Reserve the Right to reinvent yourself!

“How did you go from corporate… to managing an assisted living facility… to becoming an executive director for a synagogue… to building a notary business… to teaching, speaking at national conferences, and writing two books?”

People ask me this constantly. My answer is simple:

I reserved the right to keep inventing myself. 

Not once. Not twice. But over and over again.

And here’s the part most people miss: each version of me didn’t replace the last one. It was built on it.

The Thread That Never Broke

If you looked at my résumé, you’d see completely different roles. Different industries. Different responsibilities.

But I never experienced it that way.

There has always been a connecting thread running through everything I’ve done:

Service.

Whether I was in a corporate setting, caring for seniors, supporting a faith-based community, or guiding notaries in their businesses, I was serving people.

That throughline became my compass. Not the job title. Not the paycheck. Not even the industry.

Just one question:

“Where can I serve in this season?”

Opportunity Lives Where You Are

I didn’t map out some grand master plan. I didn’t say, “One day I’ll be a notary, then a coach, then an author.”

What I did was more practical, and far more powerful.

I looked for an opportunity in the space I was already in.

In assisted living, I saw needs. I learned systems. I developed skills in communication, empathy, and management. In a leadership role at a synagogue, I expanded those skills and deepened my understanding of people, operations, and community.

Then came the notary business. When I started my mobile notary practice, I had no idea it would become the foundation that would sustain me into retirement. I didn’t see the full picture yet.

But I saw an opportunity. So I stepped into it.

And that step led to another. And another. And another.

Reinvention Isn’t Starting Over

Sometimes when people hear “reinvent yourself,” they picture burning it all down, trying something completely unrelated and hoping it works.

That’s not what I’ve done.

My reinventions have always been connected. I built each new version of me on:

•         Skills I already had

•         Relationships I had built

•         Experiences I have lived through

Think of it less like starting over, and more like stacking layers. You don’t lose who you were. You expand on it.

What the Notary World Taught Me

When I started coaching notaries, I noticed something interesting. So many people focus on one path: loan signings. And while that’s a valid and important part of the industry, it’s only one lane on a very wide road.

When I work with someone starting their notary business, I always tell them:

“There is more here than what everyone is talking about.”

There are specialties. There are niches. There are adjacent services that don’t even require a notary commission but are perfectly aligned with the skills you’re developing. I created my Certified Notary Trust Delivery Agent (CNTDA) course for exactly this reason—to help notaries see and step into one of those overlooked opportunities.

But you have to be willing to look beyond the obvious, stay curious, and connect the dots. Because expanding your horizons is exactly what this is all about.

Risk Is Part of the Process

Let’s be honest, not every step works out perfectly. Not every idea turns into something sustainable. Not every opportunity becomes a long-term path.

And that’s okay.

Reinvention requires a willingness to step into something before you feel completely ready. To try without having every answer.

Some things won’t work.

But some things will. And the ones that do become the foundation for your next move.

Give Yourself Permission to Evolve

You are not locked into one version of yourself. You are not required to stay in a role just because it’s what you’ve always done.

You are allowed to evolve. To shift. To grow into something new, even if it doesn’t make perfect sense to everyone else.

Right where you are, there are skills you’re building, connections you’re making, and insights you’re gaining. Don’t overlook them because they seem small or unrelated. They might be the bridge to your next chapter.

So instead of asking,

“What should I do forever?”

Try asking:

“What is this season preparing me for?”

Because your next version isn’t something you have to chase down, it’s something you build—step by step, with what’s already in your hands.

And when you do, you won’t just have a career.

You’ll have a story of evolution, resilience, and purpose.

One version at a time.

Want to talk more about how to focus and move down a path of opportunity?  come to Laura's Inner Circle, www.coachmelaura.com  Leave your email and I will send you the link each week.  It is always free and never recorded.

At your service,

Laura