Declining a good offer
As I reflect on last week, I feel deeply fulfilled by the work I’m doing and how I’m doing it.
That said, what I’m struggling with is bandwidth, or lack thereof. Between coaching, facilitating, writing, family, learning, and admin, I estimate I’ve been at 95% capacity.
Space has become one of the most valuable things to me — it allows me to think, to be more thoughtful and creative, to be more present in each moment. With space, the quality of my interactions is noticeably higher.
My intention over the next four weeks is to say no to more things - often which are pretty good — so that I can make space for the few things I really want to focus on.
Recently, I declined an offer to join a 6-person boutique coaching firm from a CEO I really respect. He has lots of business flowing in (a great problem to have) and is looking to expand the team. I was flattered.
We got on the phone and he took the time to explain the ins and outs of the situation and what factors I should consider. He was upfront about the trade-offs. Instead of selling me, he educated me. I’ll never forget that.
Ultimately, while this opportunity would have opened certain doors, it would have also entailed giving up a lot of individual freedoms to work under this firm's banner.
It was a tough decision to say no.
In the spirit of sharing my journey, I thought you might like to see the email I wrote to him:
Hey [name],
Hope you're doing well and enjoying [place].
I've been reflecting a lot on our last conversation - again, I appreciate how open, transparent, and thoughtful you were in your invitation to me to join the team.
After much deliberation, I've come to the decision that I'm going to stay my own course and respectfully decline your offer. The crux of it is that I am still early in my career, and I want to "stay in the arena" as a business owner/operator and embrace the growth that comes with learning how to consistently develop my own business and reinvent myself repeatedly.
Joining any coaching/consulting firm as an employee would, to a large extent, directly alleviate these struggles and I would rather trade short-term comfort for long-term evolution. Choosing the seemingly less safe, less predictable route at this stage feels more aligned to me.
Thanks again for thinking of me and taking time to walk through the various factors. Our conversation was illuminating. I would be very much open to ways we might collaborate together down the road and would love to stay in touch.
Let me know if you'd still like to chat next week, otherwise we can cancel.
Warmly,
Leland
So there it is.
It’s impossible to know how things will turn out.
And, I’m more excited than ever to see what unfolds.