point, while I was shifting from a designer of homes to a designer of intention and growth – I noticed something subtle but undeniable: When I walked into rooms grounded, clear, and unattached to proving anything, the energy around the conversations changed before I ever spoke.
That shift happened organically when I allowed things to run their course. Now, before I talk about clarity, leadership, or alignment, I ask myself one simple question:
What energy am I walking into this room with?
This comes straight from my DESIGN framework—Evaluate Energy. This module speaks directly to the value in evaluating your own energy, as well as learning how to evaluate the energy of those around you – because people feel your presence long before they process your words.
When you shift your energy, you shift the room.
You shift conversations.
You shift outcomes.
And you can shift your life and the lives of others.
You see, alignment isn’t just intellectual.
It’s energetic.
And when your energy is aligned, momentum follows—
without force, without burnout, without losing yourself in the process.
The Real Gift
The gift isn’t in doing more.
It’s in noticing what’s asking to be adjusted.
A pace.
A reason.
An energy.
Because when one small shift happens, everything downstream changes.
That’s the gift in the shift.
If this resonates, I invite you to pause and reflect:
What is the shift asking of you right now?
That question alone can change more than you think.
If you’re curious about what intentional shifts towards stronger alignment could look like in your own life and leadership—I’d love to explore it with you.