I am the queen of the pivot. Wherever I see opportunities for my personal or professional growth, I shift gears and move toward that direction. Life is an adventure, and I want to make sure I experience it all with as few regrets as possible.

I have not always been this way.

My first pivot was over 10 years ago. As any good first-generation daughter knows, excelling academically was critical. After undergrad, I went straight into my PhD program, the UK equivalent of getting an MD/PhD. I was going to be a doctor and make my family proud. “Our very own Dr. MacCarthy” - they’d boast. However, I was not being true to myself and my purpose.

Indeed I really enjoyed my studies but if I was being completely honest, I was living to please my family - my accomplishments were to make their sacrifices worthwhile. I was pursuing academia with an imposter syndrome, and felt undeserving and disillusioned.

I decided to take a sabbatical, see more of the world, and get clarity on my direction in life. This trip led to my first pivot.

• Was it scary to drop out of my PhD program? Yes
• Did I feel like I was letting my family down? Yes

But I needed to live for myself and make decisions I would have to live with. So, I choose to end my academic career. It was hard. But with grit, hard work, and curiosity I entered the world of International Development. I worked for institutions such as the British Council and GIZ on tech-focused projects with a Pan-African reach. I traveled all over Africa and South-East Asia, meeting key delegates and ministers innovating in education, finance, and energy in their respective countries. Who would have thought dropping out, which at the time caused me great anxiety and doubt, would turn into the adventure of a lifetime?

Then, I pivoted again.

I moved to Germany to raise my son and back to school. You can take the girl out of university but you can’t take the university out of the girl ;). I was inspired by the healthcare-related projects in development and wanted to gain more understanding of the business side of the industry versus the pure technical science I was well versed in. I received my master's and then continued working for the GIZ managing Africa-focused development projects that were both technical and non-technical. I was content living in Germany, but I knew deep in my spirit that this was not it for me. I was comfortable, had stability, and my son was thriving in Germany, but I knew I had more to accomplish.

So, I pivoted.

I packed my bags and moved back to Ghana. This is where I have lived for the past year with my son, building Hiedberg. Hiedberg is a culmination of all my experience and interests to date. I am a CEO, and I get the honor of building and working in a region I’m passionate about. Has it been easy? Nope! Has it been worth it? 100%. Cheers to a new adventure of a lifetime and to fearlessly forging forward.

My tips for being a fearless pivoter are:

1. Make sure your career goals are aligned with what you want to pursue versus what your community wants you to pursue.
2. Don’t be afraid to change or start over. Is it scary? Yes, but hard things are worth doing.
3. Surround yourself with affirmers. Sometimes your ideas might not make sense, but if you believe in them and surround yourself with a support system, you will have the strength to keep going and pursue your dream career through the highs and lows.

My whole life has been getting comfortable with the unknown and being fearless in the face of change and pivoting. Take that leap of faith. A year from now you’ll be glad you did!