Not a nightmare… it was a whisper.
What if I’m still stuck here next year?

Still in the same role, watching others move up…

I waited 10 years for my promotion to VP.
Now I know what I could have done differently.

Here's what I've learned after 8 years coaching women from Director to VP:

– The ones who break through don't wait for certainty.
– They don't wait for the perfect roadmap.
– They don't wait to feel 100% ready.

They move like everything is gonna work out.
Because it is.

Not through wishful thinking, but through strategic action paired with unwavering belief.

Here's your 12➝ month VP trajectory:

Step 1: Build Your Foundation
➝ Map out your strengths and skills
➝ Document your strategic wins weekly
➝ Start speaking up in every meeting

Step 2: Amplify Your Visibility
➝ Lead one high-visibility project outside your comfort zone
➝ Schedule quarterly skip-level meetings with senior leadership
➝ Develop three strategic relationships with future VP-level peers

Step 3: Position for the Role
➝ Shadow a VP for key meetings (ask directly)
➝ Present to the board or executive team at least once
➝ Negotiate one aspect of your current role that demonstrates VP readiness

Step 4: Make Your Move
➝ Have the promotion conversation with specific timeline
➝ Prepare your "VP vision" document
➝ Be ready to explore external opportunities if internal path stalls

But here's what matters more than this timeline:

When you move through your career like success is inevitable, you show up differently.

– You speak with authority in that meeting.
– You negotiate without apologizing.
– You take the strategic risk.
– You stop second-guessing your worth.

Your EQ shifts.
Your presence changes.

The organization starts seeing you differently because you're seeing yourself differently.

That knot in your stomach about being overlooked? It loosens.
That Sunday night dread? It transforms into anticipation.
That imposter syndrome voice? It gets quieter.

Because when you move like everything is gonna work out, you stop operating from fear and start operating from conviction.

The path becomes clear not because someone handed you a map, but because you started believing in yourself.

Your next VP role isn't waiting for you to feel ready.
It's waiting for you to decide you already are.

Take one action today from Step 1-3.
Just one.
Move like it's already working.

Because it is.