8 Years, 357,000 Entrepreneurs: What I learned.

Building and leading a national coaching team for Google over the last eight years has been the most defining chapter of my career.

We delivered nearly 5,000 workshops. We navigated a pandemic. We saw the rise of AI. But beyond the stats, I learned what it actually takes to lead people through constant change.

Here are five truths I’m taking with me:

1. You can’t lead from a spreadsheet.

To know if a program is actually working, you have to be in the room. I personally facilitated hundreds of workshops for 90,000+ people. Being on the ground let me see the gaps that data doesn't show. If you want to lead a team effectively, you have to understand their day-to-day reality first-hand.

2. Agility is the Only Strategy

Technology moves faster than most training programs can adapt. We pivoted from general digital marketing to tactical AI training in real-time. If you aren't constantly upskilling, you aren't leading; you're just following behind.

3. Adaptability over Activities

Moving a national team from in-person to remote, then to hybrid, was a massive management hurdle. Engaging a team during uncertainty takes more than an offsite; it takes a prioritized effort to give people the tools to succeed regardless of where they sit.

4. Become the Master Translator

The hardest part of global enterprise work? Balancing corporate goals with the community's visceral needs. My job was to translate high-level strategy into lifelines for business owners fighting to survive wildfires, a pandemic, and economic shifts.

5. Build for the Foundation, Not the Finish Line

I managed this team through three business unit changes with minimal turnover. My goal was to build an infrastructure so resilient it could survive any shift. Leadership development isn't just growth; it's the resilience a community needs to move forward.