40 Lessons: On Money, People, and Living Unleashed: Reflections from Two Years of Entrepreneurship

When I decided to intentionally pursue full-time entreprenuership in June 2023, after decades in financial services. I thought I was ready. What I found instead was the rawest crash course of my life, in business, in resilience, and in myself.

Over recent years, I have built businesses, closed chapters with intention, and embraced what I call living life unleashed. To me, that means choosing alignment over approval, protecting my peace like capital, and showing up fully even when it costs me comfort. I have never been for everybody, and I never will be. Not every table is mine to sit at, and I am finally okay with that.

That acceptance alone changed everything. Entrepreneurship pulled me off autopilot. It stripped away titles, exposed who I could trust without contracts, and showed me how far I would go when no one was clapping.

Despite what it may seem, entrepreneurship is not a highlight reel. It holds wins, losses, pivots, and lessons you cannot get in boardrooms. It means realizing that consistency is not about running into the same wall over and over. It is about knowing when to stop, when to turn, and when to rebuild the wall entirely. And it is not for everyone.

Looking back on this season, I can see the patterns. Each decision, each no, each pivot added up to lessons I could not have learned any other way. Forty stand out, and they shape how I move forward.

The number 40 has always symbolized seasons of growth and preparation. For me, it marks two years of testing, refining, and building something new from the ground up.

Here are 40 lessons I have lived and earned since stepping off autopilot.

On Success and Growth

1. Growth often looks like loss before it feels like progress. My faith has carried me through those seasons, reminding me that what feels like an ending is often the start of something greater.

2. Discipline is easier than regret.

3. Failure is not the opposite of success, it is the tuition fee.

4. Winners do not win every time. But winners do win eventually.

5. Quitting does not make you weak. Quitters can, and do, win.

6. Do it scared. Fear is not a stop sign, it is often the catalyst for growth.

7. Rejection is redirection. A no is not the end of the road, it may be the beginning of a better one.

8. Great work is just good work repeated. Perfect is too expensive and usually late.

On Money and Business

9. Cash flow is oxygen. Protect it.

10. Trust and credibility are the new currency in entrepreneurship. Without them, nothing moves.

11. Price is a boundary. If you resent the work, either the scope or the price is wrong.

12. Return on energy matters as much as return on investment.

13. Not every opportunity is your opportunity. Filter for fit, not just dollars.

14. You can be multidimensional, but in business people need to clearly see one thing. Lead with clarity, not confusion.

On People and Perception

15. Family is the foundation. Success means very little if the people you love are sacrificed along the way. Do not forget them and lose sight of what's really important.

16. Be careful with assumptions. You rarely know the full story behind someone else's situation, and judgment costs more than it pays.

17. People are not always what they seem. Everything that glitters is not gold. Some are brilliant at marketing but poor at being human, while others quietly shine in ways you cannot see at first glance.

18. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Do not write off someone's greatness just because you cannot see it immediately.

19. Stop judging people you do not know based on gossip, assumptions, or solely on what others say. Gossip is noise, and assumptions often miss the truth. Use your discernment.

20. Some people you've supported for years, will not support you. Such is life. When you give without expectation and you are a geniune person, the right people show up.

21. Clap for and support other people, even those in your lane. Someone else's win does not take anything from you.

22. You cannot say yes to every table you are invited to. Alignment will disappoint some, but the right opportunities will always find you.

On Showing Up

23. People may never like your post, comment on your work, or send you a note, but they are watching. Keep showing up. Your consistency is impacting more people than you will ever know.

24. Your energy introduces you before your words do. Get aligned inside.

25. Confidence is just keeping promises to yourself.

26. You are your own harshest critic. Give yourself grace, because grace is what allows you to push through to the other side.

On Mindset and Resilience

27. Consistency without clarity is self-sabotage. The right kind of consistency builds, the wrong kind burns.

28. Boredom is a competitive advantage. While others chase shiny objects, you can stay focused on what actually moves the needle. Master sitting with the mundane because it is where real progress lives.

29. Anger is often fear in disguise. When a client pushes back, when a competitor launches something similar, when a deal falls through, that flash of anger usually masks fear of failure, irrelevance, or not being enough. Name the fear, and you can address the real issue.

30. If you cannot explain it simply, you do not understand it deeply.

31. If you cannot change it, change how you see it.

On Health and Self-Care

32. Treat your health like your life depends on it.

33. Rest is a requirement, not a reward. It is fuel, not laziness.

34. Schedule your health checkups like you schedule your meetings. Show up for yourself the way you show up for others.

35. Put yourself on your own calendar. Self-care is not indulgence, it is how you stay standing. Exercise, prayer, meditation, hobbies — whatever fills you back up. Make sure you are on your own to-do list.

36. Your body is your business partner. Dehydration kills focus, decision-making, and energy. Drink your water like your revenue depends on it, because it does.

37. Time is your most valuable currency. You cannot get it back, and it moves faster than you think. Use it well.

On Career and Leadership

38. Your career is not a straight line. You can pivot, pause, or rewrite the script when the moment calls for it, that is strategy, not weakness.

39. Ego will meet you at the door, yours and others. Do not take everything personally. Most of the time, it is someone else wrestling with their own stuff.

On Community and Impact

40. No matter how busy you are, make time to serve your community. Giving back your time, treasure, and talent is how we multiply impact.

Looking Ahead

Entrepreneurship is not autopilot. It demands presence, courage, and the ability to quit what no longer serves you. It requires clarity, grace, and the discipline to keep showing up even when no one is clapping.

Living life unleashed means making bold choices, protecting your peace, and moving with intention toward abundance. It means remembering that not every table is yours to sit at, and that is exactly how it should be.

Two years ago, I thought success meant never changing course. Now I know it means changing course when you have better information.

These are 40 of the lessons I’ve lived and learned along the way, but there are always more. I’d love to hear yours. What lesson has resonated with you most lately?

To your growth,

Renée

This is my first LinkedIn article, and I want to thank you for reading and engaging.

The best is yet to come.