Bold risk reply

By Amanda Duff, M.S., SHRM-CP

Certified Coach | HR Consultant | Leadership Advisor

The boldest move I ever made was walking away from the stable, well-paying job I had built over a decade, with people I genuinely liked, to take a role that had an expiration date.

At the time, I was an HR Director making six figures, working with people I’d known for years. I was respected, trusted, and comfortable. But I wasn’t passionate about the work anymore. I knew I could keep coasting along, but something in me had shifted. I wanted to build something of my own. I wanted to coach, consult, lead, but on my own terms. And I knew I’d never do it if I stayed comfortable.

So when an opportunity came up at a smaller company on the path to acquisition, I took it. I knew the role would end eventually. It was part of the deal. But I also saw it as a runway: a chance to help a company through a major transition and give myself the space to get ready for what I knew was next.

I negotiated a severance package before I even accepted the offer. That was my safety net, and my deadline. When the company got acquired, I’d be out of a job. But I’d also be free. Free to finally launch my business.

Founder of a boutique coaching and consulting practice helping high-achieving professionals and small business leaders build more sustainable, human-centered ways of working.

People thought I was a little nuts. Leaving a secure job you’ve had for 10 years for something unstable, with an end date, on purpose? But I knew I couldn’t keep putting off what I really wanted. I needed the push. I needed the risk.

And honestly? It was scary. That in-between time, knowing this job would end, not yet running my own thing full-time, was full of imposter syndrome and second-guessing. But I also got to sharpen my skills, expand my experience, and make the connections that would carry me into the next chapter.

And when the day finally came, and I walked out of that job knowing I was officially on my own? It was terrifying.. and exhilarating.

Now, I run my own coaching and consulting practice. I help high-achieving professionals figure out what’s next when they’re tired of playing by someone else’s rules. I help organizations build people-first HR strategies that actually support the humans who work there. I do work I care deeply about, and I’ve built it in a way that aligns with how I want to live and lead.

That bold move, leaving comfort for possibility, changed everything.

What I’ve learned: If you wait until you're 100% ready, you’ll never go. Leaving something good in search of something better always feels risky. But sometimes, that leap is the only way forward.

So if you’re sitting in a job that looks fine on the outside but feels empty on the inside.. trust that. You don’t need to blow everything up overnight. But you can start making moves toward the future you actually want.

Comfort is safe, but it can also be a trap. I had to give up stability to make space for something better. And it worked.

Connect With Amanda

www.nowwhathr.com

@nowwhathr