Safe Isn’t Safe Anymore

(💡thanks to everyone who voted last week on the Resource Vault - I had so many replies! If anyone missed it please feel free to open last weeks newsletter and put in your vote, I’ll announce the outcome next week)

Over the weekend, I went to a birthday brunch with some friends.

Between the laughs and the catch-ups, one conversation really stuck with me.

One of my friends had recently been laid off.
Not just her - a whole group of people from her company.
Some of them had been there for over 20 years.

Twenty years at the same company.
Probably believing they had safe, secure, stable jobs.

But in one corporate decision, it was all gone.

My friend went on to tell me how tough it’s been -
Even with years of experience,
Even with countless interviews,
Landing a new role in her field right now hasn’t been easy.

It was a heavy reminder:

The safety most people are banking on… often isn’t real.

^{(Something to check out below if your looking to grow your personal brand by getting on more podcasts…)}

I used to believe in that kind of safety too.

Work hard.
Stay loyal.
Climb the ladder.
Play it safe.

And for a while, it seemed like the smart move.

But just like my friend’s story showed me this weekend…

The real risk isn’t starting something new.

The real risk is betting your whole future on something you don’t control.

Even big companies get bought out, restructure, collapse.
Industries change. Economies shift.

Meanwhile, your time, energy, and dreams are sitting there - tied to someone else's decisions.

Look at Kodak.

They invented the first digital camera - this ground-breaking device captured black-and-white images at a resolution of 0.01 megapixels and stored them on a cassette tape.

But despite the innovation, they chose to ignore it because they didn’t want to risk their lucrative film profits.

They played it safe.

Kodak did eventually enter the digital market - but by then, their competitors had already taken the lead.

Today?

They’re a footnote in business history, filing for bankruptcy in 2012.

Playing it safe cost them everything.

Here’s what I know now:

"Safe" isn’t safe if it depends on someone else’s permission.

"Comfortable" isn’t security - it’s often just the slow fade of your options.

Waiting until you have to act is the riskiest move of all.

So what can you do?

1. Build your foundation now, not later.

Waiting for the "perfect time" is the fastest way to stay stuck.
You don't need a five-year plan or a million-dollar idea to start.
You just need a couple hours a week.
To learn new skills.
To work on building a new stream of income you control - even if it's tiny at first.

Because when things shift - and they will - it's the people who already started who have the advantage.
Not the ones scrambling to catch up.

Build when it feels optional, not when it becomes necessary.
Your future self will thank you.

2. Redefine risk.

We’re taught that the risky thing is stepping out of line.
Starting a business.
Investing in yourself.
Taking a different path.

But the truth is:

The biggest risk isn’t trying and failing.

It’s staying exactly where you are - while the world moves on without you.

Waiting feels safe.
Delaying feels responsible.

But over time, your options shrink.
The industry changes.
The market shifts.
The ladder you're climbing disappears…

Taking calculated action - even small, imperfect action - is less risky than standing still.

3. Back yourself.

There’s no such thing as a “stable” economy forever.
Technology will keep evolving.
Industries will keep being disrupted.

But if you're building you - your skills, your assets, your ability to adapt -
you'll never be starting from zero.

Ownership is about resilience.
It’s about knowing that no matter what changes around you, you are your own best investment.

The safest bet you can make...
is on the person you're becoming.

When we left brunch that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Those 20-year employees probably thought they were doing everything right.

But safety isn’t something you’re given.

It’s something you build.

Ownership isn’t always the easy road -
But it’s the one that’s actually yours.

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