Reinvention is Required — Even After Big Success
You don’t arrive. You evolve.
That’s one of the most powerful takeaways from the Figure 8 podcast: every woman we spoke to had a moment where what used to work stopped working. They had to reinvent themselves. Sometimes, that reinvention came after their biggest success. These kinds of steps can be scary and cause us to stop in our tracks. Finding the way to keep moving forward is so important in these situations.
Success Isn’t the End Point
We often treat milestones like exits, revenue goals, or media attention as the finish line. But the women on the show taught us otherwise.
“I thought my business exit would be the finish line — but instead it was the start of a new question.” — Sarah Michelle Boes (Ep 46)
For some, success revealed that they were out of alignment. Others faced personal challenges that forced a total recalibration. And some simply outgrew their old identity.
Identity and Leadership
Reinvention isn’t just about the business. It’s about the leader.
I shared my post-exit journey in Episode 1:
“When the deal closed, I thought I’d landed. But instead I found myself on a plateau, asking: Who am I now and what do I really want?”
Starting again was no easy task, and it took a lot time for me to get going once again.
Others like Ania Aliev (Ep 39) stepped into the legacy of a family business, only to realize:
“I had to rewrite my identity as a leader, not just the owner.”
Reinvention requires courage. You can’t always see what’s next. You must move anyway. This always feels scary. It’s where the deep trust we have built in ourselves comes to play. Use it to get moving once again.
When to Reinvent
Sometimes reinvention comes after a big life shift. Other times it starts with a quiet whisper: "This isn’t it anymore."
Signs you might be ready:
You feel stuck or unmotivated despite success
You sense your values have shifted
You’re playing small to protect something that no longer fits
Questions to Consider:
What version of you is ready to be retired?
Where are you resisting evolution because it means letting go of a former identity?
What would reinvention look like if you trusted yourself completely?
You don’t arrive. You keep becoming. And reinvention isn’t failure: it’s freedom.
Next Up: Belief Shifts Precede Business Shifts
