Scared, but excited.

A friend of mine is planning to start her own consulting business. "I'm scared but excited," she said. I know that feeling well.

It's exciting to create new partnerships. To see your work make a difference. To see what is possible under your own power.

It's scary to figure out how to run a business if you haven't done it before. To navigate health insurance without an employer. To not know how the balance sheet will end up at the end of the year.

I've had many recent conversations with women considering the leap to independent consulting (you know who you are...)

One of the coolest and smartest women I know told me, "It's intimidating."
Yes, it is. And also: Why not you? Why not try?

I recently had the honor of interviewing my clients Monica Martinez and Michelle Oliva, the co-founders of EduDream, as they celebrate 10 years of running their own education research firm.

I asked them: What would you tell yourself 10 years ago?

Monica's answer: "You won't have all the answers. You won't know what to do all the time. But you'll figure it out. You are always looking to learn, because that's who you are."

That's the message for every woman considering the leap. As long as you stay curious about the world and yourself, you'll figure it out.

When I step back and look at what I'm building, I realize: I'm just happy to be here. Doing work I care about deeply. Changing the world in small ways, and sometimes bigger ones.

To Monica and Michelle: Congratulations on 10 years of EduDream. You are a powerful example of what's possible when women believe in themselves.

To everyone considering the leap: It's scary. It's exciting. It's okay to hold both feelings at once. And you're smart enough to figure it out.

Music for the moment.

You don't have to do this alone.

Recommended resources: Association of Consultants to Nonprofits, The Communications Network, The Collaborative.

Coaches: Lisa Lanier, Stephanie Schacht, PhD, and Angee Linsey.