Years ago, while working overseas, I kept a personal blog to journal about my novel experiences. In one post, I confessed to feeling uncertain in my new job and that I had expressed this to my boss. In the blog, I asked whether my sharing doubt signaled weakness. Someone wrote in the comments: “Yes, doubt shows weakness.” Expressing uncertainty demonstrated a lack of fortitude, I suppose, and if we are to be captains of industry, we cannot be having that.

Recently, I was annoyed by the reality of having to adjust some aspect of my business model. I shared with a group of other founders that I felt dizzy by the pivoting and fine-tuning. “I'm pirouetting so much, I feel like a ballet dancer,” I said. I needed to decide on how big I wanted Africa Goodnest to be and the resources that I would need. But I was also shadowed with memories of the times in my professional career where I had been second-guessed, overlooked, disregarded. "Who would believe in me?" I thought. I am a woman and I am Black.

As 2020 draws to a close many of us are drawn to reflect on what has been an unprecedented year. It has been a year where institutions are reflecting on their core values, marginalized voices are finally finding their pitch and strength, and we confess that as a human collective, we do not have all of the answers.

I am also ending the year by trusting that people want to see me succeed. People who will offer to ship me packages of their custom caramel treats from California because I've had a tough day, or mentors specializing in working with women entrepreneurs who remind me that errors are a part of the growth process. Friends, also, who will step forward to help me think through the infrastructure challenges of the African environment and strategize on how to get goods to market.

Ultimately, I am a romantic pronoiaist, who believes that fate and God conspire for my ultimate good. And I also learn from watching many Disney movies that challenges and obstacles inspire us to be curious and curiosity takes us places.

"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

- Walt Disney