Big Lessons from Bold Choices

It’s Dr. Latasha Nelson's favorite time of year—a season of reflection and planning for what’s ahead. Join her as she shares some of the biggest moments from her past year and the lessons that came with them. From stepping into new roles to taking risks she almost talked herself out of, it’s been a journey of bold moves and surprising growth.

In this episode, Dr. Nelson opens up about the experience of pushing past self-doubt, setting better boundaries, and learning how to balance passion projects with personal commitments. She hopes these reflections inspire you to go for what you want and challenge yourself to make decisions that truly serve your growth.

As we wrap up this year, Dr. Nelson encourages you to reflect, set bold goals, and find ways to grow that align with your values and dreams. Connect with her on LinkedIn or social media to share your wins, your lessons, and what you’re planning for the year ahead. Let’s make 2025 a year of impact and intention!

Tune in and remember to keep learning and leading from where you are.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:26

Hi everybody, thanks for coming back. I'm your host, dr LaTosha Nelson, and I just want to share with you this time of year is my absolute favorite time of year. There are a lot of things that represent new beginnings to me, and I won't run down the list of them, but when I think of this time of year, I think of going into the new year and planning before you get into it, so that you know exactly what you need to do to hit the ground running. And so not only is this my favorite time of year because you get to plan for the new year, but, most importantly, as part of that planning, is a great time to reflect. So for me, reflection has several benefits. Not only do you get to sit down and intentionally think about all the things you've experienced within the last 12 months, but you also get to think about what you would do differently and what you can learn from what you've experienced and maybe even more importantly for the upcoming year, how you're going to use the things that you've learned in order to help you plan. And so today happens to be my birthday, and I am reflecting on some of the biggest moments that I've personally had this year, and I'm so excited to be able to share that with you. So, for those who know me personally, I am probably known as the queen of doing the most, and that's fair, because I have had a lot of things going on, specifically this year alone. I've taken on the responsibility of being our HOA president, I've led my team through a ton of changes and, on a personal level, I experienced the loss of my older sister earlier this year, and so, before I start planning for the new year, I think it's really important to reflect on all of this and see what shakes out. So, first up, one of the things I did really well, I think, in my personal opinion this year is I really embraced, just going forward and not holding back out of fear.

Speaker 1: 2:19

So last year, I found myself going through all of these trainings and webinars. Anything I can get my hands on to learn more about AI and everything at that time that was being presented in my opinion was very theoretical. It was very much like, hey, in theory you could do this, and these are some of the things that you should be able to do in the future with it, but nothing was practical and I was frustrated by that. So I decided to submit a proposal to speak at a conference that I had not spoken at in eight years and, to be fair, I had not spoken at any conference in eight years and so this was kind of a big deal, and at the time it seemed like a really smart thing to do. But full transparency the moment I hit submit, I was like, oh my gosh, what did you do and why? And so in my mind, I immediately started all the self-talk they're not going to select this topic anyways by the time the conference is held next year. Your topic will be irrelevant anyways, and you don't have anything to worry about. And so imagine my shock and surprise when I get the notification that not only had my proposal been accepted, but that what seemed like more than enough time to get ready I would have roughly six months or so to gather all my thoughts, to learn as much as I could and to package it in a way that would add value to anyone.

Speaker 1: 3:49

In my mind, unfortunate enough to stumble into my session, and so, you know, I started preparing, and as I was preparing, I shared my thoughts with other people. I reached out to people that I probably would not have ordinarily have reached out to. But this topic was so interesting to me and I just knew it would be a game changer if I could learn how to apply it practically and not just theoretically that I just started taking chances left and right and, as I was preparing, I started sharing the content that I was preparing with my team and they were gracious enough to give me feedback. They felt comfortable enough with me to say, hey, this part is pretty awesome, this part not so much. I recommend making an adjustment and, as they were sharing their feedback, I'd implement it, refine it, I'd share it with other people and ultimately, by the time I got to the conference, not only did my content rock, but ultimately what really stole the show is I was able to just be myself. I really fell naturally into just being the Tasha or Latasha that most people know, and it was a hit.

Speaker 1: 4:54

People continue to walk up to me during the conference to say how much value they got from the information, how they were no longer kind of stuck in this space of. I think it's supposed to help, but I'm not sure how it'll actually help me in real life, and it actually created more opportunities for me. I was invited to speak at other engagements about this topic. It positioned me to be seen as a thought leader, which was amazing, especially given that this was several months later by the time the conference had occurred, and I really thought that surely people would be much further along by the time I was presenting my information. And, as it turns out, my information was not only relevant but timely.

Speaker 1: 5:37

And the biggest lesson that sticks out to me in this is that if I hadn't gone forward, I'd have missed out on these opportunities. So you know, really going forward this year was huge, so much so that I have entertained a new role in a space I'm extremely passionate about. There was an opportunity at my company for a brand spanking new role that would allow me to really lean in and support the development of emerging leaders. And while I did not get it and don't get me wrong, it wasn't because I didn't make it hard for them to choose the person they selected, but I didn't make it hard for them to choose the person they selected. But I didn't get it, and it hit me afterwards that that was probably the biggest blessing that could have occurred at that time, and there's a lot of things that happen in life that you don't really know how it's intended to shake out, but hindsight is 20-20, as they say. So it turned out to be a huge blessing for me, because I know that had I gotten that position, I would have given it everything I have, and then that's just how I am.

Speaker 1: 6:42

I am very committed, and so I would have stayed up late nights, I would have worked through the weekends, I would have gotten up super duper early, because I do those things now, but every waking moment and every focus and fiber of my being would have gone into making that program the most amazing program that it could ever have possibly been, and I think about what that would have meant at the time. I mentioned earlier that I was the HOA president this year as well, as I'm a mother and I have a team and I have all these other amazing things going on, much like many of you, and I often step back and think about how overextended I would have felt, and possibly overwhelmed I would have felt, had I gotten that job, and so I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't go for it, but what stands out in my head is that, as part of me going forward, it got me to thinking about things that I need to consider to really know if I'm making what would be considered my best yes, in my best interest to position me to help others more, if it's going to be something that ultimately drains me or overwhelms me, or if it's something that I'm maybe not really ready for in that moment, not because I'm not professionally and skill-wise capable of doing the job, but am I really holistically ready for the job? And so, along with embracing the just go for it mentality, what I found is that it gets easier every time you do it. So there have been things that, as I jump into it, I might have been more hesitant initially to do some things, and now that is still not a problem, and the bigger the things are, the more I'm inclined to just go for it and allow myself to experience what that looks like. Overall, I wouldn't change anything. If anything. I found that challenging myself to do more has helped me get better at making decisions and really going for what I want, not just what seems good or enough, and so I would encourage you don't be afraid to just go for it, no matter what happens. You're bound to get way more than you would have if you hadn't.

Speaker 1: 8:59

Another big leap I took this year was starting my own business and podcast, and so I was hesitant because I really thought that I had to have everything figured out first, and that delayed me quite a bit. But I started thinking about how I work typically, and it did occur to me that I seemed to be more willing to stay, maybe overextended, supporting someone else's dreams. Then I was comfortable making decisions that furthered my own, and so you know the countless projects, the privilege but added responsibility of answering phone calls from my neighbors to address matters, the things that happened to pop up that seemed to be emergency deliverables that had to happen right right now. Those are things that I think most of us can relate to, that I prioritized over my own personal responsibilities, sometimes in my own personal aspirations many of the time, and so I questioned why would I stay up late and burn the candle on both ends for someone else's dreams but not for my own? And it reminded me of a quote that's whether you think you can or you can't, you're right. You guys have probably heard that, and so I had to start thinking like what is preventing me from saying that I can do these other things as well?

Speaker 1: 10:24

And I also was watching my husband, who started his own podcast and furthered his own passion project. He dove headfirst into all of that and as he did it, he continued to learn and grow. So I watched him not necessarily get kicked back because he didn't have everything in order initially. I actually watched him learn what he needed to learn and adapt accordingly and then keep moving. And so, fortunately, because of how he approached things, his learning and growth helped me develop my systems. And guess what? I'm still learning and growing. But I also learned that, you know, I learned that I could acquire new skills and open myself up and still find balance and push myself further than I had been pushing myself in some recent years, and so I really showed myself how adaptable I am, and through it, I met a lot of amazing people, and, going into 2025, I definitely have every intention of continuing to implement this learning and growing that I'm experiencing right now, to have a clearer vision for my business and to help as many people thrive as I can. And then, finally, I learned to set better boundaries this year.

Speaker 1: 11:35

So I have been exercising the practice of being bolder, not only in doing things that align with my values and beliefs, but also in saying what I need out loud. It hasn't been easy and, to be honest, it wasn't easy being honest with myself and others, because there were times that I told myself I could, or should do things because I had the skills to do it, even if I didn't have the time or the energy. And I had quite a few crucial or courageous conversations with other people who had made commitments but failed to follow through and, as a result, that left way more on my plate to chew. And so, ultimately, I learned that it was keeping me up at night, not saying what I needed, not being bold, versus finding the courage to create the space I needed to share what was needed and allowing myself to be at peace with knowing that, regardless of the outcomes, I had done my part.

Speaker 1: 12:34

And so, again, it's difficult at first, especially when you don't know how your feelings are going to land or if someone else cares enough to entertain them, but I think that there's another boundary to consider, which is are you okay with being surrounded by people who may not care how you feel? For me, the answer is a big no, and so, in addition to that, I also had to be realistic about my time and not letting others abuse it just because they had access to it. I can't tell you how many times you know I'd be approached and people would ask me if they could schedule time with me and then not show up or not show up on time, and that's an example of someone having access to my time. Because I've given you access to it. Past couple of years, I've come to terms with how short life is, which is why learning to say no to even options that seem good versus those that are greater for me is a big priority for me, and being willing to walk away has also become very important to me in my continued growth and learning. Ultimately, I learned how important it is to protect my energy and my time. So, with all of that, what's next? So in 2025, I totally plan to continue being bold, going forward and creating opportunities that are best aligned with my dreams and aspirations, while challenging myself to push and stretch even further than before. I look forward to getting better and offering valuable content that helps you achieve your dreams, too. This is my challenge to you Take time to reflect on this past year before diving into next year.

Speaker 1: 14:20

What were your wins, what would you do differently and how can you grow? I'd love for you to share what you come up with, so connect with me and share your reflections on LinkedIn or any other social media platform. You'll be able to find me under Dr LaTosha Nelson or LaTosha Nelson PhD or Learning Leader Lab. With that, I wish you great success for the remainder of this year and even greater impact next year. This has been. Thanks for Coming Back. Please continue to learn and lead right from where you are.