The Most Courageous Move Isn't Always Climbing Higher
- Mary Ellen
- Aug 18, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
After 25 years as a financial services and data professional, I made a decision that surprised even me.
I stepped away from corporate life.
Not because I had burned out. Not because I had failed. But because I had succeeded—and realized that success on someone else's terms wasn't enough anymore.
The Pivot No One Expected
For two and a half decades, I navigated high-stakes environments, built strategic relationships, and delivered results under pressure. I knew how to read a room, manage complexity, and lead through uncertainty. By every external measure, I had "made it."
But somewhere along the way, the pace I had mastered no longer matched the life I wanted to lead.
The decision wasn't abrupt—it was intentional. And what followed wasn't a retreat. It was a recalibration.
Trading Up, Not Stepping Down
Our family made a decision to relocate, New Jersey to North Carolina. We weren't downsizing our lives—we were ready for the next chapter.
The results of the new adventure:
Congestion for connection with each other and our family
Long commutes for walkable mornings in nature, more sunshine and more oxygen
Routine for discovery, open to new opportunities
A new home full of possibilities
The move gave us space—literally and figuratively—to reimagine what fulfillment and new possibilities could be in this next chapter.
The Pull Back to "Normal"
I briefly considered returning to corporate work. Conversations with recruiters and potential hiring managers began. I received an offer that would have put me back on planes and in boardrooms, back in the rhythm I knew so well.
But here's what had shifted: I had tasted autonomy.
I had experienced the freedom of owning my schedule, serving in ways that aligned with my values, and building something that reflected my whole self—not just my resume.
Once you feel that alignment, it's impossible to unsee it.
Why Coaching Chose Me
That clarity guided me to professional coaching. Not as a fallback, but as a calling.
Today, I work with leaders navigating their own transitions—stepping into new roles, redefining success, developing critical skills, or searching for greater purpose in their work.
I help them:
Tune into the subtle signals they've been ignoring
Trust their instincts even when the data is ambiguous
Lead with clarity and purpose, not just competence
Make decisions that honor both their ambitions and their values
The Work Begins With Values
Here's what I've learned, both from my own transition and from coaching dozens of leaders through theirs:
You can't lead authentically if you don't know what you stand for.
That's why I often start coaching engagements with a values clarification process. Not the corporate values posted on a wall somewhere—your actual values. The ones that guide your decisions when no one is watching.
Researcher and author Brené Brown puts it perfectly in her work on values: most of us can list 30+ values we admire, but we can only truly operationalize two or three core values in our daily lives. The work is identifying which ones are non-negotiable for you—and then having the courage to live by them.
When I work with clients, we spend time uncovering their core values, then examining where their current reality aligns with those values—and where it doesn't. That gap? That's where the real coaching work happens.
Because clarity precedes change.
What Transition Really Looks Like
If you're reading this and something is resonating—if you're successful but not fulfilled, competent but not inspired, climbing but not sure why—you're not alone.
Leadership transitions aren't always about taking the next promotion.
Sometimes they're about:
Staying in your role but leading differently
Saying no to opportunities that look good on paper
Redesigning your life around what actually matters
Choosing a path that feels true, even if it doesn't make sense to others
The most courageous move isn't always climbing higher.
Sometimes it's having the clarity to choose differently.
Your Turn
What would shift if you led from your core values instead of external expectations?
What would change if you permitted yourself to want something different?
These aren't rhetorical questions. They're the beginning of transformation.
Work With Me
If you're a leader in transition—whether that's stepping into a new role, redefining success, or searching for deeper purpose—I'd welcome a conversation.
In our coaching work together, we'll:
Clarify your core values and identify where you're living out of alignment
Develop the self-awareness and emotional intelligence to lead authentically
Create sustainable strategies for high performance without burnout
Build accountability structures that support lasting change
Start here: Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll explore where you are, where you want to be, and whether coaching is the right path forward.
📅 Schedule Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/maryellendonlevy
Recommended Resource
Brené Brown on Values: If you want to dive deeper into values work before our call, I highly recommend Brené Brown's research on operationalizing values. https://brenebrown.com/resources/living-into-our-values/
Because sometimes, the most courageous move isn't climbing higher—it's choosing a path that feels true.
