Yesterday we hosted a live, in-person Fireside Chat with Athina Lampru.

Events like this remind me why community matters so much.

There’s something different about gathering in the same room with people who are all trying to grow, both professionally and personally.

Athina shared something that resonated deeply with many of the enterprise sellers in the room.

For a long time, she found herself chasing validation through external success.

Being a top performer.

Winning deals.

Proving herself.

Many of us in sales know that feeling well.

But over time she realized something powerful.

The success that mattered most to her wasn’t just professional.

It was becoming the kind of mother her children could look up to.

We talked about the deep work required to be present for the people who matter most.

One example she shared really stuck with me.

After a long day at work, it’s easy to bring that stress home.

To snap.

To raise your voice.

To project the frustrations of the day onto the people closest to you.

Instead, she described something different.

Slowing down.

Apologizing to her kids if she raised her voice.

Explaining that her reaction wasn’t about them, but something that happened earlier in the day.

Taking responsibility.

That kind of self-awareness and accountability is not easy.

But that’s the work.

Another theme we discussed was imposter syndrome.

When you start playing a bigger game, there will always be moments where you question yourself.

That’s normal.

Growth will always introduce discomfort.

Many of us also carry lessons from our own upbringing that we unconsciously project onto others.

Sometimes onto our teams.

Sometimes onto our families.

Sometimes onto our kids.

The question becomes:

Will we become aware of those patterns?

Will we do the work required to break them?

Athina shared an analogy that really resonated with the room.

Imagine you walk into the gym for the first time.

You get on the treadmill.

You control the speed.

You’re comfortable.

Then someone walks in who is absolutely shredded.

Ten percent body fat.

At first, it’s easy to make excuses.

“I could never look like that.”

But the moment you see it, something changes.

It plants a seed.

It shows you what’s possible.

And when you look closer, you realize something.

They probably didn’t do it alone.

They had a trainer.

A nutritionist.

A coach.

People holding them accountable.

Why wouldn’t we do the same thing for our careers?

For many people, investing in themselves at that level feels scary.

Some people think it’s crazy to spend money on coaching, community, or programs.

But the truth is most people rarely invest in their own growth.

It’s easier to blame external factors.

The product.

The market.

The manager.

The economy.

But those things are outside of our control.

What we can control is the intentionality we bring to our careers.

One day you wake up and realize something.

You either built your career intentionally.

Or you drifted.

Yesterday was a reminder that none of us have to figure this out alone.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared openly, and contributed to the conversation.

Community like this is rare.

And I’m grateful for it.