I want to share with you an incredible experience I recently had in Baku, Azerbaijan (slightly north of Turkey, I had to look it up too!) at the Inmerge Innovation Summit.

It was a journey that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I believe it's important to reflect on the value of taking risks and embracing opportunities, especially when they’re packaged in an unfamiliar way.

Before saying yes to MCing in Azerbaijan I said no three times:

I initially said no because I had never heard of Baku before, and I didn’t know if it would be worth going across the world when my current focus is on building Unleash Forward in North America.
I said no the second time because while this was a great opportunity to MC and host, it wasn’t in my wheelhouse of coaching and supporting women of color. I was also already very busy planning another trip (I went on three work trips in November!) so I wasn’t sure if taking another week away from my business was the best idea. Was this going to add to my business or was it just a travel opportunity?
The third time I said no was because I was already committed to hosting a program right after I would get back from Baku, so I would be traveling from Orlando to Baku then immediately hosting a program. So while I was worried about my business, I also needed to make sure that I was making the right choice for my mental and physical health - especially as I’m getting used to the toll that menopause takes on your body.

One aspect that was a bit lost on me while I was evaluating decision was exactly who was hosting and who would be speaking at this summit. Pasha Holding hosted the summit, and I was joined on stage by world-renowned innovators and leaders, including Steve Wozniak (Co-Founder of Apple), JB Straubel (Co-Founder of Tesla), Erdem Inan (CEO of Trendyol Group, Amazon of Turkey), Lisa Bodell (Founder and CEO of FutureThink and one of the top 50 keynote speakers) and Christopher Barton (Founder and Creator of Shazam). I also realized that if I'm going to screw up somewhere, this would be the place to do it because no one will know what I did on the other side of the world!

At this point, I had given this decision a lot of thought. I was initially invited by my mentor Bill G. Williams to join him in hosting the conference, and after speaking with him about how out of my wheelhouse this was, he told me that he had seen me on stage before and he knew that I could do this. My husband reminded me that you never know what could come from this, it could be great exposure, I could end up loving it, and when would I get another chance to go to Baku?

Eventually, I took the leap of faith and said YES!

The three days in Baku were intense, dealing with jet lag, navigating a different culture, long hours, and always being "on" to perform. It was a unique learning experience that reinforced the value of saying "yes" to discomfort and highlighted the significance of taking risks in personal and professional growth.

What really struck me was the warm welcome and hospitality of the people of Baku and of Pasha Holding, as well as the high quality of the conference. The connections forged and the exposure gained were invaluable, surpassing my initial reservations. I was thrilled to meet Ayumi Moore Aoki (Founder and CEO of Women in Tech) at the summit, which led to the opportunity for me to be named as one of the Top 100 Speakers for 2023 by Women In Tech!

I am super grateful to Bill G. Williams for believing in me and for sharing this amazing opportunity with me. Thank you Bill, you are always my champion. And thank you to my husband Ivan for also always being my champion.

All in all, this was a lesson in taking risks and opening myself up to new opportunities, no matter how they’re packaged. Big risks can lead to great rewards, but you’ll never know until you open yourself up to those opportunities. When you're chasing your dreams, you're either going to succeed or learn a lesson - there is no failing. Staying in your comfort zone might seem secure, but real growth and success often requires venturing into the unknown and trying something new.

As we move into 2024, what risks are you going to take? How are you going to challenge yourself to grow? What are you going to say yes to?

With gratitude + delight,
Salima Valji